more than one hundred samba schools are registered in rio de janeiro. this simple fact shows how big the carnival is in the city - still, only a handful is known internationally by name, and acadêmicos do grande rio (academics of the greater rio) is among these.

known for the lively costumes and general exaltation to the natural beauty of the amazon forest, this school has a very expressive style and its participation in the carnival parades is always received with great enthusiasm.

it all began in 1971 when several smaller samba schools decided to join their efforts in order to create a single bigger entity which would capitalize on their previous well-succeeded presences in the carnival.