Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in
Bahia and with its roots in Brazil (Rio De Janeiro) and Africa via
the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It
is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the
Brazilian Carnival. Considered one of the most popular Brazilian
cultural expressions, samba has become an icon of Brazilian
national identity. The Bahian Samba de Roda (dance circle), which
became a UNESCO Heritage of Humanity in 2005, is the main root of
the samba carioca, the samba that is played and danced in Rio de
Janeiro.
The modern samba that emerged at the beginning of the 20th
century is basically 2/4 tempo varied with the conscious use of
chorus sung to the sound of palms and batucada rhythm, adding one
or more parts or stanzas of declaratory verses. Traditionally, the
samba is played by strings (cavaquinho and various types of guitar)
and various percussion instruments such as tamborim. Influenced by
American orchestras in vogue since the Second World War and the
cultural impact of US music post-war, samba began to use trombones,
trumpets, choros, flutes, and clarinets.
In addition to rhythm and bar, samba brings a whole historical
culture of food, varied dances (miudinho, coco, samba de roda, and
pernada), parties, clothes such as linen shirts, and the NAIF
painting of established names such as Nelson Sargento, Guilherme de
Brito, and Heitor dos Prazeres. Anonymous community artists,
including painters, sculptors, designers, and stylists, make the
clothes, costumes, carnival floats, and cars, opening the doors of
schools of samba.
The Samba National Day is celebrated on December 2. The date was
established at the initiative of Luis Monteiro da Costa, an
Alderman of Salvador, in honor of Ary Barroso. He composed "Na
Baixa do Sapateiro" even though he had never been in Bahia. Thus 2
December marked the first visit of Ary Barroso to Salvador.
Initially, this day was celebrated only in Salvador, but eventually
it turned into a national holiday.
Samba is a root style in Southeastern Brazil and Northeast
Brazil, especially in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Salvador and Belo
Horizonte. Its importance as Brazil's national music transcends
region, however; samba schools, samba musicians and carnival
organizations centered around the performance of samba exist in
every region of the country and, while regional musics prevail in
other regions (for instance, in Southern Brazil, Center-West
Brazil, and all of the Brazilian countryside, Sertanejo, or
Brazilian country music, is the most popular style). Since Rio de
Janeiro is the most popular Brazilian city worldwide, usually samba
is used to identify Brazilians as part of the same national
culture, even if nowadays Sertanejo is the most popular style in
Brazil.