Samba!

Samba is the heartbeat of Rio. It’s based on African rhythms and you’d have to be dead not to resist its hypnotic beat. As we rode the train up the steep mountainside through the rain forest on our way to the Christ statue, we were entertained by a samba band called “Bom de Samba.” Once they started up, the whole train car came alive, people singing along, clapping, dancing. Someone said one of the women on the train was having a birthday, and they all started singing their traditional birthday song to her, samba-style, of course. I wouldn’t have known this if Christina had not said they’re singing happy birthday.