And Brazil's carnival winner is...

0 Comments | AFP, February, 2008

RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) — A carnival procession that paid extravagant homage to the legends of northern Brazil was Wednesday named the winner of this year's spectacular carnival parades in Rio de Janeiro.

The samba school Beija Flor, which presented the glittering floats and armies of dancers right at the end of the parades early Tuesday, was given the victory for the second consecutive year.

Within Brazil, the honor is treated with all the pomp and respect of a football championship trophy.

It notably gives a surge of national pride to the usually poor neighborhood, or slum, in which many of the samba schools have their roots.

For Beija Flor, which comes from the Rio suburb of Nilopolis, it also confirmed a winning streak that was tarnished last year...