Samba and bossa nova were born in Rio de Janeiro and are still the rhythms that best transit the city’s spirit. The samba school parades have made the rhythm world-famous. With roots in Africa, samba gives life to parties throughout the city and is one of the strongest cultural movements in the country. In their lyrics, the composers describe day-to-day events, romances and the irreverence of life in Rio. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, samba has traditionally been played with string instruments (cavaquinho and various types of guitar) and a wide range of percussion instruments.

Another highlight of Brazilian popular music is bossa nova. The musical movement was born casually during meetings of middle class cariocas in apartments and houses in Rio’s South Zone, especially in Copacabana, from 1957. In these places, people would gather to make and listen to music. João Gilberto became the great exponent of bossa nova for having "invented" the rhythm on his guitar. This new beat can be heard on the track "Chega de saudade" (Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Morais), for which Gilberto’s first LP was named.

He has been and still is a reference for many generations of musicians, including Caetano Veloso, who says he decided to follow a musical career after hearing Gilberto for the first time. At this time, Tom Jobim was already a well-known musician in Rio. Jobim’s work includes songs that are part of the classic repertoire of bossa nova, such as "Desafinado" and "Samba de uma nota só," composed in partnership with Newton Mendonça, and which would be the first two song of the musical genre to enter the US market from 1960. With Vinicius de Moraes, Tom composed, in addition to "Chega de saudade," another classic bossa nova song, "Garota de Ipanema," which became the best known Brazilian song in the world, after "Aquarela do Brasil" (Ary Barroso).

As the birthplace of these important musical genres, Rio de Janeiro is a Mecca for Brazilian musicians. Stars of Brazilian Popular Music (MPB) have come to the city to start and promote their careers. Today, Rio still attracts many artists, making it a melting pot of genres and trends, and the cosmopolitan character of the city means that people of all tastes can find unforgettable musical attractions here.

Translated from Dicionário Cravo Albin da Música Popular Brasileira