Colorado Brazil Fest 2023: Carnaval Show

TICKETS

Samba Dance Lesson at 6:30PM
Show starts at 7:00PM
Dandha Da Hora: Born and raised in Salvador, Bahia, Dandha Da Hora has been a member of Ilê Aiyê, one of Brazil’s most important musical and cultural institutions, since she was 6 years old. A master dancer, as well as vocalist and percussionist, Dandha invokes the incredible spirit of Ilê Aiyê and Salvador, Bahia, each time she steps onstage. As a lead dancer with Ilê Aiyê, Dandha toured internationally and has shared the stage with many of Brazil’s most renowned artists such as Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Daniela Mercury. In addition to performing with Ilê Aiyê and SambaDá, Dandha has performed with Casa Samba (New Orleans, LA), SambaDendê and Bateria Alegria (Boulder, CO), Banda Remelexo and Bahia Soul (Bay Area, CA).

Alessandro Penezzi, guitar: Considered one of the greatest Brazilian guitarists of his generation, composer, arranger and guitarist Alessandro Penezzi was born in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. Having started his music studies at age 7, Alessandro now performs on 7-string guitar, tenor guitar, cavaquinho, mandolin and flute. His teachers were Carlos Coimbra, Jair T. de Paula, Sérgio Belluco, and João Dias Carrasqueira. Alessandro has recorded over 20 CDs, and has performed with many renowned Brazilian musicians, including Yamandú Costa, Carlos Poyares, Toninho Ferragutti, Oswaldinho do Acordeon, Laércio de Freitas, Caíto Marcondes, Arismar do Espírito Santo, Maurício Carrilho, Pedro Amorim, Joel Nascimento, Conjunto Epoca de Ouro, Rogério Caetano, Caio Marcio, Alexandre Ribeiro and Nailor Proveta. He has been a faculty member at the California Brazil Camp since 2010, and his popularity in the USA continues to grow as one of the virtuosos and more prolific composers of the Brazilian Guitar and Choro music genre. He resides in São Paulo and tours regularly in Europe and Africa.

Members of Ginga: Cultivated in Boulder, Colorado and composed of some of the best jazz, classical and salsa musicians on the Front Range, Ginga is the powerhouse Brazilian band in Colorado. The members of Ginga accompanying Dandha are Greg LaLiberte (flute, saxophones, percussion, vocals), Bill Kopper (acoustic 6 & 7 string guitars, electric guitar, vocals), Raoul Rossiter (drums, percussion, vocals), Carl Dixon (percussion, vocals), and Vincent Gonzalez (percussion, vocals).

Luciana Da Silva: Luciana Da Silva: Native Brazilian Luciana da Silva shares Brazilian dance with audiences and students around the world as presenter, collaborator, performer, and teacher. Join Luciana where femininity, rhythm and authentic culture meet a need for fun and human connection, where women and men long to develop these qualities in their dancing, and where children and seniors want to learn the joyful culture of Brazil.

Bateria Alegria is the primary performing ensemble of the Boulder Samba School, composed of 20-30 percussionists and led by Music Director Carl Dixon. The ensemble plays percussion-based styles of music from Rio de Janeiro (samba batucada) and Salvador (samba reggae). The music incorporates a mixture of African, European, and indigenous influences and traditions. These styles of music are traditionally played during the carnival parades throughout Brazil and can be heard in Brazilian concert stages, dance clubs, neighborhoods, and soccer matches.

Escola de Samba Denver with Bella Diva: Escola de Samba Denver is the newest international addition to the original Escola de Samba Sydney in Australia, directed by renowned performing artist and instructor Sashya Jay. Escola de Samba Denver carries on Escola de Samba Sydney’s dedication to providing progressive Brazilian dance education that is aligned with the latest and evolving dance techniques and artistic styles in Brazil, with authenticity and respect for the roots of the culture at its core. Bella Diva artistic director, Caitlin Brozna-Smith, is officially accredited to teach Sashya Jay’s signature technique & syllabus, which bases many of its teachings from the “King of Samba” Carlinhos do Salgueiro in Rio de Janeiro and Rainha da Bateria Evelyn Bastos from Mangueira. This past February, 3 members including Caitlin Brozna-Smith from Bella Diva traveled to Brazil to after being accepted through rigorous auditions to be official Passistas from União de Jacarepaguá during a 5 week Samba intensive, as well as 7 other Bella Diva’s participating in the Samba Internacional Ala for Unidos do Bangú, training to dance & perform during Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro!