Terra Samba

Terra Samba moved more than three million units across its opening five albums while drawing large crowds on successful outings in Portugal, where 160,000 fans gathered in Porto, as well as in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay, and completed three separate tours of the United States and Europe. Formed in Salvador, Bahia, in 1991, the group achieved its initial breakthrough only with the second album, Deus é Brasileiro (1996), which replaced earlier romantic readings with a stronger percussive emphasis. Liberar Geral (1997) moved 100,000 copies and earned gold certification, yet the decisive commercial peak arrived with Terra Samba Ao Vivo e A Cores, the top-selling title of 1998/1999 at 2.7 million copies. The ensemble also appeared at the Montreux Festival, and several concerts were filmed for a television network reaching 43 countries. Terra Samba remains a regular participant in Salvador’s Carnaval through its ongoing partnerships with the city’s largest blocos.