Events

Please join us for a Mothers' Day Protest at the Woodfin Suites Hotel in Emeryville this Sunday, May 13th from 10 AM – 3 PM. The Woodfin is holding an extravagant Mothers' Day Brunch at the hotel's restaurant, "Emery Grille." Stand with fired workers and their children as we inform arriving guests to honor the boycott and not to celebrate their mothers at a hotel that fired working moms.

For more info:
http://www.workingeastbay.org/article.php?id=256
http://woodfinwatch.org

(Note, the picket is officially from 10am-3pm, but the organizers are trying to get the most people there from 11am to 1pm, and if people can't stay for the whole 2 hours, that'd be fine, too. ideally, we'd have a quorum there for at least an hour at some point. just indicate when you signup what time you think you can be there. thanks! -derek)

Last few rehearsals with Jorge Alabe 's Grupo Samba Rio samba group before San Francisco Carnaval.

Anyone not watching Rajeev Taranath that night who wants to play for Maisa's class should sign up so we can figure out if there will be quorum for live drummers.

(This is obviously not a Lucha event, but Rajeev is an incredible musician, and I'm definitely planning to go, so I wanted to share the info in case anyone else is interested in seeing what promises to be a fantasitic performance).

One of India's top classical instrumentalists and exponents of the sarod, and a ditinguished disciple of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan:

RAJEEV TARANATH

accompanied by ABHIMAN KAUSHAL on tabla

"Rajeev Taranath is making music that moves sublimely from brooding introspection to climaxes of breathtaking excitement." - New Classic/Online World Music Magazine 2003

"What a lovely mind for swara and tone Rajeev Taranath displays! Each note leaves a lovely, languishing trail of tone behind it." - The Economic Times, New Delhi

Friday, May 18th, 8 pm
Gaia Arts Center Theater
2118 Allston Way, in downtown Berkeley
(In the Gaia Arts Building located at 2120 and 2116 Allston Way)

Please join us for an evening of beautiful music for a good cause.

This will be a rare opportunity to be graced with the uplifting sounds of Manose's bamboo flute. For more info please visit his website, www.manosemusic.com

The Babes in the Woods play new folk from European roots with a unique blend of spices from the near and mid-east. Join cellist Myra Chaney, flute/percussionist Kristan Willits, Briana Waters on violin/viola and Faisal Zedan on percussion to explore original compositions inspired by regular contact with Celtic, Balkan, Swedish, and other European folk traditions.

Other special musical guests to be announced.

RAFFLE PRIZES include dinner for two at La Mediterranee, CDs from local artists, a DVD of Briana's documentary film, and much more!

All proceeds will be donated to Briana's freedom fund,
for more info please visit www.supportbriana.org

Another fundraising party for Jorge Alabe 's Grupo Samba Rio. Regulars who have been playing with GSR are going to be playing, but all Luchistas are invited to attend:

** Pre-Carnaval Party **
** with Grupo Samba Rio! **

Saturday May 19, 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

at Il Pirata
2007 16th St., just east of Potrero Ave. in San Francisco
(21 and over only)

Carnaval Fundraiser Party
* Featuring Grupo Samba Rio bateria
* Pagode music with Jorge Alabe and friends
* Brazilian and world music DJ
* Full bar

$10 cover charge, to support Grupo Samba Rio

Grupo Samba Rio is directed by Jorge Alabe; contact Jorge Alabe at
jorgealabe@yahoo.com, or Deborah at dlcogan@earthlink.net.

Another fundraising party for Jorge Alabe 's Grupo Samba Rio. Regulars who have been playing with GSR are going to be playing, but all Luchistas are invited to attend:

** Pre-Carnaval Party **
** with Grupo Samba Rio! **

Saturday May 19, 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

at Il Pirata
2007 16th St., just east of Potrero Ave. in San Francisco
(21 and over only)

Carnaval Fundraiser Party
* Featuring Grupo Samba Rio bateria
* Pagode music with Jorge Alabe and friends
* Brazilian and world music DJ
* Full bar

$10 cover charge, to support Grupo Samba Rio

Grupo Samba Rio is directed by Jorge Alabe; contact Jorge Alabe at
jorgealabe@yahoo.com, or Deborah at dlcogan@earthlink.net.

Last few rehearsals with Jorge Alabe 's Grupo Samba Rio samba group before San Francisco Carnaval.

Final class before SF Carnaval! Let's make a big turn out and get the weekend started off right. ;)

This year, many members of Bateria Lucha marched with Jorge Alabe 's Grupo Samba Rio samba group and Maisa Duke's Energia do Samba in the San Francisco Carnaval 2007 Grand Parade, then played a stage show later in the afternoon.

This year, our "victory" is complicated by the fact that technically, the dancers we accompanied and the musicians were 2 separate contingents. However, in terms of the percussion, we are honored to have won 3rd place for music in the "Brazilian contingents" category! Furthermore, the dance contingent won 3rd place overall for Brazilian contingents. Congratulations to everyone who participated!

Becca's finally outta school! Let's BBQ! Bring something to eat (grill-able stuff), drink, or just chill out after Carnaval. There will be some firedancing once it gets dark, so don't be afriad to come late, though we probably won't save you any of the tasty meat or vegetables!

Jorge Alabe's Grupo Samba Rio will be performing at the SF Carnaval festival at "Stage 6" (near 22nd and Harrison). This will include our "Samba Show" (more complicated breaks and arrangements), our Samba Enredo (theme song), and dancing by Maisa Duke's Energia do Samba dance company. Hope you can all come to support us before heading off to the various after-parties. ;)

After the parade and Grupo Samba Rio's stage show, we're all invited to attend an after party at the wonderful home of Sherry and Tallulah. This is the same fantastic location where we had our after-party last year. It's officially the after party for the Maracat's maracatu contingent, but all Luchistas (and Grupo Samba Rio-ians) are welcome to attend. There will be food, beverage, relaxation, and probably quite a lot of impromptu music. It's a long walk or a very short drive from the end of the Carnaval festival where the stage show will be happening (which is also close to where we start), so if you find parking near the staging ground, it should be pretty easy to just get back to the cars and head to the party. Hope to see you there!

I know Sherry is hosting one; come to this one too!! Samba Rio is having an after-party starting at 6:30 at Andy Scott’s house -- 401 Prentiss Street (at Jarboe, 1 block south of Cortland Avenue in Bernal Heights ¬ big blue house on the corner), San Francisco 94110. Telephones: Home - (415) 826-1895 Cell - (415) 244-4654. Wendy - (415) 282-3216

Becca's finally outta school! Let's BBQ! Bring something to eat (grill-able stuff), drink, or just chill out after Carnaval. There will be some firedancing once it gets dark, so don't be afriad to come late, though we probably won't save you any of the tasty meat or vegetables!

For those who are interested I'm organizing a group registration for Brazil Camp again this year. If we get at least 10 people to join in we get a $75 discount off the early-registration price, which works out to $675 (instead of $750 for registration by June 1, or $850 after that).

This year there are 2 weeks of camp:
Session One: August 19 to August 25
Session Two: August 26 to September 1

We don't all have to go to the same week; if you want to go to both weeks the group registration price is $1300

The way the group registration works:

• You fill out the registration form and get it (and your check for at least $375 deposit, made out to "Mameluco CBC") to me by May 28 (Memorial day = day after SF Carnaval parade) at the latest
• Registration form at: http://calbrazilcamp.com/register.html
• I send everything off to Rich in a batch
• If you pay a deposit rather than the full amount you're responsible for getting the remainder to Rich yourself (by August 1 at the latest)
• If you have questions ask me first before asking Rich

Please let me know ASAP if you're interested! This is a pretty painless way to save some $$ (which you can then spend on more drums, right?)

I've posted a lot of possible rehearsals. Please respond to them all, and we'll cancel the ones that don't work. Also let us know what drums you can bring, so we can arrange for gear.

Rehearsal at Lliam's house in Oakland. This is a last-minute addition -- can anyone come?

Maisa Duke's weekly dance class in the Mission.

I've posted a lot of possible rehearsals. Please respond to them all, and we'll cancel the ones that don't work. Also let us know what drums you can bring, so we can arrange for gear.

Jorge Alabe 's Grupo Samba Rio will be performing at the first annual Rhythmix World Music & Dance Series in Alameda.

Grupo Samba Rio, founded by master Brazilian drummer Jorge Alabe, is dedicated to playing traditional samba from Rio de Janeiro. Joining the dynamic samba drum presentation will be colorful passistas, dancers in the style of the Escolas de Samba in Rio. This exciting show also features maculelê, capoeira, and pagode, the informal samba played in the bars and backyards of Rio, and special guest musicians Beicola, Urubu, and Macarrinha.

I've posted a lot of possible rehearsals. Please respond to them all, and we'll cancel the ones that don't work. Also let us know what drums you can bring, so we can arrange for gear.