Epi 81 Brian Davis, Lions of Batucada, Pink Martini
Dianna Ramirez & Courtney Danley
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Bio:
Brian Lavern Davis was raised in Portland, Oregon, and his musical studies have taken him to India, Japan, New York, Puerto Rico, Turkey, Jamaica, and Brazil. His teachers include Jorge Alabe, Obo Addy, Yacub Addy, Jose Ricardo Santos; Ballet Folklorico do Bahia, Colin Walcott, Michael Spiro, Ailton Nunes, Keith Terry, Los Muñequitos de Mantanzas, Bruno Moraes (Mocidade Indepente de Padre Miguel), Jorge Martins (Maracatu Estrella Brilante de Recife), Marcos Suzano, and Nana Vasconcelos. He has served on the faculties of Jefferson Performing Arts High school, Portland State, and Vancouver School of Arts & Academics, and conducted residencies at The Naropa Institute, Reed College, Lewis & Clark College, Portland State, and many others.
Brian is an original touring and recording member of Pink Martini (13 CD’s, 1 DVD, numerous world tours), is the founder and director of the Brazilian styled music and dance ensemble “The Lions of Batucada”, and formed and directs the 127 member “Ainsworth Jr. Escola” - a Portland youth samba bateria (2004 - present). He has toured and/or recorded with jazz legend Herbie Hancock, Kalapana, Upepo, Obo Addy, Dub Squad, Nu Shooz, McKinley, Dan Reed Network, and the show “BataKetu” among many others. He has performed with a variety of symphonies across the US, Canada, and Europe – including the Boston Pops, The San Francisco Symphony, The National Symphony at the Kennedy Center, The BBC Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall, The Los Angeles Philharmonic at Hollywood Bowl, and the Oregon Symphony – at venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to LA’s Disney Concert Hall.
Brian served as the conductor for the nationwide Oregon Big Beat event (2010/2011).
His group The Lions of Batucada has shared the stage with David Byrne, Sean Lennon, and Fundo de Quintal, among many others. The Lions have collaborated with The Oregon Symphony, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, Obo Addy, and rock legends Aerosmith, among others. They are featured on recordings with Pink Martini and the Von Traps.
He has worked extensively with numerous dance companies in the US, including Do Jump Theater, Oslund; Company, and Linda K. Johnson. When not touring with Pink Martini, Brian teaches body percussion and samba throughout the Pacific NW as part of the Young Audiences or OR; WA program, teaches each Summer at the California Brazil Camp (2005 –present), and conducts samba workshops for a variety of baterias, schools, and music stores across the US, Taiwan, China, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
Recently inducted into the Hollywood Bowl of fame with Pink Martini, he has contributed articles to DRUM magazine (July 2013), and was featured in an interview/focus piece in Drumhead Magazine (issue # 29, September/October 2011).
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: Courtney Danley & Dianna Ramirez
Language: en-us
Episodes: 100
Epi 114 Jonathan Hernandez Padua Dianna Ramirez & Courtney Danley Download Promotes multicultural dissemination between both countries, Mexico and Brazil, through musical dissemination. Expressing our art through samba s…
Epi 113 Diego Oliveira Courtney Danley & Dianna Ramirez Download Diego de Oliveira was Born and raised in Nilópolis. Since he was very young, Diego has lived in the world of samba. He has been a Mestre sala, was part of…
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…
Epi 111 Mestre Guilherme & Mestre Gustavo of Acadêmicos do Salgueiro Courtney Danley & Dianna Ramirez Download Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bjuRxPEnvOM We are running a fundraiser for a software purchase, Zoom, Ado…
Sabrina Ginga of Salgueiro Samba School and Mestre Curtis of Casa Samba Sabrina Ginga & Mestre Curtis partnership between Acadêmicos do Salgueiro & Casa Samba Dianna Ramirez & Courtney Danley Download We are running a fu…
Photo by Nelson Malfacini www.instagram.com/nelsonmalfacini/ Epi 109 Gustavo Perez aka Nômade Courtney Danley & Dianna Ramirez Download Gustavo Perez, nicknamed Nômade, is originally from São Paulo, where he originally l…
Epi 208 Silvia Manrique Dianna Ramirez & Courtney Danley Download Bio:About Silvia Manrique Silvia Manrique is a Chicago-based Brazilian and Latin Jazz vocalist. She has performed at respected venues and festivals like t…
Epi 107 Mestra Laísa Lima Dianna Ramirez & Courtney Danley Download Bio:Laísa Lima was born into samba, as the daughter of samba legend, Laíla, and samba performer Elaine, and granddaughter of ala director, Jurema. She g…
Renan Gohan tells us about growing up playing samba and being a director at Imperatriz today. We talk about what Imperatriz's win means for the community, what makes Mestre Lolo such a good mestre, his feelings the day o…
