Samba Saravah is the French adaptation of Samba da Bênção, written in 1963 by Vinicius de Moraes and Baden Powell. Pierre Barouh wrote the French lyrics in Rio in 1965, at Moraes’ own urging. The song became a landmark of French cinema a year later, in Claude Lelouch’s A Man and a Woman.
From Rio to the Left Bank
In 1963, in Rio de Janeiro, Vinicius de Moraes wrote the lyrics for Samba da Bênção, set to music by guitarist Baden Powell. Two years later, French actor and singer Pierre Barouh was in Brazil. At Moraes’ insistence, he recorded a French adaptation on a Revox tape recorder, retitled Samba Saravah.
Back in Paris, Barouh played the recording for his friend Claude Lelouch, then preparing his next film. Lelouch fell for it and built it into the soundtrack of A Man and a Woman (1966) — the film that made Barouh a fixture of the French New Wave’s musical side.
Saravah Records: where two worlds met
That same year, Barouh founded his own label and studio, Saravah, with partner Fernand Boruso — built to mix musicians and styles and multiply musical encounters. Saravah went on to sign Brigitte Fontaine, Jacques Higelin and Areski Belkacem, even pairing Fontaine with the Art Ensemble of Chicago on Comme à la radio (1969). The label took its name directly from the song that made Barouh famous.
Samba Saravah, 2026: Chapter 1 of Paris Bossa Nova
Sixty years later, French-American guitarist Ramsay Rawson, based in Paris, reopens that French-Brazilian dialogue with his own version of Samba Saravah — the opening chapter of his EP Paris Bossa Nova, Volume 1. Recorded at Studio BopCity in Paris with Juliano Beccari (piano, Rhodes, melodica), Ney Veras (drums, percussion), William Brunard (upright bass) and Bertrand Doussain (flute), the track was mixed in São Paulo.
FAQ
Who wrote Samba Saravah?
French lyrics by Pierre Barouh, music by Baden Powell and Vinicius de Moraes, adapted from Samba da Bênção (1963).
Where does the Saravah label’s name come from?
Pierre Barouh named it after his own song, in 1965/66 — the same year Samba Saravah appeared in A Man and a Woman.
Is there a recent version of Samba Saravah?
Yes — Ramsay Rawson, a French-American guitarist based in Paris, recorded his own version in 2026, the opening chapter of his EP Paris Bossa Nova, Volume 1.
Stream Samba Saravah on Spotify · Follow Ramsay Rawson · Paris Bossa Nova playlist
The rest of the series
Paris Bossa Nova, Volume 1: The History Behind Every Chapter · Le Rendez-vous · La Danse d’Orphée · J’attendrai · Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar
