Remko's Birthday

? Primavera Rap

Remko's birthday present

Happy Birthday call

Hi guys,
Sorry I had to quit somewhat abruptly but I had to take that call and it took a bit longer than expected. It was great seeing all of you again though, and may I say Melanie, your butt still looks marvelous.
I do bloody hope that I get the chance to come over and visit you lot sometime soon, but it may be a safer bet if you guys make it over here. I can do some tour bookings?

My birthday

Today marks my birthday, yet again! Besides having a great party tonight (like every other Thursday night) I'd like to do something on Saturday as well:

• 7pm Nicki and I will be at our favourite Indian restaurant in Ashgrove, on the way to the Gap. We'd love you to join us. The food is great, and the prices are reasonable.
• After that (approx. 9pm), we'll continue drinking wine & beer on our deck at our house in the Gap. If you don't like Indian you can still come here!
  

Again, I'd love you all to join us. Please drop me an email or let me know tonight.

PS: this is a good opportunity to see me cry, as I will have their famous hot vindaloo...

Drumming Technique

Hi,
I've heard a few people say they would be keen to play caixa but struggle with speed etc.

I think the remedy to this is to spend a little time looking at good drumming technique and so I'm happy to lend anyone a drumming DVD of mine on technique which covers a few things that we don't go over in class. The first 30min would be enough to watch.

Basically, with any stick drumming your fingers and wrists should play an important role (perhaps more so than your forearms). I definitely wouldn't be able to play as fast as we do at samba school if I had to move my whole forearm for each stroke! Watching the first half an hour of this should be enough (combined with a bit of practice) to get people playing agogo, tambourin, and caixa more comfortably and ergonomically and thus for longer periods at faster tempos.

While we're talking about next week's practice......

....... can we practice the technique of playing whisper-quiet when we're doing a song?

I'm really pleased we're starting to rehearse songs. It'll all add to our eventual "act". But given we're complaining we can't hear the singer, can we do something positive and try playing so quietly that the song can actually be heard?

There's a tendency when playing softly to slow right down. It's a skill, playing softly but still fast. So can that be something we try next Thursday?

Changes at the Polish Club

With the sharp decline in bar revenue caused by Marcel's departure, the Polish Club has decided to close the bar at 8pm on Thursdays. I now have a key to lock up the place when we're done.

To make sure we don't have to go completely without Polish beers, it will be possible to buy drinks prior to 8pm and keep them cool in the fridge in the kitchen downstairs. I'll make sure we'll have a break just before 8pm for you to buy some drinks (but only if we can start at a reasonable time, so don't arrive late).

Three days and counting.......

Yes, I have the sweaty desperation of a junkie comin' down hard, but I'm hanging in there, shivering cold in the corner, foetal position, ha ha ha.

Last day of March

Today is the last day of March. Let's find out if we receive some good news on Thursday...

Tonight

Everybody ready for tonight's rehearsal? Time for a new song - one specially requested by the great Fernando (has he heard the drums yet?). Tamborim players, take your Red Bull....!

See you then!

Message from Andy

I just received the following message from Andy:

Hi remko .

i broke my back in japan snowboarding!!

looks like i won't be at samba for a couple of months but consider me there
again when my rehabilitation is over.

hope everything's going well and lots of people playing samba.

please tell me if you got this email, i.e. reply!

bye for now.

andy

If he really broke his back he's pretty lucky to be back in a couple of months! On behalf of everyone in the Samba School, I wish him a speedy recovery!

Tomorrow's rehearsal

Hope everyone enjoyed the Olodum concert!!!

A few people (Patty, Angus, Paul, Fernando) can't make tomorrow's rehearsal. With Easter weekend starting on Friday, could you please let me know if you won't be there either? If there's not enough people I'll cancel the rehearsal. Note at this stage I plan to go ahead as per normal, with a special treat for our tamborim players (be afraid..... be very afraid ;-)

Olodum Ticket

Hi Guys, I have a spare ticket to sell.
Is anyone interested? I can work out a discount.
Cheers
Fernando

Olodum concert tomorrow

The Olodum concert starts at 8pm. Let's meet before that at the bar in Cascade Court!

Monoblobo

This is video from monobloco, a popular percussion group from Rio de Janeiro. They sing MPB songs and use percussion instruments as well as a cavaquinho.
Cheers
Fernando


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZRHeUBpXmw&feature=related

Instruments inventory

Today I did a big inventory of all instruments, and I labeled all of them as well. A few things I noticed I'd like to share with you:

• If anyone has borrowed any instruments, please let me know ASAP.
• A few instruments, in particular small instruments like agogos, shakers and tamborims, have disappeared. Can I ask everyone to keep an eye out when we have public workshops please. Sad but true.
• I noticed I've got a few instruments here that aren't mine. Please look after your own instruments, and write your name on them. Also, one of the benefits of you buying your own instrument is that I won't have to carry them all the time, so please don't leave them with me anyway...

Thanks!

Olodum tickets

Just a quick note that I'll be handing out the Olodum tickets tonight. If you're not there tonight, you'll have to meet me prior to the concert to pick up your tickets, or ask someone else to pick up your ticket on your behalf.

See you tonight for another great rehearsal: samba reggae, repeat of last week's song, and a new (samba reggae) song!

Paul's going to Brazil

Hi all,
As you probably know, I'm off to Brazil on 18 March. If you absolutely must, can't live without, don't mind imposing on Paul's holiday, no-matter-what-I-have-to-have-it, desperately want me to bring something back for you, let me know. I'd prefer that you email me than respond to this blog posting. Please don't wait for Thursday and think I'll remember what you want if you tell me at practice. I may not make it to practice this week as I have a big work week ahead. I will try to get there though. I'll miss you all when I'm lying on the beach in Rio and gazing at dental floss.

Marcel, if there's anything I can send to you to bring a little Brazilian sunshine to your day, I'd be happy to oblige.

Tchau,
Paulo

Date Claimer

Hi Everyone!

Please mark the evening of Saturday 17th May on your calendars as my roaring twenties themed birthday party. I'll send around further details closer to the date.

Cheers!

Logan International Womens Day gig today

I meant to get someone to take some pics of us performing and then promptly forgot the camera was in my bag. Duh!

Anyway, here's a couple I did take later on.......

First, Shekere Diva and her million-watt smile.



Next, DJ DIIINNNHHH!!!! Yaaay! (You have to make "funk" noises when you look at this one)




Hey Marcel, notice how SUNNY and WARM it is???? :)

I think we should have these caps as part of our new uniform - they really sparkle in the sun.

This Saturday's Gig!!

Hi everyone. Here are the details for the International Women's Day gig:

(P.S. I came home from the pub just for this...)

Venue: Logan Women's Health and Wellbeing Centre

Address: 1 Mary Street, Kingston.

Time to arrive: 10:30 am please to help unpack gear

Time to perform: 11 am

Workshop (play if you want to): 11:15 - 11:45am

Wear: whatever you like - relaxed and comfortable

Bring: what instruments you normally would bring/play

How to find the place:

Get onto the M1 heading south towards Gold Coast, and when you pass through Springwood with the Hungry Jacks and KFC on the left there will be one exit there just past the fast food boardwalk, but don't take that one, take the Chatswood Rd exit, which is the next one ( I think it's exit 24, but not sure to be honest) - there is a BMW Motorline place on the corner of the turn off. Continue along the service road (Chatswood Rd) which then comes to a roundabout. Turn right (which is still Chatswood Rd), and then you come to another roundabout. Turn right again and follow this road (Paradise, but there's no sign I think) between green mounds and some trees, and you reach another roundabout. Go straight through the roundabout which continues on as Paradise Rd (IKEA will be on your right).

You will pass a church on your left, then schools on your left and right. Continue to the end of Paradise Rd and turn left into Kingston Rd. Follow Kingston Rd past the shops, past Woolworths servo, and you will see on your left a sign which says LIBERTY and has a clock above it. Keep continuing on but look at the left side street names now. You will see Queens Rd, then Augustus, and then Clare street. When you go to pass Clare street you will notice another street which veers off Kingston Rd going downwards alongside the Kingston Rd barricade. TAKE THIS ONE. IT is Mary Street, and there is a sign indicating so.

At the bottom of the little hill is the Logan Women's Health Centre, which is painted a turquoise and maroon colour scheme (I think they are even Women's Day colours!)

Park either along the street, or in the Kingston Train Station parking, which is right next to the place. Remko can drive in and unload, but watch out for market stallholders I am told.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Easy to catch a train as it is right next to the Kingston train station. Get on the Beenleigh line (from anywhere between Park Rd station and Brunswick Street), and continue on past Kuraby, Trinder Park, Woodridge, and then get off at Kingston, the next stop.

WELL, I hope to see you there. It will be good to kick off the year with an easy and casual gig. Get the ball rolling, etc.

IF my directions are too crazy for you, you can look up Mary Street Kingston on http://www.whereis.com/ and get a pretty piccy. I tried to add the image of it but it wouldn't let me.

Cheers everyone. Happy Women's Day! And happy birthday to PAUL tomorrow!!! :)