Sao Clemente wins Grupo A!

The results are in from the Grupo de Acesso parades, and São Clemente has won! I'm a little bummed Cubango didn't win, but São Clemente's also one of my favorites (I used to play with them, on my last trip) and it's great to see them win. They've been performing very strongly in recent years and are one of the "yo-yo" escolas that bounces up to Especial periodically.

I'm also bummed that both Imperio Serrano and Rocinha finished fairly low, since I thought they both did great parades.

This year, two escolas are being sent down from Grupo de Acesso back to Grupo B. And they are: Tuiuti and Unidos de Padre Miguel. Tuiuti lost a couple extra points because their rainha was entirely nude (her little jeweled gun holster belt slipped to the side during the parade, revealing a certain area that it wasn't supposed to) and full nudity is forbidden in the Carnaval parades. Tuiuti also had less than the minimum number of baianas, which also cost them some points. Unidos de Padre Miguel apparently had some technical difficulties, including, for example, their whole commisao de frente arriving late at the parade.

The results announcement ceremony ended bizarrely when both Cubango and Padre Miguel complained about the results, since scores for both escolas seemed sort of bizarre. The Cubango directors threw "pieces of wood" at the powers-that-be from Lesga (the union of the Grupo de Acesso escolas) and the Padre Miguel fans started jeering and cursing. The Lesga president had to be escorted away under heavy security.

Imperio's president didn't jeer or throw pieces of wood, but did say that the results seemed "predetermined." That is, bribed and rigged. So what else is new in the Rio Carnaval?

The complete results:
1. Sao Clemente (goes up to Grupo Especial)
2. Inocentes
3. Estacio
4. Santa Cruz
5. Imperio da Tijuca
6. Imperio Serrano
7. Caprichosos
8. Renascer
9. Cubango
10. Rocinha
11. Unidos de Padre Miguel (goes down to Grupo B)
12. Tuiuti (goes down to Grupo B)

Right now the Grupo B parades are starting - I can hear the fireworks right now, announcing the first escola, from my apartment. I'm heading over to Rio Scenarium for a bit first to hear Mulheres de Chico, then might check out Grupo B a bit later tonight. If I can possibly stay awake. I am really reeling with fatigue by this point, and fell asleep today while standing up in the subway!