People dance with joy and freedom as the contagious carioca spirit affects all who come from different places to visit Rio de Janeiro at carnival time. Photo by rio.rj.gov.br
Rotund King Momo, who symbolizes the various excesses on happy display at Rio's carnival, has got the party started with customary frenzy of feathers, skin and fast-moving hips.
The pre-Lenten extravaganza reaches its climax late Sunday and Monday, as samba schools square off to see which has assembled the most fabulous blend of costumes and choreography to the fascinating samba beat. The most popular festival in the world mixes emotions, creativity, plasticity, colors, sounds and many costumes.
This year's theme takes revellers back to the atmosphere of 1933 when the world's most famous street party got its start. Some 770,000 tourists, 40% of them coming from abroad, are expected to join in the fun of Rio, and pump more than USD 500 M into the local economy.