Batucaxe!

Would you like to join a group of musicians and dancers who are inspired by the infectious grooves of Brazil?  Well, you're in luck, here in Tucson we are fortunate enough to have the dance and drum ensemble Batucaxe which provides you with that opportunity.  Drum lessons, dance lessons, performances great and small, Batucaxe does it all!  Read on to hear about their wonderful performance at The Rialto last Saturday, to access a link to their CD in the library's collection and to learn how to join this dynamic group.
Batucaxe has a larger Community Group and a smaller Performance Group.  According to their website, "Our Community Group is modeled on the "blocos" of Bahia, Brazil, and the samba schools of Rio de Janeiro and São Pãulo. These groups are major centers of neighborhood activity, often with thousands of participants. Their annual Carnaval performances explode with pride and hope. Our goal is to create a similar environment of support and appreciation for our own community."  All Soul's Procession and Tucson Meet Yourself are among the places you can hear this large ensemble perform, and even perform with if you join the group.  Information about joining is available on their website, which states, "Membership is tuition-based and includes:

• Weekly group rehearsals and regular sectional rehearsals
• Opportunities to perform throughout the year
• Use of instruments
• Instructional reference materials (lyrics, CDs, music charts etc.)
• Access to our resource library of CDs, DVDs, books and other educational materials
• Culture Night presentations
• Band t-shirt
• Significant discounts on the purchase of your own instruments."

The Performance Group is who I saw last week at The Rialto.  The website states, "The Batucaxé Performance Group is a small troupe of musicians and dancers who entertain and inspire at events throughout the year. Consisting of highly-committed musicians from the ranks of our Community Group, the Performance Group lights up stages with music from Brazil and from all over the world. Our shows are non-stop excitement--you can’t sit down. You can’t stop your feet. You can’t help but smile."  I can attest to the fact that they entertain and inspire and that you cannot stop your feet.  During their hour-long performance, the only time I stopped dancing was in between songs.  The song selection was undoubtedly heavy on Brazilian and Latin sounds, but the biggest hit of the night (among my bunch anyway) was a cover of "Start Wearing Purple" by Gogol Bordello.  It is an Eastern European "Gypsy Punk" piece that inspires one to dance as though they were at a Russian wedding.

To hear Batucaxe's sound, check out the CD "The Blessing of the Beat" from your Pima County Public Library!

Cheers, Brian