Carnaval to celebrate Brazilian culture

The Brazilian Carnaval is more than a one-night event for senior Anita DeCastro – it’s a family affair.

Twenty-five years ago, DeCastro’s grandmother started the Brazilian Carnaval in Bloomington, and for the last three years, DeCastro has planned the event.

The Carnaval begins at 10 p.m. Saturday at the Bluebird and features Brazilian performances, costumes and drinks.

“The goal is to really try to expose this culture to as many people as possible,” DeCastro said.

In the past, DeCastro said she planned the event mostly on her own, but this year her goal is to involve as many students as possible. A group of about 20 students from IU and Ivy Tech Community College helped plan the event.

The event will continue to be a 21-and-older event because a Brazilian drink made of sugarcane rum is a large part of the celebration that “brings them home,” she said.

The Bluebird was chosen because it attracts a local crowd, and those who don’t know about the event might walk by and decide to attend. She said past locations were not student-friendly because students had to drive to get there.

Matt Van Hoose, interim associate director of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean studies, said the event helps introduce the aspects of Latin American society that exist in Bloomington.

For the past month, DeCastro and a choreographer have taught a group of 15 students Samba on Sundays. The group will perform at the event along with an all-student percussion ensemble from the Jacobs School of Music.

DeCastro said the event is an opportunity for the community to see what the Carnaval is all about and to show how Brazilians celebrate the event.

DeCastro and other student planners received sponsorships from the Brazilian Association at IU, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies, La Casa Latino Cultural Center and Costume Delights to help fund a performance from Axe Capoeira Chicago.

She said the group performs the style of Capoeira, a combination of  acrobatics, dance, martial arts and Afro-Brazilian music, that is different from the style usually seen in Bloomington.

“We want to expose Bloomington to this other style and show there are two styles of Capoeira and their differences,” DeCastro said.

Lillian Casillas, director of La Casa, said the center sponsored the event to help educate people about Latino culture. She added that she likes to sponsor events held outside the center because it provides different perspectives about the culture.

“We like to promote the efforts of somebody who is doing something to celebrate Latino culture,” she said.