In January 2024 I had the pleasure of spending a few weeks in Rio de Janeiro with friends and colleagues. Each of us had our own reasons for the trip, but these all involved music of some kind. I was there to explore more of the Brazilian rhythms that I'd been researching and enjoying for so long, and to study with some of my favourite drummers and percussionists.
This was my third trip to Brazil and second time in Rio. But what made this trip special was that we were there in the lead up to Carnival, the world-renowned festival of music, dance, costumes and parades that happens just before Lent. Carnival is the pinnacle of months of rehearsals and preparation, but event tickets and accommodation are expensive, and only a handful of groups perform each night. For those wanting to get an insider's view of the samba scene, the weeks prior to Carnival can actually be better than the event itself. So, while the actual festival is a spectacle of epic proportions, we decided that we were better off going earlier to visit the samba schools, and perhaps getting a chance to play.
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