Rio de Janeiro suburbs welcome the Bate-bola carnival

In Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, Carnival in predominantly Afro-Brazilian neighborhoods celebrated differently known as bate-bola.

Crews in Rio's outskirts don clown-like costumes and race through neighborhoods to a frenetic mix of funk, fireworks and fear. Men have long dominated bate-bola but nowadays women are joining in. The traditional Bate-bola event saw groups of masked revelers carrying a ball tied to a string and or bounce the ball on the ground as they parade through the streets.