Lifestyle

Symbolic act of protest opens suspended carnival in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro, Feb 12 (EFE).- (Camera: Carlos Moreno) A symbolic act to praise the carnival tradition of Rio de Janeiro and pay tribute to the victims of Covid-19 replaced on Friday the traditional delivery of keys to the King Momo, with which the Carnival was normally officially started, as the biggest event in Brazil was cancelled.FOOTAGE OF THE EVENT. SOUNDBITES AND TRANSLATIONS OF:Composer Tiaozinho da Mocidade, member of the Board of Directors of the Samba Museum and old glory of the Mocidade Independiente samba school. "Carnival is a celebration of joy and happiness, but it is also a producer of employment for many families in Brazil and Rio de Janeiro." "We, in addition to having fun, because it seems like it's just a party, but no, also generate a lot of employment. Many people depend on carnival for their day to day, to live, to eat. It really is a job. Besides being something joyful, joy also generates wealth for the country and for people."Cultural producer Geisa Ketti, daughter of the late composer Zé Ketti: "Our voice practically does not resonate. It resonates but to dance and generate happiness. But our sadness, our pain, our needs, our demands are not heard and are not appropriate to public policies for culture.""As for the pandemic, we are suffering a lot because our government was denialist until now. We could have had a carnival if we had assumed the responsibility of vaccinating, of buying vaccines from China. They only started now, unfortunately, everything was delayed. Even our joy."