Monthly Archives: March 2024

CubaDupa 2024 – day 2

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Batucada Chegou – we are here, we’ve arrived, we are strong and proud

Wellington Batucada tam line - CubaDupa 2024 day 2 - photo by Paul Taylor

The theme of our CubaDupa 2024 performance is Batucada Chegou – we are here, we’ve arrived, we are strong and proud. It was reflected in our stage show, in our costumes featuring a new fabric design by director Tim Cooke, and in the giant signs which were paraded alongside us, written in Portuguese, English and te reo Maori. Even our drums were decorated to match – together with handmade flags, handed out to our audience so they could join in the fun.

It was a completely cohesive presentation, months in the making.
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CubaDupa 2024 – day 1

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Fairy lights outside the Southern Cross

Wellington Batucada at CubaDupa 2024 - day 1 - photo by Paul Taylor

This year CubaDupa very kindly gave us a sort of ninja gig/popup slot outside the Southern Cross on the evening of day 1. A nice low-key, relaxed kind of affair and just the thing to get us warmed up before tomorrow’s Big Gig.

It was a lovely clear crisp night, and we had a large number of performers signing up – over 80 of us in total – which made it extra-special.

The drummers dressed themselves up with fairy lights again, which is pretty much de rigeur for any nightime gig these days. They look so twinkly! It would be great if the dancers could wear them too – they’d look awesome – but sadly it’s really not practical. Their dancing is so energetic, unless the lights were actually sewn onto the costume they’d be lost and crushed underfoot within minutes. Ah well.
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Come fly a flag at CubaDupa with Wellington Batucada

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Be a part of our stage show and parade with a Batucada flag

Flags blowing in the wind

Ever since the first CubaDupa back in 2015, we’ve thought about how great it would be to fill the streets of central Wellington with flags and bunting during the festival. Looking up to see colourful fabric flying in the breeze, silhouetted against the blue sky, can give your spirits such a lift – and you see flags and bunting all over the place at CubaDupa these days.

We want to add to the fun, with our own Wellington Batucada flags, carried (and enthusiastically waved) by our audience at our Sunday afternoon Swan Stage show, and the street parade afterwards.

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Newtown Fair 2024

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Sparkle Ponies ahoy!

Wellington Batucada dancers at Newtown Fair 2024 - photo by Harriet Payne

It was a bright and shiny day in Wellington, as befits our maddest parade of the year at the Newtown Fair. I seem to recall reading somewhere that this year’s event was the biggest ever, which makes sense, as it just keeps on getting better and better every year.

Our outfits for the day’s shenanigans were CubaDupa 2023 for the drummers (mostly red with a massive Batucada logo on the back) and my most favourite outfit for the dancers – “Sparkle Ponies”. It’s days like these that I wish I were a dancer so I could wear the outfit. Except I can’t do choreographed dancing to save my life, and no-one wants to see my bare midriff – so I guess I’m sticking with the chocalho for the time being.
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