rio de janeiro is the cradle of samba, bossa nova, and funk carioca - yet, there are a variety of other brazilian musical genres, non-indigenous of rio, that make up a significant part of the city's culture, and are constantly present during public events, celebrations, and in the local nightlife.

steeped primarily in african traditions, and often with religious overtones, several regional rhythms and music styles from northeastern brazil are called 'música nordestina' (music from the northeast).

all rhythms in this genre share similar style elements - in fact, all of these beats originated from the northeastern area of brazil, covering many states from the atlantic coast to some inner rural areas, and typically have cadences and simple lyrics accompanied by accordions and guitars.