Os Demônios da Garoa

Samba-choro is a subgenre of samba that crystallized in early-1930s Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It fuses the rhythmic pulse and vocal songcraft of samba with the contrapuntal melodies, virtuosic lines, and harmonic movement of choro. Typically at a medium tempo, samba-choro keeps the syncopated 2/4 swing of samba while adopting choro’s instrumental color—cavaquinho, seven‑string guitar, flute or clarinet—and adds lyrics, turning the choro idiom into elegant, witty popular song. The result is a sophisticated, urban style associated with the radio era, café society, and the rise of Brazilian popular music on 78‑rpm records.