Like most of Brazilian music, it originated in the north-east region of Brazil called Bahia. This was where most of the black slaves had been brought to work on the plantations for the Portuguese. The majority of these slaves came from Angola and other places in South West Africa. With the slaves, came rhythms and sounds that constitute so much of Brazil's music, and these same rhythms would be the origins of one of Brazil's most famous exports - Samba.

Also around this time, indigenous dances were increasing in popularity among both the slaves and the settlers, much to the frustration of Portuguese authorities, who at one stage attempted to ban a few of them. Nevertheless, in the 1830's a composite dance was developed which combined the plait figures from these Negro dances and the body rolls and sways of the indigenous Lundu.

Around 1885, as more and more blacks headed south towards Rio de Janeiro, the dance was modified and began to be performed with the dancers holding each other in the European way (closed dance position). It was soon adopted by high society in Rio, and popularised as the Zemba Queca. Later it was modified again and called the Mesemba.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Mesemba was combined with another Brazilian dance, the Maxixe and was popularised in Europe. This was largely due to the efforts of the group 'Oito Batutas' who toured Europe and wowed audiences with their new sounds and dance steps. While Brazilian newspapers were horrified about the idea of this band, which was composed of blacks, representing Brazil (keep in mind that slavery had only been abolished in Brazil 34 years earlier) - the tour was a huge success and extended from the 1 month to 6!

In the 1930s, a form of the Samba called the Carioca was revived in U.K and spread to the USA. Movies helped popularise it, with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers performing it in their first film together. In 1941, its popularity was boosted by performances by Carmen Miranda in her many films.

The Ballroom Samba, while maintaining elements of what the Brazilians consider the true Samba, was formalised in 1956 by Pierre Lavelle. Since then, various forms of Samba have been developed to fit the mood of modern music, these include: Samba Breque, Samba Gafeira, Samba Morro, Samba Batucada, Samba Choro, Samba Cancao, Samba Moderno, Samba Rock, Samba-Funk, Samba Ragae, Bossa Nova, Partido Alto, Toada, Rasta Pe, Xote, Afoxe, Maracatu, Marcha, Marcha Rancho, Baiao, Caterete, Xaxado, Blues, Chorinho, and of course the Samba that defines the Carnivale in Rio de Janeiro - Samba Enredo.

With so many forms and variations, it is the combination of African, Native Indian and even Iberian influences, that is so often found in the heavily populated coastal areas of Brazil, that make Samba such a unique genre of music.