The Independent League of Samba Schools (Liesa), responsible for organizing the Special Group parades, has been rejuvenated. But, without losing the family ties that link carnival to misdemeanor. This Friday, entertainment businessman Gabriel David, 26 years old, son of banker Aniz Abrahão David, known as Anísio, took office as president of Liesa. In addition to him, who is keen to make it clear that he is not linked to the game, there are other relatives of bookies who will work as directors of Liesa for a period of three years. Among them is João Felipe Drumond, 22. New financial director, he is one of the sons of the late criminal Luizinho Drumond, former president of Imperatriz Leopoldinense.
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João Drumond is a 7th period law student at a university and is also taking the financial executive training course at Fundação Getúlio Vargas. The baton passing at Liesa follows the same model implemented in some schools, where a new generation also inherited command of the carnival. Gabriel David, for example, started acting as a counselor at Beija-Flor, in 2019. Luiz Guimarães, son of Aílton Guimarães Jorge, captain Guimarães, became president of Vila Isabel, in 2022. The position is the same as It was previously occupied by the boy’s father.
During the ceremony at Liesa, it was also announced that, on May 23rd, the order of school parades for the 2025 carnival will be drawn. The draw will be in Cidade do Samba. The election that elected the new generation responsible for running Rio’s carnival took place on the eve of the inauguration, this Thursday, and was attended by well-known figures from the bicho game. Names such as Aniz Abrahão David, honorary president of Beija-Flor, and Aílton Guimarães Jorge, Captain Guimarães, benefactor of Vila Isabel were present. The members of the so-called new misdemeanor summit, as the bicheiros Rogério de Andrade, from Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel, and Adílson Coutinho Oliveira Filho, known as Adilsinho, appointed as patron of the Salgueiro Academic Samba School, were not at the meeting. and they only sent representatives. Celso Luís Rodrigues, Celsinho da Vila Vintém, patron of Unidos de Padre Miguel, who will parade in 2025 in the Special Group, was also another person who did not attend the event.
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Among the new features that will be studied by Liesa and could be valid for Carnival 2025, is the carrying out of two technical tests per school. Currently, each club has the right to carry out only one rehearsal. Shortly after taking office as president, Gabriel David spoke about the subject.
— It is my wish, I make this public, that there can be more technical rehearsals. I believe it is the most popular event of all that Liesa manages to do, in fact delivering the parade and rehearsal to the public, completely free of charge. So, I think the more you can do this, the better it will be. So that schools can have more rehearsals, and be even more prepared for the parade, but mainly so that the population is always close to the schools, enjoying the best they have to offer — said Gabriel David, making it clear that the matter will still be discussed with samba schools and that there is still no decision yet.
— This is not a decision yet. To make this official, we still need to do a little work. But it’s a wish, not a certainty yet – she said.
Liesa’s new board will also include vice-president Pedro Gomes, 36, nephew of Captain Guimarães, and secretary Júnior Escafura, who was a director at Portela. Three black women, two of them linked to Mangueira, will take part in the Rio carnival summit for the first time. Evelyn Bastos, drum queen of green and pink, is the new director of culture. Passerby at the same school, Rafaela Bastos is the marketing director. The communications department is handled by Natália Louise, who was a communications advisor at Beija-Flor, having previously worked with Gabriel David. Other names that are part of the new Liesa management are carnival director Elmo José, Hélio Motta, responsible for jury coordination, Hélio Motta, who will be responsible for institutional relations and Moacyr Henrique from the heritage sector.
Gabriel David was Liesa’s marketing director for three years. During the period, he was responsible for innovations such as hosting the singer Anita’s show at the champions parade, in 2024, and for the new lighting at the Sapucaí marques. Gabriel replaced Jorge Perlingeiro, 79, as president of the Independent League of Samba Liesa Schools. Perlingeiro left the presidency, but not from the entity, where he will now bear the title of great benefactor. He guaranteed that he will continue to be the official voice in reading the results of the Special Group parades, as has been the case for 32 years.
