Can you say samba?
Sensuous or sizzling, there's something about a samba that digs in and won't let go. Your toes twitch, your shoulders sway, and in a flash you're on your feet and dancing!
Samba music is drums. Loud, pulsating, get-in-your-blood percussion. Energetic powerful. The bateria captures energy and spirit and translates it into irrestible music. Midi music isn't the same but you can get the idea as you listen to Na Boquinha da Garrafa by Companhia do Pagode.
Get in the mood for a lot of samba and carnaval in Brazil, and then head on down to Rio where you can learn the samba at an Escola do Samba like the Imperatriz Leopoldinente. If you're preparing for your trip to Brazil you can learn to dance in schools all over the world. Yes Brazil in the UK Onda de Samba in Germany, Samba chez K'Danse in Switzerland, Sweden and the Quilombo School of Samba in London are a few examples.
The samba is simple and fun to learn. Easily adaptable to any style sedate to flamboyant the samba is also a staple of dance competitions as you can read in Strut that samba stuff from South Africa.
There are many styles of dancing each with their fans. Read how they developed in Brazilian Review and then take a look at some of the elaborate costumes available to members of the different Samba Schools.
But more than anything samba is synonymous with Carnival. The competition between the escolas is fierce and each year they vie for top honors. This History briefly looks at the development but you'll find more details with descriptions commentary and great photos at the same site.
The making of carnival will get you in the mood to samba and Brazilian midi music offers a nice selection of sambas and other popular dances to keep your feet busy and your spirits smiling for quite some time.
