Forget the samba, even Rio carnival goes gangnam style

RIO DE JANEIRO - Agence France-Presse

South Korean singer-songwriter, Park Jae-sang, center, better known by his stage name PSY (C), performs on New Year's Eve in New York's Times Square. Rio carnival is awaiting... EPA photo

South Korea's "Gangnam Style" star Psy will take part in carnival celebrations in Rio and Salvador next week, according to the sponsors.

The rapper, whose hit song made history as the most-watched video on YouTube, will perform jointly with Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte next Friday in the northeastern city of Salvador, the Gilette company said.

The week-long Salvador Carnival, often dubbed the biggest street party in the world, attracts two million people annually.

The next day, Psy will take part in the world-famous Rio Carnival, Gilette said without giving further details.

Psy, whose real name is Park Jae-Sang, made Internet history last December when "Gangnam Style" -- featuring his signature horse-riding dance -- clocked more than one billion views on YouTube.

The 35-year-old quirky singer won adulation in his homeland for the global hit and has been awarded one of South Korea's highest cultural honors, the Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit.