As Andrew Schloss explains in the liner notes: "Carnaval has a history of mixing and uniting people of different races, and the merriment and participation in Carnaval has always transcended class boundaries". Recorded in 1980 in Havana and Santiago de Cuba, Schloss note only captures the unique unifying experience that this celebration perpetuates, but also the vivacity of the Brazilian music which itself is a melange of Portuguese, African and American Indian heritage. Liner notes include information on the History of Carnaval, as well as song and instrument details. Some notation and lyrics.