The Batala Percussion Band started in Washington,
DC in June, 2007. They are an international all women band, that plays
Afro-Brazilian / Samba-Reggae rhythms.
History Batala in Washington, D.C. is part of a larger Batala family
created in 1997 by Giba Gonçalves. Born and raised in Salvador,
Bahia in Brazil, Giba was living in Paris when he first had the
idea for the band. Open to anyone with an interest in learning the
samba-reggae beat, the band started off with 60 people.
From Paris it spread to other cities in France,
Belgium and the United Kingdom. In 2003, the band finally made its
way back to its origins, brought to Brazil by Paulo Garcia, also
the founder of the Portsmouth Batala. Composer and musical director,
Giba enlisted the help of friends from the bands and from Salvador
in order to create the visual identity of the band. The instruments
and clothings are all manufactured in Salvador, Bahia, where the
band has a social program that gives jobs to many families. From
there they are shipped to the bands around the world.
In 2007, the newest branch of the Batala band
was created in Washington, DC, expanding the reach of the band’s
music to the United States. Today, the band has over 300 percussionists
around the world.
