A Generous Dose of Brazilian Sun
CALLUM THOMSON
Braziliant is a night of music, dancing and culture inspired by Samba, the Afro-Brazilian art form. Co-organiser, Dan Wiltshire, wants to make Hastings “the sunniest place in the UK”. Co-organiser Vix Thompson’s inspiration for the night came from her time living in Rio de Janeiro, where the spirit of samba “is everywhere”.
Her descriptions are evocative: “Favelas where samba gatherings emerge spontaneously. Limes, cachaca and odd pieces of ice fill a communal vessel, and fuel a deep-rooted physical engagement in samba music and dance.” Rio residents possess the movement of samba within them, she says, which springs forth effortlessly. As a dance movement psychotherapist, Thompson has an interest in the physical and mental health benefits of samba. She notes its aerobic quality, the psychological state of flow one can reach when fully integrated within its rolling rhythms, and the inclusive communities which can be formed through it.
Walking along the seafront towards the White Rock Hotel Bar on a stormy, post-Christmas December night, I felt far away from the streets of Rio. I wondered whether the spirit of samba would transport to a culture which at this time of year tends to hunker down, overeat and vegetate. And as a crowd we did take a bit of time to warm up: many elected to spend the first part of the evening sipping on the delicious caipirinhas and bobbing to Thompson’s, and DJ Cate Brick’s, smooth bossa nova selection. But the basement venue allowed the sun to slowly fill the space uninterrupted from the outdoor reality, and gradually, the cold, blustery outside felt far away.
The crowd fully immersed, Thompson treated us to a (necessarily diluted) beginner’s workshop in samba dancing – apologisIing on our behalf to any Brazilians present – set to a moody, pared-back beat: Gilles Petersen’s dub edit of Aquarela Do Brasil which DJ Dan Wiltshire considerately monitored and adjusted as we were put through our paces. The dance floor hummed as we collectively butchered what proved to be basic but quite tricky moves: among other things, I found moving with enough speed to fit three small body movements between each beat challenging. But here, I was reminded of the unique spirit of Hastings and St Leonards: open, diverse, indulgent, uninhibited, which perhaps makes it a perfect town for Braziliant to take root.
The evening flowed easily from here, though after Thompson left her teaching platform the Brazilian moves we were taught largely went out the window, and our homegrown interpretations dominated again. DJ Soul Provyder took us through the rest of the evening with a more eclectic but always irresistibly danceable mix of Latin-inspired records, including Sergio Mendes’ iconic Mas Que Nada, Beth Carvalho’s energetic Coisinho do Pai, and Mar Afunda by Os Novos Crioulos. Maybe it was the caipirinhas, but I left the venue energised, facing once more the stormy seafront.
Wiltshire and Thompson have big plans: there is a monthly night, an annual festival, and a special Mardi Gras (our own Fat Tuesday) edition of Braziliant in the pipeline. In the spirit of Samba, both see this project as a springboard for collaboration with musicians, dancers or selectors who have a connection with the sun-filled, rhythmic, romance of Samba or Brazilian culture. If that sounds like you, get in touch.
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