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 Geral 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 2009

:Access Group A (Saturday - Sambadrome)
*GRES São Clemente
*GRES Acadêmicos da Rocinha
*GRES Acadêmicos de Santa Cruz
*GRES Renascer de Jacarepaguá
*GRES União da Ilha do Governador
*GRES Caprichosos de Pilares
*GRES Estácio de Sá
*GRESE Império da Tijuca
*GRES Inocentes de Belford Roxo
*GRES Paraíso do Tuiuti

:Access Group B (Tuesday - Sambadrome)
*GRES Acadêmicos do Cubango
*SRES Lins Imperial
*GRES Unidos de Padre Miguel
*GRES Arranco
*GRES Alegria da Zona Sul
*GRES Independente da Praça da Bandeira
*GRES Tradição
*GRES Sereno de Campo Grande
*GRES Boi da Ilha do Governador
*GRES União de Jacarepaguá
*GRES União do Parque Curicica
*GRES Unidos do Jacarezinho
*GRES Arrastão de Cascadura
*GRES Corações Unidos do Amarelinho

:Access Group C (Sunday-Intendente Magalhães)
*GRES Mocidade de Vicente de Carvalho
*ARES Vizinha Faladeira
*GRES Unidos de Lucas
*CCES Flor da Mina do Andaraí
*GRES Difícil é o Nome
*GRES Acadêmicos do Dendê
*GRES Acadêmicos da Abolição
*GRES Unidos do Cabral
*GRES Unidos da Ponte
*GRES Unidos do Cabuçu
*GRES Acadêmicos de Vigário Geral
*GRES Acadêmicos do Sossego
*GRES Unidos de Manguinhos
*GRES Unidos de Cosmos

:Access Group D (Monday-Intendente Magalhães)
*GRES Em Cima da Hora
*GRES Leão de Nova Iguaçu
*GRES Unidos do Anil
*GRES Mocidade Independente de Inhaúma
*GRES Unidos da Vila Kennedy
*GRES Acadêmicos do Engenho da Rainha
*GRES Mocidade Unida do Santa Marta
*GRES Gato de Bonsucesso
*GRES Unidos de Vila Santa Teresa
*GRES Arame de Ricardo
*GRES Rosa de Ouro
*GRES Imperial de Morro Agudo
*GRES Mocidade Unida de Jacarepaguá
*GRES Delírio da Zona Oeste

:Access Group E (Monday-Intendente Magalhães)
*GRES Unidos de Villa Rica
*GRES União de Vaz Lobo
*GRES Unidos do Uraiti
*GRES Infantes da Piedade
*GRES Unidos do Sacramento
*GRES Paraíso da Alvorada
*GRES Boêmios de Inhaúma

* The school CCES Canários das Laranjeiras, will not be able to parade in 2009 and 2010, for being the last placed in Access Group E in 2008.

See also

*AESCRJ
*LIESA
*LigaSP
*samba school

References

Article translated from Lusophone Wikipedia.