Samba: The Making of Brazilian Carnival

Black Orpheus springs to life in this description of Rio de Janeiro's annual carnival. Viewers of the famous foreign film will recall the thousands of costumed dancers and musicians who plan, design and practice for the lengthy displays in carnival parades. In depicting the slum people of Rio who prepare for the annual samba competition, Guillermoprieto, formerly Newsweek 's South American bureau chief, vividly presents the individual stories of principal participants, analyzes the feelings they express in their music and dance, describes the contributions of the various samba schools and offers his interpretation of black Brazilian history and culture. (Feb.)