What is Samba Reggae?

Samba-Reggae, a dance style that has been developed in Salvador de Bahia, might remind you of aerobics or “zumba” with strong Afro and samba influences. Samba-reggae is a style of African-influenced dance derived from Afro-Brazilian and candomble dance moves. In a social setting samba-reggae dances tend to be done in a follow-the-leader fashion. Dancing Samba-reggae can be quite a work-out, but it is also a lot of fun! 

Roots in Black Pride Movement

Samba-reggae has its roots in the black pride movement from the 70s in Salvador de Bahia. Today it still carries connotations of ethnic identity and pride for Afro-Brazilians today. Bahia’s population, which is mostly dark-skinned descendents of African slaved who were brought to Brazil by the Portuguese in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, played a major role in the early development of samba.

Samba developing & travelling throughout Brazil

The first samba took form in a Bahian style of dance and music called "samba de roda", probably in the late 19th century. Samba de roda was brought to Rio de Janeiro by Bahian immigrants around 1900. In Rio de Janeiro, harmonic and rhythmic elements from European influences were added to samba de roda. The paradoxical result was that samba was brought back to Bahia from Rio, but now in a highly altered form, and no longer associated with Afro-Brazilians. In the 1930s, samba de roda had developed into the faster, more harmonically complex Rio-style samba that is now played in Rio's Carnival. Through the middle of the 20th century this new Rio-style samba spread throughout Brazil, including Bahia.

Music as an instrument of the Bahian black political and cultural movement  
 

In the 1970s, the new Rio-style samba became closely associated with a Bahian black political cultural movement of vindication and recognition. Samba-reggae represents an effort by black Brazilians to develop a Carnival parade music that they could call their own and to form all-black or mostly-black blocos with which they could parade during Carnival. The Afro bloco music was meanly meant to recreate and strengthen the black community.

More interesting information on the dance style Samba-reggae can be found here on Wikipedia.