Samba de Orfeu (alt) is a Brazilian tune written by Luiz Bonfá with lyrics by Antônio Maria for the 1959 film Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro). The song appears in the film’s final scene as children play to wake the sun, and its opening notes are said to resemble Jacob de Bandolim’s Noites Cariocas. It was first released in 1959 as part of the Black Orpheus soundtrack album, and the piece is generally described as bossa nova and samba-jazz. A notable fact is that the tune helped popularize the bossa nova sound worldwide and has been recorded in many instrumental and vocal versions, including Oscar Peterson’s jazz interpretation and Pery Ribeiro’s vocal take. A contemporary live version by Baila Nova was performed in Copenhagen in 2024 as part of the Copenhagen Series.
