Vander Pires, the lead singer for the Viradouro samba school, was visibly emotional following the school's victory at this year's carnival parade, which paid homage to renowned samba drummer Mestre Ciça, known offstage as Moacyr da Silva Pinto. Pires conveyed that the win reflected a collective achievement, emphasizing the hard work invested by the entire school and their mutual belief in the tribute theme, which many doubted. He stated, 'This is our victory. We worked hard for this, this school is very serious, and many people did not believe in this storyline. I believed from the beginning.'