rio carnival may not be solely devoted to music but it is an event not to be missed - there are some of the most authentic and inspirational examples of samba on show each year.

carnival is celebrated during the four days previous to the beginning of lent and is almost two centuries old - people come out in to the street dancing and singing and there are parties all over the city, it really is an incredible time of year - all the actions concluded at the samba parade.

over 100 samba schools in the city compete with one another in a series of staged competitions during carnival, with each school portraying a different theme - the event is a tradition in the brazilian culture, with many locals gathering around the tv to see the scoring of the schools, anxiously waiting to see who is crowned champions.