Illusion Performance Ensures Top Score for the Front Commission of Beija-Flor, Rio de Janeiro's 2011 Carnival Parade Winner

Issao Imamura celebrates the title at the samba school's practice yard alongside choreographer Carlinhos de Jesus

SAO PAULO and RIO DE JANEIRO, March 10, 2011 - Issao Imamura, Brazil's top master of illusion, who was responsible for
the participation of actress Claudia Raia in the Front Commission of
Beija-Flor's samba school - which was the winner of the carnival parade of
2011 - commemorated the title at the school's practice yard in Nilopolis. The
title song, "A Simplicidade de um Rei" (The Simplicity of a King) honored
singer-songwriter Roberto Carlos.

This was Imamura's first participation in a presentation in the samba
school parade on behalf of Beija-Flor and strengthens his partnership with
choreographer Carlinhos de Jesus. They have been working together since 2003,
when the illusionist accepted the challenge of "levitating Moses on the
Avenue," a performance that also occurred during the presentation of a front
commission of a samba school, the traditional Escola de Samba Estacao
Primeira de Mangueira.

"Carlinhos de Jesus has the discipline to be in command of the team and
he understands the requirements of an illusion. He is one of the few
professionals in his field who is able to merge the two arts - dance and
illusion," said Imamura, celebrating the achievement. He also highlighted the
fact that "Beija-Flor is marvelous. I made a point of remaining in Rio to
follow the scoring of the schools and to commemorate the result together with
Carlinhos de Jesus and Claudia Raia," he said, adding that he considered this
to be a historic carnival in that three major samba schools, in Rio and in
Sao Paulo, used his techniques and tricks to fire up the audiences that
attended the parade.

Developed especially to astound spectators, the illusion effect that was
put into practice at the Marques de Sapucai samba stadium merged dance and
music and made it possible for the entire Front Commission of the school to
materialize and dematerialize in front of the eyes of the audience. That is:
it appeared and disappeared a number of times. "These numbers really stir
people up. The audience leaped to its feet both in Rio de Janeiro and Sao
Paulo and we even have videotape of members of the jury applauding the
presentation of the illusion," Issao emphasized.

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