carnival floats and adornments_scribed_brazil carnival br

8/9/2019 Carnival Floats and Adornments_Scribed_Brazil Carnival BR

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Carnival Floats and Adornments

Some of the most important artistic elements within the Brazilian-Carnaval paradesare the Carnival allegories and adornments. Both are essential do the development and

illustration of theparade plot theme. These aesthetic elements, along with the merry-

makers themselves and the drums, characterize the carnival parade in Brazil in a

quintessential way. Without them, the samba-school Carnaval producers would

certainly be unable to tell their story, similarly the way play writers use sceneries,

costumes and props. Along the development of the parades, both allegories and

adornments faced a monumental development in terms of complexity, luxury and use of

technology. They have become so important they soon became important judging

criterion within the parade contests, already in 1938.

Below, an example of aFloat at Brazilian Carnaval. These allegorical cars help the

carnaval producer tell the plot-story within the parade and are a contest evaluation

criterion. Some floats are extremely rich and they carry people, statues, and other

luxurious sculptures.
http://www.brazilcarnival.com.br/culture/carnaval-enredo-de-samba-parades-plot-theme-definitionhttp://www.brazilcarnival.com.br/culture/carnaval-enredo-de-samba-parades-plot-theme-definitionhttp://www.brazilcarnival.com.br/culture/carnaval-enredo-de-samba-parades-plot-theme-definitionhttp://www.brazilcarnival.com.br/culture/drum-in-samba-read-bateria-carnaval-definitionhttp://www.brazilcarnival.com.br/culture/drum-in-samba-read-bateria-carnaval-definitionhttp://www.brazilcarnival.com.br/samba_schoolshttp://www.brazilcarnival.com.br/samba_schoolshttp://www.brazilcarnival.com.br/photos/category/float-impressivehttp://www.brazilcarnival.com.br/photos/category/float-impressivehttp://www.brazilcarnival.com.br/culture/carnavalesco-glossary-of-samba-escolas-carnaval-of-brazilhttp://www.brazilcarnival.com.br/culture/carnavalesco-glossary-of-samba-escolas-carnaval-of-brazilhttp://www.brazilcarnival.com.br/culture/carnavalesco-glossary-of-samba-escolas-carnaval-of-brazilhttp://www.brazilcarnival.com.br/photos/category/float-impressivehttp://www.brazilcarnival.com.br/samba_schoolshttp://www.brazilcarnival.com.br/culture/drum-in-samba-read-bateria-carnaval-definitionhttp://www.brazilcarnival.com.br/culture/carnaval-enredo-de-samba-parades-plot-theme-definition


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Photo Credit: Jaime Silva - Prefeitura da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro

For the sake of better understanding, we have translated from Portuguese the word

Alegorias to Allegories, in English. The second term, adereos, we will be

translating to adornments; since we feel this word best represents its general meaning.

Some researchers in English have used the term pageantry for alegorias, in

Portuguese. We dont agree with this use since pageantry has a much broader term.

Also as to facilitate compreehension, 'Allegories' is the term generally referred to the

Floats, or allegorical cars. The term 'adornments' is related to the props, signboards and

portable items carried by the parade members, which aid in the construction of the

visual scenario of the story plot.

Early days

Being inspired in the Sociedade Carnavalescos and in the ranchos carnavalescos, the

samba schools created their Alegorias and adereos as illustrative aesthetic elements for

the themes. As the themes were just clearly defined in the 50s, carnaval allegories and

the adornments took long time to become incorporated in the carnaval parade structureitself.

In the early days ofparades, there was strong prejudice against the use of the floats in

the samba schools, due to the Sociedade Carnavalescas, which were singularly

characterized by loose allegories. The samba school Vizinha Faladeira for example,

which in the carnival of 1935 had a huge caramancho, (pergola of flowers with horses -

made of papier-mch - in a wagon), suffered strong pressure from its co-sisters before

the judging commission. The 1938 parade Regulation added a specific term prohibiting

allegories similar to those used by the sociedades Carnavalescas.
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Not only theFloats are considered in this criterion. Props and portable adornments

are also evaluated by the Carnaval judging panel. In the picture below, we see

Thailands Khatakali Theater being represented bycostumes, props and make-up.

Photo Credit: Jaime Silva - Prefeitura da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro

In the 30s, the allegories were nothing but timid pergolas and some papier-mch

dolls. The innovations were on count of each school. For example, in 1932,Portela

brought the theme (a sketch) Sua Majestade o Samba (His Highness, the Samba), which

had a component named Eurico as a symbol of the samba in an allegory, this character

was idealized by Antnio Caetano ( artist,carnival producer, one of Portelas Samba-

School founders) in the following way: the body was shaped by a barrel (bass drum),

the head was the pandero, the ears were the tambourines, and the arms were the

sticks. Important to note that note only the floats are considered within this criterion,

props - portable elements the merry makers carry during the parade - are carefully

evaluated.

1940-today

In the 1940s and 1950s, the allegories were mounted under simple structures made of

iron, wood, and ball bearing wheels; the dolls were made of papier-mch and colored

by iron oxide pigments.

In the 1970s, new materials like plastic paint and varnish were introduced. Later,

polystyrene and glass wool, which provided consistency and protection (against rain) to

the works created by sculptors, were brought on. The use of glitter, the replacement of

the bases of the cars (wood and ball bearing wheels) by chassis with stringer, wood and

rubber wheels, the use of modern machines all of this was improving the allegories

which stopped being fragile elements, which was dismounted in the avenue when it wasraining, and became real resistant allegories unlike the ones used at Sociedades
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carnavalescasdays. Also in the 70s, Fernando Pamplonas team inSalgueiro Samba-

School produced the tripods (light adornments built on tripod bases) to substitute the

signboards they used to carry.

Allegories have evolved tremendously. Today, the use of "living" sculptures added a

human dimension to these gigantic carnaval floats in Brazil, as seen below fromUnidos da Tijuca Samba School. Some of these floats today can cost up to USD

200.000,00

Photo Credit: Agencia FOTO BR

The carnival allegories and adornments are illustrative aesthetic elements from the

theme: resources that must contribute for a better clarification, a better understanding

of the theme. They must be integrated to the carnaval costumes (and vice-versa).

The allegories and adornments must obligatorily have a meaning and translate the

content, sum of the parts that compose the overall plot-theme.

Wondered and produced by popular and/or erudite plastic artists, they are a richdemonstration of the creativity, capability of creation, and improvising. Some foreign

artists note thatAlegoriasand adereos embodied at carnaval parades represent one of

the best and revealing examples of the aesthetic quality of the Brazilian craftsmanship.
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