Ana Clara Tavares
Created in Europe, bandstands arrived in Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Installed in public squares, these structures – generally circular, favoring views from any angle – were, for a long time, venues for artistic performances and shows open to the public. The city's first bandstands were the one at Praça XV and the one at Vista Chinesa, in Tijuca National Park, both built in 1903.
In the suburbs, bandstands arrived in the 1950s and, in addition to hosting various public events, became especially important during carnival periods, thanks to the creation of the tradition of decorating them during the festivities.
The carnival bandstands, as they came to be known, became important allegories of suburban carnival. Besides the decorated architectural structures built to house the bands, judging committees, or revelers, it also became common to create independent wooden structures, built and decorated specifically for this purpose.
Sponsored by local merchants, the decoration of the bandstands was a symbol of rivalry between the neighborhoods of Rio's suburbs, which competed in contests judging the creativity and grandeur of each bandstand. The competition also highlighted the economic and organizational power of each neighborhood's commerce, given that the more ornate and luxurious a bandstand was, the wealthier the merchants sponsoring it were assumed to be.
One of the suburb's most famous bandstands was the one at Largo de Madureira (Av. Ministro Edgard Romero), which attracted large crowds to see the decorative carnival spectacle. But in the 1964 carnival, despite the efforts of Carlos Potengy — responsible for the construction — to create a winning bandstand — he intended to use around 25,000 light bulbs to illuminate the work —, the Madureira bandstand was not installed. The lack of funding from the neighborhood's Commercial Association prevented its installation, and even the decoration of the squares and streets.
Residents of Madureira, disappointed by the absence of the carnival bandstand, held the "burial of carnival" on the following Monday, complete with a floral wreath, candles, a coffin, and a funeral procession through the streets of the neighborhood, in protest against the cancellation of the traditional festivities.
The neighborhoods of Marechal Hermes, Bangu, Irajá, Jacarepaguá, Campinho, Engenho de Dentro, Cascadura, Praça Onze, among others, had their bandstands set up and the competition was held as usual. The one that took home that year's title was the bandstand of Largo da Freguesia, in Jacarepaguá. The theme, produced by Arnaldo Rodrigues, was "miss universe," and the bandstand featured a rotating, illuminated globe, along with the image of Ieda Maria Vargas — the first Brazilian to win the title of Miss Universe — at the top of the structure.
On the horizon, difficult times loomed. But the people of Rio didn't stop "shaking things up," as one would expect during carnival.
Image description: The image is a black-and-white photograph of a parade float, adorned with elaborate decorations. From the left side toward the center, we see a series of decorative elements including red crosses on white backgrounds, winged bird symbols, and other geometric ornaments. In the center, there is a triangular structure with ornamental details and a human figure in a dynamic pose. On the right, we find more decorations and a figure that appears to be in a pose of victory or triumph. The float is positioned in an urban setting, with power lines and buildings in the background.No ano anterior, Potengy havia idealizado o coreto de Irajá, em homenagem às Forças Armadas – o coreto Sentinelas da Democracia.
14 de fevereiro de 1963. Fundo Correio da Manhã / Arquivo Nacional