Batala drumming band from Lancaster -performing on the Glede -at Bowness on Lake Windermere English LaKe District Cumbria UK
Batala was started in Paris in 1997 by Giba Goncalves, a Bahian percussionist (Ilê Aiyê, Olodum, Muzenza, Male Debale, Jimmy Cliff, Tupi Nago and Kaoma) resident in Paris and studying Composition and Bass Guitar at the Paris Conservatoire. At the same time his long time friend Alberto Pitta (ex artistic director of Olodum) started his own educational project Instituto Oya de Arte e Educacao with activities including Afro Bloco Cortejo Afro, a dance school, printing, textile design, fashion design and capoeira. Cortejo Afro is now one of the rising stars of the Bahian scene. Cortejo Afro and Batala are symbiotic sharing much of the same repertoire and members of Batala, have since 1999, performed every year at the Salvador Carnaval as part of Cortejo Afro. By 2001 there was a band in La Rochelle and also one in Portsmouth, the first outside of France and the following year Batala performed at Notting Hill Carnival (with 35 drummers) for the first time. From the Portsmouth band, people left and formed new Batalas in Brasil (Brasilia), France (Massif) Spain (Badajoz) and Wales (Bangor and Bermo) with the Bangor band spawning further groups in Liverpool and Lancaster. In addition to a new band in Nantes there were also bands set up in Portugal, Belgium,(Brussels) Austria (Vienna), USA (Washington DC) Angola, South Africa (Johannesburg) and Guadeloupe (Batala Gwada), Netherlands (Batala Netherlands) for a grand total of 18 bands in 12 countries and on 3 continents.
Size: 3824px × 2486px
Location: Bowness Bay on Lake Windermere Cumbria Lake District England United Kingdom Great Britain GB UK EU
Photo credit: © Gordon Shoosmith / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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