Samba's 100-year triumph

Slaves brought to Brazil from Angola took their songs and dances with them, which they called "semba" or "sàmba." Their dances celebrated fertility, but in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia, where most slaves ended up, the dances developed into an integral part of religious ceremonies. The Brazilian samba originated in Rio de Janeiro, a mixture of African and European musical traditions.

The first samba, "Pelo Telefone" ("By Phone"), was officially registered on November 27, 1916, in Brazil's National Library. The carnival hit was attributed to Brazilian musician Ernesto Joaquim Maria dos Santos, known as Donga. The piano score, seen here, was written by Pixinguinha, the famous Brazilian saxophonist, singer and composer.

This 1925 oil painting, by well-known Brazilian artist Emiliano Di Cavalcanti, is entitled "Samba." Di Cavalcanti was seen as the leader of Brazilian Modernism, and his work expressed the self-confidence of black Brazilian art. This piece was destroyed by fire in August 2012.

Brazilian poet and diplomat Vinicius de Moraes (1913-1980) came up with perhaps one of the most beautiful definitions of samba. In "Samba da Benção," which he composed with guitarist Baden Powell, he sang: "A good samba is like a prayer. A good samba needs a bit of suffering, because suffering is always accompanied by a bit of hope."

De Moraes was also behind the 1959 film "Orfeu Negro" ("Black Orpheus"), in which he transposed the ancient Greek drama of Orpheus and Eurydice to Rio's world-famous Carnival. The film, for which director Marcel Camus was awarded the top Palme d'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival, features music by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá, a classic soundscape of samba and bossa nova.

Carmen Miranda (1909-1955) was known for her tutti-frutti hat, but it was samba that made her famous. A milliner and the daughter of Portuguese immigrants, she came to prominence with her 1929 hit "Samba não vá sim'bora" ("Samba, Please Don't Go"), before heading to Hollywood a decade later. In film and on TV, she was known as the Brazilian Bombshell.

Martinho da Vila, a composer, singer and devoted member of the Unidos de Vila Isabel samba school in Rio de Janeiro, is considered one of the leading figures in the samba world. His 1974 song "Canta Canta, Minha Gente" ("Sing, Sing My People") was an international hit. At the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August, he performed along with his daughters at the closing ceremony.

Every Monday, musicians meet for a round of samba music at the Pedra do Sal, a historical place in the center of Rio de Janeiro. Anyone can join in, and everyone is welcome. Samba is the common cultural denominator that brings the city's inhabitants together, even if they come from different social backgrounds.

In this photo, children from Rio's poor district of Cantagalo rehearse at their samba school. The rhythms, lyrics and melodies of the famous samba schools characterize Rio's favela communities. Many children dream of a career in the samba business, making TV shows and traveling abroad.

From Brazil to the world: the global triumph of samba hasn't left Germany untouched. At the Berlin Carnival of Cultures, celebrated in the spring, Brazilian samba schools, with their supporters from different cultures and countries, are now a regular part of the parade.