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João Bosco de Oliveira " Europe's leading Brazilian percussionist "

"In 1984, I started the London School of Samba with Alan Hayman. It's a great thing as it's still going on with other Samba Schools springing up".
Bosco singing with the Bateria at the Covent Garden piazza in 1985.	How I came to this music: I was born in 1952 in Belo Horizonte, a city in north west of Rio. When I grew up, the radio played Brazilian popular music, Samba, a lot of Brazilian 'western' music, a lot of Rock Roll and the Bossa Nova. It was the folkloric music from the north which was fashionable and hooked me in, not the pop music. There the street music, played in carnivals and music played by the Congados, was a festival of music and drama in honour of a Catholic saint, celebrated by Africans or Afro-Brazilians. The plays relate to medieval wars and feature the King and Queen of Congo, ambassadors and captain. It's done to drumming and it's fascinating. One saint, Senora de Rosario (Our Lady of the Rosary), the patroness of all , was commemorated the day I was born. On my birthday when I a kid you'd always hear the drums outside as the Congados passed. That's how my love of the drum developed. I came to England because first wife was English. There weren't many Brazilians here in the 80's but now there are loads. In 1984, I started the London School Samba with Alan Hayman. It's still going on.
Where I play: I've always been a freelancer doing loads of different. I do gigs with my band Arakatuba which plays Brazilian music. play a variety of styles from Samba to folk with a lot of input from as well. We've performed at big festivals in the continent with drummers, Dom Um Romao and Airto Moreira while here in England I've played with Rhythm Sticks, the annual world music festival at London's South Bank. I also do gigs with King Salsa which is Afro-Cuban music, and Mr Hermano which is a Latin band from Brighton. Occasionally I do some teaching at the Guildhall. Mainly I teach at Drumtech, a school for drummers in Acton, West London. I wrote the percussion course there. I do lots of workshops and one-offs in different places up and down the country. You have to keep your fingers in as many pies as possible otherwise you can't make it!When I'm in Rio, I love to play in small groups of 10 or 12 people especially at carnival. You go there at 4 5 o'clock in the afternoon around a corner near a bar where people playing and singing. It goes on all night and you finish at 4 or the next morning exhausted. Of course, you take breaks and turns and have a drink. You go across to the sea and have a dive and dip and back. It's fantastic! I love that. I'd rather have that than almost really.		Bosco leading the LSS at the 1985 Carnival.
Bosco leading the LSS at Covent Garden, 1984. Another early picture of some members of the LSS Bateria showing Bosco (standing, centre) and Hamish Orr (seated, 2nd from left).	A favourite song: I wrote 'Riva' as a tribute to the great Brazilian. I mention about 35 different percussionists from past present, a few samba schools and some afoches and blocos. The chorus, 'On the skin of the drum and on the sound of the berimbau, I pay tribute to the Brazilian percussionists who have no equals in the.' Guys like Nana Vasconcelos, Airto Moreira, Papete and Paolo. There's Pascoal Meirelles who grew up in my neighbourhood called. He was a great friend and inspiration. He was already in playing with famous people when he was 16. There used to be lots rehearsals at his house. Even Milton Nascimento would come round play bass. I also mention a lot of new guys like the people from, a percussion group from my home town. Olli Saville and I overdubbed the Brazilian percussion - berimbaus and surdos. The singer is Liliana, lives in London and works with me from time to time. Mr Bongo wanted the tracks on the CD to have names of Brazilian football players the past so when he got to that track he chose the name Riva. I subtitled 'Respecto' - respect!
Final word: Now other samba schools have sprung up out of the London School of Samba like Quilombo do Samba and Paraiso. I was asked join Grupa Sambando by John Harborne who'd discovered a group called do Quintal. He fell in love with their music and decided to start band. There are three Brazilians in it. This music came out of very early style of Samba called Partido Alto which had a lot of improvisation. There was a big revival in the late 70s, early 80s. It became know as Pagode, the name for party. So Pagode music is party music.
Bosco was one of the founding members of the LSS - and the first official member of the school - here is his original membership card no. 001 from 1984. The other founding members of the School were: Alan Hayman (South Africa); Gerry Hunt (UK); Carlos Fuentes (Chile); Pato Fuentes (Chile); Dave Patman (UK); Roberta Pla (Colombia); Kim Burton (UK); Liliana Chachian (Brasil); German Santana (Chile); Dawson Miller (UK) and Dave Bitelli (UK/Italy)		LSS first membership card.
For sound files of Bosco playing with his band Sambando and talking about the history of Samba visit www.bbc.co.uk/radio3

Message from Barak Scmool to the UK & I Sambistas list [Sambistas List UK] 14th October 2011 Title Goodbye to Bosco Dear uksamba people.... Bosco De Oliveira has left the UK now returning to Brazil... whilst he was here (the last 30 something years) he has had an direct or indirect effect on most of the UK samba scene, not least in being part of the team that founded the LSS and his tireless teachings.... we know he will be back, but in the meantime, you may like something to remember him by.... someone captured most of a show he put together on the history of samba in its most recent incarnation:
Os Tempos do Samba: How samba began	This was the first item of Rhythms of the City's performance, titled Os Tempos do Samba. A major influence in samba is the ring dance of Africa, and it was used as a victory song during Brazil's liberation. The other half of samba as it began was influenced by Portuguese songs.
Os Tempos do Samba: Tango		Chorinho A maxixe by Ernesto Nazareth called Gaúcho (Corta-Jaca) This was what was marketed as the Brazilian tango, but I'm not sure how to spell its original name... Apparently the upper class people hated it because it combined the polka and African influence (pelvic thrust anyone........?), and they branded it indecent. Then later, one of the composers of this genre brought this dance to Europe FIRST BY GOING TO THE VATICAN (people would call this daring, but read on...) just to clarify if this thing was indecent. Turned out that they said no, and it spread all over Europe.
Os Tempos do Samba: Improvisatory song		In this item performed by Rhythms of the City, the verses would be improvised, and everyone would join in the chorus. It was a staple in social gatherings for a time.
Os Tempos do Samba: One of THE samba anthems		Apparently this was THE samba anthem of the 1920s or 30s.
Os Tempos do Samba: Performance before the intermission		This was the item performed before we took a half-hour break.
Os Tempos do Samba: The second-to-last item		Awwww, it's almost reaching the end.
Os Tempos do Samba: The Final Showdown		Batucada
Videos by kingdomherts Performers of Rhythms of the City: Laurie Blundell, Jon Preiss, Gaio de Lima (strings) Fabio de Oliveira, Barak Schmool, Brian Taylor, Jeremy Shaverin, Mishka Adams, Gabby Messeder, Ccatherine Ring, David Fairburn, Pat Davey (perc. etc) Liliana Martins, Fabio Louis, Leny Etienne (dance)