Kizombas, Andancas e Festancas.

• Author: Silva, Aroldo Souza

Martinho da Vila, one of the most accomplished Brazilian samba singers and composers, wrote a book without any literary pretensions. He does not seek immortality at the Brazilian Academy of Literature; his immortality lies in the Brazilian Academy of Samba. In his book, Martinho reveals himself through what he reveals about his friends, slowly, mentioning name after name and using imagination and fantasy to describe the trilogy of Brazilian passion: samba, carnival and soccer. Well flavored with cachaca and feijoada, Martinho's story focuses on the people of the hills, the people of the streets--people who radiate light with smiles that are full of joy. Kizombas (a word with African origins meaning encounter or brotherhood), marches and binges parade through a loose narrative, without pretensions, full of Vila Isabel, the traditional neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro where the Samba School of Vila Isabel was founded. This barrio was also the birthplace and breeding ground of Noel Rosa, the great mythical figure of Brazilian popular music.

Martinho tells of his journey to Angola, where he rediscovered his origins and his passion for Mother Africa which strengthens his social discourse. The book examines the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man, an interview with Pele, and the recently approved Cao law, covering crimes resulting from racial prejudices in Brazil. As a reference source for a people who are thought to have a short memory, the book contains biographical accounts of Martin Luther King, Jr., Winnie Mandela and Malcolm X.

Martinho also recounts the history of the jogo do bicho, a lottery game with 25 numbers in which each number represents a different animal. This...