A carnival is the epitome of a nation’s culture nevertheless the world’s greatest sybaritic party in Brazil has been sold out to imported stars. The plaudits remain for the likes of Britain’s Fatboy Slim, Layo, Bushwacka, Shakira, Ziggy Marley and Carlos Santana even as traditional afro-Brazilian festivities loose out. The crowds rave on international beats of electronic music that have totally invaded the carnival, while the concerns of the government grow.
Mr Lisboa, who has participated in Salvador’s carnival for over 40 years is quoted to have said:
There is a growing deformation ... You have to maintain the local traditions, if not you end up losing your identity and your points of reference.
The director of Brazil’s culture ministry, Juca Ferreira is quoted to have said:
There is the risk of... [carnival] becoming just an international window display.
Just last year, three of the city’s top samba schools announced they were banning foreigners from participating in their carnival parades due to fears that the outsiders were ruining their performances.
Some 650,000 tourists are expected to arrive in Rio de Janeiro for the five-day party, most of them from the United States and Europe. This global rush has turned a traditional fest into a playground for foreign musicians.
Via: Guardian
