Our musical example is the title song from Daniela Mercury 1993 album O canto da cidade (The Song of the City). Here disco studio effects appear alongside drumming in samba-reggae rhythms similar to those of grupos-Afro. Mercury brings these elements together with ingenuity, adding lyrics that address the African heritage of “her” city: Salvador. Interestingly, exploring her female sex appeal, she presents herself as the diva of this heavily Afro-Brazilian city: her song is equated with its traditional sounds, and her skin color, although very light, is also equated with “the color of the city.” Thus, in her dance-song, she herself becomes “the” song and “the” color of Salvador. As she plays with the words, Mercury’s song describes the city and its African traditions. Mercury’s energetic singing style, samba-reggae rhythms, and electric sounds give the local Afro-Brazilian tradition an irresistible cosmopolitan appeal that has made her popular throughout the country.

Instrumentation: keyboard, electrical guitar, bass, drum set, surdos, repenique, pandeiro, ganza

Time signature and rhythm: duple meter, with samba-reggae rhythm; this can be easily identified in the regular emphasis on “1” and “2” of samba and the accentuation on the offbeats by the repenique. Another easily recognizable element of samba-reggae is the last beat of each measure, in which the bass plays a characteristic four sixteenth notes leading up to the next beat.

Form: Several sections that repeat and alternate with a refrain (A)