Longford's Bula Bula Samba band recruiting new members ahead of Halloween season

Did you ever dream of being paert of a samba band?

If the answer is yes then Bula Bula Samba band have just the opportunity for you. Based in Longford Town the arts collective practice on a weekly basis.

“We are an inclusive group and we are looking for new members to join this week to learn grooves for the Halloween season in Longford Town and around the Midlands,” Caroline Lewis of the Bula Bula Samba band told the Leader.

The band gather every Thursdays at 7.30pm in The Attic in Longford town to hone their performance: “We provide free tuition, instruments and costumes. It's an adult group, but we have many people who bring their teenagers with them. This is a lovely space for them to do something together. And we have many people where English is not their first language.”

The group has been in existence for six years. In that time they have performed at festivals and arts gatherings across the Midlands: “We were set up in association with the Arts Council, they were looking to establish street performance and entertainment in this area. The main reason was to have a spectacle for the St Patrick’s day parade in that year.”

Bula Bula Samba band focuses on street performance, music and costumes. Each year they enter a float in the St Patrick’s Day parade: “In our first year we had a massive group of about 35 or 40 people,” Caroline said, “it was resurrected the following year and the group kept building since.”

The purpose of the group now is street performance and entertainment: “We travel a lot through the whole of the Midlands. We have about 8 to 10 gigs and festivals we play throughout the year.”

The group comprises between 10 to 12 performing drummers: “Anywhere from eight to 12 of our members will go take part in different parades.

“We have enough musical instruments for about 30 people. We’ve our own costumes, and this year we’re planning on collaborating with other groups. We are getting some new costumes made.”

Caroline says there are two major events being prepared for this year: “the first is the Longford Town's Halloween festival. We’re also involved with Longford Lights. That was a huge success for us last year.”

“This year we are collaborating with a dance group. There will be choreography, costumes and the music. We’re also involved with a new festival, the Samhain festival in Granard, that is funded this year.”

The call out for new drummers should expand the number of performers in the group: “People don’t need to bring any instruments, we provide them. They can look at all the instruments and see which one they might like to play and join in with. We have a teacher to instruct on the basics. New members will never play on their own, because there’s different types of drums so they will slot in with someone more experienced.”

“The new members will be taught the basics of a new groove. They can progress every week on the same piece with the teacher. They will have the support of people already experienced and be given instructions on how to play each piece and how to use the instruments properly.”

Caroline says one of the most important things for new members to know is just how accessible the Bula Bula Samba band is: “It’s free. We want to make a huge, big gathering for the Halloween parade.

“The aim is to make the Halloween festival in Longford this year bigger, better and noisier than ever. It will give new members the thrill of performing on the street, and they’ll have costumes on so people won’t know who they are , so you can have fun and hide behind the costume,” Caroline concluded. 

Bula Bula Samba band gather every Thursdays at 7.30pm in The Attic in Longford town and it is open to new members.