Rio samba group demoted after fronting 7-year-old Carnival queen; underdog Tijuca wins

Tijuca crowned Rio Carnival parade champs

RIO DE JANEIRO — A samba group that enraged child-welfare advocates by choosing a 7-year-old as a drums corps queen finished last Wednesday in the extravagant parade competition, relegating them to the minor leagues next year.

Julia Lira, daughter of Viradouro samba group president Marco Lira, was reduced to tears under the intense focus of photographers and television cameras but eventually danced on at the helm of the parade early Monday.

The role of drums corps queen is normally reserved for sensuous models and actresses. A Rio state child welfare agency asked a judge to block her participation, but that move was rejected by a court.

The samba groups are judged by 10 criteria, one of which is the drum corps. Viradouro placed last out of 12 schools in the drum corps category, and scored even lower in the float category.

The Unidos da Tijuca samba group was crowned champion of the Rio Carnival parades for the first time in more than seven decades.

Tijuca’s winning theme was “It’s a Secret” and the elaborate parade examined mysteries such as the Bermuda Triangle, ancient lost civilizations and even the so-called Area 51 in the U.S.

More than 3,600 people took part in the presentation, which included an homage to Michael Jackson. One of the group’s favorite floats was a giant ski ramp, which men dressed as Spiderman climbed and others in Batman uniforms skied down.

Tijuca last won in 1936 and their victory set off wild partying at their headquarters in northern Rio.

“It was a beautiful Carnival and my congratulations to all the other groups,” said Tijuca’s artistic director Paulo Barros. “But this one is ours!”

The parades are fiercely competitive and watched by millions on live television across Brazil. Each group spends between $3 million and $5 million.

The winning group receives no monetary prize — just a trophy and bragging rights for a year.