CLASSES
WEEKDAY WARRIORS – Join us this Wednesday February 12th for Samba Crunch from 6pm-7:30pm at Westlake Middle School. As Carnival nears, Wednesdays will be a great opportunity to go over choreo in a more intimate environment. You can find us in the gym off of the parking lot.
#SAMBACHURCH – Join us from 4-6p on Sunday February 16th at the Malonga. Don’t forget to support our drummers by bringing fruit, water and snacks to share and/or contributing $2-$5 to the Drum Fund when registering for class.
NEWS AND EVENTS
LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING – In honor of Black History Month, we released the music video of our original rendition of Lift Every Voice and Sing! Written as a poem in 1899 by James Weldon Johnson, it was later put to music by John Rosamond Johnson and adopted as the Black National Anthem by the NAACP. Our version, created in honor of the song’s 120th anniversary, shines a light on the Black Experience and ignites a sense of pride among oppressed people worldwide. Our rendition is a unique African-diasporic fusion. We’re playing a traditional West African rhythm called Funga with traditional Brazilian instrumentation. The harp solo stays true to the original composition, but is transposed from 3/4 time to 4/4 time to include funk elements of horns, trap drums, gospel vocals, and rap. The video, set in a Pentacostal church, showcases dance movements borrowed from gospel praise dance, incorporated with African Orisha movements. Thanks to everyone who worked incredibly hard to make this vision into a reality!
30 DAY MEAT-OUT CHALLENGE – Join us as we eliminate meat from our diet, starting Wed. Feb. 12th. It’s a great way to keep the momentum of 2020 or recharge the year. The challenge will include a rising prayer moment and early morning Body Charge exercises (movement, stretching, and breathing) to start each day. There will also be a Facebook group for group support, recipes, activities, and best practices. On Saturday mornings we’ll meet for an in-person check-in and group Body Charge exercises.
CARNIVAL: PILLARS OF CHANGE
We’re already getting ready for Oakland Carnival (June 6, 2020)! Registration will begin in March. Participation is welcome to all – come to class to start learning choreo, get involved in preparations, and participate in our Pillars of Change theme, where we will be honoring Malonga Casquelord and Carlos Aceituno, among others. This will be our biggest year yet!