“Without music, life would be a mistake.” Friedrich Nietzsche, a famous German philosopher, once wrote.

One of the joys of learning a new language is being introduced to new music. Listening to the words, the emotion, and the life that can be brought about with a sound. Music that can’t be expressed solely by spoken words.

Brazil is most famous for its samba, a traditional music that has roots back to the African slave trade. Samba is not just a music, its ingrained in the culture, in food, dancing, family, Carnival, education, and art. To give you a taste, here is one of my favorites by Gilberto Gil.

In Rio, I have found Samba in little bars, as pictured below (big enough to fit just the band and few people standing), in outdoor restaurants, walking down Copacabana beach, and just about everywhere. It’s amazing how music can move us and change our state of being, making us more aware of our presence and appreciate what we can create in this life.

I hope you will open up your ears. Listen to the art sung all around us and enjoy the music of this life. You don’t want to miss it.