How to Choose Samba Dance Music
Samba is appreciated world-wide as fun, lively dance music. The national symbol of Brazil, Samba combines percussion with acoustic guitar, the cavaquinho or small guitar and other instruments depending on the style. Choosing the right Samba dance music is easy since there are so many lively selections and many different styles.
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Instructions
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Visit your local music store and look for Samba dance music. For a beginner Samba listener, you might want look for a selection with many different artists compiled into one collection such as Batucada Brazileira.
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Choose artists that play "common" or "generic" samba music. This music is energetic and is the easiest form of Samba to dance in couples. Some famous artists in this genre are Zeca Pagodinho, Beth Carvalho and Paulinho da Viola.
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Listen to Samba Enredo for fast fun music that reflects the intensity of Rio de Janeiro's Carnival. Performed mainly by male soloists, Samba Enredo is well known for its large percussion group. Martinho Da Vila and Jamelão are popular Enredo artists.
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Choose Samba de Pagode for fun romantic lyrics an a fast beat accompanied by clapping hands. Pagode came to be known in the 1980s and is the most widespread form of Samba in Brazil. It's played at parties, cafés and open-air bars. Artists include Clara Nunes, Zeca Pagodinho and Alcione.
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Dance to Samba Rock if you like edgier styles. This type of Samba mixes rock rhythms and Samba and is mainly sung in Portuguese. It's been around since the 1960s but is gaining in popularity since 2001. Popular artists are Trio Mocotó and Branca de Neve.
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Select softer Bossa Nova Samba music for slower dances. Its more relaxed style is jazz-influenced and became popular in the 1950s. Try the compilation "Samba Bossa Nova" which features 11 different artists such as Paulinho Moska and Rosa Passos Bossa.
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