Cordão do Boitatá started in 1997, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, through the initiative of Kiko Horta, Thiago Queiroz, and Cristiane Cotrim, bringing together friends, musicians, and artists with different backgrounds. They were inspired by popular festivals, and their masters, such as Pixinguinha, Cartola, Xangô da Mangueira, Hermeto Pascoal, Chico Buarque, and Jacob do Bandolim among many others who inspired and integrated the group's repertoire from this moment to nowadays.

Moved by play and care for musical quality, there began a grandiose and popular party that became the spark for the revival of Rio's street carnival.

Since then, the bloco has taken shape, grown in audience size and the number of musicians involved in its now two-day festivities, the well-known pre-carnival street parade, and the Multicultural Ball in Praça XV, without abandoning the essence of play, costumes, and respect for the street.

The traditional pre-carnival parade currently takes thousands of people through the downtown streets of Rio de Janeiro. Its powerful orchestra has up to over 100 musicians in a gathering of amateur and professional musicians from symphony orchestras, bands, blocks, universities, and samba schools. Winds, strings, and percussion sing original arrangements of songs ranging from Villa-Lobos' "Trenzinho do Caipira" to composers Fela Kuti and Abdullah Ibrahim, as well as traditional marchinhas and sambas, afro-sambas, afoxés, maxixes and frevos by maestros such as Capiba, Duda and Spock. Even an unusual arrangement of Bob Marley's samba-reggae is part of this great musical melting pot of carnival diversity and joy.

At the Praça XV Multicultural Ball, we have an immense open-air show that brings together more than 60,000 revelers. In addition to its founders, it also has several musical partners who are now part of the group, such as Paulino Dias, Daniela Spielmann, Luiz Flavio Alcofra, Mangueirinha Vicente, Rodrigo Scofield, Alexandre Romanazzi, Everson Moraes, Maico Lopes, Chico Oliveira (in-memoriam), Bruno Aguilar, not to mention the guest appearances that brighten up the party.

There are more than 6 hours of uninterrupted concerts where names such as Martinho da Vila, Marisa Monte, Jongo da Serrinha, Áurea Martins, Teresa Cristina, Marina Iris, Rita Beneditto, Moyseis Marques, Marcos Sacramento, Mariana Baltar, João Donato, Moacyr Luz, Marquinhos de Oswaldo Cruz, Yamandu Costa, Hamilton de Holanda and blocks such as Orunmilá, Amigos da Onça, and Agytoê have already performed.

As the African proverb says, those who walk together go further, so Cordão do Boitatá has enjoyed great partnerships with the Center for Afro-Brazilian Traditions Egi Omin, Teatro de Anônimo, Muda e Outras Economias.

Many hands, minds, and hearts have been warming to put this block on the streets, and it's a joy to see it color the city for two days of festivities! Long live Carnival! Long live Zé Pereira!

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