Battersea Barge AND London Afro-brazilian Samba de Enredo song competition (with Afro-brazilian 'ukulele AKA 'Cavaquinho')

On the 18th of this month - for a one-off Sunday afternoon on the Thames - we will play at a Benefit Gig on the Battersea Barge - entry for a donation for Prostate Cancer UK (Pascal).

We call it................. folk friends on barge  !

Here is the facebook event

We will be s t r e t c h i n g the definition of traditional folk music...

to include afro-brazilian samba-pagode as folk music...

The line-up includes Emma and Greg, Gareth, Paul, Ninj, Rafael, Sylvia and more!

rehearsal Sunday 11 Millenium Green (or email me)

Battersea Barge  Riverside Walk Nine Elms London SW8 5BP Telephone: +44 20 7498 0004

We (Emma and Greg) have just entered a song in the LSS 'Samba de Enredo' song competition, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the foundation of London School of Samba...

Hear all the contenders here

Competition event: Floripa Thursday 8 May

London Afro-brazilian Samba de Enredo Carnival song competition (with Afro-brazilian 'ukulele)

• • 

    Friday, 15 March 2013
  • 

    19:30 in UTC+11

• 91-93 Gt Eastern Street Shoreditch London EC2A 3HZ

• Alo povão de Londres! ;-) It is almost that time again where we will choose the samba to perform at Notting Hill! We are proud to be the only school in the UK to hold this type of competition. Composers are invited to submit a samba, which will be performed with a live bateria at Floripa, on Friday 15th March 2013 and where members of the school will have the opportunity to vote for the school's 2013 theme song and - all can enjoy the delights of our Dance and Bateria show. Come escape the cold and shake those bundas!

https://www.facebook.com/events/339383279507195/

Ukulele Shepherds Bush - Underground Orchestra

The underground orchestra (with King's Cross brazilian ukulele aka Cavaquinho) played at O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on Saturday 26 January 2013 as a fundraising event for children's charity Daytrippers.

Shaun formed the orchestra from people he met on the underground.

a wefund page was set up to help cover the costs of putting on the event. This page features amazing goodies and an exclusive reward in return for pledges, ensuring as much money as possible is raised for the charity.

"Daytrippers were inspired by this huge undertaking as the disabled children and their families that we work with also face many of their own challenges daily. We loved the similarity and wanted to celebrate it."Leila Talmage, Daytrippers Children's Charity

"A very very cool, interesting, novel idea. Have been very keen to get involved with the whole process since!"Ben Gould, Orchestra Manager at Trinity Laban

"London Underground carries 4,000,000 people every day, so we know what a rich mix of people there are in this great city of ours. This will be a real eye-opener by showcasing the huge amount of talent to be found on the capital's transport network, and we wish Shaun the very best in completing his challenge."
Nigel Holness, London Underground Operations Director

"He's loitering with intent." - Brenda Emmanus, BBC London News

See Facebook and Twitter pages, Shaun's blog and YouTube channel. A documentary film work in progress was premiered at the event on 26 January 2013.

Portalensas play ukulele near Made in Brasil

Following a show at Casa Brasil, Somerset House, a group of sambistas from the famous Portela samba school in Rio came down to Inverness Street Camden and played in the street for a while. Not far away at the Camden Town tube entrance there were Friday night buskers, one beatboxing with a small PA and another playing Didgeridoo with a Djembe and a Foot-cymbal. The Portela guys were singing, rapping and making beats with a couple of tan-tans, repeniques and tamborim. One tried playing the ukulele I had with me, but comparing it to a cavaquinho, did not much like the tuning or the nylon strings - nevertheless we all sang a few songs. With Danielle accompanying on vocal, I played a tune for Agnès who was to leave London for France after the Olympic Games. We discussed next Wednesday's Ukulele flash mob. Åke, an LSS sambista who was visiting as a cuiciero for the Olympic closing ceremony, played a version of Pega no Ganza - Festa Para um Rei Negro on the ukulele.

Afterwards, Jeremy Shaverin joined the group of Portalensas in the basement to jam with the Cavaquinho - the Brazilian ukulele...

Tricity Vogue and I at the Harrison

Set of photos by Craig Richmond (album)

Husky

I have often practised with the samba band at Husky Studios in Elephant and Castle. Last night I went there for a special group for a friend's wedding anniversary and played cavaquinho (the Brazilian Ukulele) with an experienced guitarist, a couple of horns and several percussionists. We did a samba reggae version of a Clash song, a London samba enredo (Africa Negra) and a version of Aquarela do Brasil (in B flat). It was a challenge sight reading the chords, but even more so, at one point, trying to simultaneously transpose up one key with the guitarist!

Tricity Vogue... and Keith

Tricity Vogue and friends at the Harrison in King's Cross




Keith the anger management Koala