What is "lambada"

"sensual Brazilian dance," 1988, from Portuguese, said in some sources to be literally "a beating, a lashing." But others connect it ultimately to Latin lumbus "loin."

n. 1 A fast-paced, erotic Brazilian dance in which couples dance with their stomachs touching. 2 The music to which it is danced. 3 A strong hit, the act of hitting someone/something with a piece of wood or club.

Lambada is a dance from Pará, Brazil, of African origin. The dance became internationally popular in the 1980s, especially in Latin America and Caribbean countries. It has adopted aspects of dances such as forró, salsa, merengue, maxixe and the carimbó.

Lambada is generally a partner dance. The dancers generally dance with arched legs, with the steps being from side to side, turning or even swaying, and in its original form never front to back, with a pronounced movement of the hips. At the time when the dance became popular, short skirts for women were in fashion and men wore long trousers, and the dance has become associated with such clothing, especially for women wearing short skirts that swirl up when the woman spins around, typically revealing 90s-style thong underwear.

Lambada is a 1990 dramatic film starring J. Eddie Peck, Melora Hardin, Adolfo "Shabba-doo" Quinones, Ricky Paull Goldin, Dennis Burkley, and Keene Curtis. Lambada was written and directed by Joel Silberg and choreographed by Shabba-Doo.

The film was released simultaneously with rival film The Forbidden Dance; neither was well received, though Lambada was called "the better of the two".

Lambada is a Brazil-origin dance that became popular worldwide during the 1980s and early 1990s.

Lambada may also refer to:

"Lambada", also known as "Chorando Se Foi (Lambada)" or "Llorando se fue (Lambada)", is a song recorded by French pop group Kaoma. It features guest vocals by Brazilian vocalist Loalwa Braz. It was released as the first single from Kaoma's debut album Worldbeat. The video, filmed on Cocos beach in the city of Trancoso, in the state of Bahia, Brazil, features the Brazilian child duo Chico & Roberta.

The song in Portuguese is a mix cover of Márcia Ferreira's 1986 hit "Chorando se foi" (lyrics translated to Portuguese) and the Cuarteto Continental hit "Llorando se fue" (first upbeat version of the song introducing the accordion), released in 1984 through the Peruvian record label INFOPESA and produced by Alberto Maravi; both songs were adapted from the 1981 Bolivian song Llorando se fue by Los Kjarkas.

At the time of release, the song has been regarded as the most successful European single in the history of CBS records with sales of 1.8 million copies in France and more than 4 million across Europe. It has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide.

Lambada a.k.a. Rhythm and Passion is a co-production between Brazil and Italy from 1990.