Marchinha

Marchinha (Portuguese pronunciation: [maɾˈʃiɲɐ], also called "marchinha de carnaval", "marchinha carnavalesca" or "marcha carnavalesca) is one of several genres of music typical of Brazilian Carnival in Rio de Janeiro and Southeast Region of Brazil. The others main carnival genres are: samba-enredo, frevo, maracatu and Axé music.

Marchinha is an extremely comic genre of music and the very name "marchinha" (little march) satirizes the seriousness of military marches, in the both musical and step senses, which are involved in the satirization generalizated of the society that occur during the carnival, p. ex., the election of Rei Momo (King Momo, the king of carnival). The bands features trombones, Tubas, horns, clarinets, flutes and piccolos and percussion.

The first marchinha was the composition (in 1899) of Chiquinha Gonzaga entitled "O Abre Alas", made to the Cordão Carnavalesco "Rosa de Outro".

Marchinhas are composed and played to date by the blocos carnavalescos every year, in the "street carnival" of Rio de Janeiro.

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