Is Samba dying?

For those who haven't heard, there is a famous Brazilian song called "Não deixe o samba morrer" (Don't let samba die, written by Edson and Aloíso). A classic, sung by many Brazilian singers, probably one of the most played sambas in history.

There is no doubt that samba is still alive and well, but it is definitely changing, both in a good and in a bad way.

Music generally speaking is becoming simpler, there are less instruments, there is less sophistication of sound, repetitive lyrics. There is no way samba would avoid this.

On the other hand, there is a new generation of young musicians rescuing the best of Brazilian culture. A samba played with a new perspective, new impetus. Like Roberta Sa, mentioned here before, Teresa Cristina, Diogo Nogueira, Moyseis Marques and others.

Although it's hard to recognise a trend while it is still emerging, if we look carefully, we see it. Brazil is booming economically and becoming more and more of an international reference point. There is increasing interest in our culture. A future superpower? It is what is being predicted, but this is a long way off (let's leave this discussion for another day).

So, to prove samba is not dying, just regenerating itself, see below some links to trendy and modern samba musicians. Enjoy!