15 Feb /16

Samba

Samba – Word of the day - EVS Translations
Samba – Word of the day – EVS Translations

The Zika virus threat and the unstable situation in Brazil, did not really affect the country’s carnival celebrations. Brazil, along with tourist from all around the world, dived into a five day festival of dancing and wild costumes. And as usual, the best carnival on Earth was shaken by samba fever.

Brazil, is indeed, the country where samba originated, authentic to the black people and the rhythm danced there since the late 16th century.

In the following centuries, Europe got to hear about the Latin American dance zemba queca (a dance that originated in Peru, taking its roots from the colonial slaves), which later mixed with maxixe (the Brazilian tango) and evolved into samba.

The first written British record comes from 1885, when Walter Moberly observed the dance in British Columbia: “It was here I first saw the graceful South American dance—the Zemba Queca (I am not certain how it is spelt).”

Samba – History

The real evolution of samba began in the early 20th century, in Rio de Janeiro with the first officially registered and recorded samba – the “Pelo Telefone,” composed by Donga, which reflected the daily life in Rio and became a hit in 1917.

The word samba is of Portuguese origin but thought to had derived from the Kimbundu (Angolan) term semba, which referred to an “invitation to dance” as well as the dance parties held by slaves and former slaves in the rural areas of Rio.

It started being popularised in the US in the late 30s, with major events like the samba exhibition at the 1938 meeting of the New York Society of Teachers of Dancing and the 1939 World’s Fair in New York, where Samba music was played at the Brazilian Pavilion; taking the rhythm to the dance clubs. As the Britannica book of the year 1938 confirms: “The samba is the national dance of Brazil, much as the fox trot is in the United States… In 1938, the samba was just beginning to make its way in the New York night clubs”.

In the 50s, a funkier style of samba began to develop in the favelas of Rio, at first called samba de morro because of its development in the morros (hills), to later known as samba-de-batucada, from the African-influenced Brazilian percussive style, usually performed by an ensemble, known as a bateria. The powerful sound and fast pace rhythm became the quintessence of the pre-Lent carnival, with the primary vehicle of the carnival’s heartbeat – the organised escolas de samba (the samba schools).

The samba schools or guilds are traditionally associated with a particular favela /neighbourhood and seen to affirm the Afro-Brazilian cultural heritage in contrast to the mainstream education system.

Samba, aside from a powerful street dance, has its place in the ballrooms as well, where it is also known as the Brazilian Waltz.

And to give your day a samba move, follow the Bellini’s song rhythm and instructions:

Samba de janeiro Samba from (Rio) de Janeiro
Sempre assim,
Always like this
Em cima, em cima
(Shake your arms) up
Em baixo, em baixo
(Shake your body) down