Beija-Flor

One of the top Carioca samba schools, the Beija-Flor de Nilópolis was the absolute champion of the annual contest in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980 (that year, together with Imperatriz Leopoldinense and Portela), 1983, and 1998. The hiring of Joãozinho Trinta and extremely large amounts of money gained from gambling (jogo do bicho, animals game) imposed forever a new, grandiose face not only to the Beija-Flor's parade, but to the entire Carioca Carnival. During Christmas Eve of 1948, members of the bloco (group of Carnival merrymakers) Irineu Perna de Pau, which had paraded for the la...