Samba

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that as a dance form, Samba was rooted in the African heritage of the slaves the Portuguese brought to till the lands of their newest conquest, Brazil. Ripe in their own culture, the slaves outwitted their keepers by celebrating their own culture under the guise of party and dance; popular continued dedication to the holy forms of traditional culture invoked the preservation of the sensual dance form. The writer points out that as the world scene grew more international and Brazil developed its own government separate of the European thrones, Samba was encouraged on a national level for patriotic reasons, spread internationally for the beauty that had been suppressed for centuries, supporting its power to overcome racial segregation through simple movements.

From the Paper:

"The power-hungry political motivations of Vargas did not detract from the many advances he made in the country and the society as a whole; his attention to the power of the people remains unvanquished. By providing financial and governmental support to those dedicated enough to the dance of Samba, he achieved not only an image of native power but also succeeded in popularizing a culture that had been ignored and suppressed by its rulers for centuries. Vargas played upon the political theme that Brazil was a racial democracy, where Afro-Brazilian heritage could not only be accepted but received the honor it was due."

More papers on Samba:

• Analytical Essay # 89678 : "The Samba"
• Essay # 36606 : "The Mystery of Samba"
• Descriptive Essay # 110261 : "Samba Roots"
• Essay # 17117 : "Samba: The Musical Lifeblood of Brazil"

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