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The Samba School Unidos do Viradouro, seen here in Rio de Janeiro Wednesday, Feb. 12, 1997, won the parade competition in Sambodromo with a theme "Light! Darkness! The Explosion of the Universe!." The school s incorporation of an Afro-American rhythm in the traditional samba was considered risky, but paid off as one of the few innovations in this otherwise tradition-bound celebration. (AP Photo/AJB, Evandro Teixeira)