Pick your "Fantasia"

It is said that “every year, seven weeks before Easter” Brazil comes to a complete and utter halt. This is due to the “pre -lent” celebration known as the Carnaval, which is known to last for four days, from Saturday to Tuesday. The whole entire country is up in arms, rushing to finish the last few touches on their costumes or rehearing and perfecting their dance moves. There are many elements that make this actual Carnaval possible which include: the actual preparation of the dance, the dancers, the theme, the costume, and the music. Overall, the costumes that are worn for the Carnaval, which may seem insignificant, actually have a very important role in the Carnaval.

The Origin of the “Fantasia”

The tradition of having a celebration right before Lent began about “hundreds and hundreds of years ago..by the the followers of the Catholic religion in Italy." After a few years, as "the French, Spanish, and Portuguese began to take control of the Americas and other parts of the world, they brought with them their tradition of a celebrating carnival." However, it is believed that many of the costumes or “fantasias,” which translates into “fantasies” in English, were highly influenced by African tradition. Many African traditions incorporated the circling around villages, while wearing masks and costumes. More importantly, the actual material of the costumes in the Carnaval are very similar to the materials found in a plethora of costumes from African rituals. Many of the objects that are put together to make these costumes are natural objects such as: shells, bones, beads, grasses, etc... However, the most important object that is used in many of the Carnaval costumes that can be traced back to African tradition are feathers. It is believed that “Feathers were frequently used by Africans in their motherland... as a symbol of our ability as humans to rise above problems, pains, heartbreaks, illness — to travel to another world to be reborn and to grow spiritually." In modern times the usage of foam, wire, netting, and wire have become more popular in order to create larger costumes. All in all, the costumes that are created out of many of these materials are absolutely striking to the eye and surely dazzle hundreds of spectators year after year.

Here come the “escolas de samba”!!

The “escolas de samba” or “schools of samba” play a massive role in the Carnaval, not only are they the performers of the actual Carnaval, but they are the ones who get to wear all the wonderful and colorful costumes. These schools compete on the grand day of the Carnaval and are judged and critiqued on a variety of things. Many of these schools in Brazil have “have grown to become vital cultural institutions, and their importance stretches far beyond just staging parades." These samba institutions can be found in different cities all around Brazil, and are located in most working-class areas. Many of these schools are said to “represent a different neighborhood or social club." Many of the performers represent themselves by dividing themselves into sections. The most important thing that is decided by the “escolas de samba” is the theme or the “enredo.” The “enredo” changes from year to year and everything must revolve around it, including the costumes. After the “enredo” is chosen by a specific school of samba the preparations begin. The theme of many of these schools' shows can be a variety of things. Many schools decide to revolve their entire performance on a specific deity or on the school's own history and traditions. For example, the school named “Imperio Serrano” for the 2009 Carnaval made it's theme “mermaids and mysteries of the sea,” which is “tied to Janaína (Iemanjá), the sea deity in the Candomblé pantheon." The colors that were linked to this theme were “green and white, therefore the costumes that the school wore to the 2009 Carnaval had to be green and white.

At the Carnaval

The main purpose of the fantasias “ are to illustrate and reveal the movements of the enredo." Once at the parade many of these schools of samba are judged on how well the costume correlates to the “enredo,” the design of the costume, the detail of the costume, creativity, and “ how the carnival master and designer have created them around their story." The factors in making a “good Samba costume design are texture of the material and shape of the costume .” In addition to this the costumes must also be comfortable for the dancers, they must be given the freedom to move around freely in their attire. Moving to what is actually seen at the Carnaval, specific performers or members of the school wear different colored costumes. The color or the style of the costume that a performer wears depends on what specific section they belong to within the parade. The “commisão de frente” or the front commission is usually made up of 12 to 15 people and they have the choice to choose between “traditional or creative,” if they were to choose a traditional style of clothing, this includes a tuxedo or suit. The next section is called the “Ala de Baianas,” which “honors the "tias" (aunts), or priestesses of candomblé, who had migrated from the state of Bahia to Rio de Janeiro." This section is required to have one-hundred participants and is primarily made up of elder women. Many of these women wear “large, round, skirts” that “resemble a kaleidoscope." After the “Master of Ceremonies” and “The Standard Bearer” comes the “Ala” section. The “Ala” section is a group of people that wear the exact same costume “who illustrate one chapter of the story told in the enredo." Next is the “Sambista or Passita de Detastaque,” which translates into the “featured samba dancer.” The sambista is usually a female “who dances samba with agility and grace at various speeds for long periods of time." This specific female dancer gets to wear the famous “ decorated bikini with an elaborate headpiece and or a back piece that does not impede her movements” at the Carnaval. Finally, there is the “destaque” or “feature,” which is usually a man or woman who are “stationed on the carros alegóricos (floats)." Also, the “ destaque has a large back drop attached to the floats and/or a back piece to complement extremely ornate fantasias." Their costumes commonly represent a “significant moment, concept/idea or character in the enredo .”


All in all, a lot goes into the creation of many of the costumes that are worn the day of the Carnaval. They are vital parts of the entire show for many “escolas de samba.” Clothing can tell a story and even one's history and cultural background, and the performers who wear these “fantasias” are no exception. Through their costumes, performers are able to elaborate on the stories that are being told, and are being allowed to express themselves through the vibrant colors and fabrics of their wardrobe. Every single piece of wardrobe, from the very first bead to the last, carries meaning. There is no doubt that many of the spectators and tourists that come from all over the world to see these carnivals, come to feast their eyes upon and lose themselves in the wonderful, flashy, multicolored creations that are exhibited that day.