O Globo Carnaval videos online

Four years ago I remember wishing this would happen, and it's finally happened: O Globo is putting most of their Carnaval-related videos online in streaming video. I hope you don't need to be using a Brazilian server to access it (somebody let me know, ok?) though you might need to do a free registration. Here's how to find it:
- Go to oglobo.globo.com
- click on "Videos" at the top, Sometimes you then have click on "veja mais videos" (see more videos) to see the full list of videos. And sometimes not.
- From there you can choose any category you want - news, novelas (soaps), whatever.
- For just Carnaval-related stuff, click on "mais catalogos de jornalismo" in the left, and then Carnaval 2010 or Carnaval Historico, whichever you prefer. It's worth taking a look at the other categories too, especially if you're at a stage with your Portuguese where you can start to follow the news shows and the novelas.

PRESTO! All the Carnaval videos your little heart desires! Search on your favorite escola name (Salgueiro, Unidos da Tijuca, etc.) to pull up more clips. If you know some Portuguese, you might like the clips introducing each escola that O Globo's been doing over the past several months. These typically start with the carnavaleso of each escola explaining the theme of the parade, and then a visit to the community, with interviews with luminaries like the mestre or the porta-bandeira, and finally, a small band (with puxador, main singer) singing the entire song complete with lyrics. Here's Unidos da Tijuca: (and yes, the mestre of Tijuca's bateria of Unidos da Tijuca really is a taxi driver. Come over to Lapa sometime and pick up the tall gringa with the pandeiro case, buddy!!!):


Fans of samba dance and elaborate passista costumes should be sure to search for "Musa do Carnaval 2010", the TV competition for best dancer to be the Muse of Carnaval 2010. There are two competitions, one for Sao Paulo and one for Rio ("Musa do Carnaval 2010 RJ"). These take place on the TV show "Caldeirao de Huck". I ran across this while sitting in a restaurant last week - they were doing the semifinals for the Sao Paulo Musa, and I picked this girl as the one of the better samba dancers. Not because of fancy footwork, just because she's just got a nice classic samba. (At the time I couldn't hear the audio, but now I notice that the female judge said the exact same thing - You've got a nice classic samba.) What do you think, do you like her? (I also like her hat) Be patient, she will do a fast samba at the end of the clip:

I know what you are all thinking: NICE HAT! :) I won't tell you yet what happened in the voting. (It's now down to 2 contestants, who will meet next week in the big final). You can find clips of all the other contestants too (warning, O Globo's search engine apparently only searches on the title of the clip, and the title doesn't always include "Musa do Carnaval". But if you can find one of the clips, related clips will pop up on the right side with the other dancers.)

I especially have to point out this clip of a professional ballet dancer dancing samba en pointe !!! I never would have thought this was even possible! With the occasional full split thrown in, just in case it wasn't difficult enough already. (she also says during the interview part that yes, she is planning to do the full Carnaval parade en pointe, and also that she wears a corset 12 hours a day to keep her waist thin enough for the professional ballet world... yeesh)


I notice that American jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan somehow got on the judge's panel for the Sao Paolo show. He doesn't speak Portuguese but seems to be fully in the spirit of things - his only question for one of the more impressive contestants was (in English) "Do you need guitar lessons?" The host translated, and she said she'd study guitar with him if he'd dance for her, which of course he promptly did. Smart guy.