CARNAVAL!!!

The feeling of excitement that you get when you are in the middle of a big, colorful, parade in Brazil with people wearing different types of costumes and feeling the music going through your veins, is one of a kind. In participating in Brazil’s festivals, you can experience the country’s national pride in samba, in demonstrating the musical genre and dance form. “The origin of Brazil’s carnival goes back to a Portuguese pre-lent festivity called “entrudo”-chaotic event where participants threw mud, water, and food at each other in a street event that often led to riots" in which conveys how the first festivities began to come out.

During the yearly carnaval (Brazilian carnival), samba has to came to symbolizes racial and social harmony between the Brazilian people. “The word samba is derived from the African Bantu language known as Kimbundo, brought to Brazil by slaves taken predominantly from Angola, the word “semba” signifies “naval bump” in which brings out the intimacy and invitation to dance”. As well, it is a common feature in many Afro-Brazilian forms. “The musical form of samba rose in popularity in the 1920’s, establishing itself as a firm favorite for Carnaval Brasileiro. In the 1930's, they added a samba parade..in which got a permanent home- The Samdorome". Samba was a way in which people communicated through dancing as well it was like the universal langauge in Brazil, because everyone understood it. Even though you experience the true spirit of Brazil in attending these main street parades, the history of Carnival festivities and where they originated from are the main aspects in understanding the Brazilian culture and how they began.

Carnaval-Rio de Janeiro

The most famous of Brazilian carnivals is Carnaval de Rio de Janerio in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. During the parade, are amazing floats followed by thousands of dancers, singers, and drummers that parade through the Sambodromo stadium, dressed in colorful and unique costumes that attract crowds of people. These events begin on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, because during these parades people enjoy the music, food, drinks and sex before lent. And for 40 days of lent, they can be able to reflect on themselves, practice abstinence, and fast until Easter. The word “carnaval” comes from the latin word “Carne Vale” or “Farewell to the Flesh”. This quotation signifies how the festivities show how much a person can enjoy in going to one of these carnavals and as a result repent on their sins. “The first carnival festivities in Rio date back to 1723, in which dance groups or Blocos, paraded the streets in groups of no more than 50 people. The parades also evolved into competitions in which the best group would show off to the crowd, with their rhythmic dance expressions and elaborate costumes”.

->The popular dance done in many carnivals would be samba. In the book "The Mystery of Samba" Hermano Vianna explains the history of samba and how it has changed throughout time. He conveys on how samba has become a very popular dance in Brazil, he says,“Samba is also the centerpiece of Rio’s world-famous pre-Lenten carnival, when samba dancers, who are predominantly black, from the city’s poor neighborhoods parade all night under the glare of sophisticated all-night telemedia, broadcast nationwide” (Vianna, preface) This quotation signifies the popularity that this dance has brought to Rio de Janeiro’s famous carnaval and its people. In addition, there are certain types of samba in which musicians would play in carnavales, “The samba de enredo comprised the theme songs of Rio de Janerio’s Carnaval-batucadas (large percussion sections), as well as the singers and dancers comprising the escolas of samba (samba schools which first appeared in 1928), marched in street parades to samba de enredo, and frequently, samba cancao”. Through the use of samba music and the movement of dancing, samba schools have greatly impacted these festive carnivals, because they use unique costumes to motivate people about the Brazilian culture and traditions. Overall, the Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro is one of the most biggest and popularized carnivals held in Brazil, in which brings people together and from around the world.

Carnaval-Salvador da Bahia

“Salvador da Bahia was Brazil's first center of government (from 1549 to 1763), and remains its musical capital“. Like the Rio de Janeiro, the city of Salvador is known for its carnival. Even though Rio, is known for its samba schools, elaborate costumes, and huge parade in Sambodomo stadium, Salvador is popular because of its street carnival that lasts for weeks as well the different events that are happening on the streets and beaches. The music begins daily as early as noon and goes until 7or 8 the next morning. A tradition in Salvador which started in 1950 , when two Bahian musicians Dodo and Osmar performed with “trios electricos” (electric trios), which where massive power speakers in which people could hear the rhythm and beat of the music. The second component of the carnival in Salvador da Bahia are the Barrancas, they are similar to trios in such of the sound system and because they form endless parties among the streets of Salvador. In the festivals in Bahia, many people become attracted to the music coming from the loud speakers, because they are able to listen to the rythm of the music and hear the famous bands playing.

->There are different groups or blocos that people join to have fun and enjoy themselves. “Groups called Afoxi societies parade through the streets in fantastic outfits, presenting the sacred music and dancing of Candombli”. Bahia's carnival is the one of the world's largest open to the public festival, attracting crowds of three million people that dance through the night in Salvador's historic streets. Through the way the music is expressed to people and the way these street carnivals have exposed to people a new form of culture and identity, like Rio, Salvador has also shown the Brazilian pride of its people and their movement.

Fiestas, Culture, and Music

Overall, the experience and opportunity of going to one of these carnivals even if it is in Salvador da Bahia or Rio de Janeiro, you are able to witness the full on activities and come face to face with the traditions and culture of how real Brazilians like to party. The Carnavals are a way in which people in society come together and unit as a country and share something valuable that they have, which is their pride and their famous samba dance. I would like to finish off the blog with a quote from the book, "The Mystery of Samba" by Hermano Vianna, it says, “It’s nothing like they say. Samba moved to the favelas later on. Anyway, it went wherever we went: Wherever there was a party”! -Donga


Work Cited

Vianna. Hermano. The Mystery of Samba. Chapel Hill & London

The University of North Carolina Press, 1999

http://worldcentral.org/article.php/20040720105726323

http://www.ipanema.com/carnival

http://braziltravelinformation.com/brazil_carnival.htm

http://www.andetur.com.br/us/brazil/festival.htm

http://www.afropop.org/multi/feature/ID/33/

Samba Dancing!

Samba and its movements

Anyone can dance Samba! Samba originated many years ago and continues to be a great influence to dancing today. Samba also came from the dance Lundu that was brought to Brazil by slaves. The word samba originated as the word “semba” which is defined as praying to their dieties. Samba is defined as a set of dances, instead of a single dance. Before 1914 it was known under a Brazilian name known as "Maxixe." According to Peter Fryer, in his book, Rhythms of Resistance, he states that Maxixe is a “second missing link in the prehistory of samba” (Fryer 155). This type of dancing came after the Lundu dance and before Samba had officially established in Brazil. Samba developed as a special kind of dance at the beginning of the 20th century in Rio de Janerio. “Samba de roda was a dance often performed in the morros de Rio de Janeiro, meaning in the slum cities or where poor people lived, surrounding Rio de Janeiro.” In the beginning when Samba arose, it was typically “danced in a ring of people singing, clapping their hands and playing drums and with light instruments.” Also in the middle of the circle two dancers would have a samba competition which could be seen as aggressive yet beautiful.

The picture above shows people practicing modern samba in a studio. In many places people take classes to lean the art form of Samba. It is interesting to see how a dance that came from slaves in Africa, have come to be such a popular form of movement.
The picture below shows the normal type of person dancing samba during the carnivals.

There are basic dance moves that everyone can learn that require a lot of hip movements. Samba is usually done while walking to make it easier to walk in the parade and have fun at the same time. In a parade, there is very limited space available to move about. Any available space is precious because the closer, the more the culture is observed. Samba uses walking steps and side steps as the basic beginning movements of the dance. “The major characteristic of the Samba dance is the vertical bounce action. Steps are taken using the ball of the foot.” People who have been doing this for years make it look easy and carefree. They use knee action, body swaying and "pendulum motion" to make their dancing look as fluid as possible. The Basic step in samba is called a Volta. This movement is done by a crossing action in front of the body, where you step across with the bounce. The bouncing action will come from the knees. Hip movement is very important and even has a name. It is the Samba roll. This is done through a rolling movement that goes from the waist up and the upper body making your hips move in a circular motion. Botafogo is the move in Samba which consists of a traveling walk with a change of direction from left to right or right to left. Those are the basic moves of samba that anyone can learn and master with a little bit of practice. The very end of a samba dance has a variety of extended arm movements, and finally there is a movement of throwing the head back and putting your arms up as to say “ta da! I finished.”

In a parade the whistle becomes a very important instrument. Dancers and musicians wait for the blow of the whistle to start. For dancers, this means to start to marching forward. The parade consists of hundreds of people and it is interesting to see how a cultural knows what to do when a whistle is blown. Dancers with their decorated feathers and Tupi Indian attire, start dancing their national dance.
As seen in the picture, both the African and Native Indian influences are portray. The woman on top of the float is a Afro-Brazilian woman wearing a Tupi bikini.
Samba also consists of a variety of Orixa dance influences. Because samba a form of protest, a portion of the dance moves are to state a political issue. For example the Orixa Ogum, when the arm do a cutting action, which belong to him, it is to demonstrate that something is wished to be stopped. Vibrant bright colors and lots of feathered hats make up the basic costumes. These types of clothing allow the dancers to move about freely without much weight and a lot of swinging motions. It has been performed as a street dance at carnival for a long time and pictures like this help preserve the memories.

The picture above also displays a samba carnival at work. This picture also has bright colors to show the excitement in the atmosphere. There are always big floats with people dancing on them.
To sum up, Samba is a dance Brazil considers a nationality. Brazil receives many tourist and studies yearly. Curiosity makes people around the world come visit and see what Samba has to offer because of the exotic dance moves that trace back to Africa and Portugal. Samba has become a dance form full of numerous dance moves that come from different identities of the world.

The Locations of the Festivals

            Brazil is the biggest country in all of South America and one of the biggest in the world.  The whole country is 3,287,597 square miles long and it is the fifth biggest country in the world. Since they have so much space in a very big country, they have enough room to host the biggest parties the world has ever seen. Of course I am talking about the world famous Festivals in Brazil. The Festivals or carnivals in Brazil are celebrated two weeks before Ash Wednesday, which are celebrated on many days. But all these events are celebrated on the common ground, which is Brazil. Every location of the festivals has its meanings and how they all started.

            Since these huge parties are celebrated in many parts of Brazil, they are celebrated in four major parts of the huge country. The cities would be Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Recife and Olinda. But first of all, people are always thinking that the parades are just these huge parties and that people are just having a good time, even though that is true, the people are mostly making a political statement to the government and to all the people. They are protesting, that was the soul purpose of the whole idea of the parade but there is also nothing bad for also having a great time during the parades.

            Well the first city I wanted to concentrate in the parades would be the parade of Rio de Janeiro or “Carnival in Rio.” The city of Rio de Janeiro is located in the Southeastern side of Brazil. It is the more popular parade than the other three. The parade in Rio de Janeiro is very festive with a lot of different costumes and floats and neighborhoods become rhythm machines as more than 600 block parties and street parades send up a cacophony of drums, whistles, triangles, and yelping instruments. They have been celebrating carnavals in Rio de Janeiro ever since the 1800’s, so the city has much history under its belt with the famous parades. The parades and all the festivities are greatly inspired by Afro influence since Rio de Janeiro has history dating back to the Portuguese colonial period in Brazil and they have brought many African slaves into Brazil. So the dances culture and most of everything that has to do with the carnavals and parades have a huge Afro influence. A group named escolas de samba, which is school of samba in English, originates all the parades or festivals.

 

            The second city in which festivals are celebrated would be the city of Salvador. Salvador is located in the Northeastern side of Brazil. Salvador in the home of the biggest street party in world, it is proven in the Guinness book of world records. It is also the first center of government in 1549 to 1763 in Brazil and it is Brazil’s capital for music. In the past Salvador or Bahia was the Portuguese sugar industry and also their location for their slave trade, so there is a huge Afro influence in this city.  During the parades and street parties; there are many rituals that are being performed during the festivals. Religion also has a major part of the parades and the whole idea of the festivals. Also as in Rio de Janeiro, Salvador’s festivals have a huge Afro influence in their parades and in their whole culture. As years go by during the festivals, customs are being changed and new things are being used. Even though the dances are still traditionally practiced in the festivals there are things such as the parades that look different every year. Also all the rituals performed during Salvador’s parades are really attached to their roots, that they still sing in some places in African languages from their native roots from the past.

 

            The third and fourth cities in which they celebrate festivals and parades have to be the cities of Recife and Olinda. Recife is located in the Northeastern side of Brazil and Olinda is located in the Northeastern side of Brazil, close to the Atlantic Ocean. Both cities are known for their more political and authentic parades in Brazil. They are more political with their parades because they are located on a very poor economic city in Brazil. All these groups in the city started their parades and all the political movements because in the past slave owners let slaves choose their own kings and other ranking within the slaves. They would run through churches and start to dance passed the churches. Ever since they were able to parade around and it later became a huge tradition. Their parades start when people start hearing the sound of drums going down through the streets of Recife and Olinda.

            All these cities are celebrated with the world’s biggest parties and festivals because they all have background dating back to the days of Portuguese rule. Even though some cities have more history to their names, the ones that are celebrated with the carnivals and festivals are the ones that began all the parades and rallying and showing their thoughts on political issues or anything else that they would want to protest. There are also other parts of Brazil in which they celebrate festivals and parades. The whole country is full of festival and it recognized by the whole world. Their movements are really taking affect because the world and their whole country are able to come together and celebrate one common purpose and that is to have a great time and also give a political statement. It is a tradition that common ground in which all the festivals have been celebrated on and all the people through out the years that have also celebrated, it is what brings everybody together.

 

 

 

 

Samba Music

During the twenty century, Brazil went through a social change. For Brazil, “Music is a passport to happiness.” It is a way to escape for the everyday routine. Samba, became the national rhythm. Before, Samba, Lundu and Modinha were the main Brazilian music. These dances brought the different social classes together. The Brazial elites and the lower class together became part in the history of music. Samba came later, after Lundu and Modinha. Samba was first looked, “as the stuff of lowlife rascals.” During the 1930’s samba was in its golden age.

President Getulio Vargas, transform the music of samba for political purpose. He used the radio, where samba music would play, to celebrated race mixture. Vargas did not want for Brazil to be seen as only white European people. With samba he showed the “blacked music.” This time of music is mixed race, the beats come from African American background. The lyrics came from European and black composers. Vargas use this to unified Brazil. Germany soldiers were listening to black Brazilian music. The acceptance of samba, caused for the middle class to listen to this type of music. However, they listen to the type of samba whose lyrics talked about the beauty of Brazil. One of the first solo composer/singer who sang about the beauty of Brazil was Dorival Caymmi. His music was calmer than the black Brazilian samba.

Brazil created school of samba to teach people about the history of Brazil, while at the same time learn how to dance and play the music of samba. The main purpose was for people to know more about the history of Brazil. Brazil history is connected to the rhythm use in samba. The African American beat is part of the slavery in Brazil. Lundu was first what slaves use to dance. Then later, samba became the rhythm.

Samba, uses different types of instruments. They range from drums to tambourines. These instruments area use in the Carnival. Each instrument adds a different component to the overall rhythm of samba. The material of the instruments also varied. Some are made out of wood while other or iron or steel. Playing the instrument is also different. The level they are played to. Some are played at a lower level while others are high. Some of the instruments are played with both hands, some with just one, and some use a stick or a type of clothing. In a Carnival, the location of an instrument varies. The louder once are put in the front. Some instruments, like the tambourine is use in small groups only because it’s a quite one. The Surdo is important because it helps keep the pattern of the music. This are some of the instrument use to make the fast rhythm of samba.

Repinique

It makes a high, piercing sound. It is played with a wooden stick in one hand and the hand itself. It has a smaller width than the caixa drum, but it is longer by several inches. It is carried with a strap in the shoulder.

Surdo

There are three kinds of surdos: first, second, and cutting. Surdo is the, “heartbeat of percussion samba.” It has a deep bass sound. It creates a pattern and keep the beat for the rest.

Agogo

It is made of iron and steel, it has two bells and is shaped in a U form. It makes noice when is hit with a stick against the bells.

Caixa

It has a cylindrical shape and can be played on both sides. It is either made of wood or metal. There are different kinds because they varied in sizes and timbres. It has 2 or 4 wires or cables on top of the drum. Also, it can be played in a lower level or higher level.

Tambourim

It’s a small one sided drum that can be held in the hands. It is played with a stick. Choreography is done at the same time playing the instrument.

Ganza

It is a shaker filled with beads, shells, or seeds. They come in different ways, singles, doubles, and triples.

Chocalho

A big strong shaker, it can be mad of wood or metal with steel jingles. It helps the caixas maintain the rhythm. It is use with choreography and it is played above head level.

Cuica

A drum that , the sound is, “produced by rubbing a stick inside the drum with a damp cloth, and pressing the outer head with the finger.” (2)The sound is higher the closer you press to the center.

Timba

A light weight drum that is played with both hands.

Pandeiro

A tambourine made of wood, goatskin, and five sets of jingles. It was introduce to samba as a rhythm base. It is consider a complete instrument because it has low, medium, and high timbres. "It’s a quiet instrument, that is use in small groups. The pandeiro is consider the national instrument of Brazil."

These instruments create choreography that performed in a fast movement. Most of the body movement is done from the belly and bellow. The legs move like if that person was marching, but it is done in a faster motion. The Hips move from side to side. The clothing is an important role for the performance.

Some of the modern music like, salsa, merengue, punta, and reggae have some of the basic samba beats. In today’s society samba is still a popular rhythm. It is dance in family parties, dance competitions, and of course in parades and carnivals. “Samba could exist without Carnaval, but Carnaval could not continue without samba.” They rhythm created by samba is a happy and enjoyable one. Whenever, the rhythm comes up in modern music it just makes people want to move. One of my favorite Samba song is, Magdalena by Sergio Mendez. This song shows up in family parties and makes people get up to dance. They lyrics are the once of celebration. In this song I am able to hear the instruments that are being use. At the end of the song the agogo can be heard.

Music can bring changes to society. Samba is an example of that change. It brought together class and race differences. It helped stop the separation between black and white. Also, it created fun Carnival that is still happening today. Samba is a dance that helped a country transform into a different one.

Work Cited
Vianna, Hermano. The Mystery of Samba popular music and National Identity in Brazil. The University of North Carolina P, 1999.