Samba Drumming - Brazil

Workshops cater for up to 30 participants and all instruments are provided though this number could be extended to a larger group for special events, which would also involve bringing in a second facilitator.

Sessions would begin with some warm up exercises working with rhythm and body percussion, clapping and call and response. After an introduction into the cultural context of the music the participants are introduced to the instruments and will be taught a series of rhythms to be played as a group.

Once this is achieved, all the rhythms are put together as well as introducing a series of visual and aural cues to follow, which bring about a change in the music. The music is built up of layers of different rhythms in sections of different percussion instruments made up of hand held percussion and large surdu drums.

The rhythms are intoxicating and guaranteed to get everyone moving and grooving!

Idea...

Samba workshops can be combined with samba dance workshops where one group could learn the dance and the other play the music live to accompany the dancers or with carnival arts workshops making masks or banners for a carnival procession or culmination performance.

It could also feature alongside other non-western arts workshops to make an interesting programme for an arts week.