Social Program
Program
- Carnival Festival
- Carnival Tips
- Congress Carnival Party
Released the IEA 2012 Program from day to day. Please see the Congress Program/Final Program page for more information (click here to close)
There will be a number of social activities in the Congress which are included in the delegate fee.
Welcome Reception Show
Sunday, February 12th.
The show will be performed by Maestro Spok and his Orchestra which includes music and dances from the Northeast of Brazil, particularly, the State of Pernambuco
Cultural Activities
Every evening, after the plenary session, a typical folkloric/carnival attraction will be presented. The groups will perform music and dance in the Convention Center patio and will invite participants to join them. A light-hearted way to finish a productive day.
Refreshments every afternoon
Refreshments including free coffee, tea, biscuits, sandwiches and fruit for all the participants around the exhibition space will be served in the mid-afternoon.
Carnival
Carnival is the most famous festival in Brazil and has become an event of huge proportions. Much of the country stops completely for almost a week and festivities are intense, day and night, mainly in coastal cities. Brazilian Carnival is a festival which has a mix of African, Native Indian, and European elements which produces rhythms, ways of participating, and costumes unique in the world. Rhythm, dances, and costumes vary from one region of Brazil to another. The cities of Recife and Olinda see organized groups parading through the streets and the public interacts directly with them. Our Carnival is very different from the form it takes in Rio and São Paulo. They have samba schools while our form of carnival is much simpler, people led and more unpredictable in terms of costume.
The main rhythms of Carnival in Pernambuco are the frevo and the maracatu. Galo da Madrugada is the biggest carnival parade in the world, in terms of the number of participants, according The Guinness Book of World Records. The literal translation is "the rooster at dawn" and the parade, as the name suggests, is early on the Saturday of Carnival only. Frevo is a Pernambucan-style dance with African and acrobatic influences, because it is fast and electrifying, and often uses an open colorfully striped small parasol to help the dancers balance their frequent whirling leg and arm movements. Unlike Salvador and Rio, the festivities in Recife and Olinda do not include group competitions. Instead, groups dance and play instruments side by side. Groups called Troças and Maracatus, mostly of African influence, begin one week before Carnival and end a week later. Some well-known groups have funny names, such as: Tell me you love me, damn eggymann (with a famous giant dancing doll that leads the group), Crazy Lover, Olinda's Underpants, and The Door.
It is highly recommended that you extend your stay after the congress so as to savor and enjoy Carnival. It is sure to be a unique experience in your life.
See pictures of the Pernambuco's Carnival on the Slideshow page.
Program for pre-Carnival week
Long before the official days set aside for Carnival, those from Pernambuco who will take part in the fun begin to prepare for the festivities by going to "balls", called "carnival pre-events", by joining special carnival groups and going through a ritual of trial and error "to get in step". In the week before Carnival, when a joyful atmosphere is building up and the street decorations are already in place, there are large numbers of events being held all over the city. Join in the fun at the main pre-events:
February 4
In the International Club of Recife: the Recife Bal Masqué expects a public of about 12,000 people. The celebration begins with a parade and the awarding of masks and fancy costumes and will be kept on the boil by the Band Cheiro de Amor, Alexandre Peixe, the Universal Orchestra, Patusco and DJ Alexandre Carvalho.
February 5
The esplanade of Olinda, 09:00: Parade of the Block called Real Virgins Embrace Brazil. The route starts at the Samburá Hotel, Av Ministro Marcos Freire, Bairro Novo, and ends at João Pessoa Square, in Carmo. The fun thing that characterizes this Block is it is formed by men dressed as women. A great multitude usually accompanies the parade, which this year will be kept hopping by the band Calypso, Molejo, Nonô Germano, Knights of the Forró Dance, Almir Rouche, and other artists.
February 10
In the Portuguese Club: Siri na Lata, with the theme "Quite Cute but Ordinary - 100 years of Nelson Rodrigues." They say the muse of this writer and playwright, the actress Sonia Braga, will be present but this may be just a joke, one of characteristics of this group. The "ball" will be kept lively by Almir Rouche, Geraldinho Lins, Josildo Sá, Lane Cardoso Lane and Maestro Forro.
In the Nautico Club, Capibaribe: Grand Ball of the Bloco da Saudade. One of the finest sing-along blocks of Recife, which makes sure this is one of the most sought-after "balls", featuring the Edgar Moraes Choir and a frevo orchestra.
February 11
At the Convention Center of Pernambuco: Enquanto isso, na Sala da Justiça (Meanwhile, in the Court Room) is the ball where the revelers dress up as superheroes. It will be kept lively by the singer Otto, the project Original Olinda Style with Eddie and the Contemporary Orchestra of Olinda.
February 14
In Olinda: Parade of the Bloco da Saudade. It forms on the hill called Ladeira de Varadouro, at 19:00, from where it will go through several streets of the historic heart of Olinda.
February 15
In Recife: Parade of the Bloco da Saudade. It meets up in Maciel Pinheiro Square, in Boa Vista, at 19:00.
Suggestions on how to program your Carnival
One of the most attractive things about Carnival in Pernambuco is its diversity. There are thousands of different types of groups such as sing-along blocks, caboclinhos, maracatu, frevo, etc apart from the musical shows to be enjoyed and the colorful characters to be seen on the streets. We have selected some of these attractions to make it easier for you to choose a set of friendly carnival-goers. We remind everyone that you should always allow about an hour to get to the venue due to the large influx of cars, which causes traffic jams.
Friday, Feb 17
Official opening of Carnival. From 16:00, the hundreds of maracatus of Baque-Virado gather on the street called Rua da Moeda, from where they go in procession to Marca Zero Square, in the district of Old Recife (Recife Antigo). There, at 1900, about 500 drummers will be conducted by the percussionist Naná Vasconcelos, in a magnificent grand finale. There will be presentations of caboclinhos, afoxés, a frevo orchestra with dancers, and shows involving big Brazilian stars such as Alceu Valença, Ney Matogrosso, Seu Jorge, Lenine and others. This show will go on until dawn.
Saturday, Feb 18
The Parade of the Club of the Máscaras Galo da Madrugada (the Masks of the Cock of the Dawn), the largest Carnival group in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records, which brings together a million and a half carnival-goers in fancy costumes from 09:00, in the district of São José. The block swings along for 4.5 km until 19:00, to the tunes of various bands, orchestras and frevo singers who play and sing on the top decks of 25 brightly-colored open-topped vehicles called trios elétricos. This magnificent 2012 version of the parade is a celebration of the centenary of the birth of the composer and singer Luiz Gonzaga and the most famous giant doll in Brazil, the Midnight Man, who turns 80, will also be present. One of the attractions will be the Banda Calypso, who have just recorded their first album of the music of frevo, the type of Carnival music and dance native to Pernambuco. For those who may wish a little more comfort, a good option is to buy a grandstand box from which to view the fun. If you are interested, contact the tourist agency of the Congress (Luck Viagens).
Another option for Saturday is to get to know what the Carnival of Olinda is like during the day, with its blocks of frevo and giant dolls. After dark, from 18:00 watch the parade of the clubs of frevo and maracatu in Arsenal da Marinha Square, then enjoy the shows in Marco Zero Square.
Sunday, Feb 19
Don’t miss the fight of the "Cobra" against the "Dragon", with the Perrebumbá Orchestra and the Forrobodó Dance Company, followed by Boi da Macuca, from 17:00, at Marco Zero Square. There will also be a parade of the Caboclinhos at the same time, in Arsenal da Marinha Square. At the Afro Carnival Point, located in the Pátio do Terço, the program is devoted to the afoxés, percussion instrument groups of African origin, from 20:00.
Monday, Feb 20
Day to enjoy the beauty of the sing-along groups, which parade gracefully through the streets of Recife, from 17:00 until 22:00. The route is Rua da Alfândega, Rua Marquês de Olinda and Marco Zero Square. At the Afro Carnival Point, ceremony of the Night of the Silent Drums takes place starting at 20:00 and ends at midnight. It is dedicated to African ancestors.
Tuesday, Feb 21
Grand Show to close Carnival, from 21:00, which brings together Alceu Valença, Elba Ramalho and other artists, in Marco Zero Square. Midnight sees the beginning of the coming together of all the great frevo orchestras of Recife, featuring dancers from the Municipal School of Frevo, who will encourage carnival-goers to let themselves be "dragged along", a fun time that will only end at 03:00.
Important information so Carnival-goers can have a good time safely
Carnival is a marvelous festival but it is important you don't neglect your health and safety so you can join in the fun in a healthy and peaceful way. Despite the city's investment in safety, especially at the main points of the revelry, it is important that everybody follows some rules to avoid unpleasant surprises, since the city is somewhat taken over by thousands upon thousands of people.
HEALTH TIPS- Keep yourself well hydrated: Drinking plenty of liquids helps to maintain energy during the festivities and to cure a hangover.
- Eat well: Avoid fries and fast foods like hot dogs. Make sure you choose full meals with ingredients that provide energy, such as liquid bean stock, or cassava with sun-dried meat or jerked beef. Pieces of fruit and fruit juices reduce the feeling of fatigue, aid digestion and rehydrate the body.
- Wear light-weight, light-colored and baggy clothes. Dark clothes absorb more solar radiation, thus making you feel hotter and synthetic fabrics can cause allergies. Wear sneakers or trainers instead of sandals and high heels so as to keep your feet well protected.
- Always wear sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat of some sort to protect yourself from the sun
- Plan your enjoyment so you can sleep for the hours your body needs so as to recharge your batteries.
- If you're not used to taking exercise, it's good to do stretching exercises especially of your legs and feet before throwing yourself into the celebrations.
- Do not forget to take your health insurance card with you.
SAFETY TIPS
- Don't wear jewelry or a watch on the streets. Take only one piece of ID (preferably a certified copy). Leave your passport in a safe place at your hotel.
- Take only a small amount of money with you, sufficient for the needs of the day and try to have small notes to avoid taking too long over your wallet in the midst of the crowds.
- Avoid going out alone, try to go about with friends. So as not to get lost in the crowd, always set a place where you can meet up such as a landmark well-known to everyone in your group. It is important to keep a note of the address and phone numbers of the place that you are staying at.
- Don't keep your digital camera in your pocket or purse. Wear it attached to a cord around your neck or strapped to your wrist. Another option is to keep it under your clothes in a pocket facing your skin. The same tip also goes for your cell phone.
Have a great time.
A typical Carnival party from Pernambuco State is scheduled on Wednesday, 15th. The party will be held at the Cachaçaria Carvalheira, from 8:30pm to 12:30am, with live music performed by an orchestra. Finger food and beverages (juice, soft drink. drinks. beer and cachaça) will be served. The ticket for the Congress Party is included in the Congress fee.
