Monobloco

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Monobloco is a Brazilian bloco, or street band, that plays during Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Unlike most traditional blocos, which play pure samba, Monobloco has become extremely popular among younger people because of its 'fresh' sound, playing a mix of various rhythms such as coco, ciranda, marcha, xote, samba-charme, 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.

Their 'rehearsals' every Friday night at Fundição Progresso regularly attract up to 4,000 paying spectators on the Friday nights leading up to Carnival. They perform for free on the street in the neighborhood of Leblon, on the Sunday following Carnival, thus 'closing' Carnaval. In 2006, the city asked them to perform at 9am, instead of later in the day, so that fewer people would come. Nevertheless, they attracted tens of thousands of people to parade with them, dancing along the road and the adjacent beach. In 2007, they performed again at 9am, but in Copacabana's wider street, attracting an estimated 80,000 people. In 2008 the rehearsals will be held on the 18th and 25th of January and 1st and 8th of February and the street parade will be on the 10th of February in Copacabana 9am.

Their most recent CD, "Monobloco Ao Vivo", has had tremendous success.

Their name comes from the fact that, when it was founded, they had the idea of recording the sound of the entire bloco with just one microphone, hence "mono"-bloco.

Monobloco played their first gig in the United Kingdom in July 2007 at the increasingly popular Rhythms of the World Festival in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. They also played to a very appreciative audience at Sidmouth Folk Week in August 2007.