The dancers and the Beast.

Samba, Samba, olé: The 4000 members of the school Salgueiro have the price of the Champions Carnival in Rio de Janeiro won. Their victory strategy: Monster, cave men and scantily clad dancers.

 

Rio de Janeiro - The samba school Salgueiro has the carnival of Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday won the first prize. The school from the infamous for its violent slums Tijuca in the north of the city received 399 of 400 possible points and won the title in order for the ninth time - most recently 1993 could be celebrated. A total of twelve samba schools had in the nights of Sunday and Monday before 70,000 spectators present, on Ash Wednesday, the winners were announced.

Salgueiro convinced the jury with his opulent parade with 4100 participants, the history of the drum and its importance in the music of different cultures illustrated. The dancers marched with floats behind her, where giant prehistoric monsters, garnished by cave people were transported. In recent years, winning samba school Beija-Flor came in scoring with 398 points, only very slightly behind in second place.

"It is a great profit," said school President Regina Celia Duran, "Salgueiro really needed this victory." Several months earlier, in front of the headquarters of the school three people in a gunfight killed. 2007 was the vice president shot dead. With deadly violence has also rival Beija-Flor fighting: In the past year, three people at the victory celebration in front of the school violated.

Rio's samba schools give up to 2.5 million U.S. dollars from around the lush 80-minute parades on the footing. The victory brings a lot of fame, a trophy and possible sponsorship contracts, but no money. Often the schools are suspected by illegal lotteries to finance.

With the victory announcement on Ash Wednesday ended the carnival in Rio officially, some major celebrations are still going until the weekend. On Saturday, the best six samba schools again in a Champions Parade at the spectators vorbeidefilieren.