SambaJah

SambaJah is a Brazilian Samba band that plays Pagode, an extremely popular form of club samba that allows for couple dancing. Based in Huntington Beach, this Brazilian based band has performed in clubs in and around California entertaining Brazilians and gringos alike with their special brand of Brazilian beats. They compose much of their own music but like to play the "popular" music that makes everyone dance.

Made in Bahia

Made in Bahia is a dynamic duo of brothers that have joined together to bring a mix of Samba, Samba Reggae and other energy filled Afro Brazilian Music to America. Nei Rios and Fabio Assis come from Salvador Bahia the heart of Brazilian music and culture. Nei Rios, former singer of Samba Reggae creator Olodum, has performed with the likes of Jimmy Cliff, Julian Marley and many other note worthy artists. Fabio Assis is the former lead singer of Badaue a popular Los Angeles Afro Brazilian band that has won World Music Awards from local Los Angeles magazines. Made in Bahia is currently performing in Los Angeles and surrounding areas bringing compelling and unique rhythms to various Brazilian and World Music themed shows.

Visit their website

Renni Flores

A voice from god, Renni is from Bahia and does not come out for just any ocassion. Luckily, she has agreed to be part of this great Carnaval event and lend her voice, power, and composing skills to this year's event. She was chosen this year to compose the 2008 theme song about children.

Renni Flores native of Bahia, Brazil. Bahia is considered the soul and heart beat of Brazil. Renni started singing at the age of 5, and in the early 80s she became the first woman in Bahia to sing with the group Bloco Afro Ilê Aiye in carnaval. She has the full rich sound needed to sing alone with drums of northeast Brazil. From there she performed at various festivals and directed her own folkloric dance company Bahia Magia, one of Brazil’s leading groups. Working with the state government, they toured worldwide.

Click here to visit her website.

Campbell Hall Brazilian Percussion Ensemble

The amazing and unique sounds of Brazil come to Campbell Hall with this first semester elective course for high school aged students. The class uses all traditional instruments specific to each region of the many styles of music that Brazil is home to. Student taking the class gain performance skills, techniques and an appreciation and sometimes a love for the heritage and culture of one of the world greatest musical influences. Styles learned range from traditional samba, bossa nova, and batucada of Rio to samba reggae and axe music of Bahia, and unique genres of the North East including Forro’s, Rural Maracatu, and Frevo, and sometime MPB doing covers of Gilberto Gil to Maria Rita. The class gives great respect to the music by replicating the tradition and instrumentation in the purest way possible also incorporating melodic instruments such as the cavaquino and the sinfona, students also learn basic Portuguese phrases and get sing is a cantor-corro style sometimes commissioning work from Brazilian composers who live in Rio. The curriculum also includes a guest dance instructor who will come to one class and introduce the students to basic samba dance steps. The course performs several concerts throughout the year and is concluded with celebration in a traditional churrasco. The class is founded and led by Los Angeles Percussionist, Drummer and Composer Jason Lee Bruns who has studied extensively in Brazil and has apprenticed with the likes of Pandeiro master Carlinhos Pandeiro de Ouro and Marcos Suzanno.

Carlinhos do Pandeiro - Samba Percussion Master (Mestre)

You can't have a carnaval without a great percussion leader or "mestre". The Brazilian Street Carnaval has it! World-famous Carlinhos do Pandeiro hooks up with one of the best and oldest samba schools in the United States: SambaLá. Together, their going to rock your carnaval!

Carlinhos, from the most famous samba school in Rio "Mangueira", started playing pandeiro around the age of seven andreceived his first big break at the age of 14 when director Marcel Camus tapped him for the part of Zeca in Orfeu Negro winning best foreign film at the 1959 Academy Awards.

In 1982 he joined flutist Herbie Mann's group. Other legendary Brazilian musicians Carlinhos has performed and toured with include Martinho da Vila, Beth Carvalho, Maria Bethania, and Sergio Mendes. His career as a percussionist sideman took him on tours through Europe, the Americas, Australia, Asia, and Africa.

Go to Carlinhos Website.

SambaLeza Dancers of SambaLá

They say the drums call the audience, and the dancers keep them there. One of the groups performing at this year's Brazilian Street Carnaval is the SambaLeza Dancers from SambaLa.

Director Valeria Ruggieri joined SambaLá over 9 years ago when Doris, the SambaLá director gave her a crash course in samba and sent her off with the SambaLá performers group to Seoul Korea for a show for 100,000 people for Kia Motor's world-wide launching of the "Rio" Car. She was the most photographed dancer in the group and from that day on, she was hooked on Samba. Since then, she has worked her way up in the ranks and has danced on Jay Leno and Nickelodeon with Will Smith and even helped one of the contestants and appeared on "Dancing with the Stars" (see the video here).

She has worked her way from dancer, to princesa da bateria, rainha da bateria, and now madrinha da bateria. She teaches advanced samba dance and is creating special choreographies for the Street Carnaval. She also is an event planner and owner of Rio Bela Productions, and is vice-president of SambaLá Samba School, a non-profit organization.

Choreography and Parade Participants

The SambaLeza dancers in the parade and stages shows include Valeria Ruggieri, Madrinha da Bateria (Godmother), Samba Instructor, Choreographer, Jonia McClenney, Rainha da Bateria (Queen), Gina Amato, Primeira Princesa (First Princess), Laura Costa, Segunda Princesa (Second Princess), Monica Tibbs, Former Queen and Samba Instructor, Marcia Klay, Former Queen. In addition, these dancers will be in the parade including Tiffany Abad, Griselda Vicario, Erica Blyther, Brittney Moore, Stephany Reyes, Isabelle Carriere, Rochelle Visaya, Melody. Also included in the parade are porta-bandeira Maija Hunter and head baiana Nilse Wilson.

Also special guests Marisa Montoya, Brazilian Summer Beauty, Katia Vaz, Brazilian Beauty Runner up, Elizabeth Inacia, Miss Simpatia – Brazilian Summer Beauty, Vivian da Silva, Sonaria Curtis, Valqueria, Jennifer Parker, Joany Macias, Isabela Villacorta, Luciene, Marcelo.

SambaLa Bateria

They say that the heartbeat of samba is the bateria or percussion unit. For SambaLa it is no different. Samba is infectious and has attracted many talented musicians to SambaLa.

Besides the mestre of the Bateria, Carlinhos do Pandeiro, SambaLa is lead by director Jason Brancazio. He has written and arranged many of the breaks for samba songs during carnaval and will be leading the breaks for this year's Brazilian Street Carnaval.

Other notable members of the sambaLa bateria include head-repinique Jesse Kitten (original member of SambaLa), the bahiana rhythm director Pedro Ha, long-time member and contributor to the bateria and its health Geoff Hunter (who has more samba instruments than anyone we know!), cavaquinho player and all-around percussionist Jason Philips, Marlon Fuentes who is now studying ethno-musicology at UCLA and plays like a Brazilian, our Brazilian-natural from Belize Robert Wade, a student of Carlinhos and every improving percussionist John Crahan, composer, guitar player, singer and real all-round musician Michael Ruggieri, and other new and up-and-coming players like Marcello Sanchez, Mark Tyler, Elizabeth Brasler, and Andreas Lyon.

Grupo Capeoria Brazil with Professor (Contra-Mestre) Navalzinho Mumid

Professor Múmia has been teaching Capoeira since 1994 under the supervision of Mestre Boneco. He regularly teaches at the Bencao Brasil Cultural Center, home of Capoeira Brasil Los Angeles; Beverly Hills Ju-Jitsu Club, in Long Beach and Huntington Beach.

You can email them at navalmestre@hotmail.com.

Or check out their website at www.navalzinhomumia.com/intro.html.

Or telephone: 310-626-3571

Michael Ruggieri

Michael Ruggieri is a singer songwriter who’s music career started in Rochester NY, where he toured throughout New York state with his band, Kamyleon. Upon breakup of the band, he began a solo career and recorded with ex HeadEast guitarist, Tony Gross, Jr. and also recorded vocals with national recording artist, Robert Tepper, who was featured on the Rocky III soundtrack. Upon moving to California in 1995, Michael has recorded and played live shows with Dean Pleasants (Suicidal Tendencies/Jessica Simpson) and Matt Laug (Alanis Morisette/New Radicals). In 2005 he released his debut CD, Survive, which was engineered and co-produced by Michael Vail Blum (Madonna/Pink Floyd/Roger Daltrey) and sponsored by RioBela Productions. He is also a member of Sambala Samba School, playing surdo and tamborim, and has performed with the bateria throughout Southern California.