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Music City Samba

In 2002 I founded one of my dearest musical collaborations, Music City Samba. I always had the dream of founding a large Brazilian Carnaval drumming ensemble but it seemed so out of reach. Where would I find the players? Where would all those Brazilian drums come from and how would I pay for them? Well, in 2000 that dream started to take shape when playing  at the Cafe 123 restaurant / club in Nashville with the Brazilian band Ritmos Picantes. It was a gig during the Summer NAMM Show. Every major musical instrument manufacturer and retailer was in town at the conference for three days. On a break I was approached by the American distributor of Contemporanea Brazilian Percussion and one of his endorsees. That night began a wonderful relationship with Contemporanea. I worked out a deal where I would help them at trade shows and conferences by demonstrating and performing on their drums and at the end of the show they would give me a couple of drums. Well after a couple of years I had enough drums to start a group. Lori Mechem agreed to host us at the Nashville Jazz Workshop. Music City Samba was born.

Since that time we have established the group by entertaining private and corporate parties, corporate team building events, weddings, nightclubs and festivals.

Here’s a listing of some of our gigs: Vanderbilt University, Whitland Ave 2015 4th of July Street Parade,  Nashville Metros Soccer Team Half Time Show, The African Street Festival, The Jefferson St Festival, The Celebration of Cultures, The Music City Marathon, The Nashville Jazz Workshop Annual Fundraiser, Cheekwood, Nashville Shores, Brazil Festival Nashville 2009, Carnaval Nashville, 12th and Porter, Mercy Lounge and many more.

Music City Samba is world class Carnaval drumming from Brazil. The rhythms of Samba command the body to move and the spirit to soar in a way that brings people together like no other music can.  Music City Samba’s rhythm reaches out and touches your very soul.