 |
 SAMBA
is a popular dance and rhythm all over Brazil The term originated from
"semba", an African word for navel. Traditionally a circle is made
with a solo dancer in the center. In the samba's rhythm there is
a syncopated note which is the cue for the soloist to touch with
her navel, the navel of the chosen person to replace her in the
circle. |
| Until the beginning of the last century, Samba was
considered the music of the poor. It was prohibited because of its
African origins and because it was a way for Blacks to meet and congregate.
The samba was a festival, linked with the African religious cults, African
food and African dance. In a search for cutural roots by the upper class
it was revived. |
 |
 |
SAMBA is one the most difficult rhythms to learn due
to its syncopation. There are great samba composer like Paulinho da Viola,Martinho
da Vila, Chico Buarque and more that we will be adding to this site; but
samba is played by people living in "barracos" or "favelas", by large "Escolas
de Samba" in huge parades at Carnaval, groups just with percussion and
horns. Many styles of groups were derived from and play samba. These are
Afro-Samba (only percussion, singers and dancers), Pagode (guitars, cavaquinho
and percussion) and Samba-Choro (flute, cavaquinho, mandolim, quitar).
Samba became a Jazz style as well. |
| CARNIVAL
in Rio is Samba's biggest celebration. Its origins included rhythm and
melody (voice), but now some schools include the "cavaquinho" and sometimes
electric bass. The classic Escola de Samba group is normally formed by
a 350-piece percusiion section including pandeiro, shakers, reco-reco,
caixa playing the basic pulse; tamborim, frigideira, agogo, repinique
and apito on the accents and surdos on the bass
line. |
 |
