We are an all-volunteer street bateria and community of men & women from all walks of life, united in our love for Brazilian music and percussion. Based in Burlington, Vermont, USA, and founded in 1995 to play at Burlington’s Discover Jazz Festival, Sambatucada has developed steadily under the leadership of drummer extraordinaire Bruce McKenzie. Over the years, Sambatucada has become well known all over northern and central Vermont for exciting performances at parades, festivals, celebrations and community events of every conceivable variety, including Burlington’s Discover Jazz Festival, First Night, Magic Hat Mardis Gras celebration, Vermont Pride Parade, and many more. We play a variety of Afro-Brazilian rhythms, including samba, samba-reggae, baiao and maracatu, using traditional percussion instruments including:
- Surdo – a large bass drum, the heartbeat of samba
- Caixa – a snare drum
- Tamborim, a small frame drum played with a flexible beater
- Repinique, a small drum, twelve by fourteen inches
- Agogô – a double cow bell struck with a metal rod
- Chocalho, a rattle, made up of rows of jingles
- Triangle, Cowbell, and more.
Quem nao gosta do samba
Dorival Caymmi
Bom sujeito nao e
E ruim da cabeca
Ou doente no pe!
—–
To all the samba greats
past and present –
without whom this wonderful music
would not be possible!