Bloco da Terreirada brings together families and creative revelers in Rio

The green of Quinta da Boa Vista was joined by new colors in a carnival for all age groups. As happens every Saturday, the park located in the north of Rio de Janeiro was the destination chosen for the trip for several families. But it's not an ordinary weekend: children, parents and grandparents joined in the festivities with Bloco da Terreirada.

Next to them, young people in colorful costumes formed a crowd to follow the encounter between northeastern rhythms and the tradition of Rio's carnival. The presentation of Bloco da Terreirada is full of signs and references from popular culture, especially the Reisado de Congo do Cariri.

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Isaac's reunion with his mother, after a small scare, proved the welcoming atmosphere. After the child disappeared among those present, group leaders asked everyone to sit down. The mobilization allowed it to be quickly located, amid collective applause.

The creativity of the costumes facilitated games between strangers. One Vincent Van Gogh never tired of taking photos with revelers who approached him successively. Wearing one of the most creative costumes, visual art director Beatriz Moisés highlighted that the atmosphere is also influenced by the comfort of the space. With a big cloud over her head, she would have difficulty getting around in other blocks that travel through tight roads.

“I did it well at the last minute. I was working on assembling a set and used leftover materials. I used a Japanese flashlight to assemble the head base and acrylic on the outside. And I made this rain with pebbles. First came the idea of ​​making the costume. Then I thought of a block where I could go with her. One that fit her. And as I love Terreirada, it was the right choice. I can't say why, but I love Terreirada. Yes, I come every year, I think it’s beautiful,” she explained.

Two other revelers also saw Terreirada Cearense as the ideal block to show off their original costumes. “The idea was to do something linked to children, linked to peace. So we wanted to put together dolls, ribbons, emojis. A mix just to get the child out this carnival. When we finished the costume, we said: 'it looks like a terrierada'. We’re going to have a lot of fun”, said travel agent, Leonardo Silva.

The block emerged in 2012 and, since 2015, has had a band, percussion and stilt configuration. Every year, there are two major presentations: a carnival celebration and a festival in June, also at Quinta da Boa Vista. Rehearsals and other smaller events are also held without a fixed date.

As the block's executive producer, Juliana Costa, explained to Agência Brasil, the band is made up of Deya Motta, Natascha Falcão, Thalita Duarte, Vitoria Rodrigues, Beto Lemos, Gabe Pontes and Eduardo Karranka. The parade also mobilized 200 components, divided equally between the Percussion Wing and the Leggers Wing.

Among the participants are students from percussion and stilt workshops held by the block. “We have partnerships with two projects. One is the Liga do Bem. The other is Ser Criança Perna de Pau, which takes children to the presentation”, informed Juliana. Around 15 children participate in the workshop, between 8 and 14 years old, as well as some fathers and mothers.

The Percussion Wing is under the responsibility of conductor Thais Bezerra, who is also responsible for the musical direction of the block's plots and presentations. She runs a workshop two days a week. In classes, she works with music as a popular toy tool, exploring the festivities and rhythmic diversity of Brazilian culture. Various instruments are used such as zabumba, alfaia, Caixa, xequerê, ganzá, triangle and agogô.

The Pernalta Wing unfolds from the stilt workshop that, since 2014, has structured the performance language of the presentations. The classes are led by actress, educator and multilingual artist Raquel Potí, also responsible for the artistic and scenic direction of the block. The workshop takes place in the gardens of the Museum of Modern Art (MAM), in the south of Rio de Janeiro, on Saturdays. As the block discloses, the classes provide students with the opportunity to “see themselves and the world from a new point of view, enhance strengths, strengthen communities, promote personal and collective development, play and make art”.

Minas Gerais drink

The drink that became a rage at Belo Horizonte's carnival in recent years was also present at Quinta da Boa Vista. Fabiano de Gonçalves Medeiros bet on selling checkmate to seek extra income amid the festivities. “It’s catching on well, it’s being successful here. He's curious about the ingredients. And culturally, mate is very present in Rio. People drink it on the beach, in snack bars,” he said.

Goiano, Fabiano is a geologist and is doing his postgraduate studies in Rio de Janeiro. One of the course subjects was completed on exchange at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), in Belo Horizonte. “Everyone there is passionate about this drink. I stayed there for a month. It's a well-deserved success. But it's a drink that you have to be careful with. Because the mate with guarana and lemon masks the taste of the rum. So you are having a refreshing drink, but it has more than 8% alcohol. By the third or fourth, it can start to get wobbly,” he says.