Get involved as Wellington Batucada becomes part of Carnival at the top of Cuba Street
Creating a spectacle at the 2009 Cuba Street Carnival
We are honoured to have been chosen as one of seven groups to spearhead the Wellington CubaDupa Boosted campaign. Each group will be featured as part of next year’s inaugural CubaDupa festival, being held in and around Cuba Street, 28th & 29th March 2015. The Boosted campaign aims to raise an additional $250,000 to match the Wellington City Council’s generous $250,000 funding, which will make CubaDupa the awesome event that we know it can be.
The Carnival Zone target on Boosted is to raise $10,000, which we hope will be equalled by a generous match donor. Wellington Batucada will also be putting in $10,000 of our own money.
Featuring Wellington Batucada and samba groups from across New Zealand; the Carnival Zone will fill the streets with music, dance and festivity throughout the weekend.
We want to create a themed zone with music, dance and carnival arts in Upper Cuba Street. Costumes, street dressings, puppets and a stage set will bring Cuba Street alive with colour celebrating the street and the people who make up the creative pulse of our capital.
The Carnival Zone will set the scene for themed performances by Wellington Batucada and samba groups from all over New Zealand – in the same way as we electrified the night parades of the Cuba Street Carnival – as well as other roving bands and entertainers.
Our inspiration comes from Brazilian Carnival, Notting Hill Carnival, South American and European festivals and events that celebrate the cities and people who live there. What makes our vision unique is that we want to make our own Kiwi version of Carnival that involves the public and helps to make our city a fun and vibrant place to live.
Performing in our fishhead costumes at the World Cup
Public workshops
We will run a series of workshops leading up to CubaDupa that invite the general public to make costumes, masks and dressings to wear at CubaDupa. We will hold dance workshops so that everyone has the opportunity to get involved and make this CubaDupa an event that is sustainable, original and unique.
What will my donation go towards?
Your valuable contribution to this campaign will go towards the purchasing of materials for costumes and street dressings, equipment hire and travel expenses for out of town performers.
About Wellington Batucada
Wellington Batucada is a community-based percussion group which brings the flamboyant world of samba from Brazil to Wellington. Batucada is a Brazilian word used to describe the syncopated, African-influenced samba music played by a large percussion group (bateria) as part of a street parade or carnival.
Originally formed by Darryn Sigley and Steve Templer in November 2001 to perform in the Cuba Street Carnival, Wellington Batucada endeavors to replicate the authentic samba sound playing a variety of Brazilian rhythms including samba batucada, partido alto, samba reggae, samba funk, and baion. We have been blessed by visits from several superb Brazilian and non-Brazilian samba teachers who have laid the foundations for our music.
Giving it our all at the 2013 International Dance Day
We are an all-inclusive group – anyone can join regardless of experience or ability, and we provide authentic Brazilian instruments for those who do not have their own.
Currently Wellington Batucada has around 100 members, with 40-50 members regularly coming to our weekly rehearsals. We are in demand to play at many parades, festivals and events, including the Cuba Street Carnival, Wellington Rugby Sevens, Newtown Fair, Wellington and Johnsonville Christmas parades, and in 2011 the Rugby World Cup Festival of Carnivale.
Please become a supporter of our Boosted campaign today, and help to make the Carnival Zone into an amazing space for CubaDupa!