The carnival of 2025 in Rio de Janeiro ended last Wednesday (5) with the consecration of the hummingbird of Nilópolis as great champion of the special group. In addition to the Baixada Fluminense samba school, five other associations participated on Saturday (8) of the champion parade. To Brazil, rhythmists who return to the Marquês de Sapucaí sambadrome comment on female participation in samba school batteries, a space still predominantly male.
“The presence of women on the drums is still an act of resistance for the challenges we passed,” says Joyce Lacorte, in his third parade by Unidos do Viradouro.
This year, the Samba School of Niterói, winner of the previous Carnival, with the plot “Malunguinho: The Messenger of Three Worlds”.
Rhythm for 15 years, the history of the librarian with Carnival began in the Serrano Empire, when it was part of the group of percussion of the association to learn to play tambourine. In 2011, Joyce participated in his first parade at the Madureira neighborhood of Madureira, in the North Zone, which currently disputes in the Gold series.
For her, the number of women, often more present in positions such as queens or muses, has increased in the batteries of samba schools, especially among the lighter suits, such as tambourine, rattle and agogô. However, the accumulation of functions, added to the lack of support network and veiled prejudice, still makes female participation difficult.
“Our ability is still in doubt all the time, whether by subtle comments or meowy smiles.”
Challenges
“Women are conquering their space with a lot of struggle, a lot of will and a lot of resistance, because it is not easy. In Carnival, as in the world outside the carnival, female protagonism finds many barriers. This achievement is slow, but it has happened, ”says History teacher and rhythmist of Great Rio, Dilma Marques.
In 2019, the historian began to learn to play tambourine. Since then, Dilma’s dream has become part of the drums of, desire she made in 2023, when she first paraded at Duque de Caxias samba school. “I am in a drums and a wing that greatly values women’s work. I’m very lucky to be in a drums that see women as rhythms, value us and give us a prominent place, ”he shares.
“What gets in the way,” Dilma continues, “we live in a macho society where women in samba face triple journey. We have our job, our home and children and the drums. Talking everything is very difficult. We got it because we love samba. ”
To Agência Brasil, the rhythm argues that “conscience, empathy and willingness” is still lacking on female participation in samba school batteries. “Men need to get along in the fight and review many privileges they have. The minds of younger men is quite different, because they were born in a world where these prejudices are constantly questioned, ”he says.
Women’s Movement at Rhythm
Created by rhythm Carolina Messias dos Santos, better known as Carol Santos, the women’s collective is responsible for registering, through audiovisual, the work of women in samba school batteries in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, as well as working for equity in associations and questioning female absence in leadership positions.
“The female presence in batteries has grown a lot and I can say with conviction that the Women in the Rhythm page has contributed a lot to this advance. For almost nine years, we have been fighting for women’s equality in batteries, giving voice, visibility, extolling, highlighting and encouraging more women to enter this space, ”says Carol.
Born in Sao Paulo, where he started playing deaf from Monday through the independent fans, supporting São Paulo Futebol Clube, in 2011 the rhythm debuted at Carnival at the Tricolor Independent Samba School, initially on the rattle and then on the second and third deaf. For eight years in Rio de Janeiro, since 2023, Carol parades as part of the battery “has to respect my tambourine”, from Mangueira.
“Today we see more women playing, teaching and even running batteries. The female presence has grown not only in batteries, but also in management positions, the musical part and the organization of schools. However, this evolution did not happen by chance. It was necessary for many women to face barriers so that others could get to where they are today, ”he says.
Like Joyce and Dilma, Carol cites “prejudice, resistance and lack of opportunities” as challenges faced by rhythm women in the batteries of the groups. “Many times, women need to prove it all the time that are capable. But the scenario has changed, and seeing more and more women in batteries fills me with hope and pride. The fight still exists, but we are advancing. ”
Currently, the Women in the Rhythm Movement has about 20 rhythmists from the states of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Espirito Santo and Santa Catarina, also coverage of carnival parades in these four states. The main objective of the collective, according to Carol, is to “open paths and ensure that next generations have even more space and recognition within samba schools”.
“We need to continue occupying these spaces, because we are entitled to this, whether at Carnival or any other sector of society. As women’s slogan says at the rhythm: ‘Woman’s place is where she wants,’ ”says the rhythm.
*Intern under the supervision of Mariana Tokarnia
See also: Hummingbird is the champion of the carnival of RJ 2025
