This post is for parents of kids who enjoy having fun and making a lot of noise.
So… all parents, then. Moving on.
If you’re based in or near Kent, and the rapidly approaching summer holidays are filling you with a mild sense of dread as you wonder how you’re going to keep the children entertained, I have a great suggestion. It’ll get them out from under your feet, and give them a place to get all that noise and energy out of their system. And they’ll get a free t-shirt. Bonus!
Bloco Fogo are a Kent-based samba band, who play at events all over the country (and beyond). You may even have seen them perform before; they’re easily recognisable by their distinctive red and yellow outfits, and can often be found parading down high streets or motivating marathon runners, among loads of other great events. They even performed at my friend’s wedding…
This year, from 3rd to 7th August, Bloco Fogo are running their first summer school for children aged 8-14, called Meninos do Bloco Fogo, in Tunbridge Wells. The aim is to introduce kids to Brazilian drumming and all the skills that come with it, including the dance moves – and they’ll even have a chance to customise their own costume. Rumour has it they may also get to learn a bit of Brazilian Portuguese, if a certain person who works for a language learning company gets herself organised (yes, that would be me).
Most importantly, at the end of the week, they’ll get to perform on Saturday 8th August with the band, so their mums and dads can see how much they’ve learnt.
Now, full disclosure: the event is being organised by one of my best friends, who just happens to be one of the most talented people I know. Cheryl’s been performing with Bloco Fogo for years (that’s her in the wedding dress above) and I’ve no doubt that her enthusiasm and passion for samba is going to make the week loads of fun for everyone involved. I may even try and sneak in myself and have a go; after all, who doesn’t enjoy hitting stuff from time to time?
And in case you had any doubt about how fab the band are, here they are leading an awesome mass busk in Cardiff earlier this month, with 400 other drummers:
Meninos do Bloco Fogo costs £75 per child for the whole week, and includes everything – all the tuition, costumes, language freebies, t-shirt. That sounds like pretty good value to me, in exchange for a week of peace 😉 Although please don’t hold me responsible if they decide they want to take up drumming as a result…
There’s more detail in the flyer below – or email Cheryl for a free info pack to find out more. You can also follow Bloco Fogo on Facebook and Twitter for updates.
Happy Things 