Samba is the sound of Brazil it was originally the music of African slaves and its rhythms are said to speak to the spirits of African gods. the Rio Carnival, the biggest street party on the planet, dates back to 1723 as a Christian festival to relax and have fun before the stricter period of lent- a period of discipline similar to our own "khao Pansa". It is, of course,an opportunity for samba schools to compete against each other.