Beija-Flor accused!
And now the federal police have said that there are "strong indications" that bicheiro Anisio, the funder of Beija-Flor, bought their Carnaval championship this year, presumably by bribing Liesa judges. The blogs and Orkut chat groups are talking about nothing else; the Mangueira chat group is almost in a fervor.
Every carioca I've ever spoken to believes that the Carnaval results are always rigged. But there's never been any proof. And it's so subjective anyway ("best parade float"? "best flag-bearer's dance"? How can you possibly compare such things, anyway?)... and people are so passionate about their favorite escola that they'd always rather believe that a poor result was due to corrupt judging rather than to any fault of the escola.
What's ironic is that Beija-Flor probably did deserve the championship - they really had the best parade. Many carioca friends told me that this was the only year they could remember when everyone agreed that the winner actually deserved the win! As the Roda-de-Samba blog writers put it, "If there was behind-the-scenes fixing, it was completely unnecessary, since their parade was indisputably the best of the year." But, what everybody's really buzzing about is whether this explains Grande Rio's 2nd place finish (that's what really had Manguiera steamed) and Salgueiro's bizarrely low placing. And rumors are flying about Beija-Flor's other 3 championships in recent years, some of which Unidos da Tijuca probably should have won.
I can't help but wonder if you might have to bribe judges just to give your escola a fair shot. Sort of just to balance the effects of other escola's bribes. If Beija-Flor had NOT bribed the judges, but still had the best parade, would they have won?
And, inevitably, people are starting to say, if the results were tinkered with at all, Imperio Serrano and Estacio de Sa should surely protest being sent down.
But this is all just speculation. So far there's just been the 1 statement from the Federal Police, and no evidence presented yet. Wait and see.
posted by samba kat @ 8:35 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Sapucai; the most sumptuos red light street in the world. Rio Carnaval Escolas Especial; the most incredible, gorgeous putas on the planet. The Champion each year; arguably the most ravishing of all, most talented at giving her clients exactly what they want. All sensual, all exciting, all stunning. We are bewitched and satiated but ultimately she's still a puta. And we are left with a feeling of emptiness and sorrow for those at the bottom of the Escola society whose blood, sweat and tears bring the show to us. So are the B and C escolas any less corrupt?
Post a Comment
<< Home