It’s Samba Time!

Bring a carnival event to your school!  Inspire and involve your pupils than with a real samba drumming workshop!

Our workshops give your class an unforgettable group drumming experience. They’ll go hands-on with authentic Brazilian samba drums; learn about the culture of carnival and work together to make exciting samba music and rhythms.

Samba’s Unique Learning Experiences

There’s nothing else like samba! It’s energetic; it’s colourful and it will give your students a unique insight into the traditions of Brazil, venue of the 2016 Olympics and World Cup 2014.

Our school samba drumming workshops also have lots more valuable outcomes. Pupils will:

• Learn about and play a new form of music

• Gain an awareness of other cultures and traditions

• Develop their musical skills in line with the National Curriculum

• Communicate and work together to play music and rhythm games

• Try a whole range of samba drums and hand percussion

• Express themselves creatively in a new way, which can boost confidence

Watch a preview of the workshop here:

Please get in touch to talk about your school and requirements.

Are your students ready to play real, colourful samba drums from Brazil? We’ll bring a whole range of authentic samba instruments when we visit your school.

The drums of the samba band originated in Africa. But in the years since they arrived in Brazil, these drums have gained their own names and styles. Here’s a selection of our samba drums and how your pupils will play them.

The surdo                                                           

The surdo is one big bass drum! When you wear it around your neck with a strap, you can beat it with two sticks to create the lowest sound in the samba band. Together with your fellow surdo players, you’ll bash out a driving drum pattern that propels the music forwards.

THE TAMBORIM                                                       

Don’t get this one confused with a tambourine! The tamborim is a small drum you hold in your hand. You’ll hit it with a thin ‘whip stick’ to create exciting cross-rhythms. The tamborim’s high and sharp sound is a big part of what makes the samba sound unique.

The chocalho                                                 

When samba bands really want to get the rhythm going, they break out the chocalho. It means ‘shaker,’ and it’s a kind of jingle stick that anyone can play! Our chocalho is from Brazil, with three rows of jingles for a real samba sound. We can’t wait to hear you shake it!

The agogo bells                                                   

The agogo bell evolved from West African yoruba culture. There are two ways to get a sound from it. You can hit it with the wooden agogo stick, or you can use your other hand to squeeze the two bells together. Or, even better, you can combine the two to make amazing rhythms. Samba agogo!

The repinique                                                        

Get ready for a big noise! With its metal shell, and its drum skin tuned to a high pitch, the repinique drum is one of the loudest parts of the samba band. It’s usually played with one stick and is similar to a tom-tom in a normal drum kit.

Book your samba drumming school workshop

To book, or ask us more about how we can bring the excitement of samba drumming and the Rio 2016 Olympics to your school, click below.