Rio de Janeiro, the wonderful city, as it is called, has been revisited in its past and present by the pianist Gilda Oswaldo Cruz, who was born there and lived there for many years. The stunning natural surroundings between the sea and the hills, the violent social contrasts, and life in the favelas (slums) have all contributed to the effervescence of the city’s popular culture, of which samba and the Carnival are the most outstanding manifestations.