Rio Carnival Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Rio funfair - Essay ExampleThe neighborly background to the Carnival is that it was once considered to be a riotous, disorganized and essentially anti-authoritarian materialisation by the people that the government was forced to accept because of its popularity but which it did not positively condone. The Rio Carnival found its roots in the 1830s when the citys rich imported the work out of holding dinner gowns and masquerade parties from Paris. Gradually, over the next century, the festival took on the shape that it now holds, acquiring elements derived from Afri merchantman and South Ameri understructure Indian cultures.It is this mixture of cultures into a remarkably diverse and yet recognizably unified Rio Carnival that is the prime social characteristic of the celebration. The Carnival is the reason that Rio de Janeiro is famous throughout the world. Indeed, it may be the only thing that most people know about the city. This influences both the social and economic identity of the city, for better or worse. Thus while the master idea came from France, the cordoes were introduced by the Portuguese in the late 1800s. The cordoes were groups of people who danced through the streets playing music and generally celebrating. They are known today as blocos, and comprise of people who dress in theme costumes and celebrate Carnival in a specific way. Certain neighborhoods are associated with certain blocos. In a social aspect that stems from a number of different traditions, a fat man is elected to act out the role of the Rei Morno, or the King of Carnival (Cowley, 2002). In recent years, cultural changes within the world as a whole, and within the developed world in particular, have been reflected within the social makeup of the Rio Carnival. For example, numerous different travel companies advertise the Gay Rio Carnival in which the beaches are loaded with eye candy as far as the eye can see . . . people joke that everyone seems a little gay during carniva l (zoom, 2007). Small gay festivals have become a part of Carnival, and may be regarded as part of a sub-culture of hedonism in which this city, known for its surprisingly permissive attitudes vis--vis social mores, becomes even more accepting during this celebration of freedom. There is a big mixture of factors going into the social impact of Carnival upon the city in particular, and the country in general. As Teissl puts itCarnival is all the little festivals and paradesin the streets and favelas, Rio de Janeiros myopic quarters. Carnival is also masked balls, elegantand often uninhibited - even debauched, where one seesfewer masks but plenty of skin, And Carnival is a time for competition in which countless participantspay thousands of dollars for luxurious and fantasticcostumes. But Carnival is also a time of fraternization, tolerance, and genuine human friendship.(Teissl, 2000) So variety and hence a degree of contradiction exists within Carnival. Thousands of dollars may b e spent on a single costume for a rich masked ball while in some neighborhoods that still attempt to celebrate Carnival the average yearly wage may not reach that amount. This contrast can be seen in two main ways. One, more positive manner is to regard it as showing just how universal the feelings and atmosphere surrounding Carnival is. Thus, within this interpretation, Carnival is a transcendent social structure which