Of samba's countless interpreters, there is no equal to Paulinho da Viola. Da Viola has dedicated his life to the art of the samba and also a rhythm called choro (shoh-roh). Choro is an instrumental form of Carioca music (music from Rio de Janeiro) that reached its height in the 19th century, melding polkas, mazurkas, and waltzes with Afro-Brazilian percussive rhythms. Born Pablo Cesar de Farias on November 12th, 1942, Da Viola grew up in a world of choro. His father, Cesar Faria, was one of the most famous choro guitarists who regularly performed with choro legends Pixinguinha and Jacob do Bandolim. It led Paulinho da Viola to take up a choro mantle, leading a choro revival in the 1970s that swept Rio.

While Da Viola has maintained a passion for choro, it is his samba that has brought him international fame. He began performing samba at the "Zicartola" restaurant in Rio in the 1960s. The restaurant was owned by samba legend Cartola. In 1975, Da Viola (along with other top sambistas including Alcione, Beth Carvalho, Martinho da Vila and Candéia) founded the "Gremio Recreative de Arte Negra e Escola de Samba Quilombo" (Recreative Association of Black Arts and Samba School of Quilombo), a group that tried to associate itself with the increasingly commercial Carnaval held in the Sambódromo Stadium. In a career spanning four decades, Da Viola has written some of Brazil's most famous sambas, songs that have become almost anthems, including "Dança da solidão" and "Coração leviano". In recent years, Paulinho da Viola has continued dedicating himself to preserving samba's roots, working with Marisa Monte on the landmark Velha Guarda da Portela (a group comprised of the elder members of the samba school Portela) recording "Tudo Azul".