Category Archives: Upcoming events

We’re performing at WOMAD next year!

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Wellington Batucada wins the 2015 WOMAD Performer Competition

Busking for WOMAD votes on Courtenay Place

Busking for WOMAD votes on Courtenay Place
Photo by Alan Shuker

Check out the WOMAD website!!!

Dear Batucada friends and family, Bat-members past, present, and future…

It’s been one heck of a ride.

Over the past 8 weeks we have worked together on an awesome common goal – to win the opportunity to perform at WOMAD next year – a festival that we love and admire.

We’ve asked pretty much everyone we know to vote for us, and then we’ve asked a whole bunch of people we don’t know to vote for us too – through our regular gigs and special vote-collecting busking sessions all over Wellington and beyond.

It’s been a heck of a busy and full-on 2 months for all of us, and I think what has impressed me the most is the huge amount of original effort, creativity and sheer guts and determination that so many people have shown. Continue reading

Wellington Batucada & the Museum Art Hotel – CubaDupa partners!

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We <3 the Wellington Museum Art Hotel - our new CubaDupa match partners

Museum Art Hotel WellingtonWellington Batucada is delighted to announce that we have found a match donor for the CubaDupa Carnival Zone. We met Chris Parkin of the Museum Art Hotel at the CubaDupa launch event on Monday, got chatting, and he has agreed to become our partner! How fabulous.

The Museum Art Hotel will match all donations made to the Carnival Zone Boosted campaign, up to the value of $5,000. Thanks a million Chris! You are wonderful. Now all we have to do is help Chris decide what instrument he wants to play in the band.

Find out more about the Carnival Zone and make a donation to our Boosted campaign. You know you want to! Your donation will enable us 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.

Donate to the CubaDupa Boosted campaign!

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Get involved as Wellington Batucada becomes part of Carnival at the top of Cuba Street

2009 Cuba Street Carnival

Creating a spectacle at the 2009 Cuba Street Carnival

MAKE A DONATION RIGHT NOW!!!

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. Continue reading

Please vote for Wellington Batucada to perform at WOMAD 2015!

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We want to play at WOMAD!

Wellington Batucada has entered the competition to perform as a roving band at WOMAD 2015. The band that gets the most votes, wins.

Check out our video:

If you think we would be good at WOMAD, how about giving us your vote?

To vote, click on the Batucada entry page on the WOMAD website and cast your vote. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your vote (check your junk mail folder if you don’t).

Thanks so much! Every vote counts, because you can only vote once from any given email address.

If you have friends who might also consider supporting us, please pass this info on to them.

Beginners’ drum workshops start Sunday 12 October 2014

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Learn samba drumming with Wellington Batucada!

Wellington Batucada in the RWC 2011 All Blacks victory parade

Wellington Batucada in the RWC 2011 All Blacks victory parade
Photo by NZ Sevens (click to enlarge)

We are pleased to announce that the new series of beginners’ drumming workshops will start at 12.45pm on Sunday 12 October 2014, and will run till 3pm. There will be 6 workshops in total, and costs are $60 for the series if paid in full, or $12.50 per workshop. Continue reading

Bloco Orixala: Afro-Bloco, Dance and Percussion workshop

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An interactive workshop by Global Grooves, as part of Creating Carnival 2014

Batala, LiverpoolWednesday 23rd April 2014 – 6pm–9pm ($20)

The workshop is open to all, whatever your level of experience and/or ability. Welcome!

Following on from the Percussion, songs and dances of the Orixas course (21st April) we will develop an exciting and unique combined percussion and dance arrangement to explore and celebrate Brazilian carnival styles from Salvador.

The beats, songs and movements will draw influence from Brazilian Candomblé adopting percussion and dance themes to celebrate the Orixas. Continue reading

Creative Conversations: Brazil Carnival

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An illustrated talk and seminar with Global Grooves, as part of Creating Carnival 2014

Creating Carnival NZ 2014Easter Tuesday, 22nd April 2014 – 6pm-7pm (FREE)

An interesting insight into Brazilian Carnival and how these amazing cultural and community models have travelled the world and influenced carnival arts and social enterprise around the Globe. Guest speakers Eraldo Marques, Adriana Rosso and Leon Patel will be discussing different carnival traditions from Brazil and internationally and will include imagery, footage and first hand accounts into these fascinating spectacles.

We would welcome carnival groups and producers in New Zealand to share their experience of carnival at the seminar. If you would like to present a short piece about you and your work at this informal event then please contact us and we will arrange a slot for you. We would love to hear about your work. Continue reading

Percussion, songs and dances of the Orixas workshop

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An interactive workshop by Global Grooves, as part of Creating Carnival 2014

Genevieve Estevez-Baker – Global Grooves Dance SpecialistEaster Monday, 21st April 2014 – 12noon-3pm ($20.00)

The workshop is open to all, whatever your level of experience and/or ability. Welcome!

This short but intensive master-class in Candomblé features African percussive phrasing and dance moves that have influenced Brazilian carnival traditions today as well as the ancient lost praise songs of age old African gods.

The workshop will be an opportunity for beginners to advanced dancers and musicians to come together to learn more about the roots of Brazilian carnival styles such as Samba and Maracatu and learn new rhythms, choreography, songs and techniques. At the end of the workshop we will bring all these elements together for an informal combined percussion and dance celebration. Continue reading

Live on TVNZ's Seven Sharp – Wellington's Not Dead gig

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Surprise gig!

Tonight at 7pm Wellington Batucada will be taking part in Seven Sharp‘s live TV broadcast from the St John’s Bar in Wellington.

The gig starts at approx 6:30pm, and we’ll be joining heaps of other creative performing types to show John Key that Wellington is still New Zealand’s most vibrant city – and that we’re certainly Not Dead.

Come and join us!