ABOUT US
Escola Carnaval is your direct link to the heart of Rio Carnaval - the samba schools, the culture, the people, and their craft. Directed by Sashya Jay and supported by Escola team leaders and experienced crew on the ground in Rio, this is far more than a spot in the parade. It's an invitation into a world we have genuine access to.
We've built over a decade of relationships with Rio's top samba schools, directors and community leaders - and we take that trust seriously. Every participant who travels with us represents the community we've built and the schools that stand behind us. We prepare you before you go, support you while you're there, and honour the traditions that make Carnaval what it is.
There's no shortage of ways to experience Carnaval. What sets us apart is the people behind the tour, the depth of our team's experience, and the relationships and respect we've earned from the Carnaval community in Rio.
SASHYA JAY
The Escola Carnaval tour is directed by Sashya Jay, founder of Escola de Samba (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Denver) and Rio Projekt. Renowned as an international leader of samba culture, endorsed by samba masters, and fluent in English and Portuguese, Sashya brings a connection to Rio's samba schools, top artists, and community that simply can't be bought.
Sashya has performed at an elite level in Rio Carnaval since 2017, parading as a Passista for three of Rio's top samba schools - Salgueiro, Tuiuti, and Império Serrano - and as Musa and Rainha das Passistas for Império Serrano. In 2024 she became only the second international artist ever to parade as a Musa with Rio's most iconic samba school, Estação Primeira de Mangueira, a role she continues to hold today.
Sashya's relationships with key Carnaval organisers and schools aren't commercial partnerships. They're built over years of showing up, training, parading, and contributing to the community. When you join this tour, you walk in with that. Not as a tourist in a costume - but as a guest of someone the schools deeply respect and trust.
