Since the early 1900s, Brazil"s samba schools (or escolas de samba) have filled Brazil"s streets with the infectious, earthy roar of samba. Equally fueled by melodic choruses, pulsating percussion, and plucked stringed instruments, the samba has lost none of its punch in the near-century since its invention. The samba schools - more like clubs organized around the performance of sambas than formal schools - compete annually in carnivals for prizes based on everything from visual impact to compositional quality. It"s this friendly but fervid competition that has kept samba so fresh, so vital. The This is Samba series casts a much-needed light upon those writers, musicians, singers, and teachers of Brazil"s samba schools who, while doing so much to ensure samba"s continued relevance, have yet to receive the international recognition they deserve. Their masterful music, presented here in two copious volumes, is astonishing. Effortless in its fusion of grace and grit, swagger and swoon, this is the real samba of Brazil.This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com"s standard return policy will apply.