Long before Carnaval begins in Brazil each year on the Friday before Ash Wednesday, Rio De Janeiro begins to throb with thunderous drums, rhythmic pandeiro clangs, samba whistles, and cavaquinho strums. For Rio’s gremios (samba schools), preparation for the week-long Carnaval celebration is a year-round project, and each school perfects one samba de enredo a year for the festivities. The samba enredos are a celebration of Brazilian culture and of both Catholic and Candomblé faith, and are the life’s work of many of the performers. Famed conductors including Quinho, Marquinho Art’Samba, and Martinho da Vila lead gremios such as Salgueiro, Mangueira, and Beija Flor in elaborate performances of the samba enredos. And when thousands of drummers, dancers, singers, and other instrumentalists converge on the Sambadrome for the grand showcase of samba enredos at Carnaval, it’s easily the most spirited, vibrant, and pure expression of Brazilian culture.