Epi 112 Robert Lopez

Epi 112 Robert Lopez

Author: Courtney Danley & Dianna Ramirez December 9, 2023 Duration: 1:58:34

Robert Lopez

Epi 112 Robert Lopez Dianna Ramirez & Courtney Danley Download

Bio:
Robert Lopez is a percussionist and educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His background in various types of music such as folkloric traditions of Brazil, Ghana and Cuba, alongside contemporary chamber music and free improvisation, allow him to maintain a malleable approach to sharing musical ideas. He holds a Bachelors of Music from Cal State University Long Beach and a Master of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Improvisation from Mills College. Since 2011, he has been an active member of the Bay Area music community working with groups SO AR, the Oakland Active Orchestra, Quattour Elephantis, Grex and Jordan Glenn’s BEAK among others. He has been a dance accompanist at Mills College, UC Berkeley, ODC and Sonoma State. Since 2014 he has maintained a close relationship with master drummer Jorge Alabê. This partnership has led to awards from the Fulbright US Student Program for projects “Cultural Transmission through the Music of Candomblé” (2022) and “Investigating the Language of Candomblé Drumming” (2020), a grant from the Alliance for California Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program (2018) and first-place in the Brazilian category with Grupo Samba Rio in San Francisco’s Carnaval (2018 and 2019). He currently teaches drum set and hand percussion at the San Francisco Community Music Center and the San Francisco Waldorf High School.

Links:
media - @bohbbylolo

San Francisco Community Music Center - https://sfcmc.org/support/donate/

Iuri Passos Master’s Thesis - https://repositorio.ufba.br/handle/ri/31383

2020 Fulbright story - https://www.kqed.org/arts/13878162/how-coronavirus-derailed-a-fulbright-fellows-musicological-research-in-brazil

FICA Studio in Oakland - https://www.ficaoakland.com/

Silvia Manrique’s video:
https://youtu.be/A7VVDJYX0gA?si=nmtq5Nh5uQDWiPDs

Robert Lopez and Jorge Alabe

Creative Encounters

Freddie the Skinny pig!

San Francisco Carnaval


Hosted by Courtney Danley and Dianna Ramirez, The Brazilian Beat is a podcast that moves to the rhythm of its people. This isn't a broad survey of genres, but a focused, intimate journey into the heart of the Brazilian percussion community. Each conversation is a doorway into a different world-from the master craftsmen who build the instruments to the legendary players who give them a voice, and the community organizers who keep the traditions alive in cities across the globe. You'll hear the stories behind the surdo, the tamborim, and the agogô, learning how these instruments are more than just tools for music; they are vessels of history and identity. Courtney and Dianna guide these discussions with genuine curiosity and deep respect, allowing every guest to share not just their technical expertise, but their personal connection to the beat. Listening to this podcast feels like pulling up a chair in a roda de samba, surrounded by the warmth and complexity of a living culture. It's about the hands that shape the wood and skin, the collective energy of a bateria, and the lifelong dedication required to master a single rhythm. For anyone fascinated by the power of percussion, the social fabric of music-making, or the rich cultural tapestry of Brazil, The Brazilian Beat offers an authentic, ground-level perspective you won't find anywhere else.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

The Brazilian Beat
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