Carnival Brazil 2006
Carnival, which takes place throughout Brazil, is a moveable feast that is tied to the religious Calendar.
It is a traditional pre-Lenten celebration which ends on Ash Wednesday.
The Carnival parades begin on Friday evening with the lesser groups. These are usually groups that have been formed in recent years that are working their way up the hierarchy. Saturday night is for Grupo A, the groups trying to get into the top division, and the climax is reached on Sunday and Monday nights when the 14 groups in the Special Group parade, 7 each night, each for 80 minutes.

The groups are called escolas do samba (samba schools.)
Beija Flor is one of the most venerable of all the escolas, referred to as one of the quatro grandes (big four) that have dominated carnival for 50 years or more. Its percussion section has won the placa (plaque) for best percussion section more than any other school.