Summer Samba and Snacks

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 was an excellent performance by Trio Forrosteiros, who treated us to a 90 minute performance of classic forró music, incorporating baiao and marcha styles. The guys explained the roots of the music, and encouraged us to have a go on the zabumba (bass drum). Of course in a group of drummers and percussionists, there was little encouragement needed!

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Our Dance Director Kelly Baldonado was on hand to encourage some of the more agile amongst us to dance, but the agility may have been somewhat impaired by the amount of food consumed. That's because JP and Luciano, our chefs for the day, were serving up traditional churrasco (barbecue) of steak, pork, sausage and salads all day. Music, laughters and barbecue smoke filled the air, creating an almost authentic Brazilian experience.

We'd like to thank Trio Forrosteiros, Kelly, JP, Luciano, and Mary Butler for their work in organising the day, and Dublin City Council who funded the workshop and performance through the 2026 Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Funding Scheme.

You can find Trio Forrosteiros at https://www.instagram.com/trioforrosteiros/.