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RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) - The Beija Flor samba group won its 10th carnival championship Wednesday, taking home top honors for a performance in which thousands of costumed drummers and dancers celebrated Brazil's African roots.
Although it's the highlight of carnival's party atmosphere, Rio's Samba parade is also a hard-fought competition in which the city's top-tier samba groups practice year-round and spend as much as $1 million to mount lavish 80-minute parades. A win brings a trophy, possible sponsorships and bragging rights — but no cash.
The last group to perform at Rio's annual samba parade, Beija Flor wowed a capacity crowd in the Sambadromo stadium Tuesday with a show featuring a giant gilded hummingbird, leaping impalas and dancers in elephant and giraffe suits.
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