Meu Bem, Volto Já ("Honey, I'll Be Right Back"), a South Side Carnival bloco in Rio de Janeiro street Carnival, is famous for its funny samba-enredos, or theme songs, and upbeat parades which attract from young people to energetic senior revelers.
The samba is held together by a top-rank percussion band, always brimming with young talents and open to guests who can hold their ground in samba.
The bloco's official colors are blue, yellow and red. Every year the bloco issues a T-shirt with a new design, usually a funny cartoon. But costumes, face painting, funny headdresses, just plain clothes - everything goes with Meu Bem, Volto Já.
Founded in 1994 by a group of friends, the name of the bloco is said to be derived from a founding father's behavior during that Carnival. According to bloco lore, on Fat Tuesday it was finally revealed that a plastic bag he'd been holding on to throughout Carnival contained a tattered newspaper, some pieces of bread, and a container of spoiled milk. He told the group he remembered going out for those items on Carnival Saturday, telling his wife (soon to become his ex-wife), "Honey, I'll be right back."
Meu Bem, Volto Já is a member of Sebastiana, the Association of Street Carnival Blocos from the South Side, Santa Teresa and Centro.
2014 Carnival Parade (20th anniversary):
When: Fat Tuesday, March 4, 2014 at 3 p.m. People start gathering for the parade at 1 p.m.
Where: Avenida Princesa Isabel, corner of Rua Barata Ribeiro, Copacabana
More About Sebastiana Blocos:
- Bloco da Ansiedade
- Bloco dos Barbas
- Bloco das Carmelitas
- Bloco de Segunda
- Bloco Virtual
- Escravos da Mauá
- Gigantes da Lira
- Imprensa que eu Gamo
- Que Merda é Essa?
- Simpatia é Quase Amor
- Suvaco do Cristo