On January 13th, the Miss Uesp contest was held, organized by the ‘União das Escolas de Samba Paulistanas’ (Union of Samba Schools of São Paulo), to crown the Carnival Court of Uesp 2024. Djamila Ribeiro was one of the judges for the event. On her Instagram account, the Brazilian philosopher expressed her joy in participating in such a special moment.

“Today I had the great honor of being a judge at the Miss Uesp Contest, which crowns the carnival court with men and women from the base samba communities. It was beautiful to see the girls and boys from the community presenting themselves with pride and a connection to their ancestry. The beauty of the contest is that there is no age limit, nor a standard imposed on bodies. It is a democratic contest that values real women.”

On the social media platform, Djamila emphasized that it was not easy to choose the winners.

“It was a difficult task for me because I am an emotional judge, one who cries, applauds, cheers. How beautiful to learn about the history of these young people, mostly from the periphery, who find in samba a place of resistance.”

She also thanked the warmth and recognition from the audience present.

“I was deeply moved to be embraced and receive so much affection, beautiful to see the young people talking about my books, being an inspiration for them. Our work reaches where it needs to go,” she highlighted, concluding with a message to all who participated.

“Congratulations to all winners and participants. You are beautiful, and the future of samba! Congratulations to Uesp for 50 years and for strengthening and promoting the samba communities!”

Winners

The candidates were judged on Samba no Pé, Elegance and Communication. The party also featured concerts by the Fundo de Quintal Group and singer Paula Lima.

The Queen of Samba 2024 is Keisi Cristine. The title of First Samba Princess went to Letícia Miranda, and Second Princess to Mylenna Sales. The Golden Passista was David Lira and the Silver Passista was Aloísio Júnior.