“I have to give the opportunity to anyone who wants to be a Neguinho da Beija-Flor,” said the interpreter, who will dedicate himself to a career as a singer; the school paid tribute following the announcement
Luiz Antônio Feliciano Marcondes, the Neguinho from Beija-Florhas announced that he will act as an interpreter on the boulevard for the last time carnival 2025. The announcement was made by the artist in an interview given to RJ1a program by Rede Globo, and confirmed by Hummingbird through a post on Instagram this Wednesday 20th.
The actor announced that from now on he will dedicate himself to a singing career. He remained at the samba school for 50 years. “The time has come. I have to give opportunities to those who want to be a Neguinho da Beija-Flor”, he said emotionally during the interview with RJ1.
Luiz Antônio arrived in Beija-Flor on June 11, 1975. At the time, his stage name was “Neguinho da Vala” – it was Anísio Abraão David, honorary president of the samba school, who suggested “Neguinho da Beija-Flor ” . Next year, the school, 14 times champion of the Rio de Janeiro carnival, dedicates a subject to the carnival artist Laíla, a friend of the artist.
Beija-Flor paid homage to the voice that guided the school’s fashion shows for many years. “His voice echoed in every verse we sang, in every victory we celebrated and in every 10 that made us vibrate. […] Neguinho is, and always will be, the essence of Beija-Flor. There is no Beija-Flor without him. Your story is engraved in our colors, in our sambas and in our hearts.”
Neguinho from Beija-Flor also shared a farewell letter to the carnival with Rede Globo. “Thanks to you I defeated cancer, singing in the street while I was still undergoing treatment. I have faith that I am healed thanks to God and the blessed medicine of the Carnival. I will never forget how the community welcomed me, when I returned to the rehearsals, on the our sacred court The applause and the mountain of affection remain tattooed in the memory forever,” he says in part.
Read Neguinho’s carnival farewell letter from Beija-Flor in full:
“To my beloved Beija-Flor
The 2025 parade will mark my farewell as an interpreter of his anthems to the Passarela do Samba. In the next carnival, I will write, with the Nilopolitan community, the final point of the fifty-year journey, a moment of great happiness and joy. We cross the Passarella del Samba for the last time, me with my voice and my usual pride, supporting the strength and magic of our community that shines on the bamba altar. It will be another moment of our eternal love.
I remember with emotion, dear school, the beginning of this story, when I arrived at a young age to participate in the samba competition, in the unforgettable Dreaming of a king makes you think of a lion. Joãosinho Trinta, also a recent arrival, had come up with the plot of the animal game and I, then Neguinho da Vala, dreamed of joining the composer’s wing. The late carnival artist let me try – and it worked. With the samba composed by me we were champions.
Since then, you have won 14 carnivals and have given me the privilege of being present at all of them. We were three times champions twice, we brought the beggar Christ covered by censorship, into the best known image of the carnival. And, most importantly: we have included Beija-Flor de Nilópolis in the history of the largest popular festival in Brazil. Instead of the protagonist.
The Wonderful and the Sovereign was consolidated, as in our hymn of exaltation, Goddess of the catwalkwhich I had the honor of composing. And it became his well-deserved nickname on Planet Carnival.
Thanks to you, I beat cancer, singing on the street while still undergoing treatment. I trust that I am healed thanks to God and the blessed medicine of Carnival. I will never forget how the community welcomed me when I returned to the trials in our sacred court. The applause and the mountain of affection will remain tattooed in our memory forever.
For this and much more I never thought of receiving a salary from Beija-Flor. I have never signed a contract or been subjected to any bureaucracy. Our relationship is unique and requires no protocols. I often say that if anyone owes anything, it’s me to you, my school. I am very proud to carry it in my official name, the one on my identity card: Luiz Antonio Feliciano Neguinho from Beija-Flor Marcondes.
I treasure my first member card of the composers’ wing. The date is there, June 11, 1975, the beginning of everything. Of the original companions, the patron Anísio Abrahão David and the beloved Pinah are still here. Together we began the adventure of bringing a small school from Baixada Fluminense into the pantheon of giants of our popular culture. And we got there, with the participation of many other samba artists who came later and will continue into the future.
My time has come. In 2025 I will sing the exaltation of my partner Laíla – whom I met even before the first carnival, in the legendary samba club Bola Preta -, as the epilogue of this half-century-long odyssey of revelry and happiness. It far surpassed my wildest dreams. And I will continue to love you. You can count on me for all eternity.
Thank you for everything, my school, my life, my love.
Look at Beija-Flor there, guys!”
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
