Simpatia é Quase Amor debut was in 1985. They march twice a year: on Saturday a week before Carnival, and on Carnival Sunday.
While at Banda de Ipanema you will hear traditional Carnival tunes played by the band, at Simpatia they have a truck that carries the band.
Each year they choose a theme, in the likes of a Samba School. Their rehearsals at Fundicão Progresso are quite popular, creating a sort of camaraderie.
The bloco attracts as many as 20 thousand young people, mostly under 30. The concentration is at Praça General Osorio, marching along Av. Vieira Souto all the way to Rua Henrique Dumont, near the border with Leblon.
