Samba Music Culture

Samba Music Culture

Cultural group, OLODUM founded by percussionist Neguinho do Samba,
based in the Afro Brazilian community of Salvador,
the capital city of the state of Bahia

Cavaquinho, 
small string instrument
with four wire or gut strings

Samba music is very heterogeneous and it is intricate to define. It is the result of a long simmering mix of heritage from the Portuguese songs, African rhythms, and the fast paced Indian ceremony meeting global influences.


In the beginning it was played only with drums and other bass beat instruments, but later the acoustic guitar and the small Brazilian guitar cavaquinho was added.

"Does rhythm have memory?
Can it travel through time and make the old forever new

~ Susana Baca

Dance Fusion Brazil,
blend of Samba,
funky Samba Reggae, Jazz
and Silvestre Technique

Samba has been danced in Brazil from the late 19th century. There exist many different types of samba rhythms and samba dances. There is in fact a set of different samba dances, instead of a single dance.


The oldest samba dance is samba no pé, which mean foot samba. Samba no pé is a solo dance. A modern solo dance is samba axé that was invented during Brazilian carnival in 1992.


There also exist partner dances like samba de gafieira and samba pagode. The ballroom samba is also a partner dance but it has little in common with the original Brazilian samba dance.

Samba Rhythms

Samba is on the whole a musical composition made with a syncopated and binary rhythm. In addition to this basic rhythm, all categories of Samba rhythms can be mixed together.


It is important to understand that what is call Samba in North America and Europe is often an umbrella-term that covers several different forms like samba-reggae, afro, bloc, maracatu, baio, the oldest being partido alto.


Other styles are bossa nova, balance, neo pagode, samba de breque, samba-canção, samba-enredo, samba de gafieira and samba de roda. Samba de roda is also a mix of samba and capoeira.

   

The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro,
a visual display of colors,
dancers, floats, streamers
and costumes all set to
 the sounds of samba music.

The phrase "samba" is in Brazil often associated with the carnival in Rio and to a lesser extent also Sao Paulo. 


Samba is a vibrant and colorful culture that still transforms and is expressed in different ways in various parts of Brazil. 


The popular samba of today is influenced by the rhythms of jazz and Latin music. It is written in 2/4 or 4/4 time. The basic count is "1 and 2".


The music is cheerful and fast paced with a sound associated with Rio's Carnival. Samba is vigorous and harmonious at the same time.

Candombe and the mixing with other music gave rise to a series of dance in the 20th century, among them the origin of Samba music.
To adherents of Candombe, the word Samba, means to pray,
to invoke your personal orixà (god).

There are many samba schools which all teach samba rhythms worldwide. 


Some gifted Brazil musicians and singers are Rosa Passos, Martinho da Vila Bola Sete,Carmen Miranda, Cartola Ary Barroso, Pixinguinha and Villa Lobos. Other famous players are Antonio Carlos <Tom> Jobim, Edison MachadoWalter Wanderley, Milton Banana, Hermeto Pascoal, Joao Gilberto and Raul de Souza.

Rosa Passos

Martinho da Vila

Bola Sete

Raul de Souza

    

Cartola

Pixinguinha

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