Getting your player ready...
RIO DE JANEIRO — Samba school Salgueiro was crowned champion of Rio’s fiercely competitive Carnival parades on Wednesday, knocking off a powerhouse rival and overcoming a shooting that left three dead outside its headquarters just months ago.
Salgueiro’s parade theme centered on the history of the drum and its importance to music in various cultures. An army of 4,100 marched alongside ornate floats featuring prehistoric beasts ridden by cavemen.
Violence has in the past hit samba schools, whose funding is often suspected of being tied to illegal lotteries. In December, a gunfight outside Salgueiro ended with two security guards and a bystander dead. No suspects were caught, and the motive for the attack is unknown.
