samba jingha:

The Swing of Brazil
A feature length documentary

Producer/Director J. Kevin Swain

Samba has millions of fans worldwide, but in Brazil it is more than music, it is a pillar of cultural identity, the fuel of passion that infuses everyday life with meaning, romance and sensuality — it is the manifestation of Brazilian jingha — the genius of the swing.

Born in the streets of "little Africa" during the 1920's and 30's, Samba is the essence of Brazilian music and life. Infectious, sensual, prevalent in almost every facet of daily life, the music is more than a massive musical genre it is a lifestyle, an ever-evolving movement, the manifestation of the Brazilian genius of jingha (that ability to create/solve/savor/and finesse on the spot and off the cuff that may be the one thing that units Brazilian from every walk of life and every one of it's many regions.) Today, Samba, with a current fanbase of millions worldwide, has never been so well-loved nor so varied and influential. The time for a Samba's Buena Vista Social Club is now. Our journey begins on New Years Eve in Rio and Salvador all the way through to Carnival. We will explore every facet of the season and the passion that fills the participants will unparalleled devotion.

The film will introduce samba music to a broad worldwide audience by focusing on the prevalence of Samba in the daily lives of Brazilians — getting to the nut of the intimate relationship between the people and the music. In the grandest scale, the music can be experienced through large religious (New Year's and Carnival in Rio, the Day of the Good Death & Carnival in Bahia) events. There are also several large concert events each year featuring the best and brightest of the new and veteran stars of the genre. These events will be shot with the scope and feel of epic battle scenes, or grandiose concert films, in order to convey the magnitude of Samba's importance.During these events, we will capitalize on the opportunity to get to know a few of today's Brazilian music stars — interviewing them in their homes, on the road, capturing live performances on and off the stage, we will gain some insight into what drew them to the music, to the life of an artist, and discover where they hope to go in the future. Most importantly, serving as the backbone of the film, will be the stories of several "street ambassadors". Enlisting the help of several typical Brazilians, we will shadow them as they go about their days, introducing us to their lives, escorting us to the heart of the important events and festivals, and showing us the influence of Samba in their daily lives. Thus we will gain rare insight into the music from an individual "layman's" perspective.

This film is for a worldwide audience, for those who know little about Brazil or Samba — it is an introduction of sorts. Utilizing brief points of history to place the music in the proper historical context, the film will provide audiences with enough background information and musical samples to satisfy new and experienced fans of the genre. However, this is no plodding educational film — the beats of Samba will set the driving pace, the romance and passion of the genre will not be left out nor will the beauty and sensuality of the people, the dancers and the land.