What samba means to Brazil

Samba is the heartbeat of Brazil. It was born in Rio in the early 1900s, in the homes of Afro-Brazilian families who had come from Bahia, carrying rhythms that crossed the Atlantic from Africa. For years it was looked down on and even policed. Today it is the sound of the whole country, and Carnival is its biggest stage.

We wanted a night that feels like Carnival in June: feathers, sequins, drums you feel in your chest, and everyone dancing whether they know how or not. To us, samba is joy that refuses to be quiet, and that is exactly how we want to celebrate with you.

Did you know?

• The word 'samba' likely comes from 'semba', a word from Angola's Kimbundu language for a dance move where partners bump bellies.
• 'Pelo Telefone', registered in 1916, is considered the first samba on record.
• Rio's Sambadrome was designed by Oscar Niemeyer and opened in 1984. Samba schools spend the entire year preparing for one parade.
• Samba reached America through Carmen Miranda and Disney: in 'Saludos Amigos' (1942), Donald Duck learns to samba with the parrot Zé Carioca to 'Aquarela do Brasil'.
• December 2 is National Samba Day in Brazil.