Rio Carnival twists and shouts to Beatlemania

Beatlemania gripped the Rio Carnival on Monday, March 3, as more than 130,000 revelers twist and shouted to samba versions of the Fab Four’s greatest hits. Street band Sargento Pimenta – Sergeant Pepper in Portuguese – belted out more than three hours of Beatles classics as the five-day fiesta prepared to reach its climax on Tuesday, March 4. More than 100 musicians gathered to play Beatle’s songs. Its theme was “Imagine the (World) Cup” in a nod to Lennon’s Imagine ballad. The Rio Carnival draws millions of revelers every year. Street dancers and “samba schools” competed in a culminating parade on Tuesday in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators.


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