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Debunking rumors: Rio's Carnival

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red_phoenix
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Debunking rumors: Rio's Carnival

Post by red_phoenix »

[With apologies to our friends in Brazil! None of this is real!]


You may have heard the rumor of a veritable trade of samba dancers and models at the recent carnival in Rio de Janeiro, but the rumors are quite far from the truth!

Not only a skilled dancer brings home a ton of cash, their contracts are highly regulated by the Carnival Negotiations Central so no surprises occur.

The classic contract covers the carnival itself and the months-long training and preparation a dancer undertakes with her chosen samba school: it's not like majestic floats and dance routines magically appear at midnight before the big parade!

Smaller samba schools sometimes get tight in cash and risk running out, and that's where your reporter thinks the rumor started that they'd just 'sell' their best performers to other schools!

In reality, carnival contracts work just like in soccer: there's a healthy transfer market where contracts and their terms are bought and sold, the performer simply moves from training with one school and dance master to another. News of a particularly pricey transfer between schools (the carnival is no joke), the imagination of some old guy watching beautiful dancers parading in their costumes... and here we concoct the rumor of ridiculous modern slave trade!

So there we go, nothing out of age-old traditions!

And the fantastic 'samba slave markets' you may have heard about in Rio? Nothing but the training grounds of old samba schools! Did you really think dancing girls were being bought and sold smiling at the rhythm of a samba?

It's in fact absolutely normal for school affiliates to 'scout' other schools! Like it's absolutely normal for them to ask particularly promising dancers to perform for them: far from being a humiliating ordeal, performers are honored to show off their skills to prospective 'buyers', knowing well what a windfall a good transfer can be for their old school and fellow dancers!

And now, dear reader, I think you completely understand what the 'mass sale' video you may have seen is actually showing!
L'Escola de Samba de Tijuca massively ran out of budget this year for their crystal float (!) and they simply had to transfer as many of their best dancers as they could: being a massive event from such a big school (and in need of so much cash!), it was absolutely natural to organize it as an auction of sort.
Rest assured that CNC officers oversaw the proceedings and ensured each dancer had the chance to perform at the best of their abilities in front of all registered samba schools, and organize closed-door demonstrations as needed.
'Groups of half-naked slaves led down the street to their new masters at the rhythm of drums,' I quote here one of the ridiculous newspaper articles on the topic, were obviously nothing but performers getting to their new escuela at the end of the event guided by their new directors! Look closely at the images, you'll see everyone having a great time with at most a little horseplay as performers tease each others and their new trainers.

Alexa here from The Internet Times, hoping we finally set the record straight and ready to debunk any new rumors!
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GypsieCowboy
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Re: Debunking rumors: Rio's Carnival

Post by GypsieCowboy »

thank you for posting this. I really have nothing else to add but once again can not find a way to put my name in that box with others who thank you. in about 55 or 60 attempts to do so for various posted vinyettes or stories, I have only managed to get my name in those boxes twice... and have no idea how or why it worked those 2 times.

so, Red_Phoenix, next how about a visit to New Orleans Bead Celebration Mardi Gras??? Then when You write about it, you won't have to apologize to friends because anyone who lives there or has ever visited in February knows the truth of the matter!

~GypsieCowboy :clint:
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Re: Debunking rumors: Rio's Carnival

Post by jeepster »

Gypsie at the top right of the post you want to thank is the thumbs up button! That will put your name with mine!
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Re: Debunking rumors: Rio's Carnival

Post by underdog_13 »

red_phoenix wrote: Tue Feb 28, 2023 4:01 pm [With apologies to our friends in Brazil! None of this is real!]
Don't worry, red_phoenix, I'm Brazillian, and believe me, no apologies necessary. In fact, you might be wrong when you state "None of this is real".
Most samba schools in Rio de Janeiro are "owned" and financed by ilegal gambling moguls, and, though that's not so explicit as you pictured, some of the dancers act like "sugar babies" for those moguls and their family. Sad, but true.
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Re: Debunking rumors: Rio's Carnival

Post by red_phoenix »

Oh wow, I didn't know. Thanks for the info! In this case I liked the idea of the dancers happily getting bought and sold like it's a big game and fun party... although their training regime may be quite demanding and school directors will want to perform a very thorough inspection before committing to a purchase, wouldn't want to blow a ton of money on a performer that isn't up to standard!
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