Brazil celebrates National Samba Day on December 2, with events scheduled in different regions and states. In Rio de Janeiro, the festivities began earlier, with parades from the Special Group samba schools.
In the northern zone, the neighborhood of Oswaldo Cruz, home to the samba schools Portela and Império Serrano, hosted the Samba Path. As reported by Agência Brasil, the tourist route launched by the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion (Embratur) and the city government of Rio de Janeiro promoted samba as a cultural heritage and attracted foreign tourists.
The launch of the route included an intermission with a samba circle and the traditional Feijoada da Tia Surica. It also marked the inauguration of the Negro Muro, a mural in honor of the sambista Paulo Benjamin de Oliveira, better known as Paulo da Portela, founder of the blue and white samba school. With 101 years of history and 22 titles, Portela is considered the oldest samba school in operation.
Still in the northern zone, the headquarters of the carnival block Bohemios de Irajá, in the Irajá neighborhood, promoted “A Tribute to Samba,” an initiative by the Terreiro de Crioulo in celebration of National Samba Day. “Cheers to us and long live samba, Axé,” reads a post about the event.
In the Andaraí neighborhood, the Renascença Clube, closely linked to the introduction of black music in Brazil, especially in Rio de Janeiro, hosted the samba circle Moacyr Luz and Samba do Trabalhador. In Vila Isabel, at Praça Barão de Drummond, there were performances with the samba circles of Barão and Canta Canta, Minha Gente. In addition to celebrating the date, the event highlighted the increase in violence in the neighborhood. In August 2024, four people died during a shooting attack in the square that gathers the public and sambistas.
“Our neighborhood, which is so famous for its bohemian life and musical sidewalks, once again had samba as a social transforming agent. Samba is the flagship of Vila Isabel and, in such a delicate moment, there is nothing more fitting than samba asking for peace in this square so famous for its joy and family coexistence. And, not by chance, the score that is found in the square served as an anthem for this moment. Let’s rise from the ashes, plant the trees again,” declared singer and songwriter Raoni Ventapane.
Other samba circles were held at Pedra do Sal, in Saúde, and at Beco do Rato, in Lapa.In the Country
The celebrations of National Samba Day were not restricted to Rio de Janeiro, and in different states, there were events related to the rhythm recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of Brazil by the National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage since 2007.
In Vila Maria, in the northern zone of São Paulo, one of the attractions was Pagode do João, featuring artist João Martins, at Galpão Zona Norte.
In Brasília, the Rodoviária do Samba project, now in its 18th edition, took place at the Plano Piloto bus station and honored sambista Marcelo Sena. The artist, known for bringing samba and pagode from the Federal District to the states of the Southeast Region, such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, passed away in 2023.
With the presence of Debinha Ramos and the samba circle Segunda de Vagabundo, the city government of Natal held the 16th celebration of Samba Day in the capital of Rio Grande do Norte. The event took place at the Rotatória da Vila Rocas and was “a vibrant celebration of Brazilian culture,” according to a post from the city government.Source: Agência Brasil