“Manhã de Carnaval,” known to jazz players as “Black Orpheus,” was composed by Luiz Bonfá for the 1959 film Orfeu Negro. It became one of the first bossa nova tunes to reach a global audience and remains a staple for guitarists and Latin jazz groups.
The tune is usually played in A minor, with a form built around minor ii-V-i progressions and moves to the relative major. It starts with Am, then Bø and E7 back to Am, then moves to Dm7, G7 and Cmaj7, the relative major. From there it cycles through more ii-Vs and returns to A minor. The harmony is easy to follow once you hear the minor and major ii-Vs alternating, and the melody has a gentle, longing quality.
For improvisation, use A natural minor over most of the A minor sections and A harmonic minor over the E7 to bring out the G#. When the tune moves to C major, switch to the C major scale; since it shares notes with A natural minor, the transition is smooth. Bossa nova calls for lyrical, singable lines, so focus on melody and rhythm rather than speed. Try playing the melody, then a short variation, then your own phrase, keeping the same gentle mood.
Practice with a bossa nova groove and straight eighth notes. Guitarists should learn the classic bossa comping rhythm with the chord changes. Pianists should keep voicings light and syncopated. Learn the melody by singing it; it’s one of the most lyrical tunes in the repertoire.
Recordings to study: the original film soundtrack, Luiz Bonfá’s own guitar versions, and the many jazz guitar recordings that treat it as a medium bossa. Listening to several helps you hear how much room the melody leaves for personal interpretation.
Common mistake: playing with too much swing or too much volume. Keep it soft and steady. Learn more about the composer on Luiz Bonfá’s Wikipedia page, and find more bossa nova lead sheets on Minedit.