Fighting Shirley Chisholm: Unbought & Unbossed

In 1972, Shirley Chisholm made history as the first woman and the first African American to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. She is also remembered as a tireless worker for the disadvantaged, a great orator, and one of America’s boldest challengers of the status quo.

Chisholm was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1924. In 1953, she graduated from Brooklyn College and later earned a Master’s Degree from Teachers College at Columbia University. She worked in the educational field.

In 1964, Chisholm entered politics, winning a seat on the New York State Legislature. Four years later, she ran for New York’s Twelfth Congressional District Seat. With the campaign slogan, “Fighting Shirley Chisholm- Unbought and Unbossed” she won the election and became the first black woman to serve in the U.S. Congress. Of her win she noted, “That I am a national figure because I was the first person in 192 years to be at once a congressman, black and a woman proves, I think, that our society is not yet either just or free.”

A continual advocate for the rights of the poor, women, and children and a staunch opponent of the Vietnam War, Chisholm was never intimidated and continually challenged the status quo. In her first speech in front of the House she promised, “to vote ‘No’ on every money bill that comes to the floor of this House that provides any funds for the Department of Defense."


In January of 1972, she announced her candidacy for the Democratic party’s nomination for the Presidency. She ran a grassroots campaign that had very little money, and at times faced opposition from black male politicians who resented her as being “the first to run”.
She was physically attacked three times on the campaign trail, but she remained undaunted, saying, "If you can't support me, get out of my way."

Chisholm took 151 delegates, but she did not win the nomination. She served in the U.S. Congress until 1982. She founded and chaired the National Political Congress of Black Women. She continued working as an educator and speaker until her death in 1995.

Chisholm’s legacy of fearless politics continues to resonate today.

Former Chisholm campaigner and current member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Barbara Lee bravely stood alone on the Congressional floor in opposition to the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists (AUMF), President George Bush’s demand for a blank check to fund a military response in the frenzied wake of the attacks on September 11, 2001 (She stated that it was not sound policy to let the President attack anyone, anywhere, especially when the facts of the situation were not clear.)

In her 1973 book, The Good Fight, Chishom wrote, “"The next time a woman runs, or a black, or a Jew or anyone from a group that the country is ‘not ready' to elect to its highest office, I believe that he or she will be taken seriously from the start… I ran because somebody had to do it first. In this country, everybody is supposed to be able to run for President, but that has never really been true."

It only took 36 more years…

Shirley Chisholm: Unbought and Unbossed!

You are truly an inspiration.

This post will wrap up our Black History Month celebration of great Americans. If you would like to write a short report on a memorable historical figure whose life accomplishments and values are relevant to the philosophy and history of Capoeira Angola, please feel free to submit it to us at: ficadcarchives (at) gmail (dot) com.

As always, we can do the translation English <-> Portuguese.

Women's Conference & Beginner's Class in DC

Here in DC, we are hoping we'll see you all next week for the 10th Women's Capoeira Angola Conference. If you are looking for more information about the event, click on over to the conference blog. You will find:

the complete schedule of events
biographies of all the workshop leaders
directions to the space on Euclid Street from airports and bus stations
biographies of the Women in Martial Arts Panel participants
registration information (yes, you can still register!!)

Also, for those of you in the area interested in Capoeira Angola, but have yet to take a class, we are having a special beginner's session of 10 classes over 5 weeks. We tried this in January and it was a huge success.

Please take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn the fundamentals of Capoeira Angola in a fun and supportive environment! You won't regret it.

Click here for registration information.

American Heroes: The Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen served as the United States’ first black Flying Squadron. They distinguished themselves in American history not only for their brave feats during World War II against the Axis Powers, but also for smashing long-held racial prejudices in the U.S. Army and in the country.

In 1941, under pressure from the NAACP, the black press, and others, the U.S. Congress passed a series of measures that forced the Army Air Corps to form an all-black air force unit to be trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. Due to the racist policies of the Army, there had never been a black airman. Many Army officials questioned the intelligence, motivation, and patriotism of American blacks, and the Air Corps resisted the mandate from Congress by setting very high standards for recruits.

Despite these efforts, the Corps received hundreds of applications from all over the country. And due to the high standards it set, the men who entered the program were largely college-educated, highly motivated, disciplined, and thus, destined to succeed (and ultimately discredit much of the racist propaganda that the Air Corps had presented in its opposition to training black airmen).

In June of that year, the 99th Fighter Squadron was formed. The men trained to be pilots, navigators, engineers, control tower operators, bombardiers, administrative clerks, and other positions necessary for a fully-functioning Air Corps flying squad.

The 99th was sent to fly missions out of Northern Africa. In 1943, in its first mission on the island of Sicily, the Squadron earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for its outstanding tactical air support and aerial combat.

Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. (who later became the first black General in the U.S. Airforce) and Capt. Edward Gleed.

In 1944, the 99th was joined by three other all-black squadrons to form the 332nd Fighter Group.

Throughout the war, these airman distinguished themselves for their skill and bravery, serving as escorts for bombers, shooting down enemy planes, and even sinking a German destroyer. Originally nicknamed the “Redtails” because the tails of their aircraft were painted red, this name was modified to the “Redtail Angles” due to their aerial prowess.

It is often said that the Tuskegee Airmen fought two wars: one abroad and one at home. At home in the United States, the Airmen were faced with racism and doubts about their qualifications. At Tuskegee, the men were isolated from white air squadrons. At other training grounds, black recruits often faced enormous racism, including being barred from officers’ clubs, or being treated below their rank. On the war front in Northern Africa and Europe, black officers were sometimes left out of briefings and even faced false accusations of underperformance (which were disproved by military records).

In all, 992 pilots were trained in Tuskegee from 1940 to 1946; about 445 deployed overseas, and 150 Airmen lost their lives in training or combat. The Tuskegee Airmen were awarded several Silver Stars, 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 8 Purple Hearts, 14 Bronze Stars and 744 Air Medals.

In 1948, U.S. President Harry Truman ended segregation in the country’s military forces.

In 2007, the Tuskegee Airmen were honored with a U.S. Congressional Gold Medal.

Click here to see some amazing archival pictures of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Read these extraordinary accounts of the Airmen.

Click here to read about one Tuskegee Airman’s service during World War II.

Women's Event in Seattle

FICA Seattle and the Capoeira Angola Club @ The Evergreen State College will be hosting:

"Women's Empowerment in Capoeira Angola"

Workshops, Panel Discussion, and Rodas led by Mestre Jurandir, Contramestre Silvinho, Treneu Andrea, and Cassandra Lopez

When: March 14th, 15th, and 16th
Cost: $5/ day
Contact: olycapoeira (at) riseup (dot) net, treneucaxambu (at) yahoo (dot) com, or call (206) 937-5849

Friday, 3/14 7 PM @ the Rainier Beach Community Center in Seattle
Saturday 3/15 & 3/16 9:30 AM- 6:30 PM @ The Evergreen State College in Olympia

Schedule is as follows:

Fri. March 14th: Rainier Beach Community Center, Seattle
6 PM Welcome and Free Kid's Capoeira Angola Workshop
7 PM Adults Capoeira Angola Workshop
8 PM Open Capoeira Angola Roda

Sat. March 15th: the Evergreen State College, Olympia: Sem II Building C1107
9:30-10 AM Welcome
10 AM-Noon Capoeira Angola Workshop
12-1PM Samba Dance Workshop w/ Janelle Keane Campoverde
1-2 PM Lunch
2-3 PM Panel Discussion
3-6 PM Capoeira Angola Roda

Sun. March 16th: The Evergreen State College, Olympia in The Longhouse
10 AM-Noon Capoeira Angola Workshop
12-1 PM West African Dance Workshop w/ Manamou Camara
1-2 PM Lunch
2-3 PM Capoeira Angola Workshop
3-6 PM Capoeira Angola Roda

Thanks to Anna for the information.

"Women in México" Event this Weekend!

Centro Cultural de Capoeira Angola México
Contramestre Rogério Teber

We at FICA-México would like to cordially invite you to join us for the first Mexican Capoeira women's conference "La Mujer en Resistencia." The event will take place in commemoration of International Womens Day on the 29th of February and 1st and 2nd of March at the Centro Cultural de Capoeira Angola located in México City, Tlalpan no. 1188 between Portales and Nativitas.

There will be capoeira classes taught by Treinel Gege and Contramestre Rogério Teber as well as african dance classes taught by Asami Gomez. We will show a video "A cidade das mulheres" followed by a discussion about African women in México hosted by an anthropology professor from UNAM. We look forward to your attendance.

Thanks, FICA-MX

FICA-MX se complace en invitarlos al 1er Encuentro de Mujeres "La Mujer en Resistencia" que se llevará a cabo en conmemoración del día de la mujer, los dias 29 de febrero, 1 y 2 de marzo en el Centro Cultural de Capoeira Angola, ubicado en Tlalpan no. 1188 entre Portales y Nativitas.
Habrá clases de capoeira, impartidas por Treinel Gege y Contramestre Rogério Teber; habrá clase de danza afro, impartida por Asami Gómez; pasaremos un video: "A cidade das mulheres" y también habrá una conferencia debate sobra la mujer africana en México. En la invitación viene la programación y demás informes.
Esperamos su asistencia y cualquier pregunta pueden escribir a ficamexico (arroba) yahoo (punto) com
Saludos, FICA-MX.1st Encounter of Women
FICA-Mexico

Women in Resistance
February 29 – March 2

Location: Centro Cultural de Capoeira Angola FICA-México A.C. Calzada de Tlalpan 1188, Colonia Zacahuizco
Contact: ficamexico (at) yahoo (dot) com, 55 1655 6761
For more information, go here.

Prices:
Full registration: $250 (including a tshirt)
One day: $200
Single Class: $100
Discussion: $15

Special Invites:
Treinel Gege (FICA-DC)
Asami Gómez (Danza Afro, DF)
Mónica Velasco Molina (UNAM)

Thanks to T Gege for the flyer!

North Star Capoeira Event in July

Mark your calendars:

North Star Capoeira will be hosting an event in Indianapolis, IN from July 11th to 13th.

More details to come at the North Star Capoeira website.

When: July 11 - 13, 2008
Contact: lindalew (at) hotmail (dot) com, or call 812-597-0445

Thanks to Lalena for the information.

Celebrating the Festa de Yemanjá in Colômbia

A note and some pictures from Fabricio in Colombia:

Save February 2nd, Day to Celebrate Yemanjá, everyone goes to the beach to offers gifts to the Queen of the Sea.

Hello all! Even though we are far from the sea and in the cold, we remember the Festa de Yemanjá, here in Bogotá and we celebrate the Festa de Yemanjá, Saturday of Carnival and the day of the Virgin of Candelária, the black virgin of Colômbia.

We presented an afternoon of cultural activities with a Capoeira roda, a photograohpy exhibit, a presentation of Tambor de Criola, and an outside audiovisual presentation.

Abraços,

Fabrício

Literary Edition: Langston Hughes

The Negro Speaks of Rivers
by Langston Hughes

I've known rivers:

I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the
flow of human blood in human veins.



My soul has grown deep like the rivers.



I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.

I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.

I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.

I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln
went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy
bosom turn all golden in the sunset.


I've known rivers:

Ancient, dusky rivers.


My soul has grown deep like the rivers.



Langston Hughes wrote this stunning poem when he was only seventeen years old, as he crossed the Mississippi River by train on his way to visit his father in Mexico.

Born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1, 1902, Hughes was raised largely by his grandmother. He published his first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, which included "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", in 1926.

While attending Lincoln University in Pennsylvania (where he was a classmate of Thurgood Marshall) and working odd jobs, Hughes continued to publish poetry which was met with much critical acclaim.

Hughes settled in Harlem, New York as a fulltime writer and became an integral part of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s.

His work is noted for its emphasis on racial consciousness and black pride at a time when many were trying to integrate into mainstream white society. The rhythms of his poetry were inspired by jazz and blues, and his themes by black folk culture, especially the stories his grandmother told him when he was young.

Hughes would go on to write sixteen poetry collections, two novels, three collections of short stories, eleven plays, three autobiographies, children’s books, films scripts, musicals, operas, and many print articles.

He died on May 22, 1967 at the age of 65.

Harriet Tubman: Symbol of American Courage

Harriet Tubman (far left) with fugitives on the Underground Railroad.

Harriet Tubman is an American icon of courage and determination.

Born Araminta Ross around 1820 in Dorchester, Maryland, she grew up in slavery. She was often beaten, and at one point suffered a serious head injury when an angry slaveowner hit her with a heavy metal weight. She would be plagued by headaches and seizures for the rest of her life. In 1844, she married John Tubman and it is thought that around this time she changed her name to Harriet.

In 1849, Tubman feared that she would be sold down South, so she escaped to Philadelphia. She soon returned to Maryland to help her family escape. Over the course of ten years, she would make at least 19 trips into the South to “conduct” more than 300 slaves to the north of the United States through a network of safe houses, routes, and hiding places known as the Underground Railroad.

A map of some of the routes on the Underground Railroad.

The trips were wrought with peril, and Tubman had a few narrow escapes, her PBS biography notes that:

Tubman returned to the South again and again. She devised clever techniques that helped make her "forays" successful, including using the master's horse and buggy for the first leg of the journey; leaving on a Saturday night, since runaway notices couldn't be placed in newspapers until Monday morning; turning about and heading south if she encountered possible slave hunters; and carrying a drug to use on a baby if its crying might put the fugitives in danger. Tubman even carried a gun which she used to threaten the fugitives if they became too tired or decided to turn back, telling them, "You'll be free or die."

By 1856, Tubman's capture would have brought a $40,000 reward from the South. On one occasion, she overheard some men reading her wanted poster, which stated that she was illiterate. She promptly pulled out a book and feigned reading it. The ploy was enough to fool the men.

Tubman became an important figure in the American abolitionist movement, working with Frederick Douglass and John Brown. She spoke to audiences all over the Northeast and helped John Brown recruit men for his raid on Harper's Ferry. During the American Civil War, she worked in the Union Army as a cook, nurse, armed scout, and a spy. She even led an expedition into war that freed more than 700 slaves.

Following the war, she was a part of the women’s suffrage movement, working closely with Susan B. Anthony and participating in speaking tours.

Tubman, often called the “Moses of her people”, died on March 10, 1913. She was buried with military honors in Auburn, New York.

Today, Tubman is honored across this nation. There are hundreds of public schools named after her, her image appeared on a U.S. postal stamp in 1995, and she is even considered a saint by the Episcopal Church of the United States of America.

Click here for more information on Harriet Tubman.

February is Black History Month

In the United States and Canada, February is officially recognized as Black History Month. Since we at the blog like to celebrate all sorts of things, we’re going to use this opportunity to devote the (rest of the) month to talking about some great Americans who have helped shape the country. Please feel free to submit something as part of our celebration.

But first, a little history behind Black History Month:

Black History Month grew out of Negro History Week which was established by Carter Woodson in 1926.

Woodson, the son of former slaves, worked in the coal mines of Kentucky until he enrolled in high school at the age of twenty. He went on earn a Ph.D from Harvard University, and publish many scholarly articles and books. During his studies, Woodson was disappointed to find that American history books almost completely neglected the contributions of black Americans.

To ameliorate this problem, Woodson established Negro History Week with the strong belief that blacks should be proud and empowered by their history, and that other Americans should recognize the contributions of blacks to American history. He choose the second week in February because it included Fredrick Douglass’ and President Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays. This week built on the work of other black organizations that had been working for greater recognition of the contribution of blacks to American history.

Woodson envisioned the week as a period of lectures, educational discussions, debates, performances, and other events that would serve to educate all Americans. Negro History Week was embraced immediately by black communities, and within twenty-five years, it was a well-established national commemoration, endorsed by government officials and celebrated in schools across the country. In 1976, the week was expanded to a month.

The celebration of Black History Month has not been without its detractors. Some argue that black history should be celebrated all year, not just in February. Others complain that black history is American history. Both of these ideas are valid and in fact, Woodson looked forward to the day when Black History Month would no longer be necessary; when American history books would tell the complete history of the country.

Carnival in Baltimore!

February 22nd - 24th
3134 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224

It's Carnival-from Baltimore to our sister city, Rio de Janeiro! Samba, Capoeira, Film, Feijoada! In partnership w/ Mari Gardner's Rio/Baltimore Youth X-CHANGE, Maryland-Rio Partners, International Angola Capoeira Foundation, Quest Entertainment, and Por la Avenida.

Fri Feb 22
Violence Next Door: Growing Up in the Favela and the Hood
In this new documentary by Mari Gardner, youth from sister cities Baltimore and Rio de Janeiro use video cameras to expose the violence and corruption in their communities and break free from negative stereotypes. Performance by Nu World Art Ensemble. Panel discussion follows w/ Baltimore youth, Gardner, and Ray Cook, Director of On Our Shoulders. 7:30pm Mama Geni's Brazilian dinner sold sep, 8pm show. $7, $5 members, students, capoeiristas.

Sat Feb 23
Samba Dance Party!
Once again the hip-shaking drums of Samba Trovao and vocals of Rose Moraes transform The Patterson into a Carnival street party! Start with a Samba lesson by Samba Rio Brasil's dancers and a dazzling traditional Carnival show in full costume! Latin grooves from the turntables of DJ Paulinho! Caipirinhas at the cash bar! 7:30pm Mama Geni's Brazilian dinner sold sep, 8pm lesson, 9pm dance. $16, $13 members, students, capoeiristas. Cash bar.

Sun Feb 24
Open Capoeira Roda at The Patterson
Join the capoeira circle as audience or participant! A daring, elegant blend of dance, martial art, and spiritual discipline, capoeira was kept alive by Brazil's enslaved Africans in the 1800's. International Capoeira Angola Foundation's roda features local and visiting capoeiristas accompanied by traditional Afro-Brazilian instruments. 2-6pm. FREE! Donations welcome.

M Marrom Workshop in Boston

Mestre Marrom from Grupo Acupe de Brotas will be in Boston this weekend leading workshops with Grupo Kilombo Novo/FICA nucleus in Boston/Cambridge.

If you are interested in attending, please contact: five_lives (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Rodathon Wrap-Up

FICA-DC, with much support from FICA-NYC and some folks from FICA-Baltimore, held its annual Rodathon, a fund-raising marathon 8-hour roda, on February 4th.

We had lots of visitors, snacks, and great games. Here are some pictures if you were not able to make it.



Thanks again to everyone from NYC who made the long trip, and a special thank you to CassandraL for sharing her pictures.

Nzinga São Paulo: Workshops & Schedule

Mestre Poloca: workshop, discussion, & roda

Grupo Nzinga de Capoeira Angola
Where: Rua Cariris, no. 13
When: Saturday, February 16
Price: R$14


Grupo Nzinga
De Capoeira Angola

Tradition and philosophy

Activities are open to all people interested in Capoeira Angola and Afro-Brazilian cultural manifestations

Location: Rua Cariris, no. 13
Times: Monday, Wednesday, & Firday at 7:30 pm
Contact: 8937 3396 or www.nzinga.org.br

“Capoeira é mandinga, é manha, é malicia, é tudo que a boca come…” – Mestre Pastinha

Madison, WI, USA: Workshops

Workshops with T Beto

When: February 22 - 24
Where: Madison, WI, USA
Contact: www.capoeiraangolamadison.com
Price: ??

London, UK: A Year of Rodas

A note from London with a year's worth of scheduled rodas. Have fun:

Here are our dates for the whole year we are on the 3rd friday every month.

January 18
February 15
March 21
April 18
June 20
July 18
August 15
September 19
October 17
November 21
December 19



The event name is URBAN RITUAL we invite popular guest masters including Cobrinha and co.

@ 3rd Friday every month 6pm - 11pm Corbet Place, Ely's Yard, The Old Truman Brewery London E1 6QR free entry

www.capoeira-angola.co.uk

We also now have The Princess Alice for the after party

Thanks for your time
Axé
Simon Atkinson
Fantasma

Carnival Edition: The Tradition of Maracatu

Maracatu is a rich and beautiful tradition found in the Northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco. Maracatu is a major cultural component of carnival in Pernambuco. Maracatu shares many similarities with capoeira, including its connections to African culture in Brazil, its preservation by poor Brazilians, and its recent surge in popularity in Brazil and around the world.

There are two types of maracatu: maracatu nação or maracatu de baque virado and maracatu rural or maracatu de baque solto, maracatu de orquestra, or maracatu de trombone.

The rituals of maracatu nação derive from the coronation ceremonies of the Reis do Congo, enslaved Africans who held leadership positions in the black community in colonial Pernambuco. The Portuguese overseers approved of these leaders as a way to control the Africans and their descendents, but the rituals involved also served to mask preserved African religions of which the colonizers disapproved and allowed the Africans a measure of freedom of expression. Today, secret rituals associated to Afro-Brazilian and indigenous religions of Northeastern Brazil persist in maracatu and are not necessarily discernable by the uninitiated.

A maracatu nação consists of about 80-100 dancers, a singer, chorus and a percussion section, as well as a court of royal characters, including a king and queen, which represent the Portuguese courts of the Baroque era. Maracatu nacões parade with calunga, small sacred dolls usually made of wax or wood and held by the damas do paço (ladies in waiting). On the Sunday night of Carnival in Recife, all the maracatu nações parade in front of the Carnival judges, vying for the first-prize award.

Today, a few of the nações can trace their history back to the nineteenth century, however most were recently formed due to the surge in popularity of maracatus.

The maracatu rural is a more recent development, and is rooted in the traditions of the interior of the state of Pernambuco.



The most colorful costumes associated with the maracatu rural are those of the caboclo de lança or lance-bearers (pictured). These are mostly men (some women have participated in the last few years) who lead the maracatu rural processions in a wild dance of leaps, twirls, and sweeps of their lances. Their elaborate costumes may weigh up to 50 lbs and include sunglasses, a flower clenched in the teeth, and yards of brightly colored cellophane paper. In rural Pernambuco, many of the caboclos de lança work in the fields during the day. It is a great honor to be a caboclo de lança.

Maracatu was close to dying out in the early 1980s, but interest was re-kindled when women and children were allowed to participate, when local authorities cracked down on the violence associated with rival maracatus (who would steal each others costumes), and when popular Brazilian musicians, like Chico Science and Naçao Zumbi, began incorpating the rhythms of maracatu into their music. There are now maracatu groups in the United States, Canada, England, Sweden, and other countries around the world. Some are concerned that the sudden growth in popularity of the maracatus have brought people to the tradition who are more interested in dancing and playing music than learning the history and traditions of maracatu.

Watch this video. You will like it!:

This is just some information I put together from articles I found. If you have some further insight on maracatu that you would like to share, please feel free to comment.

This Weekend: M Poloca in Chicago

Workshops with M Poloca!
When: February 8 - 10 (this weekend)
Where: FICA-Chicago (Quilombo Cultural Center,1757 N Kimball Ave,Chicago, IL 60647)
Contact: (773) 227-8879, info (at) quilombocenter (dot) org
Price: ??

FICA-Chicago invites all to attend workshops with M Poloca this weekend in Chicago. Please contact the group for more info.

Thanks to T Beto.

Celebrating Carnaval 2008

Carnival has begun and Brazil is in full-party mode.

Here is some news about the three biggest Carnaval parties in the country. Click on the city name below for more information about its particular celebration:


Rio de Janeiro
The samba school Viradouro was forced by a judge to re-do part of its planned "Goosebumps" theme after a lawsuit by a Rio de Janeiro-based Jewsih group. To represent the Holocaust, Viradouro had constructed a float that looked like a pile of naked dead bodies and planned to have a dancing Hitler. After the ruling, the school chose to re-model its float to a "freedom of expression" theme, while many questioned the school's taste.

Per usual, the Rio's famous massive Carnival floats will parade in the Sambódromo, while street parties will take place throughout the rest of the city.



Salvador
By popular vote, the theme of Salvador's 2008 Carnival is Capoeira, and the symbols are Mestre João Grande, Mestre João Pequeno, and Mestre Decânio.

A minor blip in Carnival protocal occured when a thin Rei Momo was selected. Clarindo Silva weighs only 128 lbs, while historically Rei Momo weighs in at about 265 lbs! Looks like, after some back and forth disputing, the thin Rei Momo won out.

This year, a Festa de Iemanjá also falls within the Carnival celebration.


Recife / Olinda
Ruled by the Guiness Book of World Records to be the largest Carnival group in the world, o Galo da Madrugada bloco parades through the streets of Recife tomorrow. The police estimate that a million costumed revelers will parade with the traditional gigantic rooster and its 28 trios electricos.

Have fun, be safe, and keep your money in a secure place.