Next month world music lovers should get ready to dance as Samba Cuisle plan to bring their exciting drum rhythms to West Kerry.
On Saturday 11th July, this Tralee based drumming band will be playing at the Phoenix Organic Restaurant, Castlemaine. The gig starts at 9pm and will be followed by a Latin Madness Disco mix by DJ MIL. The admission fee of €10 euro will also include the Phoenix’s delicious tapas.
The gig is part of a series of live gigs at the Phoenix, which recently included local African drumming band Craiceann on 13th June. The series will continue with Txutxukan (pronounced choo-choo-can) on Friday June 19th at 9.45pm, who are a
French gypsy band before finishing up with Samba Cuisle’s performance in July. For further information on these and other events at the Phoenix phone 0669766284 or check www.thephoenixorganic.com.
Samba Cuisle originally started off as Sambasonic in Tralee in 2000. The Irish word Cuisle means pulse or rhythm and samba is a Brazilian style of drumming, in this case the samba reggae style of Bahia in Eastern Brazil.
‘We asked Simeon Smith of Ma Samba Samba School in Dublin to come down and give a samba reggae workshop and decided to continue practicing together regularly in the KDYS building. We were also awarded a grant to purchase drums and other musical equipment by Samhlaiocht Ciarrai,’ explains Michael McQuinn, who set up the band with Con Horgan and Paul Dolan.
‘Our first performances included parades and festivals in Kerry and Cork as well as the Sky Fest in Dublin,’ continues Michael who was originally one of only four performing members. Nowadays the band comprises of anything up to twelve to fifteen drummers per gig and practices every Wednesday night at 7.30 in the Greyhound Bar, Tralee. New members are always welcome and interested people should contact Ted on 0879370446.
‘As for the type of music Samba Cuisle normally play’, Michael says, ‘people can expect less aggressive rhythms than the percussive drumming that you normally associate with Brazilian carnivals. We play African and Brazilian styles that are vibrant and very easy to dance to.’
Over the last few years, the band has played at most of the major festivals in Kerry including the Listowel Writer’s Week, Féile na Bealtaine in Dingle, Puck Fair, The Rose of Tralee and The World Bodhran Championships in Milltown. Other upcoming local gigs include the Castlegregory Summer Festival on 19th July and in Waterville on 22nd August. The band will also be playing further afield at the Kilmihil Festival of Fun in Clare on 3rd August.
With a busy schedule this local band will certainly be keeping people entertained for the summer. Further details can be found at www.myspace.com/sambacuisle.
Published in Kingdom 7th July 2009.
