Cacique de Ramos is the famous Rio de Janeiro Carnival bloc associated with Ramos and a Native-inspired cacique symbol.
Founded in 1961, Cacique de Ramos became one of Rio’s most influential blocos. Its imagery draws on the figure of a cacique, a term used in Portuguese for an Indigenous leader, and its performances helped connect street Carnival with the development of pagode and modern samba.
The group is based in the northern-zone neighborhood of Ramos. Its headquarters became an important meeting place for musicians and samba enthusiasts, contributing to the cultural life of Rio beyond the Carnival parade itself.
Cacique de Ramos is not a samba-school association competing in the Sambadrome’s Special Group. It is a bloco, meaning a street-Carnival group, with a different organizational history and performance setting.