On Sunday, November 30, Rhythm Day, Portela takes advantage of this date to celebrate an important event in its centenary history. Madureira School, the biggest champion of the Rio Carnival, this year increased the female presence in Tapajara do Samba and appointed Gio Paglia as the new director of drumming for the 2026 Carnival.
A native of Minas Gerais and leader of the Agbelas band, Gio becomes the third woman, in Portela’s 102 years, to hold the position of drum director. She will lead the agbês section, an instrument that is increasingly gaining space in the look and sound of ensembles.
The change was made by Mestre Vitinho, who took over as coach of Tapajara at the beginning of the year. Under his direction, the women’s xequerê section will feature ten female percussionists parading in the front row of drums – a movement similar to what already happens in Mangueira, a kind of reference in appreciation of the colorful dance of street xequerê artists.
Females are promoted in carnival drumming on the eve of an important event: in 2026, it will be 20 years since Estação Primeira de Mangueira became the last school in the private group to accept women among its drummers. Currently, Verde e Rosa has 42 women on drums.
Next year will also see another historic debut: for the first time, a woman will lead the drums of the Marqués de Sabucay’s samba school. Liza Lima, daughter of the legendary Leila – honored by Beija-Flor in the 2025 Hero’s Conspiracy – will take over as drum director of Arranco do Engenho de Dentro, in the Ouro series.
Despite the progress, club drumming is still predominantly male, both in terms of leadership and the overall number of percussionists. But the increase in female voices and hands indicates a change that is redrawing the map of Rio’s Carnival little by little.