Even Paolla Oliveira, who is a TV star and queen of the drums at Sapucaí, knows that at Carnival the protagonist is not her.

When in your life are you the protagonist? We are breathing the atmosphere of carnival, a party that many love and others hate. Regardless of your opinion on Momo’s revelry, one thing cannot be denied: this is the moment when the people shine! And people together moved by a passion have an unstoppable force. The blocks that take over the streets throughout Brazil show this. And the samba school parades too.

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The commemoration is profane, but it works miracles. After years covering the backstage of the Sambódromo, I learned that the real show is really realized in the concentration. There are countless members of different profiles, from the most diverse origins. There are people who get hurt, who are late, who cry over the broken prop. There is torrential rain detonating plumes and feathers. There are Bahians feeling sick with the heavy costume under the strong heat. You look at all this and think: “It’s going to be bad”. But, behind the perrengue, there is the individual story of each one, which becomes a collective will for the final result to work. Between wings, floats and percussionists, there is a boss alongside an employee, a madam alongside a service provider, unemployed people. They are on equal terms and have the same goal: to make the show happen. The most perfect manifestation of the old motto “unity is strength”. In the time interval in which the community of the heart is the center of attention, no matter the oppressions that the person suffers in their daily lives, the dramas they carry… There it reigns fully!

Carnival is a metaphor for life, only adorned with sequins and sequins. As individuals, we make a difference as a whole, while being just one more in the crowd. Dressing in costume makes this moment unique, however, because it sets you free! Underneath the mask or makeup, we let it out, singing the samba or marchinhas out loud, ghosts that we are often forced to swallow throughout the year.

A friendly and attentive reader sent me a video produced by actress Paolla Oliveira, highlighting that I would like the content. I realized that she really recognizes me from the texts I write, because I loved it. The artist, who this Sunday night parades as Grande Rio drum queen on Marquês de Sapucaí, intelligently asked some men the question she has heard countless times: “How do you prepare for Carnival?”. Practically all the guys replied, relaxed, that at that time they dedicated themselves to the cold beer and abused their good humor to face the ecstatic atmosphere. Great balcony from Paolla. She knows that women’s bodies are in evidence, which is why most feel pressured to invest in special diets and training before performing on Avenida. Immersed in this samba environment a few years ago, however, the actress showed sensitivity when entering the backstage of this universe with a watchful eye, highlighting, among other interesting points of view, that the demand for physical standards considered ideal, for example, is a detail futile — and even sounds contradictory — in the midst of the cathartic and democratic role that carnival plays. Obviously there is a lot of vanity and dispute in the middle, it is clear that there are movements to distort the popularity of the party, making it more expensive and elitist. But without the people this would all end.

Paolla herself is a TV star who attracts media, cameras, photographers, which is part of the deal. Instead of simply letting herself be dazzled by the position she occupies in the Caxias association, seeking to reign alone, she took the initiative to show in another video the pride of passistas who carry the school in their feet and in their hearts. The actress knows that she is important there, but at the same time she is just one of many who are doing their best. And isn’t that the case with everyone, depending on the context in which we are inserted or the moment in which we live? If the components do not evolve well in their entirety, the championship will not come.

Every carnival has its end. Life too. May we preserve the observant look to take advantage of opportunities to be protagonists, but still noticing the moments in which we will make a difference by being one of the supporting actors. The great art is knowing how to play.