It’s Carnival! Brazil’s five day festival of dancing, bare flesh and wild costumes gets underway despite Zika fears

Mayor Eduardo Paes handed a big golden key to the carnival’s ceremonial King Momo on Friday
The organisers promised a spectacular show and said the huge, dazzling event was ‘the ‘best on Earth’
Annual mega-bash famed for lavish and skimpily dressed samba parades expected to attract five million people
This year’s carnival across Brazil starts under the cloud of Zika virus which can cause serious birth defects

Rio’s five-day festival of dancing, bared flesh and wild costumes got underway in the face of warnings the Zika virus might make even kissing dangerous.

Mayor Eduardo Paes handed a big golden key to the carnival’s ceremonial King Momo, who promised a spectacular show.

‘With great happiness, brotherly love and peace, I declare the best carnival on Earth open – our carnival in the marvelous city,’ the dancing king, who is elected ahead of the festivities, said on Friday.

The annual mega-bash famed for lavish and skimpily dressed samba parades and all-night street dancing is expected to attract as many as five million people.

Regal delight: The floats kept on coming at the carnival which went ahead despite the current Zika virus scare which is gripping Brazil

Smart outfits: A dancer from the Rosas de Ouro samba school performs (left) while a member of the samba school, Nene de Vila Matilde, (right) has fun on the streets

Revellers of the Aguia de Ouro samba school perform during the first night of the carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Dazzling: This year’s carnival across Brazil starts under the cloud of the mosquito-transmitted Zika virus, which normally provokes few ill effects, but is blamed for an outbreak of serious birth defects in babies born to mothers infected while pregnant

Glorious in blue: Performers dazzled on the streets as the annual carnival, which attracts five million people each year, got underway

All smiles: Like the rest of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro is struggling with deep recession and the economic hurt has extended to the carnival industry

In Sao Paulo, Brazil’s most populous city and its economic capital, carnival celebrations were kicked off under intermittent summer rain, with a tribute to Carlinhos de Jesus, one of Brazil’s most famous salon dancers.

This year’s carnival across Brazil starts under the cloud of the mosquito-transmitted Zika virus, which normally provokes few ill effects, but is blamed for an outbreak of serious birth defects in babies born to mothers infected while pregnant.

The scare gripping Latin America took a new twist with the announcement that the virus – so far believed to be transmitted almost exclusively through mosquito bites – can be detected in saliva and urine.

There is no proof yet that Zika can spread through bodily fluids, said Paulo Gadelha, head of the Fiocruz institute in Rio de Janeiro. But he still advised pregnant women ‘to avoid kissing.’

What a creation: Hundreds of people can be seen watching as the colourful parade continues through the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Imaginative costumes: The carnival is continuing over the weekend across Brazil as visitors from across the globe arrive to join in the fun

The Zika scare gripping Latin America took a new twist with the announcement that the virus – so far believed to be transmitted almost exclusively through mosquito bites – can be detected in saliva and urine

Pearly kings and queens: The carnival usually peaks on Sunday and Monday nights with competing samba parades famous for their choreography and extraordinary costumes

Colourful character: Big ensembles competing in the Sambadrome say that city funding has dried up and that private sponsors are also running scared

Immaculate costumes: As the crowds increased so did the the number of performers who took in all manner of costume and culture

Groovy: The hippie-movement looks to be the inspiration for this VW Camper Van and performers part of the carnival’s parade

The carnival which peaks on Sunday and Monday nights with the competing samba parades at the Sambadrome, famous for their choreography and extraordinary costumes.

But like the rest of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro is struggling with deep recession and the economic hurt has extended to the carnival industry.

Big ensembles competing in the Sambadrome say that city funding has dried up and that private sponsors are also running scared, while the plunging value in the national currency means importing mostly Chinese fabrics for costumes has driven up prices.

‘The situation has been difficult for four or five years, but this year was worse because everyone is in crisis and prices are rising,’ the administrator of the Uniao da Ilha samba school, Marcio Andre Mehry de Souza, said.

Having fun: The dancing continued way into the night – with millions of people on the streets enjoying themselves with the festival fun

Magnificent creatures: The administrator of the Uniao da Ilha samba school, Marcio Andre Mehry de Souza, said the financial situation had been difficult for four or five years

Team of dancers: In Sao Paulo, Brazil’s most populous city and its economic capital, carnival celebrations were kicked off under intermittent summer rain, with a tribute to Carlinhos de Jesus, one of Brazil’s most famous salon dancers

Scary monsters: The carnival season across Brazil has started up with the organisers in Rio declaring their event the ‘best on Earth’

Green prickly characters: All manner of different designs were used to create the fabulous floats for the hugely popular carnival

Great look: A dancer from the Unidos da Vila Maria samba school performs during a carnival parade in Sao Paulo backed by drummers

Super designs: Hours and hours of work would have gone into the design and manufacture of the dozens of colourful carnival floats

Get into the groove: Dancers dressed up conjure all manner of poses to get the audience moving at the carnival event in Sao Paulo

Electric movers: Lightbulbs were the cue here for someone when dreaming up these wacky costumes for the popular carnival parade

This way forward: An arrow-leading float takes centrestage here as the carnival continues in the streets as the crowds look on

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This report has been compiled by the national press | NNC Türk

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