the g. r. e. s. (grêmio recreativo escola de samba) lins imperial is the outcome of a merger of two samba schools. g. r. e. s. in english means recreational samba school society.

first there was the filhos do deserto (sons of the desert) and the flôr do lins (flower of lins). the original schools were established in the lins de vasconcelos neighborhood of rio de janeiro.