GRES Portela

Fans of GRES Portela cheering during parade

The Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba Portela is one of the most traditional samba schools of the city of Rio de Janeiro.

History

In the beginning of the 20th century, in Oswaldo Cruz, there was the carnivalesque group of dancers called Quem Fala de Nós Come Mosca (Who tells things about us eats flies), of Dona Ester.[1] A dissidence of this carnivalesque group of dancers (called "bloco" in Brazilian Portuguese) surged in 1922 and another bloco, the Baianinhas de Osvaldo Cruz (Baianas of Oswaldo Cruz) was created.[1] And on the other hand, a dissidence of Baianas created the Conjunto Carnavalesco Osvaldo Cruz (Ensemble of Carnaval Oswaldo Cruz) on April 11 of 1926.[1] The founders were from Osvaldo Cruz, but Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba Portela was founded, on 412 Portela Road, in the neighborhood of Madureira.

After the victory of the concourse between sambistas in 1929, performed in the house of Zé Espinguela, the bloco changes its name to Quem nos Faz é o Capricho (Who makes us is caprice). In 1931, when the samba schools are still being determined, the group changes its name again, this time to Vai como Pode (Go as you can), a name that without doubt is humbler than the previous one. In 1935, the school was the champion of the first official parade of the city of Rio de Janeiro.[2][3]

The denomination "Vai como Pode" was used until 1935, when, after the Carnaval, on March 1 of 1935, on the occasion of the renovation of the licence of the school in the police, the officer Dulcídio Gonçalves refused to renovate the license with this name, considering it as vulgar and not dignified for a samba school. The same officer suggested a new name, Grêmio Recreativo e Escola de Samba Portela, in homage to the street in Madureira where sambistas had gathered.[1] The change pleased the community; many had already been referring to the school as the "folks from Portela". In 1939, the samba of Paulo da Portela, "Teste ao Samba" (Test for the samba), is considered the first samba-enredo. In the same year, Portela renovated things by bringing to the parade costumes totally framed to the enredo.[2]

In 1941, after a misunderstanding with the master of ceremonies Manuel Bambã, Paulo da Portela the group stopped parading. This occurred because Paulo during a long period of time argued that all of the components would parade correctly costumed, dressed with the colors of the school, however on the day of the parade he came back from a presentation in São Paulo, along with Heitor dos Prazeres and Cartola, and all of them were dressed in black and white. With no time to change costumes, they agreed to parade without changing clothes, together, in the samba schools of each one. However in the turn to parade for Portela, Bambã did not authorize that the other two (Heitor and Cartola), for not being from the school and not being correctly dressed, would parade. Actually Bambã already had misunderstandings with Heitor, that once belonged to GRES Portela, and that he already stayed. However, in that epoch many portelenses favoured Bambã, because they judged lack of coherency on the part of Paulo da Portela, that argued so much that they should parade with the colours of the school and then parade with black and white. After this, Paulo da Portela never paraded for his school.

In total, GRES Portela conquered 21 titles of Carnaval, being until nowadays the detainer of the largest amount of titles.[3]

Birthplace of the great Brazilian samba composers, such as Monarco, Zé Keti, Casquinha, Manacéa, Candeia, Aldir Blanc, Paulinho da Viola, João Nogueira, Noca da Portela, Colombo, among others, beyond being one of the most traditional samba schools of Brazil, Portela has an important participation in the cultuaral life of the city during the entire year, through the presentations of her Velha Guarda (Brazilian term for the oldest-ones (among a group of people)) and of her prizewinning bateria, among other things. The school's simbol is an eagle that in all the parades is seen in the abre alas (Brazilian term for car that opens the samba parade in Carnival) of the school. The Velha Guarda also released an album called Tudo Azul in 1999.

Her bateria – called Tabajara do Samba (Tabajara of Samba) – is characterized mainly by the of the touch of the Surdo de Terceira invented by Sula in the 1940s, and the touch of the boxes with a peculiar frill. It is the most heavy bateria of the Carioca Carnaval and counts on a big number of surdos (a type of tambour) of First, Second, and Third. They were masters of GRES Portela: Master Betinho of the foundation in the 1960s, Master Cinco in the 1970s, Master Marçal in the 1980s, Mater Timbó in the 1990s, among others.

More than three decades later, Portela does not know how to win the carnival alone. From 1990, the school suffers many internal problems, that reflected on the parades and on the collocations of the parades. The best moment was in 1995 when the plot "Gosto que me enrosco" (I like when I twist myself) gave the vice-championship to the school of Madureira. In 2005, the worst of all, Portela stayed in 13th place, in the polemic parade where the school was prohibited to use her Velha Guarda. In 2006, the school recovers and stays in 7th place, and in 2007 with the plot about the 2007 Pan American Games (held in Rio de Janeiro) falls one step, staying in 8th place.

Plots

Place Group Plot Carnival Producer-Comiss Interpreter
1932Vice-ChampionÚNICOCarnaval modernoAntônio Caetano
19334thÚNICOVoando para a glóriaAntônio Caetano
1934There was no contestAcademia do sambaAntônio Caetano
1935ChampionÚNICOO Samba dominando o mundoAntônio Caetano
1936Vice-ChampionParaded without defined plot
1937Vice-ChampionÚNICOO Carnaval samba de Boaventura
1938There was no contestDemocracia do SambaPaulo da Portela
1939ChampionÚNICOTeste ao sambaPaulo da Portela
19405th placeÚNICOHomenagem à JustiçaPaulo da Portela
1941ChampionÚNICODez anos de glóriaPaulo da Portela and Lino Manuel dos Reis
1942ChampionÚNICOA vida no sambaLino Manuel dos Reis
1943ChampionÚNICOCarnaval de GuerraLino Manuel dos Reis
1944ChampionÚNICOBrasil gloriosoLino Manuel dos Reis
1945ChampionÚNICOMotivos patrióticosLino Manuel dos Reis
1946ChampionÚNICOAlvorada do novo mundoLino Manuel dos Reis
1947ChampionÚNICOHonra ao méritoLino Manuel dos Reis
19483rd placeÚNICOPrincesa IsabelLino Manuel dos Reis
1949Vice-ChampionUGESBDespertar do GiganteLino Manuel dos Reis
1950Vice-CampeãÚNICORiquezas do BrasilLino Manuel dos Reis
1951CampeãUGESBA volta do filho pródigoLino Manuel dos Reis
1952Não houve concursoBrasil de ontemLino Manuel dos Reis
1953Campeã1Seis datas magnasLino Manuel dos Reis
19544th place1São Paulo QuatrocentãoLino Manuel dos Reis
19553rd place1Festas juninas em fevereiroArmando Santos
1956Vice-Champion1Tesouros do Brasil, ou riquezas do Brasil ou Gigante pela própria naturezaLino Manuel dos Reis
1957Champion1Legados de D. João VIDjalma Vogue, Candeia e Joacir
1958Champion1Vultos e efeméridesDjalma Vogue
1959Champion1Brasil, Panteon de GlóriasDjalma Vogue
1960Champion1Rio cidade eternaDjalma VogueSilvinho da Portela
19613rd place1Jóias e lendas do BrasilDjalma VogueSilvinho da Portela
1962Campeã1Rugendas ou Viagens pitorescas pelo BrasilNélson de AndradeSilvinho da Portela
19634th place1Barão de Mauá e suas realizaçõesNilton, Oreba, Peres and FinfasSilvinho da Portela
1964Champion1O segundo casamento de D. Pedro IINélson de AndradeSilvinho da Portela
19653rd place1História e tradição do Rio QuatrocentãoNélson de AndradeSilvinho da Portela
1966Champion1Memórias de um sargento de milíciasNélson de AndradeSilvinho da Portela
19676th place1Tal dia é o batizadoNélson de Andrade, Juvenal Portela and LaurênioSilvinho da Portela
19684th place1Tronco de IpêJoão Ramos MacedoSilvinho da Portela
19693rd place1Treze nausClóvis BornaySilvinho da Portela
1970Champion1Lendas e mistérios da AmazôniaClóvis BornaySilvinho da Portela
1971Vice-Champion1A Lapa em três temposArnaldo PederneirasSilvinho da Portela
19723rd place1Ilu AyêCandeia e Hirn AraújoSilvinho da Portela
19734th place1Pasárgada, o amigo do reiHiran AraújoSilvinho da Portela
1974Vice-Campeã1O mundo melhor de PixinguinhaHiran Araújo and Cláudio PinheiroSilvinho da Portela
19755th place1Macunaíma, herói de nossa genteHiran AraújoSilvinho da Portela
19764th place1O Homem do PacovalHiran Araújo and Maurício AssisSilvinho da Portela
1977Vice-Champion1A Festa de AclamaçãoViriato FerreiraSilvinho da Portela
19785th place1Mulher à BrasileiraViriato FerreiraSilvinho da Portela
19793º lugar1-AIncrível, fantástico, extraordinárioViriato FerreiraSilvinho da Portela
1980Champion1-AHoje tem marmeladaViriato FerreiraSilvinho da Portela
19813rd place1-ADas Maravilhas do Mar, fez-se o esplendor de uma noiteViriato FerreiraSilvinho da Portela
1982Vice-Champion1-AMeu Brasil brasileiroEdmundo BragaSilvinho da Portela
1983Vice-Champion1-AA Ressurreição das Coroas, Reino e ReinadoEdmundo Braga and Paulino Espírito SantoSilvinho da Portela
1984Campeã1-AContos de areiaEdmundo Braga e Paulino Espírito SantoSilvinho da Portela
19854th place1-ARecordar é viverAlexandre LouzadaSilvinho da Portela
19864th place1-AMorfeu no carnaval, a utopia brasileiraAlexandre LouzadaSilvinho da Portela
19873rd place1Adelaide, a pomba da pazGeraldo CavalcantiDedé da Portela
19885th place1Na lenda carioca, os sonhos do vice-reiGeraldo CavalcantiDedé da Portela
19896th place1Achado não é roubadoSylvio CunhaDedé da Portela
199010th placeSpecialÉ de ouro e prata esse chãoSylvio CunhaDedé da Portela
19916th placeSpecialTributo à vaidadeSylvio CunhaDedé da Portela
19925th placeSpecialTodo o azul que o azul temSylvio CunhaDedé da Portela
199310th placeSpecialCerimônia de casamentoMário MonteiroDedé da Portela
19947th placeSpecialQuando o samba era sambaJosé FélixDedé da Portela
1995Vice-ChampionSpecialGosto que me enroscoJosé FélixRixxah and Carlinhos de Pilares
19968th placeSpecialEssa gente bronzeada mostra seu valorJosé FélixRixxah
19978th placeSpecialLinda, eternamente OlindaIlvamar MagalhãesRixxah
19984th placeSpecialOs olhos da noiteIlvamar MagalhãesRogerinho
19998th placeSpecialDe volta aos caminhos de Minas GeraisJosé FélixRogerinho
200010th placeSpecialTrabalhadores do Brasil, a época de Getúlio VargasJosé FélixGera
200110th placeSpecialQuerer é poderAlexandre LouzadaGera
20028th placeSpecialAmazonas, esse desconhecido: delírios e verdade do eldorado verdeAlexandre LouzadaGera
20038th placeSpecialOntem, hoje e sempre Cinelândia: o samba entre em cena na Broadway brasileiraAlexandre LouzadaGera
20047th placeSpecialLendas e mistérios da AmazôniaJorge FreitasGera
200513th placeSpecialNós podemos - oito ideias para mudar o mundoAmarildo de Mello and Nélson RicardoBruno Ribas
20067th placeSpecialBrasil marca sua cara e mostra para o mundoAmarildo de Mello and Ilvamar MagalhãesGilsinho
20078th placeSpecialOs deuses do Olimpo na terra do carnaval: uma festa dos esportes, da saúde e da belezaAmarildo de Mello and Cahê RodriguesGilsinho
20084th placeSpecialReconstruindo a Natureza, Recriando a Vida: O Sonho Vira RealidadeCahê RodriguesGilsinho
20093rd placeSpecialE por falar em amor… Onde anda você?Lane Santana e Jorge CaribéGilsinho
20109th placeSpecialDerrubando fronteiras, conquistando a liberdade, um Rio de paz em estado de graçaAmauri Santos and Alex de OliveiraGilsinho
2011Hors ConcoursSpecialRio, Azul da Cor do MarRoberto SzanieckiGilsinho
20126th placeSpecialE o Povo na Rua Cantando. É Feito uma Reza, um Ritual...Paulo MenezesGilsinho
20137th placeSpecialMadureira... Onde o meu Coração se Deixou LevarPaulo MenezesGilsinho
20143rd placeSpecialRio, de mar a mar. Do Valongo à glória de São SebastiãoAlexandre LouzadaWantuir
2015SpecialImagináRIO - 450 janeiros de uma cidade surrealAlexandre LouzadaWantuir and Wander Pires
2016SpecialPaulo BarrosWantuir and Wander Pires

Championships and Awards

Portela is the recordist samba school of Carnaval titles of Rio de Janeiro, being champion for 21 times: 1935, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1951 (UGESB), 1953, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1980, and 1984. The vice-championship was conquered in the following years: 1937, 1949, 1950, 1956, 1971, 1974, 1977, 1982, 1983, and 1995.

The school accumulates a total of 45 trophies Estandarte de Ouro, prize conceded by the newspaper O Globo:

Notable Portelenses

Wikimedia Commons has media related to GRES Portela.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 (Portuguese) Portelaweb
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 (Portuguese) Official website
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 (Portuguese) Apoteose

External links