Karen Aguiar is a socially engaged artist, performer and producer who believes in the transformative power of dance to unite people and nurture collective spaces. As the founder and creative director of Go Dance For Change, a platform for intercultural collaboration, Karen envisions dance as a means of meaningful integration, individual growth, and collective action.

She has been dancing and building community and producing dance & performance in Ireland since 2018. She is a recipient of the Artist in the Community Scheme Bursary Award: Collaborative Arts and Dance funded by the Irish Arts Council, managed by Create in partnership with Dance Ireland; and the Creative Places Artistic Residency by Creative Ireland & Wicklow County Council 2025.

Karen recently performed with Macnas at the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin for "Turas Alf". She was also invited by President Michael D. Higgins and Sabina Higgins to the reception 'Samhlaíocht agus an Náisiún – Imagination and the Nation’, celebrating the contribution of Community Arts to Inclusion and Creativity to mark St Patrick's Day at Áras an Uachtaráin.

With a postgraduate study in Art & Ecology at NCAD and a dance residency at Rua Red South Dublin Arts Centre, Karen's movement practice incorporates embodied ecologies, knowledge, activism, culture, and play.

 Conor Casby is the coordinator of a School Completion Programme in Dublin's North Inner City. He shares with Masamba an interest in the arts, community development and the promotion of positive youth engagement. He is not originally from Mayo. He is from Mayo.

Ciarán Cronin has worked in St James's Primary School for 13 years, the last 5 as Principal. He’s passionate about social justice and equality and trying to give children opportunities to find hidden talents and strengths they never knew they had!

Ray Corcoran is a Community Youth Worker in Coolock. He was once a playing member of Masamba.

Jennifer is a music and history teacher from Dublin who currently resides in the UK. She is a band representative for the Board and has been associated with the band since 1997! She joined as a full member in 1999 and remained active as a musician and tutor in the band until moving to the UK in 2012. With MaSamba she performed across Ireland, the UK, Europe and even Mexico and Brazil. Since moving to the UK she has been lucky enough to remain a member of the Board and by extension the band and has been involved in some performances since 2012 including Dublin Pride in 2025. 

Simon has been a member of MaSamba since 2009 and also plays for another Samba band in his home city of Brighton & Hove, in the UK.

He is a counsellor and trained Art Psychotherapist, working in private practice.

Previously working as a senior software developer & manager for over 20 years.

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Simon is also a keen artist (he holds a BA in Visual & Performance Art) and likes to compose electronic music and tinker with synthesizers in his spare time.

Brian has extensive experience in organising artistic and street events since 1982, providing Safety Statements and risk assessment statements as required.

Brian has worked for Cork City Council on such events as the Tour de France and the Tall Ships Race. He has also worked with performance companies Macnas and Spraoi as well as Opera Northern Ireland, Opera Ireland, Opera Theatre Company, Castleward Opera and many more. Brian was Technical Manager in Liberty Hall Theatre until November 2023. He currently works on small community festivals and is developing his skills as a Storyteller

I am the proud father of a bright little girl who reminds me that while we live in Ireland, she will always be Brazilian at heart. To stay close to my roots, I sell children's books in Portuguese and work with the Brazilian families through AMBI (The Brazilian families association in Ireland).  On the professional side, I am an IT solutions consultant. I joined MaSamba because I can't play the drums, so I figured I might as well be useful doing something else.

Masamba Samba School is lucky to have a dynamic Board of Directors with a wide range of skills and interests, but we are always willing to expand our palette of expertise. If you think you have the skills and passion to support the work of a busy music charity, get in touch at info@masamba.com.