Since I live in São Paulo, I know more about the São Paulo samba schools than the Rio schools. Also, since São Paulo & Rio de Janeiro have similiar Carnaval experiences, I’m going to use this post to talk about the samba school desfiles and another post to talk about Rio’s street blocos, which you’ll also find in São Paulo, but usually before Carnaval here and during in Rio!
This year, I’ve been going to a lot of samba school rehearsals, or ensaios de escola de samba. When I talk about “samba schools,” I don’t mean I’m there to learn to samba. I had a lost in translation moment with a friend who was here from New York. When we got to the rehearsal, she asked when the classes started 
These rehearsals are for the escolas, which are more like, “clubs,” that compete during Carnaval parades on the weekend and days before terça-feira de Carnaval. Each school parades with a different theme, however, there’s usually an overall theme they need to follow, and the entire parade is done repeating the same song written by the school each year. This song is called an enredo, and it’s sung by all the components of the parade. Hence weekly and sometimes biweekly rehearsals.
Last year, Rosas de Ouro was the school that won in São Paulo – here’s a little clip from their desfile:
But I’m going to pick favorites here and say I’ve been attending quite a few Vai-Vai rehearsals this year and am in love with the school and their song.
Here’s Vai-Vai’s enredo for 2011 with a video to help out!
Dos céus, em um cortejo divinal
Os deuses da inspiração
Lançam talento a um mortal
Um ser abençoado, que hoje brilha neste carnaval
As sinfonias de Bach regeram seu destino
Orgulho brasileiro
Jovem pianista genial
Em “preto e branco” sucesso internacional
Na sua fé, resistiu
E a dor da adversidade, suplantou Bis
Com muita garra e amor
E assim, na sua força de superação
Buscou a verdadeira vocação
Um novo incidente o quiz derrubar
Mas com maestria se pos a lutar
Por seu ideal
Luz da Ribalta que jamais se apagará (apagará)
E ao som de “Bravos e Aplausos”
A Saracura agora vem cantar
Feliz da vida, lá vem o Bixiga
Exemplo de comunidade
A Música Venceu Refrão
O dom é luz que vem de Deus
Da emoção Vai-Vai resplandeceu
