Brasilidade will be performing at the Brazilian Carnanval of San Diego on Saturday, February 14, 2015. Click here to purchase your tickets now.

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L.A.’s Official 14th Annual “BRAZILIAN CARNAVAL: WORLD CUP 2014”
The longest running Brazilian Carnaval celebration on the West Coast with All-Star Brazilian bands&non-stop Carnaval music & dancing
at Club Nokia/LA Live on Saturday, March 1, 2014 • 8:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
“Scantily-clad dancers, live music, a parade, and caipirinhas? Sounds like a party to us.” – Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES – Brazilian Nites Productions, presenters of the best Brazilian musical talent since 1989, proudly returns to Club Nokia at L.A. Live for the 14th annual Brazilian Carnaval: World Cup 2014,(Carnaval da Copa Mundial) on March 1, 2014. This special Carnaval party is themed after the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil from June 12 through July 15th and takes place on the exact same day as the first day of Carnaval celebrations in Brazil & around the world.

Carnaval, the worldwide annual celebration, is the most famous and anticipated holiday in Brazil to let loose and dance the night away. The country stops completely for nearly a week and festivities are held day and night, mainly in coastal cities like Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, Bahia. L.A.’s official, annual party tradition – Brazilian Carnaval –is the closest you can get to the excitement and rhythms of Brazil in Los Angeles.

Brazilian Nites once again brings the true party spirit of Brazil to Angelenos with all-star bands of highly acclaimed international musicians, one of L.A.’s top DJs spinning Brazilian dance hits, the energy of elite samba drummers, authentic Brazilian food and drinks and of course, the titillating and elaborately costumed, world-class Samba Dancers.This electrifying annual celebration of spectacular sights and sounds also offers guests more table seating around the dance floor and World Cup themed entertainmentand costumes. Audience costumes are encouraged!

Brazilian Carnaval: World Cup 2014 includes music from Chalo Eduardo’sElectricoCarnaval Band, blending world music, rock and Carnaval music from Bahia to Rio with sizzling hot rhythms and soaring guitar melodies, to create a provocative new mixture of Rock n Roll and samba that is electrifying. This All-Star band is curated by Eduardo (who performed with Sergio Mendes, Santana, Mickey Hart, Ricky Martin) and features top notch musicians playing Carnaval hits all night long.

Performing at Carnaval for the first time is the band Brasilidade. The band has been performing some of the best samba and pagode (a popular musical style from Rio) across the US for more than 10 years and is made up of accomplished, international artists from Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, America and the Philippines.

The Samba is to Brazilians an unencumbered way to dance into a euphoric, ecstatic state. The audience will be invited to surrender to samba beats, Capoeira, and participatory Carnaval Parade dances! A parade of energetic and ornately costumed samba dancers will be led by director and choreographer Joany Macias and her L.A. Samba Dancers. Per forming elaborate and lightning-fast steps, these dancers exhibit samba culture and elegance via athletic and energetic samba dance skills. Macias’ also leds the LA Samba Drummers an all-star Brazilian percussion samba band dedicated to maintaining authentic Brazilian samba culture.

Brazil is known for its one of a kind style of soccer, known as “samba-style.” This extraordinary technique is characterized by skillful and free-flowing moves, executed with a flamboyance, speed and creativity in footwork that resembles the samba dance. The music of Brasilidade and The ElectricoCarnaval Band and the energizing steps of the LA Samba Dancers work to reflect the spirit of Brazilian soccer culture during this special year of the World Cup.

Carnaval also features sessions of en masse dance floor choreography and blocos choreographed by Fransini Giraldo from SambaBody, Brazilian arts and crafts, Havaianas, and giveaway souvenirs of Mardi Gras beads, tambourines and shakers, courtesy of our sponsor Remo Percussion Instruments.

DJ Chris Brazil will spin additional Brazilian dance music between sets.The video visual environment featuring Brazilian sites and culture by Leonardo Bondani (performed with Moby, Deep Forest, Lila Downs, Mexican Institute of Sound) will also include a Rio Carnaval simulcast.

Brazilian Carnaval World Cup 2014 also features a menu of delicious, authentic Brazilian culinary creations from Picabu. The National cocktail of Brazil – the Caipirinha – will also be available for purchase. Caipirinhas are made with Brazil’s most common distilled alcoholic beverage Cachaça, mixed with sugar and lime and poured over ice. This light and refreshing cocktail blends perfectly with the heat and non-stop energy of Carnaval.

The largest and most extravagant Carnaval on the West Coast, Brazilian Nites’Carnaval has consistently sold out, drawing a crowd for the past 13 years. This music and dance spectacle is an authentic demonstration of Carnaval dance, costuming, parading, live Brazilian dance music, drink and food. Patricia Leao, Producer from Brazilian Nites Productions, have brought L.A. the best of Brazilian talent since 1989. Brazilian Nites partners with Painted Turtle, a non-profit charity that provides an innovative camp and family care center for children with life threatening illnesses, in presenting Brazilian Carnaval: World Cup 2014.

The 14th Annual Brazilian Carnaval: World Cup 2014 is sponsored by KPFK 90.7 FM, REMO, Live Out Loud L.A., Fusicology, Soyombo Vodka, and LatinoLA.com.

The Club Nokia Brazilian Carnaval: World Cup 2014 is for all ages.Presale tickets are: $45.00 general admission / standing room only ($55.00 @ the door)& $67.50 preferred seating ($77.50 @ the door). Purchase General Admission and Preferred Seating tickets by calling (818) 566-1111, visit http://www.BrazilianNites.com.

Club Nokia is located at 800 West Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015. Parking on site available for a fee.

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Samba is a traditional Brazilian dance and musical genre originated from African roots during Brazil’s colonial period. 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 History of Samba

Samba emerged from a the mixture of musical styles from Africa and Brazil. Samba is played with percussion instruments (drums, tambourines) and accompanied by guitar and cavaquinho. Generally, Samba lyrics are about romance or the everyday life of those living in cities, especially the poor. The word samba is of African origin and its meaning is attached to the typical popular dances of the continent.

The roots of samba were implanted in Brazil during Brazil’s Colonial period, with the arrival of slave labor in the country.
The first recorded samba in Brazil was “Pelo Telephone” (By Phone), in 1917, sung by Bahiano and the lyrics of this samba were written by Donga and Mauro de Almeida. Later, samba takes to the streets and spreads to the carnivals of Brazil. In this period, the main samba composers were Ismael Silva and Heitor dos Prazeres.

In the 1930s, Brazilian radio stations started broadcasting samba to their audiences. The most important samba composers of this time were Noel Rosa, "Conversa de Bar" Cartola, "As Rosas Não Falam" Dorival Caymmi, "O Que É Que a Baiana Tem?" Ary Barroso, "Aquarela do Brasil" and Adoniran Barbosa, composer of "Trem das Onze."

In the 1970s and 1980s, a new generation of composers emerged. Such as Paulinho da Viola, Jorge Aragão, João Nogueira, Beth Carvalho, Elza Soares, Dona Ivone Lara, Clementina de Jesus, Chico Buarque, João Bosco and Aldir Blanc.

Historically, other important samba composers of all-time: Pixinguinha, Ataulfo Alves, Carmen Miranda, Elton Medeiros, Nelson Cavaquinho, Lupicínio Rodrigues, Aracy de Almeida, Demônios da Garoa, Isaura Garcia, Candeia, Elis Regina, Nelson Sargento, Clara Nunes, Wilson Moreira, Elizeth Cardoso, Jacob do Bandolim e Lamartine Babo.

Bahia, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo

The best known types of samba, and those which are most famous, are those from Bahia, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

The Bahian samba is influenced by Lundu and Maxixe, with simple lyrics, fast and repetitive rhythms. The lambada, for example, is similar, as it came from Maxixe as well. However, the samba de roda that emerged in Bahia in the nineteenth century, has African-Brazilian cultural elements. With applause and chants, the dancers dance inside a circle of people. The music is played by a musical ensemble, which uses guitar, conga, berimbau, tambourine and a rattle.

In Rio de Janeiro, samba is linked to the life in the slums, and the lyrics tell about urban life, workers and the life’s difficulties, in a pleasant way and often with humor.

In São Paulo, samba is influenced by the many cultures that have made the city their home, like with the Italian influences, the lyrics are more elaborated and it is more practiced by the workers and humble people of São Paulo.

Main Types of Samba

Samba de Partido Alto

With improvised lyrics, Samba de Partido Alto addresses the reality of the slums and poorer regions. It is the style of the great masters of samba. The best known Partido Alto composers are Moreira da Silva, Martinho da Vila, Zeca Pagodinho, Almir Guineto, Arlindo Cruz, Aniceto do Império, Candeia, Xangô da Mangueira, Luíz Carlos da Vila, etc.

Samba Enredo

Born in Rio de Janeiro in the 1930s. The themes of the music are connected to the topic a Samba school chooses every year for the parade. Generally, the themes focus on social or cultural issues. The theme is what defines the choreography, costumes, and stage design used in the parade of a particular samba school.

Pagode (Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Brasilia, Rio Grande do Sul)

Born in Rio de Janeiro, in the 1970s, Pagode only became popular in the radio and dance clubs in the next decade. It uses repetitive rhythms by percussion instruments and electronic musical instruments. Pagode spread rapidly in Brazil, due to its simple and romantic lyrics. The main pagode bands are: Fundo de Quintal, Negritude Jr., Só Pra Contrariar (SPC), Raça Negra, Katinguelê, Pique Novo, Art Popular, Exaltasamba, Molejo, Revelação, etc.

Pagode Baiano (Swingueira) – Bahia

Originating in Bahia with influences of Armandinho, Chiclete Com Banana, and others, It’s famous for having repetitive rhythms, catchy lyrics, and most songs have choreographies, which attracts the public. It became very popular after the bands Gerasamba (later became É O Tchan) and Terrasamba.. The main swingueira bands are Gerasamba (É O Tchan), Harmonia do Samba, Patrulha do Samba, Terrasamba, Tchakabum, etc.

Samba-canção (Romantic Samba)

Also known as Samba Romântico, appeared in the 1930s, with slow tempos and romantic sentimental lyrics like "Oh, Zizi" (1929), by Luís Peixoto.

Samba de Gafieira

It started in the 1940s and has orchestral accompaniment. Fast and very strong in the instrumental part, Samba de Gafieira is widely used in ballroom dancing.

Samba de Breque

Started in the 1950s,this style has moments of brief stops, where the singer can include comments, many of them in a critical or humorous tone. One of the masters of this style is Moreira da Silva.

Most Commonly used Musical Instruments in Samba

• Cavaquinho (Cavaco)
• Nylon-string Guitar
• 7-String Guitar
• Brazilian Banjo
• Tan-tan / Rebolo
• Pandeiro
• Surdo
• Reco-reco
• Tamborim
• Agogô
• Repique de Anel
• Repique de Mão
• Cuíca
• Chocalho/Ganzá
• Repinique
• Caixa/Tarol (snare drum)
• Afoxé