Vila Isabel
Tough times didn't shy away the splendor of Vila Isabel
Unidos da Vila Isabel is a very old and traditional school which nearly went into oblivion only to rejoin the Special Group later with an astonishing championship, and has scored very high again in the last few years. It is famous for its legendary Drum Queens Muses such as, Viviane Araújo, former Miss Brazil, model Adriana Perett and many more.
History
The samba school Vila Isabel was set up on April 4th 1946 by a samba lover Antonio Fernandes da Silveira, commonly called Mr.China. The thought of creating a samba school in the conventional Rio neighborhood occurred to Mr. China while he was with friends in a neighborhood bar. The first rehearsals occurred on his backyard and he became the school’s first president. Its first parade was in the year 1947 with the theme called From Slave to Queen.
Identity
Vila Isabel’s official colors are blue and white with its logo displaying a crown at the centre. The school chose to make them its official colors, since blue and white were the shades of a samba group Mr. China had been a part of, earlier.
Performance
Vila Isabel tasted its first success in 1960 when it was awarded champion’s title in the third grouping with the plot Poet of the Saves. Since then on it has grown to become one of Rio’s most prolific schools in the Sambadrome. In the 1967 Carnival, Vila Isabel introduced distinct color variants to its samba costumes in the theme titled Carnival of Illusions and that resulted in an elegant show. However, it gained a place among Rio´s Carnival Special Group only after 1983. In 1987 the theme-plot Roots won it several accolades. But it was the theme I'm Mad About You, America! that gave Vila Isabel its second championship in 2006, and it became an instant hit at the Sambadrome stands to everyone’s pure delight!
Play the samba school Unidos de Vila Isabel 2012 theme song
Samba Enredo 2012 (Lyrics)
“Você semba lá …. Que eu sambo cá! O canto livre de Angola”
Authors: Arlindo Cruz, André Diniz, Evandro Bocão, Leonel e Artur das Ferragens
Vibra óh minha vila
A sua alma tem negra vocação
Somos a pura raiz do samba
Bate meu peito à sua pulsação
Incorpora outra vez kizomba e segue na missão
Tambor africano ecoando, solo feiticeiro
Na cor da pele, o negro
Fogo aos olhos que invadem,
Pra quem é de lá
Forja o orgulho, chama pra lutar
Reina ginga ê matamba vem ver a lua de luanda nos guiar
Reina ginga ê matamba negra de zambi, sua terra é seu altar
Somos cultura que embarca
Navio negreiro, correntes da escravidão
Temos o sangue de angola
Correndo na veia, luta e libertação
A saga de ancestrais
Que por aqui perpetuou
A fé, os rituais, um elo de amor
Pelos terreiros (dança, jongo, capoeira)
Nasci o samba (ao sabor de um chorinho)
Tia ciata embalou
Com braços de violões e cavaquinhos a tocar
Nesse cortejo (a herança verdadeira)
A nossa vila (agradece com carinho)
Viva o povo de angola e o negro rei Martinho
Semba de lá, que eu sambo de cá
Já clareou o dia de paz
Vai ressoar o canto livre
Nos meus tambores, o sonho vive
