11 My Life Is Samba

Minha vida é samba

Rio de Janeiro |

Brazil

Portuguese

Behind the scenes

This text was born from an experience I had in the Cantagalo favela, overlooking the bay of Rio de Janeiro, where I took part in a humanitarian initiative. What struck me most was how quickly the atmosphere can shift. In just a few moments, you move from a magnificent, sunlit view over the bay to a palpable tension in the narrow alleyways. Beauty and fragility coexist.

I wanted to weave into this text both the echo and the fervour of samba, which takes hold of the body, and a more intimate story-that of man’s most faithful companion. The dog thus becomes a silent witness, a constant presence amid the turmoil.

In the illustration, I wanted the words to dance across the sky, just like the young woman in my text.

Echoes of the world

Brazilian Portuguese is a musical, fluid, open language: morro, morena, samba, baía. The vowels stretch, nasal sounds resonate softly. The phrase Minha vida é samba (“My life is samba”) seems to dance on its own.

Samba itself was born in the popular neighborhoods of Rio, blending African, European, and Indigenous influences. It transforms hardship into movement.

And then there is this simple word: cão, meaning “dog.” It is pronounced in a single syllable, something like “kown,” with a nasal ending that lingers slightly, as the sound resonates through the nose.

Listen to an audio excerpt of the text