About Us
União da Mocidade (Union of the Youth) is a Brazilian music and dance project for 12-19 year olds, which brings together students from all over London to rehearse and perform. Our focus is on Samba, the traditional carnival music and dance of Rio de Janeiro.
União da Mocidade delivers monthly workshops free of charge to students who attend the ongoing weekly percussion classes delivered in their schools. We are currently active in the London Boroughs of Westminster, Harrow, Brent, Haringey and Hillingdon.
Our dedicated performing group has taken part in carnivals and festivals both inside and outside London. Now in our fourth year, performance credits include the Mayor of London's RESPECT Festival, Thames Festival, Fruitstock, Rhythmsticks Festival and Ealing Jazz Festival as well as carnivals in Bedford, Brighton and Luton. In 2007 the group was also chosen to perform in the Primary School Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.
History
The group was formed in 2004 when a group of like minded musicians and teachers decided to expand the work they were doing individually in schools to provide a new and exciting experience for their students.
The main aims of the project are:
- Uniting young people from across London and from different cultural and social backgrounds and inspiring them to build a community together
- Enabling school groups to participate in a project 'larger than themselves' and creating a situation where students are able to put their work into perspective, by providing high quality performance opportunities
- Creating an opportunity for young people to raise their levels of achievement and self-confidence by providing attainable goals within an expressive art form and within a 'safe' (both physically & emotionally) learning environment
- Reduce the risks of social isolation exclusion within the youth sector and instill a sense of appreciation for social and cultural differences
- Raising the profile and understanding of samba and its cultural context as a carnival art form in the UK and its value as a learning medium and raising standards within UK samba teaching and performance
- Creating a new generation of samba enthusiasts with the potential to feed into the adult samba community in London
União da Mocidade is now in its fourth year, and its performance credits include following events:
- The Mayor of London's RESPECT Festival
- Thames Festival
- Fruitstock Festival
- Rhythmsticks Festival
- Coin Street Festival
- Brighton Samba Encounter
- Luton International Carnival
- Ealing Jazz Festival
- Fete de la Musique (Hyde Park)
- Hillingdon BigFest
- Under One Sky (Harrow)
- Bedford River Festival
- Primary School Proms
Drumming
The União da Mocidade bateria (bat-er-EE-ya) or percussion band plays authentic Rio-style samba as played by the samba schools (Escolas de Samba) in the carnival of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Our members train intensively during the school year to develop the techniques and understanding necessary to play this challenging style of music.
Learning and performing samba is a fantastic way to:
- Develop co-ordination, memory, rhythm and many musical and performance skills
- Develop a range of transferable skills such as concentration, discipline, teamwork and leadership
- Maintain a greater sense of self-confidence, self-awareness, responsibility and self-esteem and raise levels of achievement
- Meet peers from across London with similar interests and appreciation for other cultures
- Build community
- De-stress and have fun!
To learn more about the instruments of the samba batería click here.
Dance
Samba dance is a rhythmic and energetic dance derived from the Angolan Semba. It is characterised by fast foot and hip movements. It's different to the ballroom samba we see danced in Europe, being much more earthy and funky! It's not a couple dance, but can be danced by soloists or groups, boys or girls.
The young people who dance with União da Mocidade learn special routines suited to parades and stage shows combines with a bit of funk/street dance alongside learning the traditional samba step Samba no Pe. The dance is very aerobic and very good for building stamina and fitness.
União da Mocidade have run a number of short term dance projects since 2004 including work with Weekend Arts College, Hammersmith and West London College and the London Borough of Hillingdon. To see some of those young dancers perform go to media.
We are now seeking to develop on-going dance activities in schools which take place weekly on a long-term basis, and feed into as dedicated a pan-London performing and rehearsing dance group as currently exists in the União da Mocidade batería (percussion band). Such dance activities can support music learning or can stand alone in offering the following:
- Empowerment, growth and development through focused in depth learning, rehearsing, performing, and the development of associated skills such as rhythm, co-ordination and spatial awareness
- Engender self-expression, self-esteem and self-confidence through dance
- Instill a lifelong love of music and dance and encourage inter-cultural appreciation and respect of music and dance
- Provide a forum for uniting young people from across London with a shared love of Brazilian dance and music, regardless of social and cultural background
- Improve social skills and reduce the risk of social isolation and exclusion
- Enhance pre-existing skills and talent in both music and dance
- Get fit and healthy while having fun!
If you would like to initiate a dance project in partnership with União da Mocidade we would be thrilled to contribute to the cultural life of your school and would be happy to tailor our classes to suit your requirements. Please contact us on info@udmsamba.com.
Click here to read a bit more about samba dance.
Partnerships
We are currently working with students from the following schools:
Whitmore High School, London Borough of Harrow
Hatch End High School, London Borough of Harrow
Copland Community School, London Borough of Brent
Pimlico School, London Borough of Westminster
Haydon School, London Borough of Hillingdon
Highgate School, London Borough of Haringey
Staff
Musical Director
Iian Pattinson
Bmus Middlesex University
Iian is a professional drummer and has been teaching drums and percussion for over 10 years. His teaching credits include specialist Brazilian music teaching at the Royal Academy of Music and Drumtech as well as being a member of the music faculty at Middlesex University, and teaching in the schools involved in União da Mocidade. He also travels regularly to Brazil to keep in touch with the developments of the Rio samba scene.
Along with his professional engagements Iian is a director of bateria at Paraiso School of Samba, winners on Notting Hill Carnival 2005.
Bateria Tutor and Project Director
Tamara Arom-Hobbs
Bmus City University, PG Dip TAPProgramme
With a background in classical music, Tamara specialized in world music whilst studying at City and now teaches Samba, Steel Pans, African Music and Cello in the London Borough of Harrow. She also has a keen interest in samba dance and costume making developed through regular trips to Brazil. She also plays an active role in Paraiso School of Samba both as a drummer and dancer.
Bateria Tutor
Stathis Portaritis
BSc Music, MA Composition City University
Stathis is a professional drummer and percussionist and teaches drums and African music for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. As well as his own projects he plays samba with Paraiso School of Samba.
Stathis also has a keen interest in new media and web design and is the creator of the Uniao da Mocidade website amongst others. See the links page for more information.
Contact Us
If you are interested in:
- Booking us
- Setting up a project
- Collaborating
- Hosting our rehearsals
- Supporting/sponsoring us
Please contact us at info@udmsamba.com
