Samba, together with football and beautiful wo- man, is what springs to mind when we think of Brazil. We wish to transcend such cliches and take Samba at its word, for what it is. And that is the great discovery of this film: that Samba can- not be reduced simply to dance and lascivious hip movements. Samba is also word, language, text, lyrics or simply said a way of life. The com- poser and singer Martinho da Vila is our charismatic Cicero, guiding us through the world of Samba, telling stories about his 45-year career, meet his Samba school in Rio de Janeiro, the Vila Isabel.
