[2026] Brazil’s National Music! A Collection of Iconic and Popular Samba Songs

Sonho MeuDona Ivone Lara

Sonho Meu

This is “Sonho Meu,” a signature song by the veteran samba composer Dona Ivone Lara.

While there are many female samba singers, it is said that female composers of samba were extremely rare.

She is revered as a matriarch of samba, indispensable in any discussion of the genre.

Vai PassarChico Buarque

Chico Buarque – Vai Passar

This is a song by Chico Buarque, a singer famous as a singer-songwriter in the Brazilian pop music genre known as MPB.

Strictly speaking, he isn’t a samba singer, but in this song he really embraces a samba rhythm—it’s a very light and lively track.

Retrato Cantado de um AmorReinaldo

Reinaldo – Retrato Cantado de um amor

Reinaldo, the famed sambista who sadly passed away in 2019.

With an unusual career path—pursuing music while also working as a banker—Reinaldo quit his job in 1982 to devote himself fully to music.

Over the next three decades, he continued to release a vast number of works with remarkable energy, contributing to the development of samba and pagode as a skilled sambista.

Here, I’d like to introduce the title track from his 1986 solo debut, “Retrato Cantado de um Amor.” It’s a classic that’s both famous and beloved at the Rio de Janeiro Carnival, with a sound that conjures up the sweltering Brazilian summer afternoons—even if you’ve never been there—and his rich, robust vocals match it perfectly.

The synth-like phrases that come in partway through also feel fresh and really hit the spot!

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KOH-1

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A Voz do MorroZe Keti

Ze Keti A voz do morro

Zé Keti, who was a member of the legendary roots samba group Conjunto A Voz do Morro formed in the 1960s.

Considered a leading figure of samba de morro, he sang about the realities of life in the hillsides and the cheerful spirit of the streets.

He was also an excellent composer: his song “Acender as Velas” became a hit when sung by renowned vocalists like Nara Leão and Elis Regina.

The song introduced here, “A Voz do Morro,” dates back to his days with that group.

From the very first line—boldly proclaiming “I am samba”—it captures the true essence of down-to-earth, neighborhood samba at its best.

It’s a classic that many artists have covered, so it’s fun to search around on YouTube and discover different versions.

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Atire a primeira pedraAtaulfo Alves

Ataulfo Alves – Atire a primeira pedra

Ataulfo Alves is a Black samba composer and singer who debuted in the 1930s, remained active through the 1960s, and left behind many masterpieces.

Among his songs, which have become standards, is “Atire a Primeira Pedra.”