Newtown Fair 2024

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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T20 Cricket 2024 – New Zealand vs Australia

An absolute nail-biter at the stadium

Wellington Batucada at the 2024 T20 Cricket - NZ vs Aus - photo by Tom Etuata

We haven’t done much for the cricket before – and it was great to be asked. Particularly as the payment for our gig included a bunch of tickets for the game. Fantastic! How could we say no?

Our job was to entertain the crowd as they arrived for the Black Caps’ T20 cricket match against Australia at the Sky Stadium. For the first time in ages the drummers got to wear our old black uniform again (dig those extra-ancient starry pants that director Darryn was sporting!) – and the dancers were dressed all in white (with silver accents). It was a good look.
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Island Bay Festival Parade 2024

Fun in the sun in the teeth of a howling southerly

Wellington Batucada at the Island Bay Festival 2024 - photo by Island Bay Festival

It’s not often that we have to wear thermals and our special Batucada warm and snuggly red sweatshirts for a gig in February – but there you go. That’s the unpredictable Wellington weather for you, especially in these days of climate change.

We’ve played at the Island Bay Festival Parade for many years, and really enjoy it. It’s a long parade that goes all the way down The Parade to Shorland Park on the waterfront. It’s quite a tricky one to get right, timing-wise. In past years we’ve either gone too slow (2023) and arrived so late there wasn’t time for us to play at the Rotunda, or we’ve galloped along (2021) – not easy when you’re carrying a big drum – and arrived very hot and sweaty and completely knackered.

So it was a bit of a miracle that this year (a bit like Goldilocks) we managed to get it just right. Not too fast, not too slow. And also not that easy marching into the teeth of a howling southerly.
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Stokes Valley Christmas Parade 2023

Sparkles and tinsel and a new place to spend Christmas

Wellington Batucada at the 2023 Stokes Valley Christmas Parade - photo by AliG

It’s been a good few years since I’ve been to Stokes Valley, so I did my Google Maps homework, and had it all planned out in my head. Give myself an hour to drive there in case the traffic’s bad. Aim to arrive an hour before the parade begins. Half an hour to find a park. Half an hour to walk up the parade route from Stokes Valley town centre to the start of the parade. It worked very well. It’s a blimmin’ long way up that hill from the town centre to the start of the parade, so I was very glad I’d given myself a good long time to walk it.

I’m not certain that Christian and Joe gave themselves quite as much time. In fact, I reckon they went “Pick you up an hour before the gig? Plenty of time, eh?”. They arrived, somewhat out of breath, a couple of minutes after the parade began. Phew! Nothing like cutting it fine – and I guess you might argue that they actually timed it PERFECTLY. I freely admit that I am incapable of cutting it fine, and always seem to arrive at least half an hour before our earliest muster time. Just in case. Because you never know.
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Diversity Festival 2023

On-stage in a multicultural extravaganza

Wellington Batucada on-stage at the Diversity Festival 2023 - photo by Diversity Network

In 2023, for the first time, Wellington Batucada were invited to take part in the Diversity Festival. As we’re such a large, loud band, we don’t get to do proper indoor stage performances on a proper indoor stage that often, so it was great to get the opportunity to do our thing at Victoria University’s Memorial Theatre, which was the venue for the event. Various members of the band were also featured in other performances throughout the night, which was great, as we were able to watch each other as well as perform!
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Walking Stars 2023

Fairy lights on the waterfront

Wellington Batucada at Walking Stars 2023 - photo by Andre Grobler

Walking Stars is a night-time fundraising event for the Cancer Society, with participants walking a half marathon or a 12km loop in Wellington city. It’s the partner event for the Relay for Life. We have supported both events for many years now, drumming and dancing for the walkers as they head around the waterfront.

Walking Stars brings people together in a fun, vibrant environment to raise vital funds in support of local people living with cancer.

We give the walkers a big lift and we always get lots of smiles and waves from them, plus a few funky dance moves thrown in for good measure.
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Changing Minds – Palliative Care Conference 2023

A joyful interlude

Wellington Batucada at Changing Minds – Palliative Care Conference 2023 - photo by AliG

Te Omanga Hospice run this conference as part of their education programme for professionals in the sector. As the subject matter is so serious, they felt that having some entertainment during the conference break would give everyone a lift. They are also always keen to involve the arts in their work whenever possible. We felt quite honoured to be invited to take part.

It was a lovely, warmly received performance – a brief and joyful interlude. The conference attendees were super-enthusiastic, with some joining us as we drummed and danced.
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Society of Diversional and Recreational Therapists Conference 2023

Drumming up a bit of a storm at the James Cook Hotel

Wellington Batucada at the 2023 Society of Diversional and Recreational Therapists Conference - photo by Rebecca Routhan

Diversional and Recreational Therapists have contacts with a wide range of the community, including those with physical disabilities, both healthy and frail elderly, people with developmental disabilities, people with mental illness, children and youths.

Wellington Batucada was asked to provide a bit of entertainment during their Annual Conference – which we were delighted to be able to do.
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FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 – Netherlands vs Spain

A quarter-final in shades of orange (and a bit of red)

Batucada team photo at the FIFA Women's World Cup, Spain vs the Netherlands - photo by AliG

Following the huge success of our Batucada-led fan parade for the Netherlands team a couple of weeks ago, the Dutch Embassy asked us to do it all again for their quarter-final clash with Spain. Of course we said yes! What fun!

It was a beautiful sunny day, and the sky was the most intense midwinter blue you’ve ever seen. It was hot! And the crowds of fans carrying orange flags ready to parade along the waterfront were, if anything, even larger than last time.

Once again we made it onto the ONE News bulletin (go us!) and a quite magnificent time was had by all.
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FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 – Italy vs South Africa

Freezing our socks off down at the waterfront

Wellington Batucada drummers at the FIFA Women's World Cup, Italy vs South Africa - photo by Satya Priyomarsono

Our second evening gig for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 was on a blustery, utterly FREEZING night in early August. Truly the middle of winter – and it felt like it.

I still can’t quite believe our dancers didn’t just keel over with the sheer bitterness of the weather. They don’t get to wear thermals hidden under their costumes like the band can, and I could see the icy wind just whipping their flimsy outfits around like frozen autumn leaves as they danced in front of us.
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