Brazil Cheered By The Arrival Of Carnival

Brazil’s Carnival, an annual spectacle that draws worldwide interest, opened with samba music and dancing Saturday, though mourning continued for dozens killed in flooding.

Clear skies cheered up many dampened spirits as street bands marched down avenues near Ipanema beach.

Carnival celebrations were held from the western Amazon frontier to the southern plains.

The Brazilian Travel Agents Association reported that the city’s 33,000 hotel rooms were almost full, and that, despite the heavy rains, Rio was on its way to a successful Carnival. The Association expected 300,000 tourists.

In Salvador, 1,000 miles northeast of Rio, 400,000 people flocked to a downtown plaza to see singer Carlinhos Brown and more than 3,000 costumed drummers and dancers. The group taped a video clip here last week about poverty and violence with Michael Jackson and film director Spike Lee.

In Recife, 500 miles up the coast from Salvador, revelers danced to the local rhythms of frevo and maracatu as the Morning Rooster band packed more than a million people into streets around the downtown port.

Carnival officially ends on Ash Wednesday, when people in this predominantly Roman Catholic nation ostensibly go to church and repent their sins. But in many cities, the partying continues throughout the week.