Jensen 1 Sydney Jensen Cathy Black Dance 461 The Origin and Development of the Samba Latin dance

styles have developed over many centuries and have gained immense popularity throughout the world. In most urban centers throughout the world today, one may find practitioners and devotees of Latin dance. Latin dance is truly a worldwide phenomenon in this modern day. If one examines a list of some of the most accomplished and skilled Latin dancers today, one will find names of all sorts of nationalities. For instance, many of the top Latin dancers today have Eastern European or Russian names. On the surface, this is surprising, for one might expect a predominance of Latin names among the very best dancers. This, however, is merely a testament to the popularity of Latin dance and the fact that Latin dance and the rhythms it uses speak a universal language, one that is understood by people throughout the world. People everywhere can feel the excitement and joy inherent to Latin dances. They can also appreciate the way Latin dance can touch the spirit and connect the participants or observers in a common bond. One need only visit a Latin dance nightclub to see how music, rhythm, and the movement of the human body can unite the masses. Most Latin dances have developed in South or Central America or the Caribbean, but the genesis for many of the Latin dances goes beyond the so-called New World to one of the continents that saw some of the earliest phases in the development of the human species and human cultureAfrica. It is interesting to explore the origins of Latin dance styles, and how many of them have their real roots in the ancient ways and customs of Africa. In most instances, this is not a direct importation from Africa. Instead, the Latin dances have been influenced by

Jensen 2 people who once lived, or whose ancestors once lived in Africa. Often, the individuals or cultures having the influence on the development of Latin dance were many generations removed from the actual soil of Africa. But the African influence persisted, both in the blood of the people and in the customs they maintained, far removed from the cradle of their existence. This paper explores the origins of the samba, one of the most popular of the Latin dances. People throughout the world are familiar with the samba rhythm, and many people have some idea of the basic samba movements. It is a rhythm that is contagious, and whole crowds of people can be caught up in its excitement. For example, the samba dance is an integral part of the customs and rituals of Carnival, and thousands of people can be caught up in the moment of a well performed samba and the distinctive rhythm that accompanies it. It is interesting to see how the samba developed, having its deepest origins in Africa, half a world away from the recognized home of the sambaBrazil. Brazil is the largest nation in South America. Its population is very diverse, having major components from the Amerindian, European, African, and Asian sources. With regard to the development of the samba, the African influence is perhaps the most important. The African component of the Brazilian population is largely the result of the slave trade. It is estimated that between 3 and 5 million African slaves were brought from Africa to Brazil by the time the slave trade ended in the middle of the nineteenth century. These slaves, deprived of their families, lands, and freedom, did their best to maintain some of the traditions and customs of their homeland. They used music, dance, and various rituals to try to maintain their connection with their origins. These efforts were

contributing factors in the development of some of the Latin dances, including the samba. If one were to go to Brazil today and watch or participate in some of the activities in which the samba

Jensen 3 plays such a prominent role, it would be easy to see how the African culture is still a major player in these activities; Brazil is home to a variety of dance styles. The coco, jongo, maracat, marujada, carimb, and the fandango are some of the social dances of Brazil (Morton). These dance styles are used for Saints days, feasts, solstice markers, and other occasions (Morton). However, the samba is the most popular style of dance in Brazil. It became the national dance around 1920 (Morton). Its popularity spread throughout the country. Many wonder what it was about samba that has caused such a rage. That question could probably be best answered by simply watching and participating in some of the activities in which the samba plays such a prominent role. The people simply love the rhythm, music, and movement. According to Brazilians, dance is also a form of cultural record keeping (Browning, xxii). It is not just simple steps and movement put to music. Dance, especially the samba, has much more meaning to the Brazilians. It is not just fancy but meaningless choreography. As Barbara Browning explains, The dance is a complex dialogue in which various parts of the body talk at the same time, and in seemingly different languages (2). Although the mouth is not speaking, the body, specifically the feet, are speaking in the samba (1). No verbal language is needed. As explained later, for this exact reason, the Africans resorted to dancing as a way to resist their slave masters and communicate with one another, while remaining undetected. Browning

continues to explain that the samba itself is both a story and a poem (xxi). There are many spiritual and political references (xxv). The samba narrates a story of racial contact, conflict, and resistance (2). The sambas roots are buried deep in African soil. The samba originates from West Africa, the Yoruba area (Katia). Many Africans were captured and taken to Brazil, where they

Jensen 4 were forced to work on sugarcane and coffee plantations as slaves (Katia). As a way to escape the debilitating experience of slavery and the persistent feeling of alienation, Kene Igweona explained that the Africans resorted to music and dancing (Igweonu). When the slave masters banned their use of drums, believing they were communicating in a secret language, the Africans resorted to dancing. They were able to communicate with one another at a greater level of communication than speech (Igweonu). As a result of this, the slave masters were not able to detect the Africans and punish them (Igweonu). The Africans used dance as a way to express themselves and return to their roots in Africa (Igweonu). Many Africans felt that dancing symbolized their commitment to their homeland and their desire to return (Igweonu). Although they were not able to physically return to Africa as they were held captives and forced to work as slaves, dancing helped many show their commitment and cultural connection to Africa (Igweonu). The samba was first introduced in the seventeenth century in Brazils northeastern state of Bahia, where the slaves worked on farms, also known as ranchos (Katia), As time passed, the dance spread throughout Brazil. In the nineteenth century, the popularity increased and spread to Brazils then capital, Rio de Janeiro (Katia). More and more people became familiar with the samba. So many people in different places were introduced to the samba. As a result, many variations of the samba were created. The dances purpose, originally a way to rebel against the rigid circumstances they were placed in and to re-connect with their homeland of Africa, expanded, and it was used in many different ways for many different reasons. One variation that developed from the samba brought with the Africans is called samba de breque (Katia). Developed in the 1930s in Rio de Janeiro, the singer takes breaks and talks with the audience (Katia). Another variation is called the samba-enredo, a narrative samba

Jensen 5 created during the Carnaval (Katia). As historic and patriotic lyrics are sung, people dance in the streets (Katia). Samba de partido alto is yet another variation that developed. This form was popular among the urban blacks in Rio de Janeiro (Katia). The name suggests the high quality and dignity of the black people who developed the dance in the first place (Katia). This variation is associated with the umbigada dance, a dance where people clap and make percussion sounds using knives, kitchen plates, and other daily utensils (Katia). The word samba is derived from a word in Congo and Angola, umbigada (Katia). Performers sing and clap to drums and other instruments as dancers move their hips and stamp the ground with their feet (Katia). This dance was a sort of game played amongst the Africans. In order to leave the circle and trade out with someone else, the dancer had to touch someones navel to rotate out with them (Katia). The samba-cancao was a sentimental version of the samba (Katia). This syncopated dance was a dance that a couple could dance together (Katia). Another very important form of samba that developed is the carnaval samba. This form is the combination of dramatic and allegorical dances and batuque, an African style ring-dance (Morton). The ring dance was used among the groups between Zaire and Angola (Morton). Similar to the samba de partido alto, the soloist chooses a replacement by touching the replacements stomach with an umbigada, a light thrust (Morton). Yet another form called samba de gafiera developed. Meaning dance -hall samba, this form of samba was a non-processional couple dance, similar to that of the samba-cancao (Morton). The samba de caboclo is a ritual dance form including the umbigada pelvic movement (Morton). The samba was finally introduced to the United States in 1939 at the Worlds Fair (Kassing, 195). The Brazilian singer, dancer, and actress, Carmen Miranda, performed in movies and a stage show incorporating samba movement, playing an essential role in the

Jensen 6 spreading the samba (195). Originally from Portugal, Miranda began her career before she was twenty years old, as she owned her own nightclub in 1935 (Frank). She was a very independent individual and felt very strongly about being extravagant in appearance and movement. She introduced headdresses and dancing in beautiful, yet over the top, gowns and high heels (Frank). She adapted the samba, maxixe, and the marcha to match the extravagance of her wardrobe (Frank). Furthermore, she included very intricate arms and, of course, the movement of the hips (Frank). Miranda had such great influence on those around her, even so much as to help introduce samba to the United States. The samba plays a significant role in the current cultural scene in the United States, and it is difficult to imagine the cultural scene without the samba. With regard to samba music, the beat of drums is a major element. The drums heard in typical modern samba music are derived from the Kongo rhythm and expression (Browning, 2). The polyrhythmic pattern the samba music follows requires one to give different beat values to certain notes (Laird). Typically the samba is a 2/4 meter. Usually, the samba is counted as 1 a 2, or three quarters of a beat, a quarter of a beat, and then a whole count. It was not until the 1930s that the African percussion, the roots, was being adopted into Brazil (Chasteen, 14). The samba has developed into one of the major Latin dances in the modern Latin dance world. Out of the many varieties of dances, the samba has joined four others to be included as one of the basic dance forms included in modern competitive Latin dance. The cha cha is a relative fast dance with quick movements of the body and feet, set to a relatively fast paced rhythm. It is a very snappy dance with quick, precise movements. The rumba is a slower dance with slower body movements and more exaggerated hip action, a dance sometimes referred to as the dance of love because of its slower pace and more sensuous rhythm. The paso doble is the classic Spanish partner dance with its grand and stately movements set to very traditional music.

Jensen 7 The paso doble can be a very powerful dance and can sometimes convey a very serious or even an angry tone, which can be very entertaining for the audience. It conjures up the image of a Spanish bull fighter and builds to a number of climaxes during the course of the performance. The jive is a more modern, much more quick-paced dance with very fast and coordinated body and foot movements. It allows for a little more flair and flash than some of the other Latin dances. It works well with some of the faster paced music of the modern day, having a bit of the rock and roll flavor. The samba complements these other four dances very well. Compared to the others, the samba is a moderate to fast paced dance with an abundance of turns and sweeping arcing movements across the dance floor. All of the Latin dances have great appeal for both the dancers and the audience, but the mass of bodies and fast-paced motion around the dance floor in a samba dance is really something to behold. It is really a crowd favorite at Latin dance competitions. Even non-dancers want to get up out of their seats and dance when they witness a samba danced to some very catchy samba music. The combination of the five Latin dances makes for a great time for the dancers and great entertainment for the audience. Each of the Latin dances has a special place in the heart of the Latin dancer, and the samba is no exception. Dancing the samba can be an exhilarating experience. Watching great samba dancers can really move an audience. But digging a little deeper, it is interesting to consider the origins and development of the samba as a major Latin dance. Understanding the African roots of the samba gives one a greater appreciation for the cultures that influenced the early development of this dance. One can feel the love the African people had for their culture and their desire to try to perpetuate their culture through music and dance, even though forcibly removed thousands of miles from their homeland. The blending of these early African influences with other cultures and music has led to many variations in style within the basic samba genre. The casual observer

Jensen 8 can see the basic similarities in these styles, while the more knowledgeable and careful observer can recognize some of the differences in style used in different regions or for different purposes. A samba expert must know a great deal, indeed, for there are a multitude of variations that one could potentially recognize and study. Over the centuries, the samba has become very well established as one of the most popular and highly regarded of the Latin dances.

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Works Cited Browning, Barbara. Samba: Resistance in Motion. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1995. Print. Chasteen, John Charles. National Rhythms, African Roots: The Deep History of Latin American Popular Dance. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2004. Print. Frank W. D. Ries "Miranda, Carmen" The International Encyclopedia of Dance. Ed. Selma Jeanne Cohen and the Dance Perspectives Foundation. Oxford University Press, 2003. Brigham Young University (BYU). 3 April 2012 http://www.oxfordreference.com.erl.lib.byu.edu/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Mai n&entry=t171.e1168 Igweonu, Kene. "Interculturalism Revisited: Identity Construction in African and AfricanCaribbean Performance." Themes in Theatre 6 (2011): 61,84,446,472. International Index to Performing Arts Full Text. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. Kassing, Gayle. History of Dance, An Interactive Arts Approach. Human Kinetics Publishers, 2007. Print. Katia Canton "Samba" The International Encyclopedia of Dance. Ed. Selma Jeanne Cohen and the Dance Perspectives Foundation. Oxford University Press, 2003. Brigham Young University (BYU). 24 March 2012 http://www.oxfordreference.com.erl.lib.byu.edu/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Mai n&entry=t171.e1525 Laird, Walter. The Laird Technique of Latin Dancing. 6th ed. Brighton: International Dance

Jensen 10 Publications, 2003. Print. Morton Marks, Katia Canton and Marlia de Andrade, Katia Canton "Brazil." The International Encyclopedia of Dance. Ed. Selma Jeanne Cohen and the Dance Perspectives Foundation. Oxford University Press, 2003. Brigham Young University (BYU). 24 March 2012 n0things <http://www.oxfordreference.com.erl.lib.byu.edu/ views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t171.e0284.s0001>