What is samba?

Samba is a Brazillian folk dance that has its roots in African music. It is highly syncopated and is accompanied by percussion instruments and singing in which a soloist and orchestra alternate.
Samba is played with traditional percussion instruments. The huge surdos give the base pulse of the music, the rhythmic patterns of the repanique bring in the agogo bells, the groups of shaking ganzas and the rattling tambourins.