Carnival

1984 – Homage to Mocidade and Padre Miguel

London School of Samba's first carnival

Notting Hill Carnival 1984

Homage to Mocidade and Padre Miguel

The Independente Futebol Clube, (an amateur Football club based in Padre Miguel, a neighbourhood in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro) would celebrate their victories with “batucadas” (spontaneous, improvised drum playing). This drumming group progressed to become a “bloco” or Carnival block party in 1955, and shortly after it was promoted to a samba school becoming G.R.E.S. Mocidade Independente De Padre Miguel (or simply “Mocidade”).

Mocidade's Bateria

Mocidade quickly rose through the ranks achieving first place in its group at Carnival in 1958, resulting in it’s promotion to the Grupo Especial (the top Samba league). Mocidade’s initial success was largely due to it’s bateria (percussion section), which had grown from its original 27 members to more than 300 led by Independente Futebol Clube’s former coach Mestre André.

The bateria was named “nota dez” which is the highest score a bateria can receive at carnival. The winning parade in 1958’s carnival was noted for the introduction of the “paradinha” (literally “quick stop”) by Mestre André, where the bateria stopped briefly in front of the jury while the song was maintained by the singers, and other members of the samba school as they passed by. Mocidade at the outset were known more by it’s bateria than as a samba school as a whole and it took until 1979 for them to be overall winners at Carnival. Their reputation as having one of the best bateria’s has remained throughout it’s history.

Influence of Mocidade

João Bosco de Oliveira, the London School of Samba’s first musical director who had immigrated to England from Brazil having married an English woman, felt that the London School of Samba should emulate the musical style of Mocidade, and adopted Mocidade’s colours of green and white in it’s honour. On the 8th of August 1984, Alan Hayman who was the administrator for LSS wrote to Mocidade asking if they would be the “Madrinha” (godmother) of LSS and invited Mocidade to parade with them at the Notting Hill Carnival. Paulo Roberto de Andrade Silva, Vice-President replied stating that unfortunately they wouldn’t be able join LSS at Notting Hill Carnival at such short notice, but they hoped to visit the following year to “baptise” LSS.

The London School of Samba’s parade at Notting Hill Carnival in 1984 paid tribute to Mocidade and Padre Miguel. It was the first parade of a Samba School in the UK, and was the largest to date of any Samba School outside of Brazil.

Music composed by João Bosco de Oliveira

Chorus
Join us on the floor
This is our number
Cause we’re gonna dance
With the London School of Samba

And we’re gonna sing, eo éo éo éo (x 4)

Verse 1
Chegando a Inglaterra
O turista encontrara
Alem da rainha e outras feras
Pouca prala e muito mar

E surgindo no horizonte
Vindo de terra distante
Novo evento popular

Com destaque em verde e branco
E a Unidos de Londres
Que traz o carnaval para ca

Verse 2

E homenageia a Mocidade de Padre Miguel
Tatu, Nezinho e outros tantos
Que São, de uma ala fiel

E o saudoso Mestre Andre
Que foi o rei da Bateria
E a toda Mocidade Independente
Onde se Samba de noite e da dia