Squel – Confessions of a Carnaval Queen

Incoming Editorial Team·Verified October 4, 2026

After retiring in 2022, Squel Jorgea decided to return to Rio’s Carnival. A flag-bearer for over twenty years, she began her career at Grande Rio, where she danced for eleven seasons and became the first to represent both Mangueira and Portela, the two most traditional samba schools. After navigating single motherhood, she has rediscovered the physicality, movement, and strength that established her as a leading figure in the art form; she now dances a theme inspired by the book "Um Defeito de Cor", a son’s letter to his enslaved mother, a narrative that deeply resonates with her own life story. Between the silence and the beat of the drums, her dance transforms into a ritual, an act of resistance, and a celebration of Afro-Brazilian culture.