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| Partido alto | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Samba de partido alto |
| Stylistic origins | Samba,polka,maxixe,lundu |
| Cultural origins | Early 20th century, Rio de Janeiro |
Partido Alto refers to a type ofsamba with a number of particularities. In the world of samba subgenres and in samba reunions, partido alto songs (informally calledpartidos) can represent a time for improvisation and (humorous or not) disputes, besides a stronger singalong opportunity for the participants.
Partido Alto is also the name of a particular rhythm that is derived from the above-mentioned style of samba (especially in a jazz context). The rhythm is often played in samba, and is also the basis for the Partido Alto groove, in which more or all of the instruments accent this rhythm.
Regarding structure, Partido Alto differentiates itself from common samba in that it is usually divided in two main parts. One is the usually staticrefrain (refrão), which is sung by a choral, which often means everyone present in a samba performance. The other part is called theverses and is often soloed by one or more participants. There can frequently be two or more versers (versadores), and that usually means that they will be competing in some way, be it humorous or not.
Partido Alto'sharmony is traditionally in amajorkey, which is often understood as a more joyous type of harmony, matching the genre's somewhat euphoric nature. Percussivelly, it presents a peculiarpandeiro beat, with strong use of a violent, dry snap created by hitting the center of the head with the palm of the hand; thus nylon-skinned pandeiros are more common here than in others genres, although Partido Alto uses organic-skins just as much. The name of the genre can, among other meanings, be understood as a reference to this percussive property; one of the possible literal translations would be "broken high", which could be thought of as "highly broken".
Partido Alto has its origins in the religious parties in rural communities wherejongo was played, a type of music very rooted in Africa, accompanied by drums called candongueiros, angumativas and caxambus. It has been present in samba from the beginning; there are songs which are considered partidos dated from the 1930s. There's a traditionaljongo nucleus around thesamba school Império Serrano in Rio de Janeiro, which is active to this day. Thus it is no wonder that a very important artist in the genre, Aniceto do Império, came from there. He and Nilton Campolino released very late in their career, in 1977, their first record, when Aniceto counted 65 years. Other precursors of the music includeCandeia and the legendaryGeraldo Babão from the samba-schools Portela and Salgueiro.
Further famous partido alto musicians includeClementina de Jesus,Jovelina Pérola Negra,Xangô da Mangueira,Bezerra da Silva andCandeia; these can be thought of as the genre's roots. More recent musicians of the such asGrupo Fundo de Quintal,Zeca Pagodinho,Almir Guineto, Trio Calafrio andArlindo Cruz are, among other things, exponents of the genre, although they don't restrain themselves to it.
Examples of prominent songs which can classified as partido alto are the famous "Não Vem (Assim Não Dá)", from the classic record "Quatro Grandes do Samba", whereCandeia,Elton Medeiros,Nelson Cavaquinho andGuilherme de Brito share the verses, and "Perdoa", byPaulinho da Viola, where he and Elton Medeiros share the verses.
Partido Alto has been documented in thefilm of the same name byLeon Hirszman.