Brazilian music is renowned for its sophistication, beauty and diversity. The most typical and charming rhythm of music and dance is samba. Since the 16th century, Samba, which originated on the west coast of Africa, was introduced to Brazil with black slaves. It absorbed the styles of Portuguese and Indian dance and music art and evolved into Brazilian samba. This kind of dance is tense, cheerful, lively and lively, and every muscle of the dancer is shaking, so it is different from ordinary singing and dancing. Since 1910, Brazilian musicians have created new carnival marches, samba ballads, and playful songs for the Carnival every year. As time goes by, the Brazilian Carnival has become inseparable from the samba dance, and the samba dance has become the pronoun of the Brazilian Carnival. Brazilians say that “without Samba, there would be no Carnival” and even say that “Samba has penetrated into the blood of Brazilians”.
Brazil’s Carnival is held every year on the first three days of Lent. The 40 days before Easter is the Catholic Lent, in which people abstain from eating meat to commemorate the death of Jesus who died three days before Easter. Carnival is held on the eve of Lent, with unlimited carnival and carnival fun.
According to legend, the Portuguese introduced this custom to Brazil from the Azores in the 17th century. At the beginning, this celebration focused on banter and pranks. People took to the streets to throw water, soil, lime, and even smelly things at each other. In 1840, the Italian proprietress of the Rio Hotel changed this carnival style. She sent out invitations, hired musicians, decorated the hotel with ribbons, prepared confetti, and held a luxurious masquerade. Since then, the festival has evolved into an event where colorful strips of paper, paper snakes and scented water are thrown to each other. This custom can still be seen today in places like Portugal and Alto Cruz, Brazil.
In the early years of the Republic of China (1889), the content of the carnival had undergone major changes, and bands appeared. In 1889, a man named Higonia Gonzaka composed a dance tune called "Spread the Wings". Since then, this tune has become the main theme of the Carnival. At present, the main carnival dance music includes team march, samba, small march, hammer (an African percussion music), plot samba (a dance based on myths, fairy tales or legends) and freo. (Dancers deftly bend their thighs and kick violently). But it is customary for people to collectively refer to all kinds of dances as samba, so "samba" has become synonymous with the carnival.