Music and dance in Brazil

A country that dances to its own rythym...

Make the most of evenings out; relish in local and traditional music during your vacation in BrazilThe country's known for its musical diversity and pulsing beats, from relaxing melodies to frenzied passion. The list of Brazil's music genres is long, so here are some of main ones.

Starting with the different forms of samba, there's the samba cançaõ, which moves to a gentle, soft rythym. A great introduction is to play a 'rita' by Chico Buarque , one of Brazil's iconic divas. You can then move on to her 'vai pasar' samba songs and finish up with Seu Jorge's 'Burguesinha' , with its rock music undertones.

Another Brazilian favorite is the bossa nova, which blends samba and cool jazz. Check out Jao Gilberto, in particular 'Chega de saudade', a song that will plunge you into this harmonic style.

Brazil's musical diversity led to the emergence of 'Musica Popular Brasileira' or MPB (Brazilian Popular Music). Numerous artists, some being globally recognized, fit into this category. Here are some artists and titles that I highly recommend:

Gilberto Gil: 'Aquele abraço',

Caetano Veloso: 'Sem lenço sem documento'  and 'soy loco por ti america'

Chico Buarque: A banda'

Tulipa Ruiz: 'Efêmera' and 'so sei dançar com voce

Alceu Valença: 'la belle du jour'

Brazil also boasts several rock musicians and groups that are worth a listen. Check out Maria Gadu's 'Shimbalaiê' and 'Tudo diferente', as well as Los Hermanos's 'Tudo carnaval tem seu fim'.

Finally, there's the Forro, a traditional music that stems from the northeast. It's become popular throughout the country; great groups include Bicho de Pé and Fala Mansa, who herald from São Paulo.

...it's catchy stuff!

You'll quickly realize that in Brazil, almost all music styles have their own dance. So you can learn to samba, bossa nova as well as move your feet to forro, carimbo and merengue...the list goes on.

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Flickr cc Yoshikazu TAKADA

Brazilians are born with music inside them, as you'll soon find out. From an early age, kids learn steps and traditional dance moves.

Don't be shy - throw yourself in at the deep end; it's fun and the best way to learn!