Beija-Flor's politically charged parade wins Rio Carnival

The crown of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro this year goes to samba school Beija-Flor de Nilópolis. Based on Mary Shelley's 200-year-old novel Frankenstein, their theme song was entitled Monstro é aquele que não sabe amar – os filhos abandonados da pátria que os pariu ("Monsters are those who don't know how to love – the abandoned children of the motherland who bore them").

In Shelley's story, a scientist gives life to a hideous creature built with body parts of dead people. In the parade, the figure of the monster was used to represent social issues like corruption and inequality.

In a tight dispute, the winning samba school came before Paraíso do Tuiuti by a mere 0.1 difference. Their song this year was Meu Deus, Meu Deus, está extinta a escravidão? ("My God, my God, is slavery truly over?").

The spectacle presented by Tuiuti—a samba school from the favela of Morro do Tuiuti, in the São Cristóvão district—stirred up the audience. Tuiuti had come to the top-ranking group of schools last year.

Tuiuti's front commission, as the opening section of the parade is called, was received with vigorous ovation. Dancers took turns representing slaves and pretos-velhos (a spirit usually portrayed as a black old man, originated in Umbanda, a Brazilian religion that combines Christian and African elements). Also targeted by criticism were the changes to the country's labor laws, recently approved by Congress.

Samba schools are graded based on nine criteria: floats and props, drums, costumes, theme song, front commission, progression, harmony, mestre-sala and porta-bandeira (a couple who dances by itself representing the school with the school flag), and plot.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira