“Introduction into the Music of Brazil”
Brazil music is full of passion and sentiment. It reflects the very
essence and soul of Brazil, and music in Brazil plays a big role in the
lives of many Brazilians all around the country.
If you have ever walked the streets of Brazil or been to a Brazilian
beach you can see how the people are full of energy and happy, the music
is in their blood, in the way they walk, talk, dance and love.
Brazilians are very passionate about music and it is part of their
culture.
Wherever you go in Brazil you will find people playing, signing and
dancing to many different forms of music. For most Brazilians, music is
more than just listening to a song. It accompanies them everyday in a
variety of things they do. Music helps them celebrate life and inspires
happiness.
Brazil has a rich musical heritage and it plays a role both in
everyday life in Brazil and in all types of celebrations, it is the
result of different cultures which have created and shape a variety of
unique and original Brazilian music styles.
Brazil music encompasses various regional music styles influenced by
African, European and Amerindian forms. After 500 years of history,
Brazilian music developed some unique and original styles such as samba,
lambada, choro, bossa nova, frevo, forró, maracatu, MPB, funk carioca,
sertanejo, Brazilian rock, pagode, axé, brega, and others.
When most people think of Brazil music the first thing that might
come to their mind is samba. Samba is the most well-known musical style
of Brazil, known for its energetic and unique rhythm that is often
accompanied by dancing. It is often considered the national musical
style of Brazil as it can be seen throughout the Brazilian Carnival.
But, there is so much more than just samba in Brazil.
There is a variety of different types of Brazilian music that can be
heard all throughout Brazil. Brazil music is not just one specific style
or genere, it is very diverse and it covers a vast array of music
styles.
Brazilian Music Styles
The music of Brazil is very unique and diverse. A variety of musical
forms have developed in different parts of the country, many with
accompanying forms of dance to go with it.
Lets take a look at some of the different Brazilian music styles that can be found around different regions of Brazil.
Samba
Samba is one of the most popular forms of music and dance in Brazil,
with its unique rhythm that is characterized by its hip-swiveling style
of dance, it is viewed as Brazil’s national musical style and a symbol
of the Brazilian Carnival.
Samba derived from African roots in Brazil. The samba was part of
religious ceremonies or prayers that was done by African slaves in
Brazil. The dance was brought to Brazil by Africans during the slave
trade in the 16th century. It is believed that the modern term, “samba,”
came from a variation of an African word, “semba,” and its exact
original meaning is unclear.
In the late 19th century, samba began to evolve in Rio de Janeiro
from former slaves who migrated from the state of Bahia. During this
time, Samba came into contact with and incorporated other musical
influences and rhythms that were played throughout the city.
After one of the first recordings of a samba tune in 1917, titled
Pelo Telefone (Over the Telephone), samba became very popular and
achieved great success. Samba then became the predominant musical style
of Rio’s Carnival and started to spread across the country.
Samba dominated Brazilian popular music starting in the 1930s with
many sub-genres of samba being created by different composers and it
eventually evolved into many other types of samba as it spread across to
different parts of Brazil with the the popularization of radio.
Today, there are many different kinds of samba music and dance that consists of several forms.
Other types of samba include:
- Samba de breque – reggaeish and choppy
- samba-canção – typical variety of nightclubs
- Samba pagode – modern popular variety
- Capoeira music
- Maracatu
- Afoxé
- Samba-reggae
- Music of Salvador: Late 60s to mid-70s
- Axe
- Baio
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a Brazil music style that evolved from samba. This style
of music is often described as a fusion of jazz harmonies and a smoother
often slower samba beat.
While Samba has its origins in the favelas, bossa nova emerged primarily
from the upscale beachside neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. Bossa nova
first became popular in the 1950s and the development of bossa nova is
largely credited to a couple of artists including Johnny Alf, Antonio
Carlos Jobim and Joao Gilberto.
The first well-known bossa nova song that became a worldwide hit was
“The Girl From Ipanema”. The song was written in 1962, with music by
Antonio Carlos Jobim and the version performed by Astrud Gilberto, along
with João Gilberto and Stan Getz, from the 1964 album Getz/Gilberto. It
won a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1965 and has been performed by
many famous singers over the years such as Frank Sinatra and Amy
Winehouse.
