While Carnival in Rio has become a mega show business, and Carnival in Salvador has a participation of the local musicians, the Carnival in Olinda remains almost totally popular. Carnival in Olinda is made almost totally by the anonymous people.
The city governments of Olinda and Recife mount some stages for artistic performances all across the cities, but most of the fun takes place in the hills of Olinda. The blocos start playing and moving at random anytime, anywhere.
The blocos are humble, usually less than 10 people with old instruments, and however, soon there is a crowd following the block. It is not unusual that a block meets another (casually), and the crowds gladly swap leaders.
Some bigger and older blocks attract a captive audience. Every year, groups of friends decide to form a new block, many of which last only one Carnival. One is never far away from a block during the Carnival days in Olinda and Recife. Several blocks have a satiric theme (e.g. blocks criticizing Bush or Bin Laden), but never are ideologies taken seriously.
Carnival in Recife is overshadowed by the one in Olinda, but the city affair is still worth sampling even if you decide, as many locals do, to spend most of Carnival in Olinda.
In Recife, the most important Carnival event is the "Galo da Madrugada" (Rooster of the Dawn). It's just that: a huge statue of a rooster goes ahead, and a huge crowd (over 2 million people) follows it, singing and dancing; this is a completely spontaneous event, which started small and grew just by word or mouth.
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