Cultural Connections: Monobloco

Cultural Connections: Monobloco

Monobloco is a Brazilian “bloco”, or street band, that plays during Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro and is also a professional touring show. Unlike most of Rio's blocos, which tend to play one type of music (typically samba), Monobloco has become extremely popular among younger people because of its 'fresh' sound, playing a mix of various rhythms such as coco, ciranda, marchinha, xote, samba, contemporary R&B, and particularly samba-rock and funk. It continues to grow in popularity each year and can be seen as a symbol of the resurging popularity in Carnaval blocos in Rio de Janeiro. The group was formed by members of rock band Pedro Luís e A Parede in 2000 as an education project and continues to run a percussion course each year. However, the group's popularity soon led to the creation of a professional touring band, the Monobloco Show, which has toured extensively around Brazil and has also travelled internationally.