Samba makes tentative return in Rio de Janeiro laid low by Covid

Legendary sambista Moacyr Luz spent much of the pandemic confined to his beachside home but is resuming his weekly jam sessions as lockdown curbs ease

It has been seven months since Moacyr Luz, one of Brazil's most celebrated sambistas, sat down before a live audience in the city his songs serenade.

As Covid-19 shook Luz's homeland, killing more than 150,000 and infecting millions, it also wreaked havoc on Rio's signature sound, with all shows scrapped, carnival postponed until a vaccine is found and several cherished samba proponents among the dead.