Batala Liverpool is a Brazilian-style percussion band which has its musical and historical roots in Brazil. We are involved in projects teaching Brazilian drumming and dance, workshops and play in parades, major carnivals, private celebrations, opening ceremonies, Brazilian nights and festivals and perform at major sporting and music events.

Batala Liverpool played at the New Wembley Stadium in London in June 2007, at the half- time interval during the England V Brazil match and returned for the Community Shield, Man Utd v Chelsea. In Liverpool we’ve played at the Lord Mayor’s Parade, the 800th Birthday celebrations in 2007, live on BBC Radio Merseyside, and for a number of local businesses, the Sefton Park Lantern parade at Halloween, the Toyota Formula 1 event which saw the release of their new car in London in May 2008 and the World Rally Championship in Cardiff. We also play regularly at Brazilian Carnival nights.

Batala Liverpool performed with the Sugababes at the 2006 Royal Variety Performance in London with Prince Charles and Camilla Parker- Bowles in the Royal box and played in the topping out ceremony of the Liverpool Echo Arena and Conference Centre in 2007.

The band takes part every year in the Notting Hill Carnival, London where we have won prizes, La Fete de la Musique in Paris, and in Carnivals in Brazil. The band performs a range of Brazilian rhythms like Samba-Reggae and was founded by Brazilian Giba Goncalves, from Salvador. They can work as one band (Liverpool has up to 40 members) or together (Notting Hill Carnival involved 150 drummers in 2007 from across the UK and France.

Batala generates a great deal of publicity locally and in 2006 took up a double page, centre spread in the Guardian newspaper after being photographed at Notting Hill (photo above left). It’s a lively, noisy and colourful performance, as visually stimulating as it is musically.