The first week of May was Samba week in our IES Music & Society class. We discussed the history of Samba, learned when the different forms of Samba emerged, got a chance to try out traditional Samba instruments and took a trip to Pedra do Sal where we ate fejoada and intermingled with the diverse crowd of Samba appreciantes.
Samba is everywhere in Rio. Everyone can do it, and everyone does it in their own way. I was entranced from the first moment I witnessed it at the Sambodromo during our Orientation week and I’m still obsessed with it 3 months later. I have 21 days left in Rio de Janeiro and still haven’t perfected the dance. I might try and catch a Samba class next weekend because it’s entirely unacceptable to leave this city without knowing their favorite dance! Ahhh, wish me luck on one of my last goals for the semester!
Kiah Zellner-Smith
<p><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">My name is Kiah Zellner-Smith and I am a Junior studying American Studies, Urban Studies and Educational Studies at Macalester College in Saint Paul, MN. I spend a lot of my time doodling, journaling, lip syncing in the bathroom, being inspired, laughing loudly, daydreaming, dancing wildly, and having tiny adventures. This semester in Rio de Janeiro will be the first time I leave the country and the safety of my family all by myself and I am simultaneously elated and terrified for my new adventure. I look forward to the many chuckles, challenges, and changes that inevitably await me.</span></p>