What is Samba?
Samba is most famous for being the fast, loud celebratory music at the very heart of the Rio Carnival. It’s a song and a dance driven by percussion. But it’s also a community, a positive energy, a lust for life, with a history intricately woven in to the fabric of Brazilian culture.
The Samba Schools in Brazil take the music of samba in combination with community-focus to their extreme.
The Olá Samba blog is a good place to look closer at this question.
What is Olá Samba?
Olá Samba teaches authentic Rio Carnival samba alongside other styles of other Brazilian music such as Samba Reggae from Bahia, Maracatu from Pernambuco, some pieces inspired by music of the sacred Candomblé traditions as well as rhythms from around the world such as Funk, Hip-Hop and Bhangra.
All of Olá Samba's workshops are run on authentic Brazilian percussion instruments, made in Brazil.
Our regular groups put on performances throughout the year.
Our ethos
Professionalism
Full-time professional tutor David Walter BSc (Hons) MMus is in charge of all aspects of Olá Samba and does everything possible to maintain its outstanding reputation.
Inclusivity
The clue’s in the name. Say ‘hello’ to the world of samba and carnival percussion, whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned sambista, Olá Samba has something to offer you. Through workshops, performances or regular groups, we always aim to share this wonderful music with as many as possible.
Positivity
Olá Samba uses music as a force for good. The community-driven music of Brazil is perfect for crossing social boundaries and making us all happier, together. Our work applies the joy of carnival music as a real-world tool against social isolation and social anxiety, improving self-esteem, self-motivation, self-confidence… not to mention, doing something fun!
Who are we?
David Walter BSc (Hons) MMus
Founder-Director
David founded Olá Samba in 2011 teaching in schools and continues to run it as his main profession.
Some headlines from his Brazilian Percussion CV:
Studied with some of the foremost mestres and tutors in Brazil and around the world, in a broad range of styles.
Speaks good Brazilian Portuguese.
Founded and runs all aspects of the thriving groups Olá Samba Bateria and Silver Sambistas.
Has trained in Capoeira since 2022, quickly earning responsibility for training all music in Oficina da Capoeira in Europe.
Founded and leads roda de samba group, Samba de Lá, teaching all instruments and playing cavaco.
David is on a self-proclaimed mission to enhance as many lives as possible through music. He sees this music as an unstoppable force for good.
Aside from Brazilian percussion, David is a professional tutor of guitar, drum kit, singing, piano and music technology.
In his spare time he is a keen songwriter, writing and recording in his home studio.
David Walter with other sambistas and teachers from around the world
The Olá Samba Community
David Walter may be at the centre of Olá Samba, dedicating most of his adult life to it, but it wouldn’t be a shadow of what it is without the team of people around him.
Band members put their heart and soul into it. As anyone who has put together a project will know, a lot more work goes on behind the scenes than is obvious at first glance. Whether it’s individual practice time, extra rehearsals, or helping make contact with new bookings…
Whatever you book through Olá Samba, you can be confident you’re learning the real-deal from percussionists active in the community. Our facilitators are taught not only within Olá Samba but also by some of the best tutors in Brazil and around the world.
Former members of Olá Samba have even gone on to start their own groups when they moved elsewhere. A testament to the teaching here in Cheltenham.
A big THANK YOU - Brigadão
A big thank you to everyone who helps to make Olá Samba what it is. There are too many ‘good eggs’ in the regular groups to mention, but everybody plays a crucial role each week in keeping the groups thriving. This may be helping out with the register on Monday mornings, to managing all of Olá Samba’s social media, to running classes/performances in my absence, to simply greeting other members with a smile and a hug.
Outside of my regular group members, a big thank you to our clients; to everyone who trusts in us to perform on their special day, to run a once-in-a-lifetime workshop, or to pull off a spectacular stage show at their festival.
This is not to mention a ‘brigadão’ to all my past and current teachers, in Brazil and around the world. Some for the rhythms to learn and share, some for the inspiration to put me on this path, and some for making me better myself.
And, of course, gratitude to those I will never meet who, in Brazil and beyond, came up with this amazing culture in the first place.
Abraços!
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