Often described as the largest party on Earth, Rio de Janeiro’s annual Brazilian Carnaval made it’s way to Madison’s Majestic Theater. This “2 Nights of Carnaval” event is a tradition 10 years strong that brings Brazilian Culture to Madison for two nights roughly 46 days before Easter every year. Though it doesn’t attract the hundreds of thousands of spectators and participants that attend the Carnaval event in Rio de Janeiro, it still carries the energy, hype and fun that make the two-night extravaganza incredibly entertaining.
During the kick-off of this two-night event, The Majestic brought out the beads with a Mardi Gras themed show. The weekend started off on Friday night featuring performances by Grupo Um Dois Tres, The Handphibians and Mama Dig Down’s Brass Band.
The Friday night musical style emanated the feeling of Mardi Gras with plenty of horned instruments, drums, tambourines and of course vocals. The bands kept the crowd upbeat and captured, making it hard to find a single person without the urge to dance.
For those still wanting more, Saturday night unleashed the main event – all that is Carnaval. Embracing the Brazilian culture in full, Grupo Balanca, Metabaque and The Handphibians carried out the entertainment for the evening. The energy was high from the start, anticipation beaming from those who had been attending Carnaval for years as well as those who had never experienced something so spectacular.
Countless amounts of streamers hung from the balconies, while balloons and feathers filled the stage. The trademark yellow and green colors of Brazil occupied the bodies of both the performers and the crowd.
The buzzing energy of the sold-out show kept the venue alive, with a wide mix of ages ranging from local college students to those in their 60s. The elaborate performance kept everyone dancing and clapping along late into the night.
After being awed by the musical talents of Grupo Balanca and Metabaque, the feeling of Brazilian culture was spreading quickly. The drum beats could be felt throughout your body, and the vocals were equally outstanding with a hint of mystery as the lyrics were in Portuguese.
While the crowd awaited The Handphibians, the Capoeira Crew entertained with the Brazilian style of martial arts mixed with dance. Evolucao Dance Company also took the stage with their performance of traditional Brazilian dance.
A little before midnight, The Handphibians’ drums began to beat. Drummers lined the upper balconies of the Majestic as well as the entire stage. They were accompanied by beautiful vocals, dancing and drum solos throughout the performance.
The crowd was continuously encouraged to clap, dance and sing along to the beat of the music – which was hard to resist even without the encouragement.
While the energy of the crowd was undeniable, the energy of the performers rose high above it. From the first time that we spoke with members of The Handphibians, their passion for performing was apparent. While the music held its own, the vibrant energy of the 30-plus person performance group really made this event into a phenomenal two-night production.