Son of redemocratization, Simpatia is Almost Love turns 40

The Simpatia é Quem Amor block was born in 1984, during the campaign for the return of direct elections in the country and, since then, it has attracted thousands of revelers every carnival. With the colors yellow and lilac, which dominate this year's t-shirt, the group parades this Carnival Sunday (11) celebrating its 40th anniversary on Ipanema Beach.

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Since its creation, Simpatia é Qualidade Amor has raised political flags. “Democracy is our keyword. Democracy always!” I told Brazil Agency Dodô Brandão, director of the block. Simpatia started small, but now brings together around 350 thousand revelers. “We can’t tell you more. The Military Police are the ones who count. Then we know how many people went. I get on the truck, look and I can’t see the end of the block.”

Dodô Brandão recalled that the group started among friends. They were journalists, economists, engineers and doctors, “everyone coming out of college, and Brazil changing too”.

“I had a certain desire to go out on the street. The group thought about how they could conquer the street. The consensus solution was: 'let's make a block. Let's win the street. It was Diretas Já, the amnestied people had returned to Brazil, and there was that wave of redemocratization. The block followed this wave. Someone came up with the idea for the name, which is a character from Aldir Blanc. We invited Aldir, who is the block’s patron, and that’s when things started.”

At this year's carnival, the group comes out with two sound cars. The extra car is to receive people who have already collaborated with the association, including the authors of the t-shirt designs and samba composers. “It’s to welcome people who are in Rio, willing to celebrate 40 years with us. Everyone who has already collaborated. This year, we are the ones being honored”, stated Dodô.

Volleyball player Isabel Salgado was the group's first muse and reigned there for a few years. Comedian Bussunda was King Momo. “So it went on, people started arriving. Many of us are children of the Banda de Ipanema. Albino [Pinheiro] He is the godfather of the block, which has Dona Zica, from Portela, as godmother. Then, people gathered. Today it's this huge thing. It went quickly, but it didn’t even hurt.”

Excited, Dodô Brandão said he is ready for the block's new 40th anniversary. “We are preparing for this,” he said.