As part of our Samba de Verão series, we are delighted to welcome Alexandre Garnizé back As part of our Samba de Verão series, we are delighted to welcome Alexandre Garnizé back to our space in the Liberties. This will be our third time working with Alexandre, who is a true font of knowledge on maracatu and ceremonial drumming from Brazil. His deep expertise, enthusiasm and authenticity make him a wonderful teacher — even if his passion sometimes leaves us scrambling to catch

On Saturday August 8th, we celebrated another year of samba in Ireland in fine style, with a day combining music, learning and Brazilian food. We had nicknamed the event 'Samba de Verão (Summer Samba), and the weather gods must have been listening, because the weather was absolutely perfect for an outdoor event. The Masamba crew were joined by friends from near and far, with some travelling from throughout Dublin, Cavan, Mayo, Scotland and England The centrepiece of the day w

We received some positive news last week, that we have been awarded a small grant under the 2026 Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Funding Scheme, which is an initiative of the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. Our basic idea is to attempt to build a replacement for the long-defunct Drogheda Samba Festival, which took place towards the end of June each year. The Drogheda Festivak is sadly missed amongst the community of drummers that remember it,

The schools are closed, and the Summer is most definitely here! We'd love to be sitting back in the shade enjoying a cold one, but duty calls! This is always an interesting time of the year, with lots of once-off or short projects on the go. We are clocking up the miles and clocking up the smiles too as we deliver workshops and performances in weird and wonderful settings. Dublin Pride This year, we teamed up with old partners the INTO LGBT Group for the parade and returned t

As the school year winds down, the Masamba camp is a hive of activity! This evening, we are delivering a couple of workshops with the 5th Port Sea Scouts. It’s a shame there isn’t a scouting badge for samba, but we are sure that the group will be well able to work as a team, and play music as a group. Tomorrow (Saturday) is Cruinniú na n-Óg, ad we return to Dunleary/Rathdown for a couple of workshop projects as part of the celebration of youth creativity. In the morning,

It’s been some time since we had time to post to our website, but there has been plenty going on in the background. At board level, we said a fond farewell to Ray Corcoran, who has served Masamba in a number of roles for many years. While Ray has always been on hand to provide advice and practical support, his schedule as a senior youth worker has made it increasingly difficult for him to attend Board meetings. Thankfully, he will remain on in an informal role to advise on yo

We were delighted to be invited to deliver a workshop as part of the Big Bang Festival of Rhythm again this year. As many of you will...

As July draws to a close, we are also winding up of intensive series of events in our home base of the Liberties. The Liberties is a...

It’s funny how our work often seems to coalesce around particular neighbourhoods at different times of the year. Back in April and May,...

We'd like to introduce you to the newest addition to our workshop team: Dan Whelan. Dan joined our team at the beginning of the month,...

We at Masamba pride ourselves in being able and willing to work with a wide range of client groups and in almost any location. This last...

Masamba's Director, Simeon Smith, reflects on the year just gone. The beginning of a new year is always a good time to look back, take...

Wishing all our members, friends, collaborators and colleagues a restful Christmas holiday. We hope that the New Year brings peace,...

As we enter the Celtic New Year following Samhain, it’s time to review the month, and prepare for the remainder of the year. Last...

Masamba's Director, Simeon Smith, reflects on the first 30 years of Masamba Samba School. In 1994, a festival took place in Dublin...

Job Title – Music Tutor Mission To maintain the high-quality musical and educational standards of Masamba Samba School To promote the...

Hallowe’en is on the horizon, and we are preparing for the Celtic New Year in the only way we know how – with plenty of drumming! This...

Usually, July signals a reduction of activity in the Masamba camp. As the schools close for the Summer, we get an opportunity to relax,...

Things are particularly busy in the Masamba camp at the moment, as we enter Summer season. This Summer is super-special, as it marks our...

When Masamba was set up 30 years ago, access to Brazilian music and culture was almost the stuff of fantasy. Ireland at the time was...