Sounds from Brazil: Drums, Bells, and Shakers

Viviane dos Santos directing part of the workshop

Music and dance filled Room 401 in West Hall on November 8, when over forty participants enthusiastically took part in a Brazilian percussion and dance workshop organized by AUB and the Brazilian Embassy. The event provided an engaging opportunity to learn about Brazilian percussion instruments and also served as a fun and interactive introduction to samba.

Trio Raiz, a Brazilian percussion band whose name is Portuguese (meaning 'roots'), is a group of three native Brazilian instrumentalists who travel to different countries around the world to perform their music and hold similar workshops. The members of the band, Nelson Latif Fakhouri, Nema Lopes, and Marcello Godoy, come from all across Brazil. Their passion for music joined them, and their desire to perform not only for others but also teach others about Brazil's music led them to form a permanent trio.

The first segment of the workshop was devoted to teaching the participants about some of the different percussion instruments and allowing them to select an instrument to play. The instruments included a large drum, called the surdo, which means deaf and is known for its deafening effects on frequent players. The surdo is also known as "the heartbeat of Brazilian music." The agogo bells and the shukagas, or shakers, were among the most popular instruments. Others included the tambourine and a snare drum.

Groups were divided according to instrument and were taught their respective notes. Nema Lopes led the large mass of novices from a musical pandemonium to a perfectly synchronized, melodic cover for the famous song, "Aquarela do Brasil." At the crescendo, the participants paused to sing the chorus. "If you can use your fifth limb, your voice, then you can play music better, because it comes from the inside out," said Lopes, as he watched the smiles stretch across the faces of all in pride and excitement.

Viviane dos Santos directed the latter part of the workshop on the Brazilian samba. After asking everyone to get up and dance, Santos said, "You have the samba in you. Now we will try to get it out." Everyone coupled up and followed along with her instructions. In no time at all, everyone had picked up the choreography and were showing off their talents.