Liga Independente das Escolas de Samba do Rio de Janeiro
Encyclopedia
The Liga Independente das Escolas de Samba do Rio de Janeiro - Independent League of the Samba Schools of Rio de Janeiro - or LIESA, is the principal association that organizes the Carnival
of the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Disgruntled with the official league, the Associação das Escolas de Samba da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro
(AESCRJ), representatives of ten Samba school
s, led by bicheiros
, helped founding the LIESA in 1984. They were not in agreement with the state of things in the AESCRJ, where they were a minority and always defeated in deliberations despite the fact they invested the money. Each attempt to improve the commercial success of the Carnival spectacle was being rejected. They formed an independent league, which eventually took over the organisation of the parades of the Rio Carnival. The bicheiro Castor de Andrade
was the first president of LIESA.
Each year, the schools promoted by the Grupo de Acesso
to the top league of the Special Group become affiliated to LIESA. All other schools are affiliated with the AESCRJ.
In 2007, LIESA experienced one of the worst crisis of its history, with the arrest of various of its leaders, such as Capitão Guimarães
and Anísio Abraão David
, during Operation Hurricane
by the Brazilian Federal Police
. A inquiry was installed in the Council of the city of Rio de Janeiro
to investigate the accusations of corruption.
One of the charges was that underworld figures fixed the results of Rio de Janeiro's 2007 carnival parade. Press reports suggest that Anísio Abraão David, the honorary president of Beija-Flor
that won the competition, used bribes and a hitman to buy and intimidate members of the carnival jury. According to extracts from a federal police report "some individuals who worked as carnival jurors and refused to accept benefits from Anisio were threatened or had their relatives threatened with death if the Beija-Flor school did not win the 2007 carnival".
On July 14, 2007, a new administration was elected, culminating in the return of Jorge Castanheira as president of the league.
Sunday, March 6
Monday, March 7
Rio Carnival
The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is a world famous festival held before Lent every year and considered the biggest carnival in the world with two million people per day on the streets. The first festivals of Rio date back to 1723.-Samba schools:...
of the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Disgruntled with the official league, the Associação das Escolas de Samba da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro
Associação das Escolas de Samba da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro
The Associação das Escolas de Samba da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro - Association of Samba Schools of the City of Rio de Janeiro - or AESCRJ, is an association of the samba schools of city of Rio de Janeiro that administrated the Carnaval of all the groups since 1953. The AESCRJ was founded on March 5...
(AESCRJ), representatives of ten Samba school
Samba school
A samba school is a club or dancing school. They practice and often perform in huge square-compounds devoted to practicing and exhibiting samba, an African-Brazilian dance. The schools are traditionally associated with a particular neighborhood, often shanty towns...
s, led by bicheiros
Jogo do Bicho
Jogo do Bicho is an illegal gambling game in Brazil, prohibited by federal law since 1946. Very popular throughout the country, the "game" is actually a lottery-type drawing operated on a regional basis by mobsters known as contraventores , bicheiros or banqueiros...
, helped founding the LIESA in 1984. They were not in agreement with the state of things in the AESCRJ, where they were a minority and always defeated in deliberations despite the fact they invested the money. Each attempt to improve the commercial success of the Carnival spectacle was being rejected. They formed an independent league, which eventually took over the organisation of the parades of the Rio Carnival. The bicheiro Castor de Andrade
Castor de Andrade
Castor Gonçalves de Andrade e Silva was a well-known bicheiro in Rio de Janeiro. Since the 1980s, Castor de Andrade was the uncontested leader of all the main bicheiros of the city of Rio de Janeiro, and had more than 100 policemen and a number of public servants, prominent politicians, and judges...
was the first president of LIESA.
Each year, the schools promoted by the Grupo de Acesso
Grupo de Acesso
The Grupo de Acesso - Access Group - was created for the first time in the city of Rio de Janeiro when the União Geral das Escolas de Samba do Brasil, the Federação Brasileira de Escolas de Samba, and the União Cívica de Escolas de Samba resolved to organize a unique competition, unlike the last...
to the top league of the Special Group become affiliated to LIESA. All other schools are affiliated with the AESCRJ.
In 2007, LIESA experienced one of the worst crisis of its history, with the arrest of various of its leaders, such as Capitão Guimarães
Capitão Guimarães
Ailton Guimarães Jorge, better known as Capitão Guimarães, is an illegal lottery operator and the patron of samba school Unidos do Viradouro...
and Anísio Abraão David
Anísio Abraão David
Anísio Abraão David, better known as Anísio, is an illegal lottery operator and the honorary president of the samba school Beija-Flor in Nilópolis. He has been the president of the Independent League of Samba Schools of Rio de Janeiro from 1985-1987.-Bicheiro:Anísio controlled the game in...
, during Operation Hurricane
Operation Hurricane
Operation Hurricane was the test of the first British atomic device on 3 October 1952. A plutonium implosion device was detonated in the lagoon between the Montebello Islands, Western Australia....
by the Brazilian Federal Police
Brazilian Federal Police
The Polícia Federal is the federal police force of Brazil subordinate to the Ministry of Justice, whose main assignments are the investigations of crimes against the Federal Government or its organs and companies, the combat of international drug trafficking and terrorism, and immigration and...
. A inquiry was installed in the Council of the city of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
to investigate the accusations of corruption.
One of the charges was that underworld figures fixed the results of Rio de Janeiro's 2007 carnival parade. Press reports suggest that Anísio Abraão David, the honorary president of Beija-Flor
GRES Beija-Flor de Nilópolis
The Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba Beija-Flor is a Samba school headquartered in the municipality of Nilópolis, Baixada Fluminense, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.- History :...
that won the competition, used bribes and a hitman to buy and intimidate members of the carnival jury. According to extracts from a federal police report "some individuals who worked as carnival jurors and refused to accept benefits from Anisio were threatened or had their relatives threatened with death if the Beija-Flor school did not win the 2007 carnival".
On July 14, 2007, a new administration was elected, culminating in the return of Jorge Castanheira as president of the league.
Presidents
- 1984-1985: Castor de AndradeCastor de AndradeCastor Gonçalves de Andrade e Silva was a well-known bicheiro in Rio de Janeiro. Since the 1980s, Castor de Andrade was the uncontested leader of all the main bicheiros of the city of Rio de Janeiro, and had more than 100 policemen and a number of public servants, prominent politicians, and judges...
- 1985-1987: Anísio Abraão DavidAnísio Abraão DavidAnísio Abraão David, better known as Anísio, is an illegal lottery operator and the honorary president of the samba school Beija-Flor in Nilópolis. He has been the president of the Independent League of Samba Schools of Rio de Janeiro from 1985-1987.-Bicheiro:Anísio controlled the game in...
- 1987-1993: Capitão GuimarãesCapitão GuimarãesAilton Guimarães Jorge, better known as Capitão Guimarães, is an illegal lottery operator and the patron of samba school Unidos do Viradouro...
- 1993-1995: Paulo de Almeida
- 1995-1997: Jorge Castanheira
- 1997-1998: Djalma Arruda
- 1998-2001: Luizinho DrummondLuizinho DrummondLuiz Pacheco Drummond, nicknamed Luizinho Drummond, is an illegal lottery operator and the patron of samba school Imperatriz Leopoldinense...
- 2001-2007: Capitão GuimarãesCapitão GuimarãesAilton Guimarães Jorge, better known as Capitão Guimarães, is an illegal lottery operator and the patron of samba school Unidos do Viradouro...
- 2007-2012: Jorge Castanheira
Special group
For 2011 the parade of the special group will be composed by 12 samba schools:Sunday, March 6
- São Clemente
- ImperatrizGRES Imperatriz LeopoldinenseThe samba school Imperatriz Leopoldinense was created on March 6, 1956 in the suburb of Ramos, in Rio de Janeiro.It is named after Maria Leopoldina, archduchess of Austria and Empress of Brazil, consort of Emperor Pedro I....
- Mocidade
- Unidos da Tijuca
- Vila Isabel
- MangueiraGRES Estação Primeira de MangueiraThe Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba Mangueira is one of the most traditional and best supported Samba schools in Rio de Janeiro. It was founded on April 28th, 1928 in Morro da Mangueira, near the region of Maracanã by Carlos Cachaça, Cartola, Zé Espinguela, Nelson Cavaquinho, among others...
Monday, March 7
- União da IlhaGRES União da Ilha do GovernadorThe Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba União da Ilha do Governador was founded on March 7 of 1953 the friends Maurício Gazelle, and Quincas Orphylo, who were in Cacuia, the main site of the carnival parade of the Ilha do governador, watching the presentation of small schools of samba and blocks of...
- Salgueiro
- PortelaGRES PortelaThe Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba Portela is one of the most traditional samba schools of the city of Rio de Janeiro.- History :In the beginning of the 20th century, in Oswaldo Cruz, there was the carnivalesque group of dancers called Quem Fala de Nós Come Mosca , of Dona Ester...
- Grande Rio
- Porto da Pedra
- Beija-Flor
See also
- AESCRJ
- LigaSP
- UGESB
- UCES
- FBES
- samba schoolSamba schoolA samba school is a club or dancing school. They practice and often perform in huge square-compounds devoted to practicing and exhibiting samba, an African-Brazilian dance. The schools are traditionally associated with a particular neighborhood, often shanty towns...
- Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí