Batala NYC

History[edit]

Founder and Artistic Director Stacy Kovacs first encountered members of Batalá Mundo performing in the 2011 Brazil Day celebration in New York City while she was performing with Manhattan Samba.^[1] Following this introduction to Batalá and a desire to form her own drumming band, Kovacs traveled to Brazil in 2012 for that year's Carnaval in Salvador da Bahia with Bloco Afro Cortejo Afro. Kovacs brought back 35 drums, and Batalá NYC had their first rehearsal in March 2012. Batala NYC (there was no accent on the last "a" in Kovacs' Batala band) proceeded to grow to 90+ members over a 4.5 year period performing in over 100 events per year in the greater New York City area.^[2]

Batalá NYC dissolved in July, 2016. Most of its members then created Batalá New York, a continuation of the original band: an all-female, female-led banda de percussão (percussion-based band) that promotes Afro-Brazilian culture and women's empowerment Batalá New York plays from the same repertoire of northeastern Brazilian songs that Batalá NYC was assigned to play by their Mestre, Giba Goncalves. ^{[citation needed]}

Kovacs, together with 17 members of the original Batalá NYC, founded a new musical entity named Fogo Azul NYC, and joining the Marcus Santos' music education network Grooversity. Fogo Azul NYC now has 125 women, transgender, and non-binary drummers who are there to drum and enjoy the music of Grooversity and Brazil. The band takes individuals of all musical levels, and teaches them to drum. Fogo Azul means Blue Fire in Portuguese.^{[citation needed]}

Performances[edit]

Batalá NYC performed with notable acts such as The Rolling Stones,^[3]^{[failed verification]} participated in many events including New York's Village Halloween Parade,^[4] and took part in benefit concerts for One Billion Rising.^[5] The band was also featured on the cover of Issue 11 of Tom Tom Magazine.^[6]

References[edit]

^ "Almost Famous: Stacy Kovacs, Batalá NYC". 27 March 2013.
^ "New York City's independent all female samba reggae bateria Fogo Azul NYC". The Brazilian Beat. 2019-11-05. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
^ "Rolling Stones Star-Studded One More Shot". American Top 40 With Ryan Seacrest. December 17, 2012. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
^ "Garden of Delights Thrill at the Village Halloween Parade". NYC Parade Life. November 2, 2014.
^ "Look Who's Artistic Uprising on 7 February in NYC". 1 Billion Rising. January 23, 2015.
^ Abovitz, Mindy (Fall 2012). "Batalá NYC: Bringing Samba Reggae to Brooklyn". Tom Tom Magazine.

External links[edit]

Official Batala NYC site
Meet Batalá NYC, the All-Female Brazilian Drum Troupe That Might Play Gloria Steinem’s Funeral. Brooklyn magazine, 16 July 2015.
How Batala NYC Began: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4YzU9h2ff0
Listen to a very long Interview with Stacy Kovacs about Batala NYC and the transition to Fogo Azul NYC http://thebrazilianbeat.com/blog/2019/11/2/episode-56-stacy-kovacs-fogo-azul-nyc

[1] "Almost Famous: Stacy Kovacs, Batalá NYC". 27 March 2013.

[2] "New York City's independent all female samba reggae bateria Fogo Azul NYC". The Brazilian Beat. 2019-11-05. Retrieved 2023-07-19.

[3] "Rolling Stones Star-Studded One More Shot". American Top 40 With Ryan Seacrest. December 17, 2012. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.

[4] "Garden of Delights Thrill at the Village Halloween Parade". NYC Parade Life. November 2, 2014.

[5] "Look Who's Artistic Uprising on 7 February in NYC". 1 Billion Rising. January 23, 2015.

[6] Abovitz, Mindy (Fall 2012). "Batalá NYC: Bringing Samba Reggae to Brooklyn". Tom Tom Magazine.

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