The Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba Beija-Flor de Nilópolis, is also known just as Beija-Flor. It was created in the municipality of Nilópolis. The samba school was founded as a carnival group under the name Bloco Associação Carnavalesca Beija-Flor, on December 25, 1948, but it became a samba school in 1953. Its colours are blue and white.
Its founders are: Milton de Oliveira (Negão da Cuíca), Edson Vieira Rodrigues (Edinho do Ferro Velho), Valentim Lemos, Helles Ferreira da Silva, Hamilton Floriano, José Fernandes da Silva and the brothers Mário Silva and Walter da Silva.
Beija-Flor is the third school with the highest number of titles, being 14 times champion of the Rio de Janeiro’s carnival, in the years 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2015 and 2018.
Bateria
Beija-Flor’s bateria nickname is Soberana. Its caixa section has caixa embaixo playing the straight groove mixed with caixa em cima playing the partido-alto groove. In addition, there are repiques mores in the repiques bossa section and a frigideira (frying pan) section. Mestre Plínio has been in charge of this bateria since 1997, and since 2010 he has formed a pair of bateria directors with Mestre Rodney. Soberana won the Estandarte de Ouro only once, in 2016.
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Rehearsals and events
Beija-Flor’s bateria rehearsals take place on Thursdays at 8 pm, in the samba school’s quadra. There are also other rehearsals, feijoadas and other events. Always check the samba school’s official channels (Website, Facebook, Instagram…) to confirm that rehearsals and events are going ahead.
Address (Quadra) – Rua Pracinha Wallace Paes Leme 1025, Centro, Nilópolis.
Check Beija-Flor’s events on the official website, Instagram and Facebook page.