We may not have been sure of the official title of this gig, but we’re always up for a bit of Courtenay place action, so it was all good.
We were actually performing for two reasons: helping launch the multiday EAT STREET food and drink festival, and warming up people in Courtenay Place for the big All Blacks vs South Africa rugby test at the stadium.
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We’ve performed at Mt Cook School Galas quite a few times over the years, as a thank you for their generosity in allowing us to use their school hall on CubaDupa weekends for many a last-minute mass Batucada bloco rehearsal. We were delighted therefore to be asked back once again to perform at the Mt Cook School 150th birthday celebration.
What an occasion! And what a history! Well done Mt Cook School – you aren’t showing your age at all. Such a brilliant inner-city multicultural community-centered establishment.
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A beautiful day on the Kapiti Coast, taking part in our first Cultural Diversity Festival, which was held at the Kapiti College Coastlands Theatre, Raumati Beach.
The festival concert event aims to celebrate cultural diversity in our community, bringing everyone together for a day to connect, share experiences, and embrace a kaleidoscope of traditions, flavours, and rhythms from around the globe.
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We’ve never done the Greytown Festival of Christmas before – but woah – I really hope we get invited to do it again next year because – IT WAS FANTASTIC.
Like a mini-Newtown, only at night, with fairy lights. And ice-cold midwinter instead of blazing-hot midsummer. But apart from that… pretty much exactly the same, just slightly smaller.
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So – at the very last minute (because that’s what happens in competitive sports) we were invited to perform at the National Basketball League Grand Final at the TSB Stadium. Sounds impressive… actually we were asked to do a little performance on the court pre-game, to “blast up the crowd”. This was because the Wellington Saints had got through to the final and were hosting the game. Exciting!
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The Relay For Life NZ is a nationwide celebration and awareness-raising event for the survivors and families of those with cancer. It is a 24 hour sponsored run and we’ve been involved in supporting it for years, and we were very pleased to be asked back again. As it has in every community, cancer has touched us and people that we love.
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Wellington Batucada in the Mass Frevo Orchestra at CubaDupa 2025 – screenshot from video by Geeta Blundell Sampatkumar
Multi-instrumentalist and composer Bryn van Vliet got together with Batucada director Darryn Sigley to create Mass Frevo Orchestra at CubaDupa 2025. Both have spent time in the north of Brazil, and both have experienced the joy and exuberance that is Frevo – the region’s street music.
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Our directors Darryn and Tim decided that for this year’s CubaDupa we would do a big Cuba Street parade, followed by a static street performance, rather than our usual stage performance. It made a nice change, and meant we could focus on getting our playing and choreography just right. The street is where our music comes from, and really, it’s where we belong…
We began at the corner of Abel Smith Street, and played in-place for a bit, before heading off down Cuba. I reckon this was our largest contingent of drummers and dancers for any gig, anywhere – so we looked and sounded pretty spectacular, right from the off. You could tell immediately that it was going to be a good one.
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Miramar Central School is a super-friendly, super-multicultural place to be. We have historical connections with the school through our gig co-ordinator Gordo, and we’re always happy to be invited back to do a little show for their annual Cultural Food Fair.
A small but perfectly formed Batucada crew of drummers and dancers took to the stage (playground) once again this year, and played and danced our little hearts out. As did our audience – who always (always!) join in with the choreographed dancing.
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What a beautiful Pride Parade we had this year. We haven’t done one for a while, so it was a real pleasure to be asked to take part once again.
A long lead-in time waiting in the backstreets to begin meant that we all had plenty of time to decorate each other’s faces with rainbow coloured crayons and multicoloured stickers. I was also thrilled to see how many of us had really embraced the colours and added many and varied rainbow elements to our standard performance outfits.
There were rainbow flags, rainbow wigs, rainbow jewellery, rainbow drum decorations, rainbow leis, extra bits of rainbow-patterned clothing, rainbow crowns and other headpieces… we were a veritable riot of colour, as were all the other groups taking part.
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