..." The northeastern state of Bahia, cradle of many Afro-Brazilian traditions, is home to the origins of Samba music. When slavery in Brazil was abolished in 1888, former slaves from Bahia migrated south to Rio, which is currently the base of Samba.
The word “Samba” is derived from the word “Semba”. In the African Bantu language known as Kimbundo, brought to Brazil by slaves taken predominantly from Angola, “Semba” signifies “naval bump” which depicts the intimacy and “invitation” to dance, a feature common in many Afro Brazilian forms. It is also noted that the word Samba is the infinitive of “kusamba” which literally means “to pray” or to invoke favor of the gods through rhythm, song and dance. It is believed that Angola's traditional semba music lies at the founding heart of Brazilian samba. Used as a means of celebrating and religious worship, the semba follows an ancient rhythm, accompanied by a dance form similar to present day samba with emphasis placed on the undulations of the hips and belly. However, in samba there are no undulations of the hips. Movement comes from the legs. The hips stay still.
Samba emerged as a musical genre after its birth in the region of Bahia known as “Little Africa”. Terreiros da Candomble (religious houses) were founded by Bahian priestesses also known as Tias (Aunts) or Baianas (Bahian Aunts), to invoke the gods through song and dance. During these religious ceremonies, samba de roda was danced to the beat of African drum and percussions. Gathering in the homes of well respected Baianas, people would create and compose samba variations. The first officially broadcast samba song, entitled “Pelo Telefone”, was recorded in the terreiro of legendary Tia Ciata in Praça Onze, Cidade Nova (Rio).
When slavery came to an end, mass migration to Rio from Bahia commenced. Continuing the practice of samba, Escolas de Samba (samba schools) were established as a creative and artistic outlet for poor communities. Accompanied by percussion music, blocos (groups of dancers) sung and danced in celebration of Carnaval through their neighborhoods and neighboring favelas (shanty towns). Initially, the practice and dance expression of samba was prohibited for it was perceived as obscene, improper and in bad taste in the view of Brazil’s upper class. Angenor de Oliveira, a pioneer of Samba, has been quoted as saying “In my childhood, we played the Samba in the backyards of the old ladies, whom we call tias, and the police stopped us often, because the Samba, then, was considered a thing of bums and bandits....” ( World Music Central )
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The word “Samba” is derived from the word “Semba”. In the African Bantu language known as Kimbundo, brought to Brazil by slaves taken predominantly from Angola, “Semba” signifies “naval bump” which depicts the intimacy and “invitation” to dance, a feature common in many Afro Brazilian forms. It is also noted that the word Samba is the infinitive of “kusamba” which literally means “to pray” or to invoke favor of the gods through rhythm, song and dance. It is believed that Angola's traditional semba music lies at the founding heart of Brazilian samba. Used as a means of celebrating and religious worship, the semba follows an ancient rhythm, accompanied by a dance form similar to present day samba with emphasis placed on the undulations of the hips and belly. However, in samba there are no undulations of the hips. Movement comes from the legs. The hips stay still.
Samba emerged as a musical genre after its birth in the region of Bahia known as “Little Africa”. Terreiros da Candomble (religious houses) were founded by Bahian priestesses also known as Tias (Aunts) or Baianas (Bahian Aunts), to invoke the gods through song and dance. During these religious ceremonies, samba de roda was danced to the beat of African drum and percussions. Gathering in the homes of well respected Baianas, people would create and compose samba variations. The first officially broadcast samba song, entitled “Pelo Telefone”, was recorded in the terreiro of legendary Tia Ciata in Praça Onze, Cidade Nova (Rio).
When slavery came to an end, mass migration to Rio from Bahia commenced. Continuing the practice of samba, Escolas de Samba (samba schools) were established as a creative and artistic outlet for poor communities. Accompanied by percussion music, blocos (groups of dancers) sung and danced in celebration of Carnaval through their neighborhoods and neighboring favelas (shanty towns). Initially, the practice and dance expression of samba was prohibited for it was perceived as obscene, improper and in bad taste in the view of Brazil’s upper class. Angenor de Oliveira, a pioneer of Samba, has been quoted as saying “In my childhood, we played the Samba in the backyards of the old ladies, whom we call tias, and the police stopped us often, because the Samba, then, was considered a thing of bums and bandits....” ( World Music Central )
