Anyone who has followed the apotheosis of the giant puppets of Olinda for years knows that the festive procession is led by the puppet of the President of the Republic who is in power.
However, this year, it is the doll, dressed in pink and with gentle features, who is responsible for the mission. Yes, it is the doll of Queen Elizabeth II, smiling and serene, at the carnival in Pernambuco, attracting the attention of revelers.
The plastic artist responsible for the dolls, Leandro Castro, explains that, due to the political polarization in the country, the image of the British monarch, who died in September 2022, aged 96, brings the message of pacification.
“We broke this tradition of the president’s puppet. Carnival is joy and not hate. The Queen brings that message. Assembled, her doll reaches 4 meters in height and weighs 20 kilos. She was ready, finalized in January now. The British Embassy authorized this tribute and we did it”, said Leandro.
And to start the party, in Alto da Sé, in Olinda, the Queen’s doll met the giant Sidney Magal doll. The Pernambuco Frevo Orchestra announced the parade. “Sandra Rosa Madalena” was the opening song for Apoteose, in frevo style.
“We’re going to carry on with a lot of frevo in the foot, a lot of beautiful music, the pure frevo of Pernambuco”, explained the instrumentalist Fábio Albuquerque.
In addition to the Queen’s giant doll, another 99 followed the procession. Among them, puppets of the stars of the Brazilian national team, like Pelé, who died at the end of last year, at the age of 82, in addition to Neymar and Richarlison, movie and TV characters, national and international singers like Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson and Luiz Gonzaga, the king of baião.
The return of the party showed the democracy of Olinda’s carnival, for all audiences. Children and seniors took advantage of this Monday morning to jump a lot. Dance, too. Sandra Sizoni and her husband, Moacir de Tiago, came dressed as “the 1980s”.
It’s been 18 years following the Apotheosis of giant dolls. “This party is Brazil. It’s love, liberation, it’s joy, clowns, clowns, antics. I think this is the color of Brazil”, said the physical education teacher.
In the repertoire, along the route, songs by the British band The Beatles. And soon, the rhythm of the city’s original frevo took over the party. This year is the 13th Apoteose parade.
One hundred giant dolls invaded the Historic Site of Olinda to mark the return of a tradition that has not occurred since 2020 because of covid-19. The city’s hillsides, full of colorful houses, were crowded early in the morning.
Sueli de Freitas, from Espírito Santo, came to see the carnival in Pernambuco. She stepped out into the crowd and liked the tightness. “First time at the carnival here, I’m really enjoying it, very excited, a lot of democracy, no rope. Loving the carnival here,” he said. Tomorrow, Carnival Tuesday, the Apotheosis of Giant Dolls takes place in Recife.
Source: CNN Brasil
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