When: Saturday 5 December 2026 at 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm (Melbourne time)
Where: Mooroopna Hall, 41 McLennan St, Mooroopna VIC 3629, Australia
Price: From $30.00 AUD
Organiser: Maracatu Baque Voador
Discover Maracatu, one of Brazil’s most powerful drumming traditions!
Maracatu de Baque Virado comes from Recife, in the state of Pernambuco in North East Brazil. Its roots go back to the colonial era, when enslaved Africans held processions to crown their own Kings and Queens of Congo. Kept alive for centuries by Afro-Brazilian communities, it is still the heartbeat of Recife’s Carnival, where groups called _nações_ (nations) parade through the streets with dozens of deep drums, call-and-response chants and dancers.
In this 2-hour hands-on workshop you’ll learn the syncopated rhythms of maracatu on traditional instruments:
- alfaias: big wooden bass drums - caixas: snare drums - agbê: beaded shakers - gonguê: an iron bell that holds the groove together
No experience needed: complete beginners and experienced players are equally welcome, and we provide all the instruments. Just bring your energy (and some water).
Your facilitators Humberto Porto (workshop leader) is a Melbourne-based Brazilian cultural producer, educator, percussionist, traditional drum luthier and researcher specialising in Afro-Brazilian music and cultural traditions. His practice is centred on preserving and sharing living cultural heritage through performance, education, community participation, and intercultural collaboration. He taught maracatu workshops and performed in Canada, the UAE, England, Italy, Germany, Spain and across Australia. He is the founder and leader of Baque Voador, a maracatu group based in Naarm.
About Baque Voador Baque Voador is an Afro-Brazilian drumming group based in Naarm (Melbourne). It plays the drumming traditions of North East Brazil, with Maracatu de Baque Virado as its main reference. The group mixes traditional chants and rhythms with original songs and arrangements, always in reverence to the traditional roots. It performs at festivals and events and runs workshops and school incursions. More at [baquevoador.com.au](http://baquevoador.com.au/).
Practical info - Saturday 5 December, 1–3pm - Mooroopna Hall, 41 McLennan St, Mooroopna VIC 3629 - $40 full, $30 concession - Enquiries: [baquevoador@gmail.com](mailto:baquevoador@gmail.com)
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