Velha Guarda da Portela
Biography
Samba came of age in Rio de Janeiro during the early 20th century, nurtured in the city's 'samba schools'. Velha Guarda Da Portela are a group of veteran musicians from one such institution, whose traditions have long been transmitted orally. Aware that this left them vulnerable to extinction, Brazilian MPB star Marisa Monte – whose father was a director of the Portela Samba School – decided to seek out, dust down and restore the finest songs in their repertoire, none of which had been recorded before.
