Bloco Carnavalesco Misto Bloco das Ilusões is a bloco lírico founded on March 15, 1985, by Carminha Freire, wife of Enéas Freire (founder of Galo da Madrugada), and other wives of directors of Galo da Madrugada, who would become the first pastoras (or flabelistas – name given to the revealers, who are also responsible for holding the flabelo/estandarte of the bloco).  

The appearance of the bloco happened through a coincidence of hunches, when in the first meeting in the old headquarters of the Galo da Madrugada, in the street Padre Floriano, a barbecue was held to choose the name. Nobody could tell someone else their idea, putting their choice on a piece of paper, only to present it later. The name “illusions” appeared four times among the options chosen.

For eight years, Carminha Freire was the president of the Bloco das Ilusões, which gave her the title of “emeritus president”. Currently, the bloco is presided over by her daughter, Ana Nery Freire de Meneses.

The flabelo (a kind of estandarte) of the bloco – which consists of a pierrot with a mandolin sitting on a moon – was created by singer and composer Gustavo Travassos. He also composed the first song for the Bloco das Ilusões. Later, names such as Drº Fernando Azevedo and Capiba composed tributes to the bloco. All the songs were called “Bloco das Ilusões” (Illusions Bloco), being differentiated only by their numbering.

The Bloco Hinn was created by the renowned composer Heleno Ramalho and was named “Flabelo das Ilusões”. Check it out:

Flabelo Das Ilusões  

Chora bandolim
Chora violão
O meu coração é assim…

Ah, linda pastora de voz tão macia
Canta meu verso minha melodia
Enquanto há tempo para se cantar

Ah, viver assim não é sonhar à toa
Eu faço parte dessa gente boa
Que ainda voa
Atrás de luar

Vê! O meu Recife se enfeitou demais
Olha! Até o rio parou de correr
Só pra ver meu bloco de recordações
Com um flabelo feito de ilusões
Me levando de volta pra você

Service

Currently, the Bloco das Ilusões has 50 members, who perform their marching adjustment every year in the Carnival Rehearsals, in the headquarters of the Galo da Madrugada. To participate in the group, those interested should contact Soledade at 81 98590-2989. The interested party must comply with the bloco internal regulations. Entries can be made on any day of the year.

*Bloco Lírico – Also called bloco de pau e corda (wooden and rope blocos), the blocos líricos are groups that revive the old carnivals with the lyricism of their songs and the tradition of their standards. According to a column by Jairo Cabral, director of Ceroula de Olinda, they originated in the idea of producing a civilized street carnival, along European lines, stimulated by the Recife small bourgeoisie, which had no access to the elite’s closed carnival, held in the salons of traditional social clubs. The first blocos date back to 1920, inspired by the European pastoral and popular theater, but it was with the foundation of the Bloco da Saudade, in 1974, that the denomination gained strength and is still today and passed from generation to generation.