at a glance
in its early development the neighborhood was just single-story homes, but was slowly expanded, and with the proclamation of the new republic it became the symbol of glamour and wealth between the 1930's and 1950's. with its growing reputation, copacabana evolved into the city's hub of creativity and art, inspiring songs, books and paintings.
in the 1950's, copacabana would make history again as the birthplace of one of rio's most famous musical exports: bossa nova. young music enthusiasts and artists in the neighborhood of copacabana would gather for samba jam sessions - as improvisation is a key feature of a jam session, participants would often contribute with new sounds and rhythms that they heard during the day.
given the tendencies of the day, jazz soon started being incorporated in copacabana's samba jam sessions, often taking place at the beach or in nara leăo's apartment, a singer later named 'the muse of bossa nova' - by the late 50's, a distinct new music scene based on this mixture of rhythms was starting to take shape in rio de janeiro - and began being the main feature in local college concerts.
