The 34-year fast has come to an end. With a plot about the orixá Exu, Acadêmicos do Grande Rio became the champion of the Carioca Carnival and won the first title in its history. Beija-Flor was the runner-up, while Viradouro took third place.
In the last edition, in 2020, the Duque de Caxias school came very close to the title, but lost to Viradouro in the tiebreaker criteria. This time, however, there was no one to stop the group, which put on a parade considered impeccable. The penultimate school to enter the avenue, Grande Rio came willing to celebrate the power of Exu and subvert the belief that the orixá would be an evil figure, a view that is the result of religious intolerance.
In São Paulo, Mancha Verde won the title of the Special Group of Carnival 2022 after counting the scores held this Tuesday afternoon (26), at Anhembi. With the samba-plot "Planeta Água", the school makes reference to Iemanjá, who in the religions of African origins is the orixá of salt waters.
The dispute this year was also exciting, with four clubs ending the dispute in a tie — La Mancha only took the title by the tiebreaker criteria. Mocidade Alegre finished in 2nd place, followed by Império da Casa Verde and Tom Maior.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon