Samba Riachao

Colour, 35mm
Brazil, 2001, 86 min
Section: New Brazilian Documentary

Synopsis

Samba Riachao is a poor musician, yet remains a living legend and artist celebrated throughout Brazil. This documentary film describes not only his life but also the path of Brazilian music through several generations. From the first masters of the bossa nova it also introduces us to contemporary Brazilian musicians. Other distinguished Brazilian artists also have their say in the film, for example, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Tom Zé, Daniela Mercury and Armandinho. This exceptional film cleverly maps out the development of Brazilian folklore in the first feature-length documentary by Jorge Alfredo.

About the director

Jorge Alfredo (1951) is an actor, musician and film director with an interest in music, film and literature. During the 1990s he worked on films such as Pan Habrakadabra, Radio Gogó and Oriki which contributed to the renaissance of the Brazilian film industry. Seeking the roots of the samba and other Brazilian rhythms, the director brings together film and music in order to present the people and characteristics of Brazilian folk culture. The year 2002 saw him working on a television project entitled “In the end, over here it always comes down to the samba.