Muses over 50 years old tell how they fight ageism at Carnival in Rio and SP

Paula Bergamin has been the muse of Unidos de Vila Isabel, in Rio, since 2019. At the time, aged 57, she was given the nickname “Vovó Musa da Vila” by commentator Milton Cunha, from Globo, and says she didn’t mind. On the contrary. She claims to have found it a compliment and a stimulus to challenge the faces and whispers that she noticed (and still notices) when she appears dancing samba on the court at the Martinho da Vila school.

“I can read these people’s thoughts: ‘What is this old woman doing there’? But when that happens, I go in front of them, smile and dance. I like the idea that I can break this prejudice”, says the landscaper, who is one of the few who accept their age in an environment still marked by many taboos such as Carnival.

“I’ve been noticing that some people think like this when they see me: ‘Wow, finally there’s a woman who’s not 20 or 30 years old, and she’s there in a prominent place at a school. If she can do it, so can I’. That’s very good, it motivates and makes me want to continue being a muse for many, many years”, he says.

When searching for characters, the F5 He got in touch with several passistas and most of them avoided saying their age. Some explained that lying about their date of birth is a common practice for those who want to remain in the ward or parade as a standout on the floor.

Advisors also try to avoid questions about their clients’ ages. A professional, who works with several muses in Rio and São Paulo, says he doesn’t know the real age of many of them. On condition of anonymity, one of them said that a consultant swore she was 43 years old “at least 5 years ago” and that “it has only now increased to 45 years old”.

However, another one who goes against this trend and—pardon the pun—also sambas for prejudice is Ana Paula Oliveira, from Independente Tricolor. Gaucho and lawyer by training, she is making her debut at the Anhembi Sambadrome and says she shocked her family with the title she received from the association in the north of São Paulo. “They asked me if I wasn’t too old to be the Carnival muse. On the contrary. I feel more energetic than when I was 30,” she says.

Ana Paula makes no secret of the fact that she uses aesthetic treatments to maintain her youthful appearance out of vanity and says that she also takes care of herself for health reasons. “I care about eating well and exercising to be a healthy and happy woman. I also like to take care of myself, but I don’t see a problem with getting older. Is there a way to avoid wrinkles and sagging? So let’s go”, she explains, who was once advised by other muses to lie about her age, but she can’t.

“I’m 50 years old and that’s not a problem for me. But I’m not exclusively from Carnival, and lying about my age to some women, who are highlights or passers-by, is a matter of survival, of still being part of the scene.”

Muse of Unidos de Padre Miguel, a school in the Gold Series (formerly the Access Group) of Rio Carnival, Elis de Sá, 52, is another newcomer to the role. “I always wanted to be a muse, but I lacked the courage,” she says.

A serious health problem prompted the beauty businesswoman to make her dream come true. “After you fall into a coma, have multiple organ failure, are misled by doctors and survive, you start to believe that nothing is impossible. Joining Carnival and fighting to be a muse gave me hope”, he points out.

A beauty businesswoman, she says she doesn’t care about the comments about being “on the wrong wing”. “I’ve heard that I should come on top of a car because of my age”, she says. “I come to the ground, dancing samba for the 55 minutes of the parade and completely naked; nothing covered up!”, delights Elis, who says she sympathizes with the muses who hide or lie about their age to continue parading in samba schools.

“I know many and I understand why the myth of the passista or young muse, with everything in place, still prevails in samba schools”, he laments. “But I and other women are facing this and paving the way. So many women become entrepreneurs, go to college and start again after 40, 50 years old, why can’t they become muses? Where is this written?”