Full steam ahead for the Brazilian Carnival

Today the Brazilian Carnival hits its fourth successive day of festivities and will be attended by famous names from every corner of the earth. The names range from international celebrities set to give the event prestige to artists invited in order to further enhance the celebrations.

On Sunday, the Grande Rio Samba School, which this year took advantage of the Year of France in Brazil commemorations in order to pay tribute to that European nation, brought female dancers from the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret to the avenue. In total 32 dancers of various nationalities, including French, German, English and Australians, among others, blended samba and cancan in the show.

“We had to familiarise ourselves with the music and with samba, and we had to understand and to learn the lyrics”, the French dancer Sophie Escoffier told the press. The top Brazilian model Carol Trentini was also one of the stars of the Grande Rio parade.

Watching this spectacle unfold close-up, in the box seats for the Rio de Janeiro parades have been international celebrities such as the American actor Matthew McConaughey, husband of the Brazilian Camila Alves, and the actor Sylvester Stallone. The actors Jean-Claude Van Damme, Gérard Depardieu and Kevin Spacey and the musician Quincy Jones are also on the list of guest stars. Even Mr. and Mrs. Obama and the first lady of France, Carla Bruni, had been invited to the parades in Rio de Janeiro.