Major favelas

Mangueira

A North Zone community in Rio de Janeiro that is inseparable from the history of Brazilian samba: the Estação Primeira de Mangueira, founded in the community in 1928, is one of the oldest and most decorated samba schools in the country.

Geography and setting

Mangueira occupies a low hill in Rio's North Zone, immediately across the rail tracks from the Maracanã stadium. The community comprises several historically distinct sectors including the Morro da Mangueira, the Buraco Quente, the Candelária, and Telégrafos.

History

Settlement of the hill in the early twentieth century preceded the founding of the samba school. The Estação Primeira de Mangueira was founded on 28 April 1928 by Cartola, Carlos Cachaça, and other community musicians; it is one of the two or three oldest continuously active samba schools in Rio and has won the Carnival main competition multiple times across the decades. The school's history is the backbone of Mangueira's cultural standing and its place in the national imaginary.

Population and demographics

The IBGE Census 2010 recorded around 18,000 residents across the component aglomerados subnormais that make up Mangueira. The 2022 round will provide an updated figure.

Economy and infrastructure

Mangueira has piped water, metered electricity, and most basic services. The community's economy includes commerce along its arterial streets, cultural production tied to the samba school, and service-economy employment in the surrounding North Zone.

Public security

Mangueira received a UPP in 2011; the unit was active through much of the 2010s before being weakened along with the broader program. Lethal-violence indicators in the community follow the broader Rio pattern.

Culture and notable residents

The Estação Primeira de Mangueira is the central institution. The school has produced composers and singers central to Brazilian samba, including Cartola (Angenor de Oliveira, 1908–1980), Nelson Cavaquinho (Nelson Antônio da Silva, 1910–1986), Jamelão (José Bispo Clementino dos Santos, 1913–2008), and Beth Carvalho (1946–2019), a long-time school madrinha (godmother). The 2019 Carnival parade by Mangueira, with its samba-enredo História para Ninar Gente Grande, became a national event for its commentary on Brazilian history and on the assassination of Marielle Franco.

Further reading

See Samba and favelas.