Brazil's Carnival muse this year isn't one of the divas or drum queens parading with the Rio de Janeiro samba schools but rather Fernanda Torres, who is competing for the Best Actress Oscar on Sunday.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — At a classical orchestra ... But for many samba fanatics, drums are the beating heart of the party. And the maestro’s hand swings, flicks, twists and pointing transform ...

SAO PAULO (AP) — HOLD FOR 10 AM EST, SUNDAY MARCH 2 Brazil's Carnival muse this year isn't one of the divas or drum queens parading with the Rio de Janeiro samba schools. It's Fernanda Torres ...

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — At a classical orchestra, a conductor’s raised hands often means the start of a performance. Tracing shapes in the air could point to how each beat must come. And one’s ...

Maycron Abade and Thiago Mostazo contributed from Sao Paulo, Diarlei Rodrigues from Rio de Janeiro and Fernando Crispim from Manaus, Brazil. For more coverage of the Oscars, visit https://apnews ...

Subtle hand signs likewise coordinate the hundreds of pounding drummers in each of the glitzy Carnival parades in Rio de Janeiro ... But for many samba fanatics, drums are the beating heart ...