the story of 'the first samba' is a famously contentious one amongst musical scholars in brazil. even the etymology of the name is subject to rigorous debate, with various academics tracing its lineage to the legacy of the moorish conquest of europe or alternately, to the influence of the tupi language on the development of brazilian portuguese.

though now inseparable from the national identity, there was a time when the samba was considered very impolite, and dangerous. its early roots lie far from the cartão postal (post cards) of 1920s rio de janeiro, and it was not until its official recognition by the estado novo of getúlio vargas in the 1940s, that samba gained nationwide acceptance.