About Us
Who are Batala?
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Batala is an international samba reggae music project based in Salvador de Bahia in northeastern Brazil.
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Founded in Paris in 1997 by Giba Gonçalves, a notable Brazilian percussionist. Today, Batala celebrates over 46 groups in 17 countries and a worldwide membership of over 1,500 percussionists.
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Batala offers band members across the world an educational drumming and music program based on the samba-reggae compositions of Giba Gonçalves.
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Batala Mersey
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Inclusive and Diverse
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Batala Mersey is a dynamic community samba reggae drumming band rooted in Afro-Brazilian musical traditions.
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Through our celebration of rhythm we promote cultural diversity, empowering individuals to express themselves through the joy of our music.
We inspire audiences across the region with our vibrant performances, uniting our local communities.
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This collective energy fosters creativity, cultural exchange and advocates inclusivity, racial equality and social justice.
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Since being established in 2015, Batala Mersey now boasts over 65 community musicians.
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Batala Mersey Gigs
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Batala Mersey performs regularly around the City, many may have seen us at Brazilica, Light Night or at sporting events around the Liverpool City Region. We we proudly participated in Eurovision in 2023.
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These performances delight locals and visitors with our upbeat samba rhythm and powerful sound, turning the local streets into dance floors. Many spectators sign up to join the band!
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Batala Music
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We have a wide repertoire of tunes and continually build on this with new material written by Giba, allowing us to keep our sound fresh and to be able to provide sets for all occasions.
We rehearse every week of the year to ensure we perform to a high standard for sound and choreography.
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Community Interest Company
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We are proud of our Brazilian roots and heritage that unites people from across the region. To celebrate this strong community we became a Community Interest Company (CIC) in 2020.
A CIC is a way for community projects to operate on a not for profit basis. This means that we do not distribute any profits we make to individual band members, but retain them within the band, which funds costumes, rehearsal space and drums
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Batala's Mission
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Batala's mission is to create bonds through the spirit, celebration and spectacle of samba drumming, dance and carnival.
It breaks down barriers by nurturing friendships, and by building a community that transcends cultural boundaries. It fills hearts with joy and elation through motivational samba-reggae grooves, bringing smiles and a sense of well-being.
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