With tribute to Arlindo Cruz, Black Gil and Jorge Aragon, Monobloco closes the Carnaval of Rua do Rio with contagious energy

Block led by singer Pedro Luís performs exciting parade in downtown.

With the theme “You can enter that the house is yours”, Monobloco took about 80 thousand foliões to the Black Circuit Gil, in the Center of Rio, closing with gold key the Carnaval of Rua do Rio on Sunday morning, February 22. Among the highlights of the parade were the tributes to the Sambists Arlindo Cruz and Jorge Aragon, in addition to Black singer Gil, who gives name to the circuit.

One of the icons of samba carioca, singer and composer Arlindo Cruz, who left us in August last year, was recalled with songs such as “The show has to continue” and “Samba de Arerê”, sung in chorus by the revelers who had been waiting for the parade of the block since early. Already Black Gil was honored with the songs “Only Love” and “Fire Bells”, which thrilled the crowd.

"I want to thank all of you who accompany the Monoblocco all these years. This is the collation of the degree of our rhythmists in great style", exalted singer Pedro Luís. Among the novelties in the repertoire is the song “De Mala e Cuia”, success of the album Dominguinho, João Gomes, Mestrinho and Jotapê.

Master Jorge Aragon, whose compositions are on Monobloco’s new album, “Mar de Aragon”, packed much of the parade, with successes such as “I and you always”, “Papel de Bão” and “From the bottom of our backyard”.

In his 26th parade, the Monobloco also did not leave out the classics of his repertoire, such as “It is today”, “Taj Mahal” and “Fio Maravilha”, for the delusion of those who did not want the holiday to end. The block also featured the participations of Mariá, wife of José Gil, who sang “Signais de Fogo” in honor of Black sister-in-law Gil, and Chico Chico, son of Cássia Eller.

“ In the '90s I met a figure who is one of the biggest voices of MPB. And today I have the honor of calling her son to sing here at Monobloco”, said Sidon Silva before announcing Chico Chico’s participation to sing “Second Sun”.

Carioca Milene Mouras, percussionist of Monobloco, plays deaf and did her first parade. “I’m a Monobloco fan and I was coming to the parade. Last year I got into the workshop and this is my first parade. It's the fulfillment of a dream. I started dating my husband after the Monobloco parade and today we are celebrating here the two of us playing on drums our seven years of marriage”.

Rita Oliveira, a resident of Saníssimo, has been with Monobloco since he was walking on the shore of the South Zone. "It's a love story with Monobloco. I don't have as many blocks as I've had for 20, 25 years. But this block I don't let go. The first time I followed the parade, I was single. Today I am married, I have two teenage daughters and they come with me every year”, he said.

With a partnership that already lasts 11 carnivals, members of the traditional Cacique de Ramos are important presence in the Monobloco parade. Luiz Carlos Lima, better known as Doll of the Cacique. gave details about this partnership.

“ It turned out to be a tradition to parade along with Monobloco. It is a closure cycle of the Carnaval that we participate in. We start on Carnaval Friday and close today at Monobloco. Every year is an indescribable feeling. We have a strong friendship with Celso, with Pedro. It’s a family thing,” he said.

Known for the diversity of rhythms, Monobloco walked through various styles, going from pop to funk, going through the pagoda, forró, axé and MPB, not forgetting the sambas-entredo and classics as “I caught a Itá in the North”.

“The Monobloco parade is always a great tour of Brazilian music: it has samba, pagode, forró, music from Bahia, in addition to our copyright hymns ‘Arrastão da Alegria’ and ‘Funk do Monobloco’”, said Celso Alvim, the block’s drum master.

Created in 2000 from a percussion workshop designed by members of the Pedro Luís group and the Parede group, the Monobloco surpassed the original format of batucada and consolidated as a reference in the renovation of street blocks in Rio. Over more than two decades, the project formed hundreds of rhythmists through workshops and built a battery recognized by sound power, rhythmic diversity and musical accuracy.

The complete programming of street blocks of the Carnaval 2026 had 427 parades in all and attracted a diverse and lively audience in all regions of the city.