Register for Summer Percussion Classes and join our parade!

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Hey sambistas! Join the Evanston Escola de Samba as we prepare for our major event of the year: The Evanston 4th of July Parade (which is less than one month away)! Join EEDS percussion classes to learn the music for our parade – and be a part of it! Returning members and newbies of all skill levels are welcome. Or, if you don’t want to drum there are other ways to get involved.ReedBateria

Summer 2014 Session Classes

EEDS Parade Percussion Bateria Bootcamp – Register Here
In this class you will learn the samba parade percussion! All instruments will be provided – all levels are welcome.

Three Sessions:
Wednesdays June 18- through July 2nd, 6:30-8:20 PM at the McGaw YMCA
Tuition: $50 ($35 for College Students, High School students contact Reed Flygt for more information)

For the 4th of July parade: All percussionists must wear following:

  • EEDS official Bateria Shirts ($20-Not included in tuition)
  • White pants, skirt or shorts (participants must provide their own)

Bateria Bootcamp Note: If you are already registered for the 9-week advanced percussion class that started on May 7, you are already automatically enrolled in the bootcamp, you don’t need to register twice!

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Other Ways to Participate in the 4th of July Parade
Even if you can’t register for class – you can still be in the EEDS 4th of July parade! Please contact Evanston Escola de Samba at evanstonsamba@gmail.com if you are interested in participating, either as a volunteer or as part of the “Ala of friends.” 

“Ala of friends”:  In the Carnaval Parade in Rio, each Samba Schools has a “Ala (English: wing) of Friends” that marches in the parade with the bateria and dancers. All participants in this group wear the Samba School shirt, white pants/skirt/shorts and hat and parade alongside us! All you need to join is to buy an EEDS cotton T-Shirt!

Volunteers: We need volunteers to help pass out water and assist with parade spacing, as well as 2-3 videographers/photographers to record the event. Volunteers will receive EEDS swag!

All registered students are invited to participate in the parade, but their participation will be based on skill level. They will be assigned specific roles by Head of Percussion Reed Flygt or by Head of Dance Dill Costa.

Kickstarter Success!

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Obrigado, comunidade! Thank you everyone! With a last-minute push, we successfully hit our Kickstarter goal and raised over $3,700 for this year’s 4th of July Spectacular! We want to give a special thanks to our donors who came out in the past two weeks:

  • Priscilla Anzaldua
  • Michele Cooper
  • Roberto Defreitas
  • Sean Decker and Cesar Marron
  • Deep Blue Water Samba School
  • Gayle and Mike Fullerton
  • Jenny Greene
  • Rachel Goc & Richard Adams
  • Marina Kliger
  • Pat Overton
  • Andrew Rarey
  • Matthew Rarey & Lindsay Fullerton
  • Raymond Rarey
  • Rita Sacay
  • Ignacio Siles & Tania Cuevas
  • Susan Smith
  • Richard Cándida Smith
  • Sandra Taylor
  • Toronto Girl West
  • Natalie Wainwright
  • Susan Wenzel

In the coming days and weeks, stay tuned to this page for details about the parade and how you can participate. And be sure to learn our 2014 samba-enredo so you can sing along at the parade. Thanks to all of you, and see you on the 4th!

EEDS 2014 Enredo: “The World Comes to Brazil, and Brazil Comes to Evanston”

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EnredoLogo

The world comes to Brazil…

The eyes of the world are on Brazil. As Brazil hosts the 2014 FIFA World Cup, we hope that teams, fans, and viewers from around the globe will discover that Brazil’s cultural riches, its history, and its music are deserving of all the world’s attention and celebration. For the Evanston Escola de Samba’s 2014 enredo, we join with our Brazilian friends in celebration of their accomplishment of hosting the 2014 World Cup, and in encouraging global unity and Brazilian national pride.

At the same time, the world comes to Brazil during a time of unprecedented economic growth and cultural change. The national protests in Brazil over the summer of 2013 showed how, for many Brazilians, the World Cup brings both deepened concern for the legacies of the past and renewed hope for the future as Brazil charges into the 21st century.

At this time of celebration and hope, there is no music more appropriate to permeate packed soccer stadiums and botecos than samba. Born from social inequality, samba came to Brazil from around the world. “The voice of the hill,” as Zé Keti called it, samba was born in Rio de Janeiro’s hillside communities as a response to social inequality and cultural marginalization. Samba borrowed from the world’s musical styles, infusing European elements on an African core, and created a culture all its own. And today, on the eve of the World Cup, this music of celebration and social change returns to the global stage that gave birth to it.

And Brazil comes to Evanston…

As the world comes to Brazil for the World Cup, the Evanston Escola de Samba celebrates how Brazil and samba already permeate Chicagoland. In an urban region with a vibrant and enthusiastic Brazilian community, the performance of Brazilian music and dance continues to enrich our civic and cultural life. In partnership with our Brazilian brothers and sisters at home and abroad, the Evanston Escola de Samba showcases samba as a vehicle for community engagement, social awareness, and arts education.

Through samba, we celebrate the unity of humanity as we seek renewed courage to face our world’s problems with focus and vigor, in pursuit of a better planet. We believe samba, the music that survived so much history and now enriches our lives, is the soundtrack of this pursuit. And so, as the world comes to Brazil, the Evanston Escola de Samba celebrates Brazil coming into our lives and our communities.

Our 2014 samba-enredo will be sung to the União da Ilha classic, “O amanhã,” as featured in the above arrangement by Monobloco. But the lyrics are fresh and new, reflecting our love of Brazilian history, the World Cup, and our hope for futbol and samba as unifying forces in our city and the world. Please join us on Central Street in Evanston on July 4th to sing along!

União da Ilha                                             Evanston Escola de Samba (2014)

A cigana leu o meu destino                        Samba kings have taken to the field
Eu sonhei!                                                  Evanston!
Bola de cristal                                             O jogo bonito
Jogo de búzios, cartomante                       Malandragem, canarinho
E eu sempre perguntei                               But still we have to know?

O que será o amanhã?                               Which side will score, and claim the crown?
Como vai ser o meu destino?                    Maracanã, a soccer samba?
Já desfolhei o mal-me-quer                        The stars and stripes? A seleção?
Primeiro amor de um menino                    Neymar’s 10, the magic number?

E vai chegando o amanhecer                    Now hear the music from the hill
Leio a mensagem zodiacal                        Rhythm of the drums is in the air
E o realejo diz                                             When the game is done
Que eu serei feliz, sempre feliz                  A win for everyone (for everyone)

Como será amanhã?                                  Brazil takes a bow center stage
Responda quem puder                               The world has come to play
O que irá me acontecer?                            Evanston Escola de Samba
O meu destino sera                                    Brings Brazil here for us
Como Deus quiser                                      on Independence Day
Como sera?                                                 Força da luz!

Our 2014 samba-enredo will be released tomorrow!

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Samba fans, it is that time, at long last! Our 2014 4th of July Spectacular is one month from today, and we are so excited about what will be our best parade ever. If you are getting excited, you can still help support our volunteer and community-driven parade on Kickstarter, as well as join our summer dance class session beginning Saturday!

But tomorrow is the big reveal: we will be announcing our official theme, official parade song (samba-enredo), and our own logo for this year’s parade. Want a hint as to what it might be? This may give a hint.

Register now for a four-week samba class with Dill Costa!

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Dill Costa, EEDS Head of Dance, as the Rainha da Bateria at our 2013 4th of July Parade Spectacular

Want to add some Brazilian samba to your summer? Then join EEDS Head of Dance, the legendary Dill Costa, for an intensive and fun four-class samba dance workshop on Saturdays in June. In this class, you will learn the dances for the EEDS 4th of July parade, samba steps, techniques and more! Register Here.

While you are at it – why not check out our Kickstarter page and help support our 4th of July Parade!

Dates: Saturdays, June 7th to 28th (4 weeks)
Time: 12:10 pm – 1 pm
Location: Levy Center, 300 Dodge Ave, Evanston, IL
Instructor: Dill Costa
Cost: $50 ($30 for students with ID, ages 16+) If you would like to attend a single class the drop-in rate is $15 per class
*Free parking in the lot on the west side of the building near main entrance
*Please note that the dance class is ages 16 and up

Only 1 week to go on Kickstarter!

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We are getting down to the wire on our Kickstarter – only one week left. However we still have to meet over 1/2 of our goal! If you are considering donating, now is the time!

Thank you to all those who donated in the third week of our campaign, we really appreciate your support:
Seiti & Sanko Sacay
Carolina Sacay
Ines Sacay
Lucas Sacay
Marcos Sacay
Márcia Sacay
Fran Gilbert
Marc
Jeremy S. Miller
Leslie Riley

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2nd Week Update – We’re halfway through!

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Our Kickstarter fundraising campaign is halfway over, and we wanted to offer our heartfelt thanks to those who have contributed this second week. Thank you for helping us spread Brazilian music and culture!:

  • Amanda Armstrong
  • Chris Hasselbring
  • Mateus Reppucci Vaz de Lima
  • Libby
  • Julia Bartos
  • Jacques Pépin and Full Plate Media
  • Mike Serritella

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We are looking to raise $3,600, but with only 15 days to go, we still need over $2,400 to meet our goal! If we don’t meet our $3,600 total goal, we don’t see a penny of your donations, our Kickstarter closes June 7th at 10 AM. Please help out if you can – in order to contribute, please visit our Kickstarter fundraising page! If you are unable to contribute, help us by sharing our Kickstarter link! We are grateful for your support!

First week update: Thank you to our supporters – we’re 25% there!

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Our bateria thanks you!
Our bateria thanks you!

We are extremely grateful to the 10 generous contributors who have helped us reach 25% of our goal! Thank you to new donors:

  • Marion
  • Philip Galinsky
  • Kristin and Marc Winter

The amount pledged so far covers our scholarships, shirts/hats and costume expenses. Though we are making progress, we still have a way to go before reaching our ultimate parade fundraising goal. Even if you can’t contribute, please help us by sharing our Kickstarter link and our Kickstarter event on Facebook. The Kickstarter closes at 10 AM on Saturday June 7th! If we do not raise enough funds by that date, we don’t receive any money, so every dollar really helps us towards our goal! Muito Obrigado!

Special Concert this Friday May 16th!

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Hello!

This coming Friday Lane Tech will host an International Drumming Celebration featuring three performances throughout the afternoon while the Lane Tech Art and Music Street Festival is in full action!  Come through Roscoe Village to check out this outdoor festival!!  Lane Tech’s very own Oloboom will be doing a FREE performance at Bell Elementary School (3730 n. oakley) at 3:30 pm, then leading a parade at 4:30 pm around the Lane Tech campus, and then showcasing their talents with a ticketed performance in the historic Lane Tech Auditorium featuring Nani Agbeli.  It is a sure fire “not-to-miss” once in a lifetime opportunity!!  More information here, and below!  See you there!

drumming celebration