When we’re short on travel time and miles away from the parts of the world that we want to explore, our own hometowns can become the closest access points to new cultures. We normally have to make an extra effort to find their niches of flavor, sight, and sound in our own backyards. But on a recent Sunday afternoon there was no effort required for those of us who happened to be strolling around Dupont Circle, as about 20-30 members of the all-women Batala Percussion Band of Washington D.C. magnetized the crowds with the Afro-Brazilian spirit of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. They radiated samba-reggae rhythms while they drummed in a performance titled “Global Vigil in Support of the Women of Congo.”
The Batala of Washington is the newest member of a much larger Batala family (and the first in the U.S.). The original Batala band was created in 1997 by Bahia native Giba Goncalves while he was living in Paris. There are now four Batala groups in France, five in the U.K., one in Spain, one in Brazil, and one in Angola. If you think you might be interested in joining the group in D.C. (no musical experience necessary), stop by and watch a rehearsal on a Saturday.
As a person who finds music to be one of the most powerful ways to experience the essence of a culture, I highly recommend checking out the Batala’s performance schedule, especially if Brazil is on your mind for future travels.
