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Sampling samba in Rio 
Will Smith joins Rio Carnival revellers 
Rio steps up carnival preparations 
Rio Carnival colours and dancers 
Rio’s samba schools chase Carnival title The sound of samba permeates the air, as dancing fills the Sambodrome.
The annual carnival in Rio de Janeiro takes place over 5 days and has attracted around 900,000 tourists. This year marks the first time the number of Brazilian tourists matches the number of foreigners attending the event.
Celebrations were toned down elsewhere in Brazil following the recent nightclub fire tragedy in the southern city of Santa Maria which left 238 dead.
President Dilma Rousseff attended a mass on Thursday in memory of the victims. Hundreds of nightclubs remain closed in a crackdown on lax safety practices.
In the capital, the show must go on as the event is expected to generate 665 million dollars for the local economy.
More about: Brazil, Carnival, Rio Carnival, Rio de JaneiroCopyright © 2013 euronews
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