$20

The Ancestors Have Given: Power Through Percussion with Batalá New York

Access ancestral power from within and translate that power into sound and movement for collective expression. We will learn five rhythms, gifted to us by our African ancestors via Brazil. While learning these rhythms, we will draw strength from the principles and wisdom in the history and folklore of the music. Participants will explore drums and other percussion instruments of various pitches and materials –metal, wood, plastic and more. Through drumming and dancing, participants will learn how the traditions of Afoxe, Samba Afro and Samba Reggae are inherited from African religious traditional music which were preserved by Afro-descendentes in various regions of Brazil. You’ll learn how they relate to themes such as rising to fight, the intersection of life and death, religious awakening and innovation. The experience will be visceral, creative, joyous and loud. No prior musical experience necessary.

Batalá New York is an all-female percussion ensemble playing Afro-Brazilian music, primarily Samba Reggae — a genre originating in the state of Bahia in northeast Brazil. As its name suggests, Samba Reggae is world music that incorporates Brazilian samba and Caribbean reggae. Like Samba Afro and Axe, Samba Reggae incorporates African rhythms preserved and honored through Afro-Brazilian religions such as Candomblé. All 3 genres have influenced Batalá's repertoire. During Carnaval every year, Samba Reggae is performed in the streets of Salvador, the capital of Bahia, by musical blocos with percussion sections numbering in the hundreds of drummers moving together. In homage to that tradition, Batalá New York’s performances are percussive, energetic and highly dynamic with colorful costumes and lively choreography. Learn more at www.batalanewyork.love.