Real Rio samba sounds like this: fine small groups, seemingly a bunch of friends in a corner bar, mostly with the little cavaquinho guitar well to the fore, as well as (of course) the usual jubilant percussion. Some of the bands heard on
Brazil -- Roots -- Samba sound professional, some semi-professional, but they're all pretty close to the street. Ten minutes of this stuff would be preferable to an hour of the trendies anytime.
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John Storm Roberts, Rovi