Samba was born in Bahia, in the 19th century, from the mixture of African rhythms. But it was in Rio de Janeiro that he took root and developed, even though he was persecuted. During the 1920s, for example, anyone caught dancing or singing samba was at great risk of going to drumming behind bars. That’s because samba was linked to black culture, which was frowned upon at the time. Only later did he come to be seen as a national symbol, especially in the early 1940s, during the government of Getúlio Vargas. In this very Brazilian music, the harmony is made by string instruments, such as the cavaquinho and the guitar. The rhythm is given, for example, by the surdo or the tambourine. Over time, other instruments, such as the flute, piano and saxophone, were also incorporated, giving rise to new styles of samba. “As samba evolved, it gained new accents, new ways of being played and sung. That’s what makes it one of the richest rhythms in the world”, says musician Eduardo Gudin. 🙂
FROM THE WHEEL TO THE PAGODE
Around the 1930s, different styles of samba emerged in Rio de Janeiro.
SAMBA-DE-RODA
Much like the capoeira roda, it is the root of Brazilian samba and is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It appeared among the slaves in Bahia around 1860 and soon also landed in Rio de Janeiro. The samba-de-roda, like the dance, starts slowly and becomes increasingly strong and rhythmic – always accompanied by a choir to repeat the chorus. Several songs in the style have verses about the sea and African traditions.
“GRANDFATHER” OF RECO-RECO
In addition to drumming in the palm of their hands, the slaves would hit a fork on a plate, obtaining a sound similar to that of the reco-reco – an instrument that gives strength to samba.
SAMBA DE BREQUE
One of the first styles born in Rio, it was created in the late 1920s in the city’s bars. In the middle of the samba there were “paradinhas” where the singer spoke a phrase or told a story. One of the masters was Moreira da Silva. The rhythm is more minced – or «syncopated», as the musicians say -, but the trademark is really the sudden stop. Hence the name “samba de breque”. It almost always tells a funny story, from a shootout between crooks to the story of a stutterer who fell in love…
FLUTE
Samba de breque was the first style to incorporate the flute as a samba instrument. It helps to make the rhythm more orchestrated.
HIGH-PARTY
In the 1930s, the upper party became popular in the hills of Rio de Janeiro. Between one chorus and another, the musicians created verses on the fly, almost like repentistas. The old high-party parties could last for days! From the 1970s onwards, Martinho da Vila became a notable musician of the style. The main feature is improvisation. The party-high maintains itself, mainly, by the game of words inserted in the right moment. The style deals with everyday themes, and always with the greatest good humor.
DEAF
The deaf man entered the circle with the high party. Played by hand or with a stick, it sets the pulse of the music. It is the “heart of samba”.
SAMBA-PLOT
In the 1930s, when the first parades of samba schools appeared in Rio Carnival, the samba-enredo was born. In the beginning, the musicians improvised two different sambas: one for the way and the other for the way back on the avenue where the schools paraded. Over the years, the samba-enredo gained a faster beat than other sambas – which helps schools to parade on time. From the 80s, things changed, but until then, samba-enredo only addressed the official history of Brazil.
CUÍCA
With the sound of a “groaning voice”, it was one of the novelties of school drums. The function of the cuíca is more complementary, giving an extra flavor to the samba.
SAMBA-CANÇÃO
Another creation of the Rio de Janeiro bars, the samba-canção appeared at the turn of the 30s to the 40s. It soon became famous as “samba de fossa”, perfect to listen to after a foot in the ass… Cartola and Noel Rosa made great songs of the style. The slower, more cadenced beat of the samba-canção is very reminiscent of bolero, another musical rhythm that was successful in the 1940s. In general, the songs talk about heartbreak – from unrequited love to the worst betrayals!
TAMBOURINE
Since the origin of samba, the pandeiro was present, but in the samba-canção it gained more importance, marking the rhythm of the music in place of the surdo.
BOSSA NOVA
Tired of the samba-canção cesspool, some composers decided to write songs about lighter themes at the end of the 50s. Bossa nova was born. Masters like Tom Jobim and João Gilberto made a very different samba, with a great influence of jazz. With more “complex” musical constructions, bossa nova has the so-called “stuttering guitar”, played at a different rhythm from the voice and other instruments. The favorite subject was the beauties of life, from the beach to women, of course!
GUITAR
The symbol of bossa nova was the guitar – in addition to the stool… Used in almost all styles of samba, it is one of those responsible for the melody and harmony of the music.
PAGODA
The pagode that is successful today painted as a samba style in the 1980s, in Rio, with singers like Jorge Aragão and Zeca Pagodinho. In the 1990s, in São Paulo, it became more “commercial” – including choreography by the musicians – and exploded on the radio. The pagoda of the 80’s was very influenced by the upper party. In the following decade, it started to have a slower and more romantic footprint. In the 1980s, community life was the main thing; in the 90s, the romantic lyrics.
KEYBOARD
In the more modern hits, electronic instruments, such as keyboards and synthesizers, entered the dance – to the chagrin of the more traditional sambistas…
COMPLETING THE BATTERY
Get to know other important instruments for a good batuque
SO MUCH
Thinner than the surdo, it also marks the rhythm. In general, it is played with the palm of the hand, without the fingers touching the membrane.
TAMBOURINE
Played with a bamboo stick, it doesn’t necessarily set the rhythm of samba, but it brings a sharp sound to the drumming.
CAVAQUINHO
Its role is similar to that of a tambourine: it makes the sound more acute. But he does it in the samba melody, not the rhythmic beat.