Tan tan video clips

Check this site out for lots of Tan tan video clips:

Another Denis solo

A polite request.....

..... if you are paying cash for your class tomorrow night, I wonder if you could try and pay with a note smaller than a $50? Sometimes there's very little change available; so it would be really helpful if people could try and think ahead a bit. Many many thanks.

Patty

Thanks for today!

Thanks everyone who played today. It's an honour to be asked to open a new suburb! Special congratulations to Brendan, who had his first gig with us today.

Also, for some reason I really enjoyed the workshop, good people there, and also thanks for all your help during this. Lots of fun for everyone.

Denis, great solo!

The next gig will be on 9 August, in St Lucia, late afternoon. Free food from all over the world!

Details for Sunday's gig

Thanks to all of you who signed up for Sunday!

Here are the details:

• Dress code: creative pink & green
• Location: Woodlands park, on Woodlands Boulevard. This is probably not yet in your Refidex, however it is off Gardiner Road, Waterford (Refidex map 263 C20). Take the Beenleigh exit.
• Be there at 1pm at the latest. Keep in mind it might take a bit of time to find!
• We perform 1.30pm and 2pm, then we'll have a workshop.
  

As always, please be on time, less stressful for everyone!

Lost and Found

Found: One pink A4 display book containing tamborim patterns.

Did you lose it?

Samba instruments for sale!

My friend Carlos in Melbourne has some new samba instruments for sale (pictures and video).

Prices are:
12-Lug Repinique: $250
10-Lug Repinique: $230
8-Lug Repinique: $210
Tan Tan: $340
Pandeiro: Calf Skin 12": $180
Wooden Atabaque Conico (Timba): $180
Artcelsior Tamborim: $60
Surdo Mallet: $20

Plus postage and handling. Delivery within Australia only.
These are top of the range Contemporanea gear which is not easily found in OZ.

He also has another two pandeiros (one of them with a Brazilian flag head) but I haven't got pics yet.

Let me know if you're interested in anything!

The next few gigs

Well, someone said we don't have enough gigs (and I have to agree for the first half of 2008!). So, the next few gigs will be:

• Sunday 27 July, somewhere between 1pm-3pm, at Woodlands (where is that? Close to Beenleigh)
• Saturday 9 August, around 4pm, UQ, St Lucia
• Thursday 4 September around 1pm, Queen Street Mall, cooperation with a tap dancing group, as part of celebrations for 150 years of Brisbane!

Enough to keep everyone happy (for now)?

More SunCorp pictures

From Elwin!

Palmeiras Parade last Friday

I really really hope this link works - have made an album of pics from last Friday's parade in the city.

A short break?

Everyone thanks again for such a great effort over the last week. Rehearsal on Thursday, parade on Friday, 3 on-field performances on Saturday and a workshop thrown in as well!

I have received a suggestion to have a break this Thursday the 17th to recover a bit. What do you think? Please vote on the poll on the right.

I'll make the call on Wednesday and will post here to confirm the outcome.

PS: I just received confirmation for a performance on Sunday afternoon 27 July... stay tuned!

Angus reunited with his beloved & restored surdo skin

Excellent stuff!!!

Well done today everyone!

Everything went well! I wasn't as stressed because everyone was on time, and everything really worked out as planned. All performances sounded really tight and we definitely have improved compared to last year. I loved working with the dancers too! I'll get a copy of the official video.

You have now made it very hard for me: I am sure we're going to be invited again next year for this event (how can they not), however I do want to try to make next year even more spectacular. This won't be easy - but we'll get there!

Thanks everyone for being a great team, I'm really proud of all of you.

Congratulations as well to Mike, Elwin, Lyn, Alice and Andy for your very first performance - what a way to join the samba school!

And, I've got something to look forward to as well: we have been invited to play in September as part of the celebrations for 150 years Brisbane, and this time we'll team up with.... you won't believe it.... a group of tapdancers!

See you all on Thursday!
Remko

Roar !

FINAL details for today

Remember: dress all in white, no heels.

Note: there is NO parking - use public transport or get someone to drop you off close by.

• 4.15 we meet outside the stadium, same boom gate as last year (Castlemaine Street corner Cordova Street). I will have wrist bands and tickets
  
• 4.30 we enter the stadium. If you're not there by 4.30 you can't enter anymore, so please please please....
• 5.02 first performance on field (without dancers)
• 5.20 - 6.15 workshops on concourses
• 6.40 performance on field with dancers (Primavera samba - green & orange shirts)
  
• 7.58 performance on field with dancers (samba reggae)

After the game, there's a party at Casablanca. Details to be confirmed during the evening...


See you there, let's have some fun!!!

Instruments today

Thanks everyone for taking instruments home with you after rehearsal yesterday, that will help a lot.

At the end of the parade today, can you please leave your instrument with me (unless you use your own instrument)? I am doing a corporate workshop tonight so will need the instruments.

I promise to bring them to SunCorp tomorrow ;-)

PS: great rehearsal yesterday!!!

Updated schedule for Friday

Aaarrgggghhh it keeps changing!

Here are the FINAL details for Friday

• Dress code: creative Pink & Green
• Location: Reddacliffe place (in between Casino and new Brisbane City Council at the end of Queen Street)
• Be there: No later than 12:40pm
  
• 1st performance starts 1.05pm - 1.15pm
  
• 2nd performance starts: 1.22pm - 1.25
  
• Parade starts: 1.30pm (ends 2.00pm at Parliament house).

Note the parade will no longer go to Southbank, just to Parliament house following George Street.

Hot tip for white pants

Meyer in the city has reduced Industrie white pants from $80 down to $50, but they now sell them for $15. Only a few pairs left!

Thanks Mike & Elwin for the tip!

Saturday runsheet

Well things have changed quite a bit. Forget about the previous runsheet. Still no final confirmation, but at this stage it's looking like this:

• 4.30pm Samba School reports at gate (location to be confirmed). We ALL need to be there at that time, please please please don't be late!
• 5.02pm Our first performance on field (without dancers)
• 5.20pm - 6.15pm Workshops on concourses
  
• 6.40pm Performance on field with dancers (Primavera samba - green & orange shirts)
• 7.58pm Performance on field with dancers (samba reggae)

I'll keep changing this post with more details as they become available. Please everyone try to check this page on Saturday morning for any late changes!

Tomorrow's rehearsal

Hi everyone,

Well tomorrow is going be the biggest rehearsal ever: we'll have 26 percussionists and all 50 dancers in the Polish Club. So, to make sure this works, I have to ask you for your cooperation:

• Attendance tomorrow is pretty much mandatory if you're playing on Saturday. If you're not playing on Saturday, maybe best to skip this rehearsal.
  
• We'll start 7pm sharp. Please be there before then.
• We won't have many breaks, but when we do, can I ask everyone to stop playing any instruments please - our ears will need a break too and Angelo and I will need to discuss things as well.
• We'll practice on stage from 7.30 - 9.30 to give the dancers some space.
  
• Dale - I propose you give your surdo to Angus at the end of the night, he will transport half of the surdos on Friday and Saturday.
• Rehearsal will be free again.
  

Rehearsal schedule:

• 7:00-7.30: Bateria (1st performance): Paradinhas, Samba, funk, maculele
• 7.30-8.30: "Two teams" (2nd performance): Primavera samba
• 8.30-9.30: Samba Reggae (3rd performance)
  

Details for this Friday

This info has been superseded... see above!

Batucada Bus

Now, everybody, let's start by deciding on the bus style... We'll see to the rest later!!

PAGEANT No.1 - the 'TRADITIONAL BRISAMBA' model (never gets out fashion, hey!)

PAGEANT No.2 - CREATIVE HIPPIE (how about that Gayle?)

PAGEANT No.3 - BABYSHIT GREEN HIPPIE VARIANT

PAGEANT No.4 - the 'MAKE A STATEMENT' model

PAGEANT No.5 - the 'CUTE FUTURISTIC BUT NOT VERY AMBITIOUS' model

and finally PAGEANT No.6 - the 'REALLY COOL' model

Remko, can you please start a vote on this matter of he highest importance???

Cedric

PS: Yes, I've got too much time on my hands during the holidays... No need to rub it in...

Transport surdos on Saturday

Is anyone able to transport 4 surdos on Saturday? You'd need to pick them up on Friday after the parade, and you will be able to park under SunCorp stadium on the day. We only have two car spots!

Please let me know asap if you can help. Thanks!

Update: Thanks Angus for helping out!!!

Weird emails

I get some weird emails, from members of the samba school, the community, and sometimes complete strangers. Most of them come from Brian though.

However, Paul has set a new standard, and I thought I share this with you (sorry Paul):

Subject: the batucada bus

Hey Remko,

How’s this for an (undeveloped) idea? NB I am very sleep deprived today:

We take people on bus tours around Brisbane playing pagode and serving caipirinhas into the night.

An opportunity to mix practice with fun and raising money at the same time! Just need a bus, driver, liquor licence, insurance, …

Well done Paul! Now go get some sleep...

Draft running sheet for Saturday

Please have a look at the draft running sheet for Saturday in SunCorp Stadium. It's quite complex so take your time to read it. I will post a final version later this week once Multicultural Affairs Queensland has confirmed all details.

If you feel any info is missing please let me know.

Note: it looks like this schedule will change significantly - stay tuned

Rehearsal today

A big thanks to all of you who made it today to Newfarm park. Very impressive how many of you could make it with some 24h notice! I think it was essential to the success of the show next week. Claire - please thank your mum on my behalf for helping me out with many little things!

We'll have another rehearsal this Thursday - please be on time for this as we still have a lot to do.

I'll post some important handouts regarding the gigs later today.

Last minute ... extra rehearsal

We have decided to do another rehearsal with the (50) dancers tomorrow Sunday the 6th in Newfarm park, 1pm. We don't need the full bateria but enough to get the basic sound. Please let me know by email if you can make it (I will need to cancel if there's not enough people). Thanks!

Update: let's see how the weather turns out. If it rains a lot we'll have to cancel this...

White....

Just a heads up: for at least one of the performances in SunCorp stadium, all dancers and percussionists will be dressed fully in white. I realise not everyone might have white pants, so here is some advance notice to pick up something next time you're in K-mart or so. I'm sure you can find something cheap (I found cheap white shoes for under $20 some years back).

If anyone has any suggestions on where to buy something like this, please post here as well. Thank you!