The samba is a lively, rhythmic Brazilian dance that is often performed to festive Brazilian music, recognized by UNESCO as an “intangible cultural heritage of humanity”. Let's see more in the following material. teleSUR
00:01Samba is a musical genre and a dance that embodies the essence of Brazilian culture.
00:09It emerged between the late 19th and early 20th century in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro,
00:15where the Afro-Brazilian communities gathered to celebrate their tradition and express their creativity.
00:21It's a fusion of African rhythms, European melodies and indigenous elements.
00:26It's characterized by its melodies and lyrics that often deal with themes of love, joy and daily life.
00:33The word Samba is believed to have African roots,
00:36possibly derived from the term Semba, which refers to a type of Angolan dance.
00:41As a dance, it is characterized by its energetic movements, which often includes sliding steps, turns and undulating hip movements.
01:00The steps vary according to style and region, but generally involve quick and agile footwork.
01:07The colorful costumes, adorned with sequins and feathers, complement the beauty of the dance.
01:12The Samba is dance in couples or in groups, and is often performed at carnivals and festivals.
01:19One of the most important characters of this dance is the Portabandeira, a woman who carries the flag of the Samba school.
01:26She's a respected figure in the community.
01:29There is also the Raña La Bateria, or the Queen of the Drums, a beautiful and charismatic woman who parades at the front of the drums.
01:36The Pasistas are also part of the procession. They are the dancers who parade in groups.
01:42As for the music, the Samba is distinguished by its syncopated rhythms. The main instruments include the guitar, the cavaquinho, which is a type of ukelele, the pandeiro, or tambourine, which is used to mark the rhythm and add ornaments.
02:07A large double-headed drum, called the zurdo, used to mark the pulse, the tambourine.
02:14A small hand drum that creates fast and complex rhythms. A whistle, called apito, to give signals and mark, as well as other percussion instruments.
02:23The Mestre Sala is the director of the Samba school, who leads the bateria and coordinates the parade.
02:29The Samba school, leader the bateria and coordinates the desfile.
