Zamba (artform)

Zamba is very different from its homophone, the samba - musically, rhythmically, temperamentally, in the steps of the dance and in its costume.

It has six beats to the bar and is a majestic dance, performed by couples who circle each other waving white handkerchiefs very elegantly.

Zambas are composed about many themes, from those that celebrate people or events of Argentine history, to those that describe the beauty of a region, or of its women.

It came to Argentina through Upper Peru, a region that is modern day Bolivia and through Chile between 1825 and 1830.

[1][2] The Zamba is a slow dance in three-quarter time played primarily on guitar and bombo legüero.