Batalá Washington breaks down the three sections of their signature song "Batalá Hey" written by Batalá founder, Giba Gonçalves. When watching this video, think about picking a Batalá member and playing along with them as they go through the sections, and if you want to, switch drums! Part of a series of educational videos created for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival's Brazil in DC initiative.

Batalá Washington is an all-women percussion band that plays Afro-Brazilian samba reggae rhythms. It is D.C.’s local chapter of the broader Batalá family, first created in 1997 in France by Brazilian-born Giba Gonçalves. Batalá Washington’s mission is to empower women through drumming and expose people to Brazil’s dynamic Afro-Bahian culture and samba reggae music.

Performers: Ellen Arnold, Jodi Bailey, Susan Boa, Jo Bynum, Anna Carver, Jenna Converse, Kylie Hilali, Melissa Matlock, Kate Morgan, Cait Nordehn, Marly Perez, and Joni Thompson
Curators: Cristina Díaz-Carrera and Julia Gutiérrez-Rivera
Videographer/Editor: Albert Tong
Production Crew: Jason Morris, Charles Weber

Video shoot co-produced and shot at THEARC Theater, a program of Building Bridges Across the River.

The video content presented here can be used by teachers, educators, caretakers, and others to enrich ideas examined in school curricula or cultural programming. Each video series features a particular Brazilian artist or group based in the Washington, DC area. They are designed to accompany activity plans that will soon be available as downloadable PDF’s through our website, check back for a link in December 2021.

About Brazil in DC
Brazil in DC is a special community engagement initiative of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival that celebrates Afro-Latinx cultural expressions and the Brazilian communities in Washington, D.C. The Brazil in D.C. program received federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.