Abstract: This paper reviews a few scholarly texts about samba, and it seeks to identify trends of thought common to studies about this style. Once identified, trends are discussed in detail, and scrutinized about their usefulness to the context of samba. The way of presentation is mainly critical, advancing common sense views about samba simbology and its relationship to Africa and Brazil in order to show how scholarly literature assimilates those views.

Keywords: samba, musical representation, critical musicology, africanity, pagode.

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