Luma de Oliveira

The return of the Imperial Eternal Muses

“It’s interesting that women over 40 are serving as examples of beauty,” said Joyce Pascowitz, Brazil’s elder stateswomen of fashion. The boss of the fashion website, Glamurama, and Pascowitz magazine added: “This puts a value on Brazilian women over the age considered the maximum. It shows that, yes, there is life after 40. And not just intelligent life.”

"It's a huge change," Luiza Brunet, 46, told The Associated Press as she prepared for her showcase role in the Imperatiz samba school's parade. "It shows that women who are more mature are gaining space in a country with so much machismo, where we give more value to youth and beauty."

Psychologist Enaile Ortiz - herself 48 - agreed: "Brazil has always had this understanding that youth equals beauty, but this year's Carnival is breaking that paradigm," Ortiz said as she strolled down Ipanema beach. "This shows you can be in a beautiful state, no matter what stage of life you are in."

Historically, the Queen of the Drums was the most beautiful girl in the favela. Today she is usually a soap star, celebrity or beauty queen. Natália Guimarães, 24, won Miss Brazil in 2007. This year she parades for the Vila Isabel school for the second consecutive year “It’s wonderful,” she said. “Age doesn’t matter. It’s the personality that the queen shows that’s important.”

Becoming queen is a great career move. “Today women use carnival to promote themselves,” said Meme de Oliveira, Ms de Oliveira’s brother and manager. “Luma doesn’t get involved in this. She goes to carnival because she likes carnival.”

Luiza Brunet will be completing 25 carnivals this year in Sapucaí. "When the time comes to stop, I will not announce in advance." she told

"This for me is a sacred place," said  Luma de Oliveira, to reporters before dancing Samba non-stop for 80 minutes in front of about 70,000 spectators for the Portela school.