Workshops
Submitted by Derek on Fri, 2007-10-26 2:09am.
Bateria Lucha is dedicated to spreading the rich musical traditions from across Brazil and around the world that we draw inspiration from. We hold regular workshops for different levels, and always welcome new people who are interested and share our respect and love for these cultures.
The workshops mostly focus on maracatú, a very funky and powerful rhythm from the state of Pernambuco in the north east of Brazil. The classes also cover ijexá/afoxé, other rhythms for the Orixas, ciranda, samba and samba reggae. In addition, we teach some material from outside of Brazil, such as maxum from the Turkish and Arabic music traditions, along with some of our own compositions and arrangements.
The workshops combine elements of body percussion and vocalizations, drumming, percussion, singing, and movement. Lots of care is directed towards stretching, the ergonomics of the instruments, proper technique, and protecting our hearing.
Our weekly workshops are on Tuesday nights from 7:00pm to 8:30pm, at 2509 Mrytle in West Oakland. The cost is $15 each night, though no one is turned away for lack of funds.
This summer, we're holding a special four week intro to maracatú summer workshop series. On-going workshops and rehearsals will continue in September, after a 2 week break for California Brazil Camp. Also look out for a special Bay Area maracatú workshop in early September with master drummer Jorge Martins from Recife, Brazil (one of the faculty at Brazil Camp).
You can always find the details about future workshops in the "Upcoming events" list on the left side of this site, or at the Bateria Lucha calendar.