Carnaval Brasileiro (Austin, Texas)
carnaval brasileiro annual onenight festival austin texas large indoor carnival influenced tradition brazil carnaval brazil derives medieval christian revel europe held prior forty day lent annual festival flesh enriched brazil african rhythm especially samba carnaval allconsuming nationwide festival brazil celebrated differently part country social class period four day saturday sunday monday tuesday ash wednesday austin celebration began around time many brazilian scholarship student ut taking sixweeklong intensive english course faced prospect february without carnaval decided local friend hold celebration carnaval took place small room austin unitarian church two hundred reveler planted seed next several year party moved downtown drawing ever larger crowd carnaval held bucket bar west rd street drew three hundred struggled keep footing spilled beer highlight evening thunderous collapse low stage weight fifty wildly drumming brazilian looked one another second saw one hurt partied group devoted brasilianistas continued organize carnaval began growing rapidly beyond control last party retain original university focus held dobie center five hundred participant size crowd problem homestyle sound system pointed need large hall professional sound equipment number scholarship dwindled brazilian student gradually submerged carnaval austinites making point mike quinn entered picture quinn producer horizontes daily radio program dedicated music latin america kutfm austin npr affiliate salesman discount record quinn undertook organization carnaval outlet creative interest brazilian music celebration held doubletiered boondocks club later club foot even later parking lot east th street downtown austin takeoff carnaval brasileiro exists today carnaval packed thousand body sweating gyrating drumming austin first carnaval group ad hoc assembly local musician including ethnomusicologists ut member beto los fairlanes direction dr gerard behague ut department music though drumming improvised atmosphere magic set stage live music featured every carnaval since party continued club repaint dance floor following week accordingly carnaval moved legendary armadillo world headquarters defunct austin first brazilian band o imperialistas samba later unidos de austin played capacity house night threedollar ticket scalped outside much twentyfive dollar carnaval brasileiro finally moved warehouselike coliseum despite two sojourn austin capacity palmer auditorium become home carnaval also inaugurated classic series austin artist guy juke poster tshirt design event continued grow size sophistication throughout meanwhile organizer searched right formula make party sizzle earlier costume contest dropped interrupted flow music dancing continued held various venue around city carnaval carnaval brasileiro feature austin samba largest samba group united state music carnaval—samba march frevo trio electrico much batucada drumming—now pours seamless driving ninetyminute set euphoria real carnaval magnified arenastyle sound system make three four drum sound like hundred key samba sound heavy boom surdo bass drum set counterrhythms back beat smaller percussion samba party official carnaval brasileiro austin texas website austin samba carnaval brasileiro austin patricia ribeiro aboutcom guide archived march