Brazil Carnival, feel the carnival

GRES Uniao da Ilha do Governador Samba School: Uniao da Ilha

2012 GRES Uniao da Ilha do Governador Samba-School: Creativity 

At this Brazil Carnival Ooah page, you will find the history, photos, videos, celebreties of União da Ilha Samba-School, including exclusive footage.

Gremio Recreativo Escola de Samba União da Ilha do Governador was founded on March 7, 1953 by Maurice Gazelle, his friends, and Quincas Orphylo that were on the Cacuia Road, main venue of the carnival parade on Governor's Island, watching the presentation of small samba schools “bloco” of various districts of the Governors Island in Rio.   It was in that moment when they decided that the Cacuia neighborhood should have a samba school. Currently, the school is headquartered at the Estrada do Galeão, in the neighborhood of Cacuia, Ilha do Governador. 

The so called “União da Ilha” was officially founded by Maurice Gazelle, Joaquim de Oliveira Lara (Quincas) Orphylo Bastos and other 59 partners.  The samba-school for remained sometime between the second and third groups of the samba association and in 1974, was crowned champion when for the second group, gaining access to the main group the following year.

Photo Credit: Glaicom Emrich

From 1977, with a parade-theme called "Sunday",  all the way to 1980, when the União da Ilha obtained an honored second place with the theme "Good, Nice and Cheap", in Portuguese “Bom, bonito e barato” the samba-school from Ilha do Governador presented solid and convincing parades.  In these years, it definitely established itself as one of the rising and creative samba schools in Rio.   As an example of these days, the theme-samba of the 1982 called “É hoje O Dia”, is as today, one of the most well known and recorded samba in history of Carnival.

 From then on, kind of like “discovering a magic formula”, Uniao da Ilha revolutionized to some sort Rio´s Carnival environment presenting light, cheap and cheerful parades. This strategy to overcome the gigantic economic differences between major samba-schools like Mocidade, Mangueira, etc. would be then become the trademark of Uniao da Ilha, which still stands true until today.   Their costumes are usually mild, without excessive luxury, but efficient both for the reveler and the parade esthetics itself.   The school is also famous for establishing a good rapport / communication with the general public and is considered one of the most sympathetic of Rio´s Carnival.  

Below, we see a superb video of Uniao da Ilha at the official 2012 Rehearsals: Passistas Section

“O Amanhã” , translated to “Tomorrow” was União da Ilha´s samba song in 1978 and that same year was recorded by several famous artists in Brazil.  But it was with Simone´s recording in 1983 (in a CD called “Delírios e Delícias” and re-recorded the CD live Simone), that the song very became very popular in Brazil.

In the recent years, the most popular and remembered União da Ilha ´s parade happened in 1989. The samba-parade song called "Festa Profana" – (“Profane Party” had in its lyrics the unforgettable refrain  "I'll get drunk with happiness, I'll mess will shake the whole city."  - "Eu vou tomar um porre de felicidade, vou sacudir eu vou zoar”, which is performed in celebrations all over the country.  With that explosive samba, the samba school performed remarkably well and ranked an honorable third place.

Photo Credit: Rodrigo Gorosito / G1

In 1991, União da Ilha paid a tribute & homage to Didi, the poet and samba song who won 22 contests of samba.  Samba song featured the verses “Hoje eu vou tomar um porre, não me socorre, que eu tô feliz" and "Bebo vem bebo vai, que nem maré, balança mas não cai, boêmio é" – freely translated to "Now I'll get drunk, do not help me, I'm happy" and "I drink drink will come, that neither the tide, but the balance does not fall, is bohemian,": Without a doubt, a great carnival parade in the voice of the great samba singer Aroldo Melodia.

1990´s

In 1994 with "Abrakadabra," União da Ilha also presented a solid carnival parade and  came out in the fourth position, its last appearance in the Parade of Champions (The Saturday parade which only allows the first 5 top samba-schools of that year/contest).  Since then, it has been obtaining reasonable placements, but not making it to the Top 5 , or “Champions Parade”

2000

In 2000, with the parade theme “Pra não dizer que não falei das flores”, União da Ilha  came out in eighth place, addressing Brazil's military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985.

2009

In 2009, União da Ilha presented the plot-parade called " Viajar é preciso - viagens extraordinárias através de mundos conhecidos e desconhecidos,", elaborated by Carnival Art Designer Jack Vasconcelos. They were finally crowned champion of the Carnival Access Group A with 239.9 points, returning to the elite team of Samba Schools called Special Group in 2010, after 9 years of absence. ( In 2001 the school was relegated to Access Group).

Below, we see the beautiful Bruna Bruno.  She has been the Queen of Drums for Ilha for 8 years now.

Photo Credit: Rodrigo Gorosito / G1

2011

For the Rio Carnival of 2011, Uniao da Ilha presented the parade plot called “The Mystery of Life”, which elaborated on the evolution of species by scientist Charles Darwin.   The school carnival designer was Alex de Souza.  Before the Rio 2011 parade actually happened, União da Ilha unfortunately went through major fire located at its warehouse at the City of Samba, along with the Grande Rio Samba-School & Portela Samba-School.  Overcoming difficulties and a challenging moment in the history of Rio Carnival, despite the fire, Uniao da Ilha presented a great show with proper quality, both in terms of its adornments and its revelers´ joyful reaction .  

Although they were not officially participating at the Rio 2011 contest/title, União da Ilha gained the sympathy of the public: Specialized media agreed with the general audience and conferred 3 trophies called “Estandarte de Ouro”, promoted by the newspaper O Globo, in the following categories: Best Parade Theme, Best Singer and Best Samba-School of the Special Group.

Below, another exclusive HD video of the Queen of Drums  of Uniao da Ilha Samba-School.

2012 Parade Theme União da Ilha: "De Londres ao Rio...Era uma vez uma Ilha"

En English: 2012 Parade Theme of União da Ilha: "London to Rio...Once Upon an Island"

Below we see the 2012 Parade Logo of União da Ilha Samba-School:

 Samba Lyrics of União da Ilha 2012 

"Uma história vou contar

Tem lendas,mitos e magias

Era uma ilha...onde um povo valente vivia

E um grande império conquistou

Virou cidade das realezas

O reino unido e seus heróis

"Peguem as armas" diz a voz

De um santo guerreiro,

Os bravos vão lutar, cruzar fronteiras 

Com sua fé estampada na bandeira

Vou botar molho inglês na feijoada

Misturar chá com cachaça

Ser ou não ser eis a questão 

Tem choro e riso nesse palco de ilusão

Vão dominar o mar e grandes tesouros

Guiados pelos olhos da ciência

Lindos contos vão brotar...

A luz do cinema é a arte a brilhar

Olha, bicho, paz e amor suingou

Batuquei meu samba com rock n´rool

Na minha terra tem o reino da folia

Futebol que contagia...É gol!

É a vitória um momento divinal

Acendo a chama pela paz universal

A minha ilha é ouro é prata

Tem o bronze da mulata

Canta, meu Rio, em verso e prosa

Com a cidade ainda mais maravilhosa"

2013 Technical Profile of G.R.E.S. União da Ilha Samba-School

Founded:                   March 7th, 1953

Godmother:               Portela

Colors:                      Blus, Red and White

Symbol:                    Eagle

District:                    Ilha do GOvernador

President:                 Ney Filardis

Carnival Designer:      Alex de Souza

Official Singer:           Ito Melodia

Carnival Director:       Márcio André

Harmony Director:     Almir Frutuoso

Drums Master:          Mestre Odilon & Mestre Riquinho

Queen of Drums:       Bruna Bruno

Samba Host:            Bira

Flag-Beaer:             Cristiane Caldas

Choreography:         Sérgio Lobato

Photo Credit: Marcello O´Reilly / Academia do Samba