Rhythm Transmission: Samba Elégua BLOWOUT SHOW w/ guests January 21, 2006

Our founder and bandleader -- longtime Toronto percussionist and teacher, inspiration to many, self-starting samba director who holds his own with the others in town -- is leaving Canada. Our set, potentially the last ever with his spectacular leadership, features the Kensington Horns along with our bateria (Brazilian percussion ensemble). Thanks to our leader and our collective groove, our band gets people dancing with their hands in the air, for example during our recent throwdown at Promise/Alien Influx New Year's Eve party. Think about that: does any Toronto samba band or DJ at such a party get people to put their hands in the air? Not may do it, but we do. Copies of our new CD, including tracks recorded at a *live* Pedestrian Sunday street performance with the Kensington Horns, will be available.

*Lineup:

Samba Elégua (http://sambaelegua.com)
Toronto's sexiest samba band:
30+ players of groovemakin' samba fusion
(hear mp3s on site)

From humble roots as a handful of interested friends practicing between U of T study breaks evolved the positive, rumpshaking force you've come to know at events like Cherry Beach Sundays, Car-Free Kensington (Pedestrian Sundays), Night of Dread parade, Blackout Party, Buy Nothing Day, and the recent throwdown at Promise/Alien Influx New Year's Eve. We owe the heart, soul and yes, the equipment (of several forms) of the group's development to our director, Itay Keshet. [You may have seen him in a recent issue of Spacing, http://spacing.ca.]

Toronto's samba group that asks nothing but for people to come and play invites you to dance so hard that, with love, we help launch our irreplaceable, beloved director toward his next adventures down under.

Special Guests:
Maracatu Nunca Antes (http://nuncaantes.ca)
Afro-Brazilian roots rhythms
> the only group playing this specific type of percussion in Canada -- Maracatu mixes Congolese and Yoruban roots in northeastern Brazilian traditional songs, rhythms and chants. Site has audio samples.

The New Kings (http://thenewkings.ca/)
conscious rock & punk with horns,
delivering the message by bike

Rich Underhill & the Kensington Horns
reuniting with Samba Elégua from the street performance in Kensington during TO Blackout Day

MC Esef
always something good to say --
Samba Elégua's resident freestyler

DJ King-Stun
old-school beats

Plus: Belly Dance by Rosanna
live music by members of Samba Elégua

Date: Saturday, January 21st
Doors: 9:00 pm
Venue: The Speakeasy (http://speakeasytoronto.com)
Location: 120 Church Street @ Richmond (1.5 blocks south of Queen St. East) - Toronto
Cover: $10 at door

Please pass this on to anyone you think might enjoy the show.

[original message by Andrea Blackler, also ed. this torontoist.com poster]