MASAMBA SAMBA SCHOOL
School, Youth & Community Workshops
About our Workshops
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Samba is one of the most accessible musical art forms available to all ages. It’s fun and easy to understand, and it’s a great gateway to music for children.
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Using some simple clapping games and conveying these onto the instruments, within minutes all students will have instruments in their hands, and in just a half hour, the whole class will be playing with confidence as a samba band. Every student’s contribution will be valued, as they contribute to the overall team effort.
Once the foundations have been learned, adding a series of simple structured musical breaks and ‘call and response’ drumming will result in a finale of energetic drumming and a satisfying feeling of achievement.
We use a variety of authentic percussion instruments, sourced ethically in Brazil. From the Surdo (large bass drum) to the Tamborim (small tambourine), our instruments are the same as played in the famous Rio carnival.
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This active-learning samba workshop can be tailored to suit any age or ability and can be structured over a longer period.
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Projects can be stand-alone or run over several weeks, working towards a school show, a multicultural day or another public performance.
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All of the required instruments are provided and the workshops are run with energy and enthusiasm by our vastly experienced team.
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Through samba drumming, participants can develop the following skills/abilities
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Learn about the structure of music
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Interpersonal & Intrapersonal Skills
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Communication Skills
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Collaboration
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Cultural Diversity
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Social and Emotional Learning
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Inclusion
A day can consist of: up to eight 30-40 minute samba workshops with up to 25 in each group. A half day could consist of a morning or afternoon with three 30-40 minute workshops.
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The Instruments
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MaSamba is proud to use only the highest-quality instruments in our workshops and performances.
Unlike many other ‘samba’ groups, all of our instruments are sourced from Brasil, in sone cases directly from the factories and workshops where they are produced.
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We are proud to have the support of the following companies who support our work through the provision of instruments, accessories and advice:
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Contemporanea Instrumentos Musicais – Brasil’s premier producer of samba percussion instruments, based in downtown Sao Paulo. www.contemporaneamusical.com.br/
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Sabian Cymbals – Canadian based, master cymbal makers, who combine the highest quality products with a down-to-earth approach. www.sabian.com/
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Liverpool Drumsticks – based in Santa Catarina, Brasil, Liverpool produce specialist sticks and beaters for the samba community, as well as a wide range of ‘mainstream’ drumsticks. www.baquetasliverpool.com.br/
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Simeon Smith
Simeon is a native of Dublin, but grew in the western city of Galway. He has achieved a BA is Arts and an MA in Community Development, both from NUIG. In 2023, Simeon was awarded a PhD in Arts Practice from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick. In 2006, he achieved a primary qualification as a counsellor in Reality Therapy/Choice Theory. Simeon has been playing samba for almost 15 years, and is a founding member of maSamba Samba School.
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Over this period, he has received formal and informal training from many of the top practicioners in the field, and facilitated many top samba artists to visit and teach in Ireland. In this time he has developed a huge musical repertoire, covering many of the popular styles of Afro-Brasilian music.
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Simeon has taught for National Universtity of Ireland Galway, University of Limerick, and the Royal Irish Academy of Music, as well as being responsible for setting up over 20 samba bands in Ireland and the UK. Simeon has spent over 4,000 hours teaching samba in his career.
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Simeon has developed many of the unique teaching methodologies used by MaSamba Samba School and is regularly asked to deliver workshop programmes with samba bands, music teachers and corporate groups.
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As well as performing with MaSamba, Simeon is part of the European touring group of Monobloco and has toured with Dead Can Dance.
The Tutors
Niall Gregory
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Niall started his music career around 1990 in Drogheda Ireland. At first playing drum set, then entering the world of percussion by joining Ireland's first Samba school. He has performed with and studied extensively with Brazilian master drummer “Dudu Tucci”. He has also made several trips to the Caribbean to study with some of Cuba’s master drummers. While in Cuba he met and studied with members of Clave Guaguanco, Afro Cuba de Mantanzas, Rumberos de Cuba etc.
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On his return he has become one of Ireland’s most sought after teachers of Afro Latin percussion. He currently leads his own Latin percussion group “Cachimbo” who have just released there latest album “Si Emi Ilu” (Spirit of the drum) .
He has toured internationally with Dead Can Dance and is a member of Sully Erna of Godsmacks solo group . Their first album Avalon made its debut at no 22 in the USA billboard charts and the group have toured the USA and Canada in support of the album.
Kelly Baldonado
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Kelly Baldonado has formal qualifications in Tourism Studies and Health and Fitness, but began her dancing career at the tender age of 10, performing at small festivals, in theatres, and in school shows. By 16, Kelly was already teaching Afro-Brasilian dance at a gymnasium, where she worked for two years.
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In 2005, Kelly re-located to Ireland, primarily to improve her English, and quickly became involved in MaSamba Samba School. Since then, she has participated in three St. Patrick’s Day parades (2 as Queen of the Bateria), as well as numerous TV shows, promotions, and festivals such as the Lord Mayor’s Parade in Belfast, Oxygen, and the Electric Picnic.
Kelly has also appeared on ‘Fair City’ and ‘the Tudors’ and has done numerous photo shoots for many of Ireland’s top promotion agencies.
Kelly is Dance Director at MaSamba Samba School has performed with us throughout Ireland, the UK and Germany.
Kelly is available to teach samba or zumba classes on request – just contact the office!