Super Sambistas : Roar against Racism 2007

Calling all Surdo players

This message is for all surdo players. I'm just going through a number of things, and I noticed that we have quite a few surdo beaters missing. Also, a number of straps I've bought over time have gone. So what's going on? Do some of you maybe have beaters/straps at home? Could you please have a look? Regarding straps, I distinctly remember buying a strap that looked like a car seatbelt. It's about $70 - and it's gone. I also had a brown leather belt - it's gone.

So, who needs all these straps at home, and why? And what's the deal with the beaters? I'm getting very worried...

Walk against want gig

As you are aware, our next gig is on Sunday 7 October: Walk against Want, with Oxfam Australia. The walk starts in Southbank, in front of QPAC, then goes over the goodwill bridge to the botanical gardens, makes a garden tour there (full circle), then goes back the same way. It's about 5km.

Now, I was thinking that's a bit long (especially with a 12kg surdo). So, I discussed a few options with the organisation:

• we just play at the start of the walk on a little stage
• we lead the walk for some time, than quietly walk back
• we lead the walk for some time, wait for the walkers to come back, then escort them on the final stretch back

Personally I think the last option is the best. We could walk say till the middle of the river on the goodwill bridge, wait there, and walk back.

Any comments/ideas?

Good luck Kathryn & Amanda

Tonight we unfortunately had to say goodbye to Amanda and Kathryn, who are leaving for Cairns and WA. We will miss them a lot, but I'm sure we'll be able to wreck their eardrums some other time in the future, and I'm looking forward already to seeing them again and to hear all their stories.

Good luck!

Message for Paul

Neneh, neneh, neh

Message for Remko

Do you mind publishing the results of your random polls? You can't run a dictatorship and pretend like it's a democracy. I want to know if my vote counts.

Amsterdam equivalent of the Polish Club

You can check in any time you want...(all they need is pink hats, I say)

Circus and Samba!

Sounds like a match made in a big top pitched on the sambadromo, right?

Please be on time this Thursday night (7pm start) as we have a representative from the Vulcana Women's Circus coming to experience our sound.

'Vulcana Women’s Circus, Multi-Link Community Services Inc., Speak Out and BEMAC are working to create a performance project, Uncharted, that is bringing together culturally diverse artists and communities to create a spectacular production to be presented at the Judith Wright Centre and the Logan Entertainment Centre in Dec 2007.

We are calling for expressions of interest from emerging performance troupes from around Brisbane to be part of this production of Uncharted. Participating troupes will have the opportunity to explore their repertoire with a director, to perform existing work or develop new work that is presented as part of this large-scale show.'

As you an see this is an extraordinary opportunity for us to be involved with a spectacular show.

Message for Marcel

Gail wants to know when Marcel is back, however she has given up in despair. Here is her message (note there's only 4 CAPITALS in there):

hi remko,, i can't log on to the blog. i remembered manuel tried to help me ages ago but i ended up putting it in the too hard basket. i think it was a bit of a run around if i can remember. so i had a quick go the other day but other things came up. tell marcel i went to a huge ammount of trouble to leave a comment on the blog eventhough i am a techno dinosaur. that is how important he is to me. now i have to get back to my cave dwelling. see you next week. have a good one. GAIL

What would happen...

What would happen if we got some really good costumes? Something like, say, a Disney character. Say Pluto. And what would happen if, during a gig, some kid annoys you so much, you just loose it? This would happen!

It's a Girl!!!

Hi all! Well, after a tumultuous evening of passionate drumming and ten hours worth of birthing screams and shrieks, little Ava Elisabeth was born. My sister Carly and her beau Mick were ecstatic. Chynna's still sussing it all out...

Allow me to take a moment to pay homage to all those mothers out there who have voluntarily offered themselves up to the miraculous throes of agony allowing a newborn creature to enter the world, .....I tell ya'!
Nothing but admiration!

Also, FYI - Clare tells me that there is a woman from Vulcana Circus coming next Thursday to the class to check out the music we play, etc. It would be great if many of us attended this one allowing the sound to be representative of the truly awesome and deafening furor that is G.R.E.S. Unidos da Primavera. Yee hah!

Vodka Night February 2007

Smart Play Indy 2006

Now, these guys are smart. Why walk when playing in a truck will do ? Why wearing anything at all and not worry about uniform ? . . . . . . and they're smiling ! . . . . . One disadvantage though, don't brake too hard and all will come undone . . . . . OUUCH !

Indy 2006

Gig registration

Just a quick note that, since the website change on the weekend, you can't access the gig registration anymore using the previous links. However, don't despair: you can still register for gigs here.

I will migrate this to the new website when I can get my head around this. Until then, I'll also include a link to the 'old' members area in the new members area...

Our new public website is now live!

This evening, I flicked the switch and, voila, our new public website is live. Check it out at brisamba.com. And please, let me know any mistakes, areas for improvement, further suggestions, etc. etc. I have taken a 'good enough' approach, and know there is heaps of room for improvement. Because I now use a 'content management system', most changes should be very easy to make.

You can also log on using your normal username (firstname.lastname) and the same password as the old site. After logging in, an additional menu appears on the left, just for members of the samba school. There is not much here yet, but there will be soon! Again, any suggestions are very welcome!

message for Jayne

Hi Jayne,
Please contact Sam Okoth re video.

Cheers,
Paul

BOY are you lot boring!

Ok, I leave you guys 1 week, and look what happens to the blog!
I counted the posts - there's eleven of them, and there are a total of FOUR comments. That's less than one in two! Oh, and then there's one post which has 10 comments. guess who put that one on the blog?!
Come on, people, you can do better than that! Don't tell me everyone is spending their evenings on the couch at Gail's, having a non-internet connected life??

Yours (in miserable climatic circumstances)
Marcel

Pride 2006

The old uniforms look very good on stage , don't you think ? . . . striking !

Photo for Website

2006 Rehearsal

Security at Polish Club

I have been informed that, due to more strict security at the Polish Club, the kitchen on the ground floor will no longer be available during our classes. However, we are welcome to go upstairs and ask for water at the bar.

It might be an idea if you bring your own water bottle - it's important to drink enough during our heavy duty percussion classes!

There will be no change to the Polish Beer Indulgence in the bar at 9.30pm!

Polite request - be on time

I have noticed lots of people tend to arrive later and later at our Thursday rehearsals. Can I remind everyone that classes start at 7pm. There is always a few people there before that, who help me with unloading instruments and setting up (much appreciated!), but they always have to wait for the others to arrive before we can start our class. I think this is not very fair to them (and me), so please try to be there at 7pm so that I can start the class straight away then.

If this doesn't improve, I'm afraid I'll have to introduce a rule that, if we don't have enough people by 7.15pm, I'll have to cancel the class for that night.

Thanks for your understanding,
Remko

Potential Roar game

Finally managed to speak with QLD Roar again - they're waiting for a meeting before they can book us in. However, they've asked if we could pencil in Saturday evening 22 September for a big game against Sydney, in Suncorp stadium. Please register here. More details to follow, but I'm making sure we'll have at least as much fun as last time!

New website - you can help

Some of you may know that, for the past couple of weeks, I've spent close to every free minute working on the samba school's new website. I had to learn a new tool but it's getting there now. I hope to launch the initial version of the new site next week.

The site will be much easier to maintain, will look better and will allow for some promising new goodies. The look & feel will be much easier to change as well, so even though the new site will be an improvement on what we currently have, I plan to make it much nicer in the future.

Each article on the site will have a picture, and you can help by sending me (or posting) your favorite pictures. The ones I need for now:

• good picture of a normal percussion class
• great picture of a normal performance (no kids on stage)
• picture from carnaval in Brazil (preferably taken by yourself)

Thanks for your help, and keep watching 'the blog' as I might need some more help soon!

A message from the Polish Club

I just received the following message from Poland:

Thank you so much for your lively performances today. Enjoyed by so many people! Everyone loved listening to and watching you perform. Please thank those people who took part.

thanks again
ania

Polish Club Spring Festival 2007

Erin's niece

Which hat do you prefer ?

Photo of the year nominee

Polish Spring Festival

Great gig!
Kathryn's last :-(
Shannan's first! :-D