Samba (Brazilian dance)

The samba is a lively and rhythmic dance of Afro-Brazilian origin in 2/4 (2 by 4) beats danced to Samba music whose origins include the Maxixe.

Samba music is very similar to and has been influenced by many Angolan musical genres. It has also been influenced by many other Latin American musical genres and dances. The musical rhythm of samba has been danced in Brazil since its inception at the end of the XVI century. There are actually a set of dances, rather than just one dance, that define the samba dance scene in Brazil; However, it cannot be stated with certainty that a single dance is the “original” style of Samba.

Another major current of samba dance, in addition to Brazilian samba dance styles, is ballroom samba, which differs significantly.

History

Samba was brought to Brazil by African immigrants, particularly those from the Bantu tribes. It also has its origin in African ritual dances. Samba arrived in cities at the end of the 19th century and gained international popularity from 1920 to 1930. Many folk dances developed through from the "circular dances" of the slaves, the new environmental conditions and the European influences brought by colonization, especially after the abolition of slavery in Brazil in 1888.

The popularity of this Brazilian dance increased in all sections of the population, especially during carnival. Around 1914, the precursor of samba, the maxixe (pronounced mashishe or mayiye), arrived in Europe. It was in 1924 when samba began to become popular in Europe.

Different Types of Samba

Samba no pé

Samba no pé (literally, "samba on the foot") is a solo dance commonly performed improvising when samba music is played. The basic movement involves a straight torso, arm movements and alternating between the feet, using the bending of one knee at a time and the movement of the hips (in the case of women). The feet move very slightly, just a few centimeters at a time. The rhythm is 3/4, with 3 steps per foot. The basic movement is the same for each side; where one foot moves back on beat one (slightly), the other foot moves slightly forward (beat two). This second leg is slightly bent at the knee so that the left side of the hip goes down and the right side appears to move up. The weight briefly shifts to this front foot (beat three) to the one that is forward (like a small slide). Beat 4 is in the air and can be used to lift your foot and land again on beat one.

The dance simply follows the rhythm of the music and can go from very slow to very fast. Men dance with their entire foot on the ground, or lifting from the heel (depending on the style), while women, often wearing heels, dance on the balls of their feet. The arm movements will depend on what is being performed at the moment or how fast you are dancing. There are also regional forms of the dance in Brazil, where the essential steps are the same, but due to a change in the accent of the music, people will dance movements similar to the slightly modified accents. For example, in Bahia, girls tend to dance by leaning their legs outward instead of keeping their knees close to each other like in Rio de Janeiro.

This is the type of samba that one sees in Brazilian Carnival parades and at other samba carnivals around the world. This is also one of the most common types of samba dance in Brazil.

Samba de Gafieira

Samba de Gafieira is a dance associated considerably different from ballroom samba. It appeared in the 1940s and was named after the gafieira, popular urban nightclubs in Rio de Janeiro at the time.

The dance derives from the maxixe and followed the arrival of the choro (another musical style of samba). He left behind most of the elements of Maxixe's polka, but maintained the intertwined leg movements of the Argentine tango, although he adopted a more relaxed posture than the latter. Many see this form of samba as a combination of waltz and tango. Several Brazilian dance studios use elements and techniques of these two dances to teach Samba de Gafieira steps and dance routines.

Samba pagode

Samba pagode is another Samba couple dance that resembles the Gafieira Samba, but has less acrobatic movements and tends to be more intimate. It became a dance style after the appearance of the pagode and began in the city of São Paulo.

Samba axé

Samba axé is a solo dance that began in 1992 during the Brazilian Carnival season in Bahia when the axé rhythm replaced the lambada. For years it became the main type of dance for northeastern Brazil during the holiday months. The dance is completely choreographed and the movements tend to imitate the lyrics. It is a very energetic type of dance that mixes elements of Samba no pé and aerobics and because of the lyrics, which are made for entertainment, the dance usually has some type of playful element.

Several axé music groups such as "É or Tchan!" As part of their marketing strategy, they always release choreography along with each of their songs; Therefore, Samba axé is an ever-changing type of dance without the commitment to maintaining any formal set of steps or routines (there is actually no such thing as a basic step in Samba axé).

Samba reggae

It also originated in Bahia, it is a mixture of reggae rhythms with Samba drums. Very popular in songs by Daniela Mercury, who catapulted the rhythm to the world with songs like "Sol da Liberdade", "O Reggae E O Mar" and "Perola Negra". Samba reggae is the second most popular style of samba in Bahia, with followers throughout Brazil.

Samba rock

Samba rock is a playful form of samba, and originates in São Paulo. It is a Latin disco dance.

Roda Samba

Samba de roda is a traditional Afro-Brazilian dance that was originally performed as informal entertainment after a Candomblé ceremony, using the same percussion instruments used during the religious ceremony. The typical drum is the atabaque; Drummers improvise variations and elaborations on common patterns, typically accompanied by singing and clapping, as well as dancing.

Samba de roda is a celebratory event that incorporates music, choreography and poetry.

The term "Samba" It encompassed many different rhythms, melodies, percussions and dances from various periods and areas of Brazilian territory. It appeared in the State of Bahia, more specifically in the Recôncavo region in Brazil, during the XVII century.

Because all drumming and dancing was generalized by the Portuguese colonizers as "samba", it is difficult to attribute it to a distinct heritage. However, the most universally recognized cultural origin of Samba is Lundu, a rhythm brought to Brazil by Bantu slaves from Africa. Lundu reveals, in a way, the amalgamation of black (slave) and white (Portuguese) and indigenous cultures. When African slaves were imported, it was called "semba" and with the introduction of the Arabic Pandeiro (tambourine), brought to Roda by the Portuguese, "samba" was molded into the dance form it is today.

In the indigenous language, "samba" means roda de dança, or a circle for dancing, as indigenous peoples danced in celebration on many occasions, such as the celebration of popular Catholic festivals, Amerindian or Afro-Brazilian religious ceremonies, but also It was practiced randomly.

All participants, including beginners, are invited to join the dance and observe and imitate. Usually only women dance one after the other and are surrounded by others who dance in a circle and clap. The choreography is usually spontaneous and is based on the movements of the feet, legs and hips. One of the most typical movements is the umbigada , which is clearly influenced by Bantu, where the dancer invites her successor to the center of the circle.

The factor that often draws most people's attention to rhythm is the unusually accented (syncopated) rhythm. The absent beat is the strongest characteristic of Samba, leading the listener to dance to fill the void with the movements of their body. This syncopated rhythm is also an indication of black resistance against cultural assimilation. Samba de roda, in particular, was considered an expression of freedom and identity of the disadvantaged and became a means of liberation.

Samba de roda has declined significantly during the 20th century due to economic decline and increased poverty in the region. The effects of mass media and competition from modern popular music have also devalued this tradition among younger generations. Finally, the weakening of Samba de roda intensified through the aging of the practitioners and the disappearance of those who made the musical instruments.