If you watched the opening ceremony of the World Cup that just took place in Brazil, you will easily see that the host country was very clever in incorporating images of beautiful nature, attractive people as well as a rich culture. Among them, samba is indispensable.
The colorful 2014 World Cup opening ceremony with samba dance. Photo: ngoisao
Samba is a combination of traditional dances from Angola, Congo, Brazil and the swinging movements of Lundu in the 16th century, by slaves forced to work in Portugal. Later, this dance was supplemented with some steps from other dances used in traditional festivals on Copacabana beach (Rio de Janeiro). By 1885, samba was described as a graceful Brazilian dance under the names Zemba Queca and Mesemba.
Samba was later combined with another Brazilian dance called Maxixe and named after a prickly cactus fruit. It was only later that the name samba became popular. However, many believe that the name comes from “Zambo” which means child of the blacks.
Samba has many different dance steps but the most popular are Samba Walks, Samba Rolls, Promenade Runs, Volta, Botafogo. Of these, Samba Walks and Samba Rolls are the two most beautiful and popular dance steps. When participating in this dance, dancers often wear costumes with eye-catching, bright colors, sometimes with funny shapes.
The beauty of the radiant faces of samba dancers. Photo: stunningplaces
Samba dance is a rhythmic combination of parts of the dancer's entire body. Therefore, when watching them perform samba, viewers can easily feel the grace and charm. However, samba is not a dance to show off the beauty of the dancers as many people think. Besides eye-catching costumes and strong bodies, each performance is an opportunity for the dancers to introduce to the audience their knowledge and love for samba. That is the true beauty of this dance, a beauty that comes from the proud demeanor of the dancers.
In Brazil, tourists can witness samba anywhere, from the slums to the main streets. However, if you want to immerse yourself in a vibrant festival, the advice for tourists is to join the big festivals held around February every year throughout Brazil. And the most exciting is still the Carnival held in Rio de Janeiro, where many talented samba dancers gather to compete with large-scale and spectacular performances.
According to the traditional ritual, the Carnival festival begins with the handing over of the key to the city to Emperor Momo, an imaginary character who leads the dancers into the Samba dance hall, greeting the audience. At that time, trumpets and drums are sounded everywhere along with the parade of dancers. Many visitors to this festival have expressed their delight at being immersed in a space full of colors and bustling sounds. The highlight of the festival takes place on Sunday night and Monday morning at the Sambadrome stadium, with a competition to select 6 samba dance teams of different schools to honor and award.
Carni FestivalThe grand and vibrant festival in Rio. Photo: localnomad
Many festivals featuring samba dance will certainly be held during the intense football matches taking place in Brazil. The vibrant dances on the streets and the heat in the stands will make tourists have an unforgettable vacation here.
