Grupo de Acesso

The Grupo de Acesso - Access Group - was created for the first time in the city of Rio de Janeiro when the União das Escolas de Samba do Brasil, the Federação Brasileira de Escolas de Samba, and the União Cívica de Escolas de Samba resolved to organize a unique competition, unlike the last three years, where schools would be divided into groups.

Before this, there was only one association of samba schools and all the schools participated in the same division. However, in 1952, with the unification of the entities, people concluded that there were too many schools to parade in the same day, and divided the schools into groups according to each school's efficiency. Therefore, they decided to place in Group 1 (current Special Group) the best 24 schools, while the other schools would parade in Group 2 (current Access Group, or Grupo de Acesso), with the promess of possibilities of ascension or fall, promise that was only realized in 1954, two years later.

In 1960, Group 3 (current Access Group B) was created, and in 1979, the first change of names, with the first Group D. The divisions began to be called Group 1-A, 1-B, 2-A e 2-B.

In 1984, with the foundation of LIESA, the samba schools of Group 1-A began to not be affiliated to AESCRJ, returning to affiliate in case of lowering, to dispute Grupo 1-B. In the year of 1987, new change: the divisions began to be called 1, 2, 3 e 4. In 1990, Group 1 began to be called Grupo Especial, Groupo 2 becomes 1 and so forth. The 5^th division, current Group E, was called the Access Group, properly said.

In other cities, the name "Grupo de Acesso" also exists, but it does not always mean the same thing as in Rio de Janeiro. In São Paulo, for example, the Access Group only refers to the second division, the one that is right below the Special Group, being that both (Access and Special Group) are administrated by LigaSP. The other groups in São Paulo are administrated by UESP.

Access Group in the Carnaval of 2008

After 2006 and 2007, LIESA reduced the numbers of schools affiliated to it by 12. Therefore, in the Carnaval of 2008, the Access Group will return to the anterior ascension and fall: in the Access Group A, one will rise to the Special Group and fall two to the Access Group B, then will rise two to Access Group A and fall three to Access Group C, then will rise three to Access Group B and fall three to Access Group D, then will rise three to Access Group C and descend three to Access Group E, then will rise three to Access Group D and the last placed will be eliminated from the Carnaval, remaining without parading during two or three years to wait for an avaliation of AESCRJ, to know if it could display the title of samba schoolor to parade hors concurs in its city of origin.

Access Group A (Saturday - Sambadrome)

1. Estácio de Sá
2. União da Ilha
3. Acadêmicos do Cubango
4. Lins Imperial
5. Império da Tijuca
6. Caprichosos de Pilares|Caprichosos
7. Acadêmicos de Santa Cruz
8. Renascer de Jacarepaguá
9. Acadêmicos da Rocinha
10. Império Serrano

Access Group B (Tuesday - Sambadrome)

1. União do Parque Curicica
2. Mocidade de Vicente de Carvalho
3. Arranco do Engenho de Dentro
4. União de Jacarepaguá
5. Unidos de Lucas
6. Inocentes de Belford Roxo
7. Alegria da Zona Sul
8. Paraíso do Tuiuti
9. Independente da Praça da Bandeira
10. Padre Miguel
11. Sereno de Campo Grande
12. Vizinha Faladeira
13. Tradição
14. Boi da Ilha

Access Group C (Sunday-Estrada Intendente Magalhães)

1. Unidos do Cabuçu
2. Em Cima da Hora
3. Unidos do Amarelinho
4. Unidos do Cabral
5. Unidos do Anil
6. Unidos do Jacarezinho
7. Difícil é o Nome]]
8. Acadêmicos do Dendê
9. Acadêmicos da Abolição
10. Arrastão de Cascadura
11. Flor da Mina
12. Leão de Nova Iguaçu
13. Unidos da Ponte
14. Acadêmicos de Vigário Geral

Access Group D (Monday - Intendente Magalhães)

1. GRES Rosa de Ouro
2. Unidos de Vila Kennedy
3. Villa Rica
4. Mocidade Unida do Santa Marta
5. Mocidade Independente de Inhaúma
6. Gato de Bonsucesso
7. União de Vaz Lobo
8. Unidos de Cosmos
9. Unidos de Manguinhos
10. Acadêmicos do Sossego
11. Unidos de Vila Santa Teresa
12. Unidos do Uraiti
13. Arame de Ricardo
14. Acadêmicos do Engenho da Rainha

Acces Group E (Tuesday - Intendente Magalhães)

1. Unidos do Sacramento
2. Paraíso da Alvorada
3. Imperial de Morro Agudo
4. Infantes da Piedade
5. Mocidade Unida de Jacarepaguá
6. Boêmios de Inhaúma
7. Canários das Laranjeiras
8. Delírio da Zona Oeste

See also

• AESCRJ
• LIESA
• samba school

References

Article translated from Lusophone Wikipedia.