G.R.E.S. Império Serrano

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Also known as

Império Serrano

Years active

1947

Genres

samba, samba-enredo

Biography

Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba Império Serrano, commonly known as Império Serrano, is a renowned samba school founded on March 23, 1947, in Rio de Janeiro. It emerged from a schism within the extinct samba school Prazer da Serrinha and has since become one of the most traditional and respected samba schools in the city. Império Serrano's history is deeply intertwined with the Morro da Serrinha, a significant cultural landmark in the Madureira neighborhood, where the school is headquartered.

The school has achieved considerable success throughout its existence, having been crowned champion of the Rio Carnival nine times. Its legacy is marked by a series of iconic samba-enredos, which are thematic songs performed during the carnival parades. Among its most celebrated sambas are "Aquarela Brasileira" (1964 and 2004), "Exaltação a Tiradentes" (1949), "Os Cinco Bailes da História do Rio" (1965), "Heróis da Liberdade" (1969), and "Bumbum paticumbum Prugurundum" (1982). These compositions are considered classics within the samba genre.

Império Serrano is also distinguished by its "Ala de Compositores" (Composers' Wing), which has been a breeding ground for talented samba lyricists and composers. Notable figures who have been part of this wing include Silas de Oliveira, Mano Décio da Viola, Dona Ivone Lara (the first woman to participate in such a wing), and Arlindo Cruz. The school's commitment to open democracy, a principle established at its foundation, is a point of pride for its members. Despite facing political challenges and demotions in the 1990s, Império Serrano has consistently strived to maintain its elite status in the carnival, returning to the Special Group in 2001 and again in 2018.