Samba

Samba is not only the dance associated with the biggest carnival in Rio de Janeiro. First of all Samba is a music with combination of African, native Indian and Iberian influences (Afro-Brazilian slave culture started in the 16^th Century). It varies from a slow, more relaxed tempo and a melancholic guitar sound, to a very hot and cheerful character. One thing that joins them all is the unique rhythm used in African religion – Candobe. From there, most probably comes the name, after ‘san-ba’ meaning ‘to pray’.

As a dance, Samba travelled to North America and Europe in the middle 1920’s as a solo couple dancing in a circle of others clapping to mark the rhythm. The composite dance evolved several years later with traditional African dance figures, body rolls and sway, and, of course, carnival steps like ‘Copacabana’. Later on the closed ballroom hold was added, as well as progressive steps, gaining attention from European countries in the early 20th Century. Samba Carioca, or Rocking Samba, was more gentle and standardised form of this dance popularised by Fred Astaire in ‘Flying down to Rio’.

In current form Samba was formalised in 1956, retaining some truly Brazilian Carnival’s figures with difficult hip movements on the half of the beats between steps. It is danced with weight forward, on bend legs, to various rhythms and styles to fit modern music and changing styles of competitive dances.