Carlinhos Salgueiro will reveal his alter ego, Carla Pricila, during his debut performance for União de Maricá at Esquenta Carnaval 2026.
The artist, one of the most talked-about figures of the season, makes his first official appearance this Saturday (6) at the Esquenta Carnaval 2026 of the Série Ouro, held at Cidade do Samba and gathering all access-group schools of Rio de Janeiro.
The presentation introduces Carla Pricila, a charismatic and elegant alter ego created in tribute to the school’s theme about balangandãs, traditional jewelry worn by Black women and symbolizing ancestry, power and identity.
The debut of Carla Pricila
According to Carlinhos, this is the perfect moment to finally bring the character to life, after years of keeping her partially hidden within his other interpretations on Sapucaí.
“I never let this alter ego fully come out. I always kept her close to Carlinhos or to the characters I played on Sapucaí, but this is the right moment to introduce her to the world because I have never felt as comfortable as I do now. And I promise to give my all, with plenty of samba no pé and that controversial arm everyone talks about,” said the samba teacher.
Roles in the carnival world
In addition to performing as União de Maricá’s featured artist — and choreographing the school’s opening float — Carlinhos continues as artistic director and head of the passistas wing at Salgueiro, where he also leads the award-winning maculelê wing.
His debut as Carla Pricila is expected to strengthen his artistic presence even further and celebrate the heritage and power that samba represents.
