Emily Wood
Lead Carnival Artist
Emily is a professional singer, dancer and costume artist. She has worked many of the northwest’s international music and dance groups as performer, project manager and designer. On completing a BA in embroidery at Manchester Metropolitan University, Emily turned to studying and developing Afro-Brazilian and international Folkloric costume design. She has worked with Global Grooves, Barracudas, The English National Opera and Shade Makers in the UK among many other arts organisations. She has studied in Brazil, West Africa and India with Meninos do Morumbi, The National Ballet of Guinea and Oasis India. Recent work has included the design and production of costumes for percussion and dance collectives Juba do Leao andBloco Novo.
Adriana Rosso Tavares
Lead Dance Artist and Choreographer
Adriana studied and danced with Meninos do Morumbi and Gaviões Da Fiel Samba School in São Paulo, where she was Princesa da Bateria, 1997-1998. She soon became a lead dancer and teacher at Meninos do Morumbi and, in 2005, she came to the UK to work with Bangdrum CIC and Global Grooves. Adriana is an exceptional performer and choreographer with a vast experience in international dance styles, regularly teaching and performing all over the world.
Zac Sargent
Lead Percussion tutor and Digital Arts Manager
Zac has an encyclopaedic knowledge of percussion styles and is one of Manchester’s foremost percussionists. He is also our lead video and audio technician and has helped to develop Bangdrum CIC from its birth. Zac is also the founder and Director of Bloco Novo, East Manchester’s only youth percussion and dance ensemble.
Danny Henry
Choreographer and Lead Dance tutor
Danny has trained in the Angolan styles of Capoeira. His dance and solo performance is recognised internationally. He is an experienced facilitator, particularly noted for his skills in working with young people and delivering schools workshops. Danny is a founder Member of Bangdrum CIC and has contributed to the design of many of our dance packages.
Ravin ‘Raz’ Jayasuriya
Specialist Percussion Director
Raz joined the Manchester-based percussion group Inner Sense in 1991 after completing a Popular Music and Recording Course in Salford, Manchester. Over the past 17 years he has specialised in Brazilian and Cuban percussion and has focussed on the more traditional styles from these two countries. He has made several research and study trips to Cuba and Brazil and worked with many international artists including Amelia Pedroso, Arturo Martinez, Santiago Garzon Rill and Leonardo Pancha Clara (members of Clave y Guaguanco), Marta Gallaraga, Reynaldo Lopez, LaTimbala, Murah Soares and Dudu Tucci. Raz designs and delivers percussion workshops in the UK and internationally. For One Voice Music, he runs courses in Afrobrazilian and Afrocuban percussion. Ravin has recently won a UK National Training Award. He delivers many of our Global Grooves programmes.
Eddie Sherwood
Lead Percussion Tutor
Eddie is one of Bangdrum’s most experienced percussion players and teachers. Eddie has contributed to the development of many touring groups including Inner Sense, among the UK's first Brazilian Samba ensembles.
Rome Mossabir
Lead Percussion Tutor
Rome is a talented percussionist, performer and workshop facilitator. He is the Director of Brinnington Samba Band and is a member of 'Beggar Joe.
Jon Hardman
Specialist Percussion Tutor
Jon has performed and taught Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Cuban percussion and musical styles for 25 years. He is passionate about the music and culture of Candomblé, the African-derived religion at the heart of Brazilian music and dance. Candomblé recognizes and celebrates numerous deities known as Orixas, each with their own dances, rhythms and songs. Jon has spent a decade visiting and studying several religious houses orIlé’s in Salvador Da Bahia, Brazil. His knowledge of the songs and the rhythms used for the different Orixas has lead to his acceptance as one of the drummers for ceremonies in the Ilé Axé Oponda, a Candomblé house of the Orixa known as Oxum.
Tim Chatterton
Lead Brass Tutor
Tim Chatterton is a trombonist, teacher, and workshop leader, specialising in devised and collaborative music making. He has led, planned and co-ordinated programmes for organisations such as the Music Manifesto Northwest Pathfinder, Greater Manchester Music Action Zone, MusicLeader, Manchester Camerata, Chethams School of Music, Drake Music, and Manchester Education Partnership. He is currently developing an education and outreach programme at Band on the Wall in Manchester, which re-opened in September 2009.
Alain Hernandez
Specialist Dance Tutor
Alain is a master dancer, choreographer and teacher, with a deep understanding of the religious, folkloric and popular dances of Cuba. He was born and grew up Havana, next to a religious house of the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria. As a boy Alain felt drawn to, called by the Orishas to become a Santero, an adherent of Santeria, and so from a very early age began learning the dances of the Orishas (Orixas). Santeria is the Cuban equivalent of Brazilian Candomblé, the religion of Africans forced into slavery in the New World. Like Candomblé it fuses beautiful dances with complex drum rhythms and Yoruban-derived ‘call and answer’ songs. His grandfather is a Babalawo, a priest within the Santeria religion, who is overseeing Alain’s training to become a Babalawo.
Mestre Valdir da Silva
Lead Capoeira Tutor
Mestre Valdir has been performing capoeira since he was a child. He is one of the UK's most respected capoeira masters and is the founder of Capoeira Conviver in the UK. He is an experienced workshop facilitator and an outstanding performer.
Mike Mellor
Lead Guitar and Bass tutor
Mike is a singer, song writer, guitarist and bass player. He has helped to develop several influential bands in the Northwest and recently completed his own album. Mike supports the delivery of many of Bangdrum’s schools workshops, working closely alongside his farther and Creative Director, Iain Mellor.
Andy Boothman
Specialist Percussion Tutor
Andy is an experienced teacher and performer of international percussion styles. For more than 20 years, Andy has played as session percussionist with many Manchester artists as well as directing and producing several of his own projects. In 1998, Andy made the first of frequent visits to Cuba to study and play Afro-Cuban percussion with groups such as Conjunto Folklorico Nacional, Clave y Guaguanco, Yoruba Endabo, Mezcla,Estrellas Cubanas, F.E.U. (comparsa) and Cambron Junior Y Su Changui. Andy has also studied percussion in Nigeria to research Nigerian Bata and the traditional Nigerian religion, Oriṣa.
Kyla Brox
Lead performer and vocalist
Kyla was born to sing. Hailing from Manchester, she grew up listening to her dad play the blues and her mum sing operatic arias. At the age of 12 her dreams turned to reality when she started performing in her father’s band, The Victor Brox Blues Train. Since then, Kyla has grown to be an incredible singer, widely regarded as Britain’s number-one female Blues singer. Kyla and her band perform at many of our special events.
Dora da Cruz
Lead Dance, Song and Theatre Tutor
Dora is an exciting and engaging dancer, actor and musician. She is the newest addition to our team and we only wish we had found her sooner! She is an excellent performer and workshop facilitator.
Danny Blomeley
Lead performer- Bass and Guitar
Danny is among Manchester’s best guitarists and bass players. He is an experienced performer, teacher and guitar maker. Danny delivers our specialist guitar and bass workshops in schools and always inspires all he works with and performs to.
Mika De Oliveira
Specialist Music Tutor
Mika specialises in music and language workshops. She is a classically trained musician, with a speciality on the cello, in addition to piano, flute and vocals. After graduating in 2001, she lived in Gunma, Japan for 3 years where she studied Japanese language and arts including Shodo (Calligraphy), dressing in Kimono and music, specialising in the Koto (the Japanese Harp). Since returning to the UK in 2005 she has established herself as a freelance artist, working within education and the community
Leandro De Oliveira
Lead Capoeria Tutor
Leandro started capoeira in 1992 with Mestre Do Norte at Capoeira Raizes Da Senzala in Sao Paulo. After graduating, he moved to Japan to teach for 5 years before returning to Brazil. There, in his home town he opened his own capoeira school providing free classes for local children and young people. In 2005 he moved to the UK and founded ART BRASIL in Stoke-on-Trent. Leandro was graduated to Professor by his mestre, Mestre Do Norte in Sao Paulo in January 2008.
Iain Mellor
Creative Director
Iain has more than 30 years’ experience as a performer and workshop leader. He is a respected musician and tutor and has lent his skills to developing many UK percussionists and artists. Iain founded Cabasa, a pioneer Brazilian percussion projects in the Northwest, in 1996. Iain is our lead percussion facilitator specialising in Key Stage 1 & 2 workshops. He has developed most of our primary drumming and arts packages and provides hands on training and development for many of our young tutors in workshop delivery, management and performance.
Leon Patel
Artistic Director
Leon is a founder member of Bangdrum CIC and Global Grooves and has over 15 years experience in community and professional participatory arts projects. Leon designed many of the key stage 3 & 4 programmes and teacher training that Bangdrum CIC deliver. He specialises in Brazil, West African and south Asian percussion and has played a key role on the development of many successful touring groups and workshop companies throughout the UK and beyond.
Eraldo de sa Marques
Lead Brazilian Drumming Tutor
Eraldo coordinates and ensures good relations with social projects and artists based in Brazil. Born in São Paulo, Eraldo was a coordinator and percussion tutor for the world-famous artistic performance group and social project Meninos do Morumbi. He now lives and works in Manchester, managing Bangdrum CIC and Global Grooves’. Eraldo is frequent solo performer in the best Brazilian groups touring internationally. Eraldo delivers many of our special percussion projects in education and is the lead artist in our Brazilian Music Classes.
Holly Prest
Special Projects Manager
Holly has over 11 years experience in running community projects and performance groups. She is a founder member, tutor, and Project Manager of Bangdrum CIC and directs the percussion and dance collective, Juba do Leão. Holly played a key role in the development of Carcophony, the UK-based street-theatre group. She lived in Brazil during 2004-5, learning from and playing with community-based and professional musicians. She performed with Maracatu Nação Almirante do Forte in the Recife Carnival in 2005 and 2007, helping out with the group’s fundraising and musical arrangements. She worked with Meninos do Morumbi in São Paulo in 2004, organising trips for younger children and participating in music classes. Holly delivers our specialist drumming workshops in schools and helps to coordinate our larger carnival arts projects.
Stefan Pope
Project Manager
Stefan is responsible for much of the hands on Administration at Bangdrum and looks after our online resources, databases and special projects. As well as administration Stefan is a lead Drumming workshop facilitator starting life with Bangdrum as a trainee under the skilful eye of Iain Mellor. Stefan is an experienced musician and project manager learning most of his skills on the road as a hard working musician and songwriter. Stefan has just released his debut Album double yellow lines that is on sale now at www.stefanpope.com.