Just one week before Rio Carnival, and the samba schools of Grupo Especial are well ahead in their preparations. Last year at this time some schools were in a state of panic, with no money left and many floats and costumes still to prepare.

This year there has been an extra injection of money which has smoothed things along. Petrobas, the Brazilian multinational, has donated 12 million reals - thats one million for each samba school - in their project `Samba Carioca is a cultural inheritance of Brazil´

The money is partially for the samba school parades, but part of it is marked for use in the cultural and educational activities that every samba school carries out in its home district.

Each samba school is also receiving R$750,000 from Rio´s City Hall, and one million from the federal  government. As well as this the schools receive some money from the sales of the Grupo Especial CD (much reduced this year because of rabid internet piracy), and money from the sale of tickets in the sambadromo, money from the open rehearsals that the schools run on Friday and saturday nights. And there´s also private sponsorship, both officially from companies, and unnoficially from local gangsters and bicheiros (illegal lottery organisers).

Technical samba school rehearsals in the Sambodromo start this Saturday.

The first Samba School technical rehearsal in the Sambodromo is on the 6th December. Entrance remains free. These rehearsals are enormously popular - in 2009 there was an average of 40,000 spectators at each one. This year these rehearsals will mostly be on Saturday and Sunday evenings; the Friday night events have been curtailed because the necessary road closures caused enormous traffic problems last year.

Saturday 6th Dec also has 3 local football matches , so the rehearsals may be later than originally advertised, to allow the football crowds to disperse down Avenida Presidente Vargas before it is partially closed for the rehearsal.

To find out more about the Rio Carnival technical rehearsals in the sambodromo, and to see a timetable, click here.

Who runs the Rio Carnival samba School parades?

A complicated question, on some levels.

However, if you simply want to know about the organisations that administer the leagues of samba schools and their carnival parades, click here.

Viradouro costume for Rio Carnival 2010

Here's a preview of one of Viradouro's carnival costumes for Rio Carnival 2010. Viradouro's theme is 'Mexico, a pradise of colours, under the sign of the Sun'. Their carnival designers this year are Junior Schall and Edson Pereira. To see more of Viradouro's carnival costumes for 2010 click here

Festa de Jongo. One of the roots of samba, Jongo was brought to Brazil by African slaves from Angola, but it's almost died out in Brazil.   Quilombo de Sao Jose is a community of descendents of Angolan slaves, living in an isolated spot in the interior of the state of Rio de janeiro two hours drive out of Rio.   There is a family here of over 200 people who have lived in the same area for over 150 years, preserving the Jongo and other traditions including Calango and Umbanda.

The festa starts at 10am on Saturday 28th November, with a mass followed by a feijoada; then from 2pm there are demonstrations of capoeira and the different types of jongo. The roda de Jongo - a freestyle Jongo party - is due to start at 7.30 pm, and from 9pm there is a Calango ball. Both of these are planned to run till dawn, with food stalls selling traditional foods, and breakfast served at 8am on Sunday. Finally there's a game of football planned between the community and the visitors, and the festival ends on 12 noon Sunday.

You can find information on how to get there by bus (3 buses then a 15 mins walk) or by car at: samba-choro.com.br/noticias/pordata/23198.samba-

The pagode do Trem - a samba party till dawn in Rio, involving four sound stages, many samba stars, song, dance, beer, and four trains. Now this is an event that I would REALLY like to  experience...

Celebrating the Brazilian Day of Samba on Dec 2nd, the event starts with a live stage set up in Rio's central rain station. From 12pm there's a big samba da roda in the station, with many samba stars performing - including (in 2009) the velha guardas of Mangueira and Portela.

Then, from 7pm, four trains set off towards Oswaldo Cruz. These party (pagode) trains contain a mixture of normal passengers, drums, music, songs and samba stars of the calibre of  Nelson Sargento and Dona Ivone Lara. Everyone disembarks at Oswaldo Cruz, where there are three more music stages and a party that goes on till dawn.

Entrance to the trains is by ticket only but these can't be bought with money. You have to buy your ticket in advance with 1kg of non perishable food, which is then donated to the Food Bank of Rio as part of the national 'Zero Hunger' campaign.

have a look at a previous year's Pagode no trem....

youtube.com/watch?v=66PavTvjG3o

Tickets for Rio Carnival 2010

Tickets are going on sale in the next couple of weeks. They will all be sold out in minutes, mostly to Cariocas (Rio locals) and agencies. As a tourist you are very unlikely to buy at these original face prices. Expect to buy from an agency with a mark-up of at least three times the face value. Its already possible to reserve tickets for the sambodromo through online agencies.

Original face values:( R$ = Brazilian Reals);Frisas (for 6 people) from R$3000 to R$6,500 per night,  Arquibancadas (stands or bleachers)- from R$110 to R$300 per night per seat.

For much more information about the best places to sit, and a Rio Carnival ticket buying guide, click here. We aren't selling these tickets, just giving independent advice.

I've heard a sneak preview of the Rio carnival official samba CD 2010 (Grupo Especial)  and it rocks!     Read more here

The Rio samba school Salgueiro is planning to be holding its street rehearsals regularly on Wednesday evenings at Rua Sivas Teles, starting at 9pm.

The whole samba school will be practicing their parade down on the street, and singing their samba for 2010 "Stories without end"

The bateria will be out in force  with over 200 drummers, led by Mestre Marcão, and the puxador Quinho singing the song through a huge mobile sound system.

As usual with street rehearsals, there will be hot dog stalls, street barbecues, plenty of beer and other street food and drink to create a real party atmosphere.

Have you always dreamed about parading with a Rio Samba School?

If you get the opportunity, here's how to get the very best out of your experience.

You can buy a tourist package for Rio Carnival that includes parading with a Samba School.  You can also organise it yourself (advice below). Either way, if you want to know how to get the most out of this once in a lifetime experience, here's how to go about it.

Every year in the samba parades you can see confused tourists in costumes being herded by stewards, trying to fit in. With the right preparation you can have a much more satisfying experience, win the respect of the locals, and help your samba school in their effort to win carnival, too.    Read more.
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