Samba
Reggae Sundays
w/ Batalá and Special Guest Viviam Caroline
Join us for Samba Reggae Sundays – a Monthly Workshop and Open Rehearsal at Cumbe Center for African and Diaspora Dance! Get ready for an afternoon of rhythm and fun with Batalá New York! Dive into Afro-Brazilian percussion from Bahia, Brazil, and dance while you drum.
In the first part of the workshop, you'll receive group instruction focusing on rhythms, technique, body positioning, and even some light choreography. Learn about the different roles and conversations between the drums, all while grooving to the beat. Then, it's time for the open rehearsal! Join members of the professional band and play alongside them. No experience is necessary – all genders and ages are welcome. Instruments and gear will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to learn, drum, and dance with Batalá New York. Sign up now and let's make some music together!
Workshop Details:
Sunday, August 4th - 2-3:30pm
In Person | $20
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Viviam Caroline is an artist from Bahia, the blackest state in Brazil; she is a musician and scholar with a master’s degree in Culture and Society from the Federal University of Bahia. At the age of sixteen, Víviam is taken by her mother to learn about Neguinho do Samba’s project; he intended to create a samba-reggae band formed exclusively by women.
“The first time I wore a drum, I immersed myself in memories of myself and my ancestors. It was an overwhelming encounter”, he recalls. The relationship between Viviam Caroline and the drum has lasted twenty-eight years. At Didá, in addition to being a percussionist, she becomes the institution’s intellectual and public relations force.
After 30 years of Didá, Viviam decided it was time to leave the institution with the younger generation trained and nurtured by her. So she started a new project, Yayá Muxima (March 2022), still working with women and kids but mixing and experimenting with rhythms of the diaspora with Samba-Reggae.
Parallel to the artistic construction, Víviam engages in community education with her mother, the community leader Prof. Hamilta Queiroz, and the management of the Professora Hamilta Institute of Education and Culture. Still, in the field of art, Víviam Caroline is part of the women’s band Timbaleides, created by Carlinhos Brown in December 2021.