Lulaworld 2025: Toronto International Samba Reggae Festival Opening Night

Batucada Abrace (Vancouver), Bateria Batuki (San Francisco) and Marcia Castro + Lenynha Oliveira (Brazil) join Tdot Batu!

8: 30 PM - Doors open for dinner and drinks

9: 30 PM - Concert begins

$15 Advance Tickets - General Admission (Seating not guaranteed))

This show follows the 7: 30 concert by Passarim. Tickets to the earlier show include this presentation.

Enjoy Lula's tropical inspired dinner and drinks menu. See the dinner menu and make reservations at lula. ca.

BATUCADA ABRACE

Batucada Abrace is a dynamic collective of immigrant musicians rooted in an intersectional feminist community that values inclusivity, empowerment, resistance, connection, and transformation. Centering interdependence and collective strength, they use the universal language of rhythm to build connections that transcend cultural boundaries.

The group's story is closely tied to the Abrace collective—a network of Brazilian immigrants in Vancouver who have been organizing against far-right governments and social injustice since 2018. Through protests, cultural events, and community gatherings, Abrace has fostered resistance and solidarity, laying the groundwork for what would become Batucada.

Emerging in 2023 from this movement, Batucada has evolved into a space where Brazilian rhythms, activism, and community-building converge. The group meets weekly to rehearse, study music, and share lived experiences. While they welcome participation from local allies, the collective's core is made up of Brazilian members whose cultural heritage deeply informs their musical practice.

Each rhythm they play carries the weight and wisdom of ancestral narratives, resonating with histories of resistance against dictatorship, imperialism, and globalization—forces that have long marginalized African, Indigenous, and non-white cultures. Through drumming, Batucada honours and reclaims these legacies, keeping them alive in movement and sound.

BATERIA BATUKI

Bateria Batuki is a San Francisco-based collective that blends Brazilian percussion, dance, electronic melodic instruments, and vocals into a high-energy fusion of Latin music, drawing from Afro-Caribbean, hip hop, and funk traditions. Known for their complex polyrhythms and dynamic movements, Batuki delivers vibrant performances that celebrate cultural expression and community resilience.

Formed in 2020 in response to the pandemic, Batuki began with outdoor rehearsals and free performances across the Bay Area, creating joyful spaces for connection during a time of isolation. The group is made up of teaching artists, cultural ambassadors, and community workers who are committed to sharing and sustaining Afro-Brazilian traditions.

Inspired by the word Batuque—a ceremonial practice of dance and drumming rooted in Black Brazilian communities—Batuki carries forward the legacy of rhythm as resistance. Historically, these gatherings served as a way for Afro-Brazilians to preserve their culture and resist oppression. Today, Batuki builds on that legacy, using music and movement to strengthen cultural bonds, uplift communities, and ensure that individuals and traditions continue to thrive.

MARCIA CASTRO

Marcia Castro is a dynamic and innovative Brazilian singer from Bahia, known for her eclectic musical style and deep connection to her cultural roots. She began her career at 16 and gained early recognition with the Braskem Award in 2006, which led to the release of her debut album Pecadinho. After relocating to São Paulo, she continued to evolve artistically, releasing De Pés no Chão in 2012 and touring the country. Castro is also known for her collaborative project Pipoca Moderna, which united some of Brazil's most iconic artists on stage. Over the years, she has explored various musical genres, from MPB to electropop, and debuted as a composer with her 2014 album Das Coisas Que Surgem. In 2021, she released AXÉ, a tribute to 1990s Bahian music, and in 2023, she celebrated northeastern traditions with the Pipoca Junina Vol. 1 EP. Her latest work, Roda de Samba Reggae (2024), is a vibrant celebration of samba reggae, recorded live in Salvador and featuring notable guest artists. With this project, Marcia Castro not only honors the legacy of Mestre Neguinho do Samba and the genre's Black cultural roots but also reaffirms her role as a powerful voice in preserving and reimagining Brazilian music for new generations.

TDot Batu TORONTO'S PREMIER SAMBA REGGAE BAND!

TDot Batu is a tightly knit Afro-Brazilian percussion batucada inspired by the power and dedicated to the study of the rich rhythmic tradition born out of the fusion of samba and reggae from Salvador, Bahia. As integral part of the Toronto Tropical music scene, we collaborate with members of the arts and music community to create spectacular participatory celebrations that reflect the vast color and energy of Brazilian culture.

Lulaworld Festival (May 28 to June 8)

Join us at Lula Lounge and Do West Fest for 12 nights of soul-stirring music from across the globe and around the corner.