Sambatucada — 5 February 2020 on Rocket Shop Radio Hour

Sambatucada joined guest host Genevieve Rossi on ‘Rocket Shop‘, Big Heavy World’s weekly local Vermont music radio hour on 105.9FM The Radiator. Catch up with them at facebook.com/Sambatucada.

The sounds of Brazil roared and shook everything from the floor to the ceiling, including everybody’s shoulders at Rocketshop on Wednesday, February 5th 2020 when Sambatucada played their drums. The name, Sambatucada, is a mash-up of “samba” which is the musical style and tradition of Brazil, and “tucada” which is a type jam style. This group is all about, “subverting the dominant paradigm,” as band leader and one of the OG members, Bruce Mackenzie, puts it, “we want people to shake their butts!”

Their first song, “Especial a la Gogo,” begins gently with the sounds of the agogo, a two-toned bell that may be the oldest samba instrument, and then the fifteen or so people who filled the room were drumming with their hearts and dancing to their rhythm. Full of energy, you can imagine this group atop a float in Rio during the famous Carnaval, and before I knew it my body was moving to the beat. Shockingly only two people in the group have made it to Brazil, although that may be true, it was clear that all of the members shared a love and appreciation for the culture. 

Sambatucada began back in 1995, along with Mackenzie, two others have been with the group since its creation. They were brought together by a man named Jimmy Swift, who wanted to create a Samba parade in Burlington. Since then, the band and its members have been evolving, the group holds practices every Monday at 6pm at Big Heavy World and these are open rehearsals to the public, so anyone with the desire to start drumming and shaking their butt can come, learn, and join the band. Most of the members in the room today came to the group with no prior music experience. 

The second song called, “Il y a ay,” starts off stronger and louder than the first, and as I sit in the front row of the action, my earplugs are not doing much. There is a moment in the song where two members begin a duet, those not drumming are dancing and smiling at one another while they wait for their cue.

The musicians are playing a variety of drum instruments traditional to samba music. There are 3 sizes of bass drums called surdo, “to hold down the pulse.” Two drums that, “do the singing,” loud handrums called, timbau, and the all important, Caixas, or snare drums. Some members specialize in a particular instrument and some play around with multiple. 

How is this group able to play authentic, vibrant, hip-shaking Afro-Brazilian samba music? Mackenzie says, “although there are no Brazilians in the band, we have had some superior Brazilian people in Vermont come to us and teach us,” people including Eduardo Fuentes and Serial Batista, among others. “It’s traditional Afro-Brazilian material and all pretty legit because it comes from legit Afro-Brazilians.”

The next two songs they played are considered “afros.”

“Ready to subvert the dominant paradigm?” Mackenzie asks the group before leading them into song. The songs’ tempo gets faster and faster, until there comes a “break it down” part of the song that all the members, and frankly everyone in the studio, was feeling as we danced and celebrated being in this moment. 

“And that’s how we do that” Mackenzie says as he blows the last whistle bringing the song to an end. 

The group specializes in community events, and any chance they have in making people happy. They have a “low low,” undisclosed affordable price to book the band, which stays close to samba tradition, as the music was borne out of the slums of Rio where, “samba bands would provide services that the government couldn’t or just wouldn’t provide.” The band plays a diverse group of events: college commencements, the Vermont City Marathon, local brewhouse gigs--they even did a spin class once-- “and we’re available for weddings!” one member exclaims, “and bat mitzvahs too!” yells another.  

Although this is generally a slow time of year for the band, they usually perform at Vermont Mardi Gras in late March, and after then the Cots walk that comes the first Sunday of May. 

Anyone can find more information about Sambatucada on facebook or on their website: Sambatucada.org. If you’re interested in being part of this lively band, come to BHW, “pick up an instrument and hang on to your life,” no experience necessary. Every Monday at 6pm. 

Text by Selvi Uluson

Photo by James Lockridge.