Members of the Padre Miguel samba school performing at the Sambadrome during Carnival festivities in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. REUTERS ...

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Carnival always breathes life into the economy of Vila Vintem, a favela on Rio de Janeiro's west side, but this year the pulse is even stronger with its Unidos de Padre Miguel ...

Brazil’s Carnival is a global phenomenon, renowned for its exuberant parades, vibrant samba rhythms and dazzling costumes.

and my mother took me to Carnival and dressed me up for it – I have pictures of myself in costumes as a small child. I’m queen of one of the largest samba schools in Brazil, Vila Isabel ...

Superstar Anitta has won over pop music fans in Brazil and abroad, even more so since she added English and Spanish singing to her seductive dancing and bold lyrics.

As one of Rio's 12 top-tier samba schools ... as she fixed details on several costumes, some bearing the school's traditional red and white colors. “When Carnival comes, it offers opportunities ...

But Carnival's main event is the Sambadrome — the be-all, end-all. On this 700-meter (nearly half-mile) concrete avenue, samba schools compete to put on the best parade with feathered, shimmering ...

The model -- who's the rumored girlfriend of ex-NFL star Tom Brady-- strutted down the street in her blue peacock-like costume as if it were a catwalk, joining thousands with carnival fever ... like ...

Subtle hand signs likewise coordinate the hundreds of pounding drummers in each of the glitzy Carnival parades ... be eager to see flamboyant costumes, towering floats and jaw-dropping dancers passing ...

THEY are the gorgeous, glittering Samba dancers who steal ... heart-pounding Rio Carnival are once again preparing to don their spectacular costumes and strut their stuff in front of millions ...

As Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival celebrations began, dozens of dogs dressed in vibrant costumes joined their owners ... and around 100 dogs socialising to samba music. (Image source: AP) Priscila ...