Learn Samba music in Brazil

Music is part of the Brazilian soul, and rhythm is in the way people speak, in the way they walk, and in the way they play soccer. In Rio de Janeiro, after the national team has won an important soccer game, fireworks explode in the sky and samba detonates in the streets.

On sidewalks and in city squares, the celebration begins. Impromptu percussion sections appear, made up of all types of Brazilians from all backgrounds and races. As participants pick up instruments - a drum, a scraper, a shaker - an intricate, ebullient samba batucada (percussion jam) builds. Each amateur music-maker kicks in an interlocking rhythmic part to create a groove that would be the envy of most professional bands in other parts of the world. The singing and dancing inevitably go on for hours.

Over the course of the last five centuries, Portuguese, African, and - to a lesser extent - American-Indian rhythms, dances, and harmonies have been mixing together, altering old styles and creating new forms of music.

Most Brazilian music shares three outstanding qualities. Firstly, it has an intense lyricism tied to its Portuguese heritage that often makes for beautiful, highly expressive melodies, enhanced by the fact that Portuguese is one of the most musical tongues on the earth and no small gift to the ballad singer. Second, a high level of poetry is present in the lyrics of much Brazilian popular music. And last, vibrant Afro-Brazilian rhythms energize most Brazilian songs, from samba to baião. By joining us on this placement, you can be a part of it with this truly magical way of living through music! Music is a very personal and very individual love. No two people will share entirely the same taste – and certainly musicians are no different. Abilities, experience, tastes, preferences range immensely.

This is why you choose! Whether you want to be thrown in at the deep end and be immersed in your passion or, you would rather simply devote a proportion of your time to your music during the weeks leaving time to also explore other interests. It’s entirely up to you – we will work as closely to your preferences as we can to ensure you get the absolute most from your time studying music with us in Brazil. Because music is such an individual passion most music placements are arranged specifically for the individual – however, some music course placements do cater for the dynamics of the group over the individual.

Simply let us know your choice of instrument/s, musical preferences / tastes / styles, ability level and experience, and of course the experience that you’re looking for and we’ll do the rest! Here's a little info about two of the options for music placements we currently provide:

Percussion with ‘Estilo Moleque’:
A very popular group in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil - Estilo Moleque.

Estilo Moleque translates roughly to ‘Boy’s style’ - The band members are actually all brothers, coming from a long line of established musicians stretching back over the many generations – including their parents, parents-parents, their uncles and many more relatives all who follow in the musical tradition.

The group enjoys a wonderful reputation, which is well-earned. They are well-known, not only locally in Foz, but across the breadth of the country, with the group having travelled as far as Rio de Janeiro to perform. Rio is in fact the groups birth place and spiritual home, with the brothers being known as being “Cariocas” (the term given to someone born in Rio). Now though Estilo Moleque have made the town of Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, their home and have given you the opportunity of studying with them.

Estilo Moleque performs "Samba Pagode" which is a style of slow Samba and something which is very popular in the Foz do Iguaçu and the region. Pagodes are popular party-style gatherings, such gatherings are exactly where this type of samba originated from. It’s a place where the young and old hone their musical skills. The atmosphere is totally casual - often around a table. Musicians play and take turns, listeners join in singing, people dance, often without a break until dawn - forgetting their troubles and celebrating life.

Music with the Beethoven Music School:
The school is located less than 5 minutes walk from your accommodation. It’s a compact but warm centre – with a good infrastructure. All instruments are provided by the school – although it is still recommended where possible to bring your own instrument for practicing purposes.

The school provided for lessons in the following instruments: The piano, keyboard, organ, guitar, violin and flute among others. Please enquire for further details. Lessons are taught on a one-to-one basis and are able to be held in either the mornings or the afternoons, thus allowing for your music lessons to be combined with one or more of the other activities available - whether its volunteering in the crèche, coaching sports, or, perhaps learning the language. Lessons usually last for approximately 40 minutes.

Whatever you choose, your music placement will be based in the modern town of Foz do Iguaçu, where you can enjoy soaking up the sun in the looming shadow of its neighbours, Argentina and Paraguay - both of which can be found sitting just across the river from you, along of course with the simply awesome presence and power of the world’s largest waterfall - the grand Iguaçu Falls.

However, if you're particularly interested in a music placement in Rio de Janeiro, please let us know and we can give you more information about the kinds of things we can arrange here.