Portela: Brazil’s oldest samba school celebrates 100th anniversary

This Sunday (Apr. 16), Portela—Brazil’s oldest samba school and the biggest winner of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro—is bringing the celebrations of its 100th anniversary to a close by parading with its most fabled samba songs through northern Rio, its birthplace.

Founded in the Oswaldo Cruz district on April 11, 1923, the school has racked up 22 titles over the course of is history. The last trophy came in 2017 after over three decades without an accolade. Known for its colors—blue and white—and symbol—the eagle—Portela is the only samba school to participate in each and every one of the city’s carnival parades.

Among its most emblematic songs are Lendas e mistérios da Amazônia (1970, “Legends and Mysteries of the Amazon”), which references indigenous peoples as well as their legends and folklore; Contos de areia (1984, “Tales of Sand”), which pays homage to the illustrious Portela artists Paulo da Portela, Natal, and Clara Nunes, represented by the orixás Oranian, Oxóssi, and Iansã; and Gosto que me enrosco (1995, “Pleased as Punch”), about the history of Carnival in Brazil.

Portela’s history is studded with celebrated names in Rio de Janeiro’s samba: Paulo da Portela, Natal, Candeia, Monarco, Paulinho da Viola, and Tia Surica. The school president today is Fábio Pavão, who was elected last year.

The past

Award-winning songwriter Noca da Portela, 90, has a lot to say about the samba school’s centennial legacy.

“For me, Portela’s more than a school. It’s a religion, where all of us, old and young, can sing and write songs in a sort of catechism of samba, so to speak. It’s tradition. The Old School stems directly from Portela’s great poets. From a young age, we learn to love the school, to give all we’ve got on the parade, and to do everything to see Portela win. It’s one big family.”

At the age of 84, flag-bearer Vilma Nascimento, also known as Cisne da Avenida (“Swan of the Avenue”), is proud of Portela. She first paraded for the school in 1957.

“I love the avenue. I might not show up at the school’s quarters, but as for the avenue, it’s what I always say: Take me there in a wheelchair if it’s necessary. I had 32 stitches in my head from a terrible accident in São Paulo and was operated on in the week of Carnival. So I went to the avenue full of stitches. That’s how much I love Carnival. It’s where I was raised. It’s what I live for,” she said.

Sambista and songwriter Ciraninho, 42, says what keeps the school’s energy contagious on the avenue lies in the 100 years of its history.

“Cherishing our composers and our Old School is a matter of survival for our generation. It’s about looking back at what they did and keeping their legacy alive, so that Portela can celebrate a hundred years of its magnificent history and enjoy another hundred years of glory ahead.”

The future

Portela is celebrating its past, but also longs to clinch more victories on the Sapucaí—the avenue where the parade takes place today. Among its members are representatives of three generations of flag-bearers in Vilma Nascimento’s family. Her daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter are all following in her footsteps now.

“I’ve been in Portela since I was a little girl, and it wasn’t because of my family’s influence. It was love at first sight,” says Clarice Nascimento, Vilma Nascimento’s 15-year-old great-granddaughter. “Portela is a big part of my heart. I really enjoy going there, talking to people, making new friends. Portela is a great passion for me.”

Carnival 2024

Preparations for next year’s parade on the Sapucaí are underway. In 2024, Portela should feature the theme Um defeito de cor (“A Color Malfunction”), based on a novel with the same title by Ana Maria Gonçalves. The idea is to offer fresh perspectives on Brazilian history through the story of black mother Luisa Mahim. Mahim is an old, blind African woman who leaves Africa for Brazil on the verge of death in search of a lost son. The protagonist must deal with a series of violent actions rooted in slavery.