Boitatá cord enchants with legels and trioless courtship in the Center

The audience performed choir and sang together during the procession of the Cordão do Boitatá, held on Sunday (8), in the Circuita Preta Gil, in the Center of Rio. In the year of its 30-year history, the block officially joined the list of megablocks of the Wonderful City and enchanted the revelers with a parade marked by legants, banners, Bahians and an atmosphere of collective celebration.

The Boitatá took 250 musicians to the streets, as well as almost 400 members, maintaining its characteristic of parade without sound car. After a long period away from the region, the block again occupied the Avenue First of March and surroundings, on a path thought to behave the grandeur of the party.

During the procession, the repertoire walked by sambas, marchinhas, afoxés and frevos. The public was also able to check original arrangements of names such as Moacir Santos, Villa-Lobos, Pixinguinha, Maestro Duda and Braguinha, as well as compositions created especially for the orchestra of the Boitatá, recognized as an intangible Cultural Heritage of the city of Rio de Janeiro.

“ It is a great joy to be able to return to the circuit of square XV, where we left in 2012 and, above all, to be recognized by the Riotur in this space, which proves the importance of the cordon play for the carnaval of the city. The Boitatá has been megablock for a long time, for the public it has and for all the other indicators that we also include. We are super happy”, celebrated Kiko Horta, one of the founders of the group.

Right behind, a couple of master-sala and bandeira, next to a giant papier machê doll of the composer and arranger Pixinguinha, and a group of legalts led by artist and cultural producer Raquel Poti, who parades by the association 12 years ago.

“Boitatá was one of the first blocks that embraced and received our wing of golden legels, which this year turns 11. And it's a great school, a school of life. I usually say that in Piitatá we learn the values that guide the party of the Carnaval from the base. From this basis of relationships, respect for the street, care, and the energies we share. Everything we learn here in Pitata works to become better people.” said Poti.

In the middle of the parade, Pixinguinha's giant doll turned to the legels, which extended a track in honor of Black Gil, a singer who died in 2025 and named the Rio megablock circuit. To the sound of “Fire Bells”, all who accompanied the parade were thrilled and shouted the name of Gilberto Gil’s daughter artist, who marked the history of Brazilian music.

Fire and Passion pay homage to soap operas

What do Jorge Tadeu, Perpetua, Widow Porcina and the butler Cro have in common? Everyone was together this Sunday morning, on the drums of the Fire and Passion block, which made its 16th parade in Largo de São Francisco de Paula, in the Center of Rio. With the theme Carnovelas, the block paid a beautiful tribute to teledramaturgias, one of the greatest national passions.

Success in the 1980s, singer Rosana, from the hit “As a Goddess”, made a special participation in the block, which has the name inspired by the success of singer Wando.

Pedro de Moraes Martins, one of the founders of the block, explained that the force of the parade is precisely in the collective spirit and close to the public. Organized by a group of more than 100 people, the bloc was born from the idea that everyone there is, first of all, revelers.

The proposal is simple and straightforward: create a space in which drums and audiences blend together, in costumes, celebrating the Carnaval together. Without official shirt, the drums bet on creativity and constant interaction, reinforcing the idea that the party only makes sense when everyone participates. After 16 years of history, the challenge of reinventing itself is still present, and this is how this year's theme emerged, inspired by Brazilian novels, allowing musicians and revelers to enter the climate for good, with iconic characters scattered throughout the procession.

“ We seek as much interaction as possible, because Carnaval is battery along with the revelry, everyone having fun together. And then, after 16 years, we thought: what can we do differently? A batuqueiro suggested the theme of the novel, because it has a lot of emblematic music and it allows everyone to play. The idea came out of nowhere, and it worked. The drums came all dressed up, the audience also: there is Widow Porcina, Nazaré, Tieta... I myself go from Jorge Tadeu.”He did.

Bruno Ribeiro, percussionist, was dressed as Perpetua, in honor of the iconic villain of "Tieta" (1989), lived by Joana Fomm.

"It is a very emblematic novel, so, and there are characters that are iconic, through generations, and as time passes, these people continue to exist in real life, especially the inspectors of other life. Then we think it's an opportunity for us to bring this story into everyday life through these rereadings of the Fire and Passion Block", I did.

The block is participating in the campaign "No, respect the decision", promoted by the Secretary of State for Women.

Among the songs that animated the foliões of the block were “Tieta”, by Luiz Caldas, “Four Weeks of Love”, by Luan and Vanessa, “Turu Turu”, by Sandy and Junior and “The Trip”, by New Clothes. The repertoire also had room for new successes such as “I have the Password”, by João Gomes.

“ I've been coming to Fire and Passion since he first appeared 16 years ago. I loved this year's theme, because it's songs from my time, that touch me, that cross me. And this year you're honoring soap operas that I've been watching since I was a kid. It's pure emotion to see these characters who have always been part of my life here in front of me, in the flesh. This is the face of the street Carnaval!”, said the revelry Eduardo Costa.

The Fire and Passion recalled one of Brazil's greatest novel authors, Manoel Carlos, who died on January 10, with the song "Per Amore", theme of the novel "Por Amor" (1997). Soon afterwards it was the time to honor actress Regina Duarte and her eternal Widow Porcina to the sound of “Dona”, immortalized in the novel “Roque Santeiro” (1986) by the group Clothes Nova.

Cry Me League gathers fans of the backcountry in Glory

Chora Me Liga focused on Gloria and gathered fans of the “suffering” of the sertanejo. Among the revelers who arrived early at Chora Me Liga, Manuela Gomes was proudly wearing the 2024 shirt — a choice that says much about her relationship with the block.

“The 2023 was kept at home, in 2025 there was no... so I came with the 2024 even”, told her, laughing.

In 2026, the Chora Me Liga lived a special moment of reunion with its essence. After changes in the format of the parade, the block celebrates the joy of being in the place that makes the most sense for its history and for its audience.

“We are very happy”, said producer Marcelo Vital. “The best place we had was here.” According to him, the decision was constructed with dialogue and understanding, thinking about the experience of the foliões and the occupation of the urban space.

No specific tributes this year, the parade has a clear focus: celebrating the identity of Chora Me Liga. “Today it is only joy, only happiness. It is the story of the root girl”, summarized the producer.

The expectation is of a parade closer to the public, with light climate, direct connection with the revelers and energy that always marked the block.

The singers of the First Love block, César Queiroz and Rafa Garcez, who performed on Saturday (7), in São Conrado, made a special participation and sang "Your Boca Mente", by Ana Castile and Zé Felipe.

In the trio, the duo João Lucas and Matheus reinforced the atmosphere of celebration and thanks that marked the parade of Chora Me Liga. Coming from Ribeirão Preto, in the interior of São Paulo, the artists highlighted the joy of participating in the Carnaval of Rua do Rio.

“ We've been taking rain all the way from São Paulo, and getting here now, finding this sun and this energy of yours, it's wonderful. God bless our day and our Sunday so much”, said the duo, thanking the public, organization and support of Riotur.

In a humorous tone, they still encouraged the revelry not to miss the party, even with the threat of rain. “ If someone said that maybe he wasn’t coming because of the weather, he was supposed to call now and warn us: today we’re going to live amazing times together.”

The speech was received enthusiastically by the public, reinforcing the atmosphere of joy, delivery and connection that defines the spirit of the block.

Farewells and tradition

After four decades, the Suvaco do Cristo bid farewell to the streets of Rio this Sunday, February 8. Founded in Jardim Botânico, the block became one of the symbols of the Rio carnaval. The final parade came out with three emblematic sambas of the block, from 1986, 1988 and 1992 (Divine Axes, Pyramid 88 and Eco in the Air, with compositions of Lenin, Mu Chebabi, Xico Chaves, among others). In addition, the flag of the Suvaco this year had four stars: a tribute to those always present in the Sylvia Gardenberg block, Arnaldo Chain, Master Tião Belo and Jards Macalé.

João Avelleira, president of the Suvaco do Cristo, highlighted the symbolic importance of the last parade of the block and the legacy left to the street Carnaval. “ The last Suvaco parade is a moment that fills us with pride, because the DNA of the block is present in numerous blocks that today are part of the street Carnaval. When we started, there were very few blocks paraded. It was a post-dictatorship period in which large agglomerations were not yet welcome. The Suvaco helped to resume the occupation of the streets, which have always been a space of the people.”

“ Like every good party, like every good meeting, it's time for the nightcap. On the nightcap, if the party's good, she goes on. If not, we'll leave. But it sure is fine” said the interpreter William Vorheers.

Joaquim Mello, a drummer, highlighted the affection for the block and the emotion of participating in the parade. “I am Suvaco and have a huge love for the bloc. It's a wonderful story that misses you. This year, playing repicion is the realization of a dream.”

In the morning, other blocks paraded through the city: the Giants of Lira animated the Garden Square Laranjeiras, maintaining the carnival tradition of the neighborhood. For those who preferred to enjoy the afternoon folia, the Empolga at 9 focused revelries in Vieira Souto, in Ipanema.

In the Southwest, Banda da Barra gathered thousands of people on Avenida Lúcio Costa and celebrated 43 years of samba, history and tradition, reaffirming the strength and diversity of the Carnaval of Rio.

The full schedule runs until February 22nd and can be checked in the app Rio blocks 2026 and on the official website https://www.carnavalderua.rio/ Making sure all the revelers know where and when the revelry is coming.