Too much spotlight for a little samba queen at Rio´s Carnival by Zuzana Zelenakova

Rio de Janeiro legendary Carnival bursting with colors, rhythm and moves is quite an overwhelming spectacle for an adult, not to mention a child. 7-year-old Julia Lira, the youngest drum corps queen so far can tell you about it. Too much stress, pressure and all the spotlight brought little dancer to tears early Monday. The girl dressed in a top and a miniskirt of purple feathers did well the first fifty yards of the parade. Then her father, president of one of the most prominent samba groups in the country called Viradouro, presented her officially to the crowd and there was a time to strike the pose for photographers and fans. However, not only ten minutes after that Lir! a broke down in tears under the intense pressure of being a centre of so much attention. She was immediately taken away by the group´s spokeswoman Joice Hurtado. "She just got scared after having all those cameras thrust in her face," Hurtado said after the parade. "After we got her into her mother's arms, she quickly calmed down and put on a great show." Indeed, after a little while Lira returned to the scene and took her place in front of the drum line. However, the incident only added to the controversy over the Carnival partying and crimes connected with the event. The body of a ten-year-old Brazilian girl was found Sunday in central Rio de Janeiro her Carnival costume being ripped off. Apparently, she became a victim of rape-murder. There were also cases of shooting and subsequent deaths. Many argue that the role of a drum queen presents the particular person as a sexual target and that in case of such a little girl is quite concerning. “I’m against i! t, she is too young. A seven-year old shouldn’t be in fr! ont of t he drum corps,” said 22-year-old Luiz Paulo preparing for the parade.

related story (sgx16504): http://www.france24.com/en/20100215-seven-year-old-carnival-...

by Zuzana Zelenakova for SigEx Ventures (http://sigexventures.com)

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