SAMBA CONTEST BEGINS AT RIO CARNIVAL February 12, 2013 A samba contest has begun at Brazil’s biggest festival, the Rio Carnival.Twelve top-class samba teams are taking part in the annual event, which started on Sunday evening.Each team consists of up to 4,000 members that march through the street with lavishly decorated floats. The participants are scored on their dancing, costumes and unity in the parade within the allotted time of 80 minutes.Some teams danced to the music and image of cities in Brazil. Others performed on the theme of culture in foreign countries, such as Germany and South Korea.