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Carnivals

El Diablo on the streets of Portobelo, Panama.

This Panamanian Carnival tradition manages to make blackface ‘playful’ and ’emancipatory’

Music

In Portobelo, Panama, a local spin on the Carnival holiday celebrates Africans who escaped from Spanish slavery. But while it features “Diablos” with whips and kids wearing blackface, an American academic who works with locals says it’s a powerful, celebratory metaphor.

Revelers from the Beija Flor samba school participate in the annual Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome on February 17, 2015.

Why Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival may have danced to the beat of a dictator

Culture
Children carry banners inside a cage during a protest against forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad near Damascus, February 15, 2015.

They’re just kids, but these Syrian protesters compare Assad to ISIS

Culture
An anti-World Cup "Roman" takes a breather after hours of singing and dancing at a Rio carnival party.

At Rio’s carnival, as long as you’re dancing, why not make it a protest

Global Politics
An anti-World Cup "Roman" takes a breather after hours of singing and dancing at a Rio carnival party.

At Rio’s carnival, as long as you’re dancing, why not make it a protest

Global Politics
Leandro Fregonesi

From Rio, with love — here’s an ode to samba in pictures, music, words and video

Arts, Culture & Media

Reporter Betto Arcos takes us on a samba tour of Rio de Janeiro. He tells us everything we’ve always wanted to know about samba, but never had the chance to ask.

Summer in ‘Another’ Global Village: London’s Carnival Steelpan Rehearsals

Global Hit

In the lead-up to Notting Hill Carnival's "Panorama" steelpan competition, reporter I got swept up in the excitement of the Mangrove band's rehearsal.

Bloco do Sargento Pimenta: The Beatles Samba-Style

Arts, Culture & Media

One of the hits of Rio de Janeiro’s carnaval this year was Bloco do Sargento Pimenta, a samba tribute band dedicated to the music of The Beatles. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with one of the band’s singers, Leandro Donne.

Londoners Take to the Streets — To Party at Notting Hill Carnival

Arts, Culture & Media

The annual Notting Hill Carnival is still taking place in the wake of the recent riots.

The World

Brazilian Telepathique

Arts, Culture & Media

Today’s Global Hit comes from Brazil. The trio Telepathique does not perform the carnaval-friendly rhythms of samba, but their dance music is a thoroughly current Brazilian sound.