Samba and Carnival Information

There are many different styles of samba music and sometimes it is hard to know which kind you are looking for. You may know the sound of samba you like but don’t know the name of the style making it very difficult to find the samba music you want. Here are four diffferent styles of samba music. Each eaqually as good and perfect if you are in search of brazilian samba music to use while practicing your samba steps.

I do recommend the Batucada Brasileira CD if you are specifically looking for samba music to use for those who are learning how to dance samba. This samba cd is upbeat, with only percussion and string instruments. I actually use this samba CD in my samba class and my students love it.

The first style of samba music is samba batucada. It is generally mostly percussion, very organic in feel, and speaks to your heart without words.

The second style is samba enredo, the songs samba schools play during carnaval. Samba enredos alwyas have a singer who tells the story of the samba school or the theme the samba school has chosen for the year.

Third is a mix of samba batucada and ultra modern dance music. Not so much a style as it is a mix

The fourth style is of samba music is Pagode (paw-goh-gee), slower style of samba but not like bossa nova. It has a nice samba rhythm and much more danced to by couples. in Brazil you can find this style of samba played often at back yard parties and can easily be pulled of by three people playing the tan-tan, qavaquinho, and padeiro.

Batucada Brasileira CD in action!

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Technorati Tags: Batucada, samba dance, samba enredos, samba music

If you’ve always wanted to learn the authentic Brazilian samba step, I’ve got a surprise for you! You can now learn how to dance samba at home with two of the most amazing samba DVDs. Not only will you lear samba quickly, you will soon look like a native sensual Brazilian and be ready for carnaval! These worthwhile DVDs are the real thing and the best Brazilian Samba DVDs on the market. I personally watch them before my performances for inspiration, warming up, to freshen up my samba step. Instructor, Quenia, is a gorgeous Brazilian dancer who lives in the US and teaches classes in New York. Watch the trailers below and start learning how to dance samba today!

Technorati Tags: brazilian samba, how to dance samba, samba dvd, samba step, Samba Video

Technorati Tags: brasil, Brazil, Carnaval, Carnival, mangueira, parade, rio, Samba, travel

Samba Schools in Rio de Janeiro, are not so much schools as they are neighborhood organizations. Each school or escola de samba, works all year to create, plan and practice for their parade showing, competition and celebration called Carnaval.

Rio de Janeiro has over 100 samba schools, but only the top 12 schools belong in the “Special” group. This group is world renounced for their incredible parades, costumes, and over the top magnificence. Each of these samba schools has over on thousand participants during the carnival parade.

During Brazilian carnival, Samba Schools have their turn at presenting their parade and much complete it in about one hour to one hour and 20 minutes. Everyone in the school’s parade must know the school’s theme song (samba de enredo) by heart and sing it the entire time. If you are planning to be a part of the parade, don’t worry, you will be given the lyrics way in advanced. If you don’t speak Portuguese you just pretend you know what you are singing, dance your bunda off and smile.

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Technorati Tags: Carnaval, rio de janeiro carnival, samba schools

Scene from the documentary “Empress of Carnival”, which shows the 9-month preparation of the Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba-school for the carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro. This scene shows the preparation of several samba-schools for the upcoming parade. More information at www.imperatrizdocarnaval.com.br

Duration : 0:3:15

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Technorati Tags: Carnival, imperatriz, parade, rio, Samba

There are different styles of Brazilian samba depending on where you are in the country, or your personal preference. Here are two basic samba videos, each are excellent in showing you the basic Brazilian samba steps. The video on the left is samba in the axe style (pronounce ah-shay) more typical in north Brazil, particularty the state of Bahia. Carol Styley shows you how it’s done.

The second video on the right is more the style danced in Rio de Janeiro at bars and backyard parties, particulary with Pagode music. Pagode is a slower style of samba. Here Carlinhos Araujo will show you how a very easy to follow basic samba step.

You can practice both styles and eventually break out in your own unique way of expressing your samba moves. Just remember to relax and not think too much about the step, just let your body roll into it. Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: axe, pagode, Samba, samba step, Samba Video

Every year each of the samba schools Brazil participating in Caranval, must have a new theme song or samba enredo, which every member of the school must know by heart. Here is an example of a theme song everyone in the samba school must sing the entire 85 minutes of their part in the carnaval parade, the 2008 carnaval theme song (samba enredo) of Portela, one of the top samba schools in Rio de Janeiro. The name of the song is “Reconstruindo a natureza, recriando a vida: O sonho vira realidade” which means “Reconstructing nature, recreating life: The dream turns into reality”.

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Technorati Tags: 2008, Batucada, Brazil, Brazilian, Carnaval, Carnival, parade, Portela, rio, Samba, samba enredo