Welcome to the first Worldwise Samba Drummers blog. In these posts, we will be providing information about the music, instruments, origins and practice of samba drumming, particularly with regards to community music groups such as the Worldwise Samba Drummers. This first post will deal with perhaps the biggest and most important question that this blog could try to answer: What is samba drumming?
‘Samba’ typically refers to specific styles of music originating in south Brazil developed from rhythms and instruments found in west and south Africa. A samba percussion group is known as a ‘bateria’. Baterias sometimes form part of larger ensembles including voices, guitars and brass instruments but will often just perform as a percussion-only ensemble.
The bateria will usually make use of various sized drums as well as shakers and bells. The smaller instruments will be held in the drummers’ hands; the larger instruments will usually be carried using belts or straps. The music will be performed on the spot (static) or whilst parading. Although some bands have just three or four players, most community samba bands will have 10-50 players; some bands have a lot more than that. The use of loud percussion instruments and large ensembles means that the music itself can be very loud.
Several rhythms will be played at the same time by the different sections of the band. For example, all the bells will be playing the same pattern as each other but a different pattern to the other sections of the bateria. This allows for the creation of complex ‘polyrhythms’ from the simultaneous playing of different rhythms by the different sections.
There is rarely a fixed structure to the music – the order and durations of the different musical sections might be different every time a piece is played – and so a leader helps direct the musical changes using hand signals, calls on their instrument and calls on a whistle.
And that’s your crash course in samba drumming! Many of the points covered in this short but packed introduction will be dealt with in much more detail by later blogs covering the instruments played, the rhythms used and the different styles, as well as the history and operation of the Worldwise Samba Drummers. If you would like to find out more about the band, joining the group or booking us for a performance, please visit our Home page or use the Join Us and Contact Us links.