‘It’s all so cheerless’: Rio mourns loss of carnival’s noise and passion

Samba troupes fight to stay positive as cancellation of parades hurts jobs and dampens hope in the favelas

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For the Academics of Rocinha, the samba school from Brazil's most famous favela, 2021 was supposed to herald a new dawn.

Twelve months ago the troupe had hit one of its lowest ever ebbs: drowning in debt, riven by infighting and relegated to the third division of Rio's carnival championship after coming bottom of its group. This month, as the annual festivities returned, its new directors were determined to bounce back.