central to the culture of the city, the annual rio de janeiro carnival has become the quintessential party of the year, attracting revelers from all over the world, for a five-day celebration of epic proportions.

considered the biggest party in the world, the carnival brings together some of the most engaging aspects of the city, with vibrant colors, music, and dancing, in a traditionally extravagant affair, with carnavalescos at the center of the show, instrumental to the success of the celebrations.

it wasn't always the hub of glitz and glamour that it is today, as the carnival started with humble beginnings, in the colonial years, as a party conducted by the african slaves, in the country.