Brazil

Do The Samba

Brazil's main music identifier is the samba, a cultural dance and music genre. Founded in Bahia, Brazil, the genre has become a symbol of Brazil's cultural identity.

Samba originated as a form of expression during the West African slave trade rooted in Rio de Janeiro. Since then, it has spread throughout the country, but didn't become the country's most popular form of music until the 1930s when the radio sprung up throughout Brazil.

Originally, samba had a rhythmic sound and used various string and percussion instruments, but with little versatility. By the 1950s, popular American music genres such as jazz and funk melded their ways into the samba. This new hybrid genre was called bossa nova, which is more expressive than original samba music. In the 1960s, funk became especially popular creating a genre called samba-funk.

The seventies brought yet another version of samba music called partido-alto. This type of samba is much more percussion-based and is usually in a higher pitch, hence the alto.

Recently, Brazil's music scene has gone in a number of directions. Since the nineties, Brazilian rock 'n roll has become very popular, and other genres such as rap, hip-hop and pop have taken over the Brazilian radio stations.

Many artists, however, have adhered to samba traditions. Marquinhos and Teresa Cristina are two artists who have upheld these traditions. In addition, samba is still celebrated at a number of Brazilian festivals, one of the biggest being the Brazilian Carnival which is celebrated the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

Los Hermanos


This Brazilian rock quartet hails from Rio de Janeiro and its music is sometimes described as indie samba.

Los Hermanos formed in 1997 when they were asked to perform at one of the biggest Brazilian alternative music festivals, Superdemo. The band released its first self-titled album in 1999 and thus they became a huge success.

Their first single, "Anna Júlia," is a catchy pop-rock ballad and is still one of the band's most recognized tunes, having been covered by a number of artists.

After their debut album, Los Hermanos abandoned their angsty punk sound and replaced it with a smoother rock sound, which incorporated more traditional samba elements. By its third album, the band had developed an even more traditional sound, incorporating not only samba, but also quite a bit of bossa nova.

Although Los Hermanos has only released four studio albums, the band has had great success for its caliber. Two of their albums made Rolling Stone's "Best 100 Brazilian Albums of All Time" and they have generated a solid fan base.

Los Hermanos has been on a "temporary hiatus" since 2007, but the band have not stopped making appearances. In 2009, they played the "Just a Fest" music festival alongside Kraftwerk and Radiohead, as well as the SWU Music and Arts Festival in 2010.