Portela is an intangible heritage of the state of Rio de Janeiro

Portela is now an intangible heritage of the state of Rio de Janeio. Law 9,505 that granted the title to the Madureira samba school was sanctioned by Governor Cláudio Castro and published today (6) in the Official Gazette . The measure aims at the cultural preservation of samba, music and history, and also to publicize the location of the azul e branco rehearsals.

Cláudio Castro said that the samba schools are already cultural heritage of the city, with parades that take thousands of people to the Marquês de Sapucaí every year. “Recognizing, now, Portela as an intangible heritage of the state of Rio de Janeiro confirms the importance of culture for our state. In addition, the blue and white in Madureira is the oldest samba school in permanent activity today”, highlighted the governor.

The president of Portela, Luis Carlos Magalhães, told Agência Brasil that the school received the title with expected joy, but with additions. “Because we, from samba, come from the years in which the mayor [Marcelo] Crivella was in office, in which the samba schools were attacked weekly, including during prime time. And now, for the school to receive this title of intangible heritage is very good. It's more than a medal, because there is still a lot of prejudice against schools.”

permanent activity

According to Magalhães, the schools are active throughout the year. Portela, for example, vaccinated against covid-19 the equivalent of the population of Madureira, estimated at around 50,000 people. “Portela has a dental office, has a university entrance exam, has a multitude of social projects that no one knows about. They only know about the carnival. It's a school that fights a lot for these things.”

The title of intangible heritage of the state is an award “very deserved for Portela and for samba, because Portela will celebrate its 100th anniversary”, stated Magalhães, recalling that all schools will feel honored. “And hopefully [Portela] is the first of many schools to receive such an important honor. Because all of them are part of a national heritage that represents Brazil around the world with this brilliant, unbelievable spectacle. There is nothing like it in the world, and there is so much prejudice here, which no longer happens in Italy, England, Portugal, where carnival is celebrated, with their own samba schools.”

Magalhães highlighted that there is still a lot of prejudice against samba groups, which are a “cultural manifestation invented by the children and grandchildren of enslaved men, which ended up conquering the entire Rio and Brazilian society. One day, this has to be recognized. Today was one of those days.”

Also called Majestade do Samba, Portela is a reference in the carioca carnival and barn of great composers, being the only school that participated in all the parades in the city. It is also an integral part of tourist itineraries for those visiting the capital of Rio de Janeiro. The bill was presented by deputy Dionísio Lins (PP).

Text translated using artificial intelligence.