Monobloco is a Brazilian Carnival ensemble, formed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the year 2000. The project began as a workshop offshoot of the group Pedro Luís e A Pared, aimed at teaching percussion to individuals without prior musical experience. This blossomed into an annual tradition where the workshop participants, along with their instructors, form a 120-member percussion band. These members perform in the four Fridays preceding Carnival at the Fundição Progresso in Rio, attracting about four thousand attendees each night. The group's unique approach involves using traditional samba school instruments to play a variety of rhythms, including samba, marchinha, coco, funk, and xote. Monobloco's post-Carnival Sunday parade, led by conductor Celso Alvim, initially took place at Leblon and Ipanema beaches but moved to Copacabana in 2007 due to its growing popularity. Monobloco has also recorded multiple albums, starting with their 2002 self-titled debut Monobloco. This was followed by the live album Monobloco: Ao Vivo (2007), which sold over 50,000 copies. In 2009, at the request of the city's municipality, the parade shifted to the city center, drawing an audience of 400,000, making Monobloco the second most attended Carnival block in Rio. Throughout their career, they have released other well-received albums such as Monobloco 10 (2010) and Arrastão da Alegria (2013) while also performing in places such as Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Ireland.
