This research aims to analyze the surveillance and censorship of Martinho da Vila between 1967 and 1988, during the Brazilian civil-military dictatorship. The timeframe is defined from the censorship of the artist’s first song to the last appearance of his name in the records of the National Information Service (SNI). To this end, we examine how the National Security Doctrine (NSD), in conjunction with the socio-racial repression that has historically victimized samba and samba musicians, was employed to monitor and censor the singer and songwriter for actions considered contrary to the ideologies of the regime and dominant groups. Drawing on his life experiences and his involvement with the samba school Unidos de Vila Isabel, we also address the resistance strategies developed by the artist. These perspectives are discussed through the analysis of official documents, testimonies, and historiography, supported by the theoretical interpretations of authors such as René Armand Dreifuss, Abdias Nascimento, and E. P. Thompson.