Carnival on the street

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – February 2012

Brazilian men, dressed in fancy costumes, perform during the carnival street party in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Most of the carnival street parties in Rio are organized and run by Blocos. Each Bloco consists of a musical band and a group of partygoers. The Blocos, closely linked to the neighborhoods they come from, start their free-to-join parades early in January and continue throughout the carnival season. Playing usually their own samba song, backed up with a numerous bateria (drum and percussion players), Blocos are considered the beating heart of the Rio Carnival.