Just allow me to add something more. I lived in Brazil during the height of the original bossa nova movement. I also lived later in Venezuela. In Venezuela, salsa and merengue which have roots in Afro-Cuban music were very popular.

Samba and bossa nova do not share Afro-Cuban roots. Both samba and its offshoot bossa nova originated from Afro-Brazilain roots. Most of the slaves in Brazil came form Portuguese African colonies of Angola and Mozambigue, so the culture is somehwat different and so is the music, including some of the characteristic instruments.

Bossa nova originated in Rio de Janneiro, by way of Bahia in Northern Brazil. It is said to have been an amalgam of samba and West Coast cool jazz. But it DID originate in Rio. The song "The Girl from Ipanema" was written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicio de Moreas in a Rio bar. Also Antonio Carlos Jobim met another key player in the development of bossa nova, Joao Gilberto, in Ipanema. Gilberto is considered by some to be the "father of bossa nova." In fact, it was Jobim who first gave him that name. The first recorded song of bossa nova is generally believed to be "Chega de Saudade."

But for further information check this web site.

http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll

I hope the link works. If it doesn't, go to allmusicguide.com, click on styles, type in bossa nova, then click "go" and you will see a history of bossa noava and some guides on the rhythm commonly associated with it.

(I checked. The link doesn't work, so you will have to go through the steps I outlined.)

Very informative post and link, Boplicity. Thanks.

Originally posted by Boplicity


Samba and bossa nova do not share Afro-Cuban roots.


No they don't.But I would argue that the "spirit" of the music is the same,and that unmistakeable "2" feel.:)

But in practice that "2 feel" is very different for the bass player. So in most Afro Cuban/Salsa the bass line avoids the first beat of the bar and ties across the bar line, anticipating the chords changes on the 4th beat of the bar.

Something which never happens in Brazilian styles based on the 'marching' Samba feel, where the beat is firmly on the 1 and 3 .

Originally posted by Bruce Lindfield
But in practice that "2 feel" is very different for the bass player. So in most Afro Cuban/Salsa the bass line avoids the first beat of the bar and ties across the bar line, anticipating the chords changes on the 4th beat of the bar.

Something which never happens in Brazilian styles based on the 'marching' Samba feel, where the beat is firmly on the 1 and 3 .

I was referring to the subdivision of the bar,not the way a bassist plays "2",the music is counted and felt as cut-time,not 4/4.