Brazil is the birth place of the Samba. Much of the music in the heavily populated coastal areas shows a remarkable combination of African, Native Indian, and Iberian influences.

Modern Samba was developed from an earlier Brazilian musical style called Choro. Both Samba the dance and music can take many forms, from the vivacious call response of samba de enredo, the music of Carnaval to samba-cancon or song samba, a more relaxed guitar and rhythm variant. Bossa Nova, which translates to New Wave, hit America big time in the Sixties with "The Girl From Ipanema". This song by the legendary composer Antonio Carlos Jobim became a classic in jazz and elevator music.

The roots of samba music can be traced back to West Africa via Bahia. It has its roots in the Congo-Angola round dance known as Samba de Roda. It is a musical form that has evolved over the past 200 years reflecting both the changes in people’s fortunes and the environments in which it is played. It has therefore never been a static musical form (are any?) but there is a rhythmic flavour that can be identified.

With the abolition of slavery in 1888, many black migrants from Bahia moved to Rio. At the turn of the century it developed within the poor favelas in Rio de Janeiro. Slowly, during carnival in Rio, these groups would hold parties, and samba was born: a particular drumming and dancing style that spread like wildfire amongst all the population of Brazil. Police tried to crackdown on it (a common problem with carnival) but it was too late. Groups of musicians gathered in houses improvising songs over the top of percussive beats. New musical venues opened around the city, allowing white audiences to see the music performed for the first time. In 1917 “Samba Telefone” became a huge hit at carnival time, and was the first recorded samba tune. By 1929, a samba carnival group called Deixa Falar paraded through the streets of Rio. This inspired many others. The following year 19 other groups did the same.

Since then many styles, at different speeds, played in large or small ensembles have evolved. However there is a common rhythmic element, and for carnival in Rio and Escola de Samba must incorporate the above elements.