Big Blog 2: The Samba of Rio de Janeiro

Over the progression of this Jan term, we have had the fortuity of enjoying the awe-inspiring adventure through studying different cultures and music from all over the world. It has been a pleasure to witness the transformation of music from where it has come from to where it is today. One thing that I continue to observe is that music is an ever-evolving thing. I especially enjoy it when concepts are brought together from multiple cultures to form one song. For my final blog, the music that I chose to study was the music of Rio de Janeiro which is samba. 

    Rio de Janeiro is located in Brazil and the popular music style is samba. This particular music style is linked to life in the hills. Samba serves as one of the symbols of black culture within the country. This Brazilian music also has its origins in African dances and popular cultural manifestations. Samba is probably the most popular music and dance style to come out of Brazil. It emerged within Rio de Janeiro in the 20th century and has grown to become the quintessential music and dance form with Rio's carnival. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines quintessential as, "the most important part of the music, or the melody of the music. With samba's syncopated and rich style, it makes way for dancing and in return, it has circled the globe as one of the most contagious and popular music styles that has come out of the South American continent. 

    The term "samba" is said to have come from the Kimbundu (which is Angolan) term semba. The meaning of the word semba is "an invitation to dance." It also serves as common application when it comes to dance parties held by the slaves and former slaves in the rural areas of Rio. Within these extravagant dance movements, the gyration of the hips is a big component. The term used for gyration of the hips is umbigada. The dances of Rio have roots that go back to the Congolese and Angolan dances within the colonial period. 

    With Carnival also comes some of the best street parties. These street parties are organized by groups called blocos. The street parties start off with a small group of people and then as the groups parade through the streets of Rio, more and more people are gathered. Street parties tend to start three months before official kickoff of the festival in March. 

    As time has progressed, samba has gained influence from Brazilian predecessors along with the Cuban habanera and German polka. Some of the earliest recordings of samba date back to 1911 and was extremely popular as a song form. Alfredo da Rocha Viana Jr., also known as Pixinguinha, was one of the early pioneers who helped crystalize the samba form and enhance a richer harmony. From the 1920s up to the tip of the radio era within the '30s, sambas tended to be slower and more romantic and led to the subgenre of samba-canção. Samba-canção put more emphasis on the melody rather than the rhythm along with lyrics that tended to be more sentimental and moodier. Samba was soon put on the international radar through composers, and icons only enhanced and embraced the form. 

    Although samba took a rise in the 1920s, samba-canção soon started to lose its momentum in the 1950s.  This loss in momentum was due to a more percussive and funkier style of samba. This more upbeat style of samba emerged from the poor areas and shantytowns which are referred to as favelas. Because of the development in the morros or hills, it was originally called samba de morro. However, due to the emphasized polyrhythmic sounds and multiple percussion instruments, the style soon came to be known as  samba de batucada. Due to samba de batucadas powerful sounding form, it soon became the heartbeat of Rio's Carnival. Within the Carnival, the vehicles primary utilized for this style were and still are organized groups or contingents. These contingents are called escolas de samba which translates to samba schools. 

   

    Now you might be asking yourself, "What is carnival?" It's okay, I'll tell you. Carnival is the main festivity in Brazil and has earned its name as "The Greatest Show on Earth." The Carnival starts on Friday and goes all the way to Tuesday, or just a day of Ash Wednesday. This event serves as the Catholic tradition and signifies the start of Lent. Because samba is the heart of Carnival, it represents a perfect demonstration of the Afro-European blend that defines Brazilian culture. 

    

    Rio's escolas made an appearance back in the late 1920s as fraternal groups. These groups were dedicated to playing and dancing in carnival. Furthermore, they now represent some of the most cultural institutions in the country. Filled with lots of percussionists, costume float designers, dancers, and choreographers, the schools prepare all year for the Carnival parade. The hundreds of percussionists are collectively called the bateria. Each group that participates in carnival enters into competition with enredo, which is another name for theme samba. Bahia, the former capital of Salvador, along with Rio, offer root-oriented carnival traditions. Bahia has also kept the African heritage and it serves at the country's center for the Afro-Brazilian religion of candombé. 

    The development of bossa nova served as another important development in the legacy of samba. Bossa nova played an intricate role through emphasizing the melodic and vocal aspects of samba in a slower, more romantic style combined with abundance of American jazz harmony. Although samba was criticized for its "out-of-tune" qualities, it soon soared through pioneers and amazed international audiences with the sounds of authentic Brazilian music. 

 

    Now that we've looked at the general aspects of Rio, let's have some fun! I have always been interested in learning more about samba in Rio, so I was so excited when I had the opportunity to learn more about this musical culture. Although I have always had an interest, another aspect that really inspired me was the Rio movies. The movies really capture the samba atmosphere of Rio in Brazil and it is very enjoyable. Below, are a few clips from the Rio movies for your entertainment! Enjoy!

Works Cited:

Brazilian Tourism. Musical History in Rio. 2019

https://www.visitbrasil.com/experiences/musical-history-in-rio.html

Music History in Rio. 

Sambassadors of Groove. A História de Samba. 

http://www.sambassadorsofgroove.org.uk/history-of-samba.html

A História de Samba. 

Rio Carnival. What is Carnival Without You?

https://www.riocarnaval.org/rio-carnival/what-is 

What is Carnival Without You?