Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in African and European roots. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival. Considered one of the most popular Brazilian cultural expressions, the samba has become an icon of Brazilian national identity. The Bahian samba de roda (dance circle), which became a UNESCO Heritage of Humanity in 2005, is the main root of the samba carioca, the samba that is played and danced in Rio de Janeiro.

Although samba exists throughout the country—especially in the states of Bahia, Maranhão, Minas Gerais, and Sao Paulo—in the form of various popular rhythms and dances that originated from the regional batuque, a type of music and associated dance form from Cape Verde, the samba is a particular musical expression of urban Rio de Janeiro, where it was born and developed between the end of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century. It was in Rio that the dance practiced by former slaves who migrated from Bahia in the northeast came into contact and incorporated other genres played in the city (such as the polka, the maxixe, the lundu, and the xote, among others), acquiring a completely unique character and creating the samba carioca urbana (samba school) and carnavalesco (Carnaval school director). In reality, the samba schools are large organizations of up to 5000 people which compete annually in the Carnival with thematic floats, elaborate costumes and original music.
During the first decade of the 20th century, some songs under the name of samba were recorded, but these recordings did not achieve great popularity. However, in 1917 "Pelo Telefone" ("By Phone") was recorded, which is considered the first true samba. The song was claimed to be authored by Ernesto dos Santos, best known as Donga, with co-composition attributed to Mauro de Almeida, a well-known Carnaval columnist. Actually, "Pelo Telefone" was created by a collective of musicians who participated in celebrations at the house of Tia Ciata (Aunt Ciata); it was eventually registered by Donga and the Almeida National Library.

"Pelo Telefone" was the first composition to achieve great success with the style of samba and to contribute to the dissemination and popularization of the genre. From that moment, samba started to spread across the country, initially associated with Carnival and then developing its own place in the music market. There were many composers such as Heitor dos Prazeres, João da Bahiana, Pixinguinha and Sinhô, but the sambas of these composers were "amaxixados" (a mix of maxixe), known as sambas-maxixes.[3]
The contours of the modern samba came only at the end of the 1920s, from the innovations of a group of composers of carnival blocks in the neighborhoods of Estácio de Sá and Osvaldo Cruz, and the hills of Mangueira, Salgueiro and São Carlos. Since then, there have been many great names in samba, such as Ismael Silva, Cartola, Ary Barroso, Noel Rosa, Ataulfo Alves, Wilson Batista, Geraldo Pereira, Zé Kéti, Candeia, Ciro Monteiro, Nelson Cavaquinho, Elton Medeiros, Paulinho da Viola, Martinho da Vila, and many others.[3]
As the samba consolidated as an urban and modern expression, it began to be played on radio stations, spreading across the hills and neighborhoods to the affluent southern areas of Rio de Janeiro. Initially viewed with prejudice and discriminated against because of its black roots, the samba, because of its hypnotic rhythms and melodic intonations, as well as its playful lyrics, eventually conquered the white middle class as well. Derived from samba, other musical genres earned themselves names such as samba-canção, partido alto, samba-enredo, samba de gafieira, samba de breque, bossa nova, samba-rock, pagode, and many others. In 2007, the IPHAN turned the into a Samba a Cultural Heritage of Brazil.[3]
The samba is frequently associated abroad with the football and Carnival. This history began with the international success of "Aquarela do Brasil," by Ary Barroso, followed with Carmen Miranda (supported by Getúlio Vargas government and the US Good Neighbor policy), which led to the samba United States, went further by bossa nova, which finally entered the country in the world of music. The success of the samba in Europe and Japan only confirms its ability to win fans, regardless of language. Currently, there are hundreds of samba schools held on European soil (scattered by countries like Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Sweden, Switzerland). Already in Japan, the records invest heavily in the launch of former Sambistas set of discs, which eventually create a market comprised solely of catalogs of Japanese record labels.[3]
The modern samba that emerged from the beginning of the century rate is basically 2/4 tempo and varied, with conscious use of the possibilities of chorus sung to the sound of palms and batucada rhythm, and which would add one or more parts, or offices of declamatory verses. Traditionally, the samba is played by strings (cavaquinho and various types of guitar) and various percussion instruments such as tambourine. By influence of American orchestras in vogue since the Second World War and the cultural impact of US music post-war, began to be used also as instruments trombones and trumpets, and the influence choro, flute and clarinet.
In addition to rhythm and bar set musically, historically brings in itself a whole culture of food (dishes for specific occasions), dances varied ((miudinho, coco, samba de roda, pernada), parties, clothes (shoe nozzle fine, linen shirt, etc), and the NAIF painting of established names such as Nelson Sargento, Guilherme de Brito and Heitor dos Prazeres, and anonymous artists community (painters, sculptors, designers and stylists) that makes the clothes, costumes, carnival floats and cars opens the wings of schools of samba.
The Samba National Day is celebrated on December 2. The date was established at the initiative of a Alderman of Salvador, Luis Monteiro da Costa, in honor of Ary Barroso, which was composed "Na Baixa do Sapateiro" - although he had never been in Bahia. Thus, on December 2 marked the first visit of the Ary Barroso to Salvador. Initially, this day was celebrated only in Salvador, but eventually turned into a national day.