Good vibrations for deaf at Rio parades

RIO DE JANEIRO - Aulio Nobrega can't hear a thing when hundreds of drummers march into Rio de Janeiro's Sambodromo, or when thousands sing or the crowd cheers. But he feels the vibe - literally.

Nobrega, 40, works as a journalist for TV INES - a channel aimed at deaf people, where the correspondents report in sign language - and his challenge on Monday night was to cover samba parades famous for their decibel levels.

Before every parade, the noise onslaught starts with fireworks announcing the new samba school. It sounds like a battle.