2016年CRI Beijing goes Brazilian Samba and percussion

 

It's hot a Sunday afternoon, but this Beijing's samba percussion¹ ensemble² is putting on an exuberating performance to an equally excited audience: me.

Templo do samba founded by American percussionist³ Jimmy Biala, has been giving classes and performances around China for over a decade now.

And their popularity started back in 2006 when the group had just been put together.

Since then, the group has been pushing the Brazilian dance culture in China with their classes and putting on shows to curios on lookers. This group formerly⁴ known as Samba Asia, has also seen its membership increase substantially in recent years.

Fiona Qi Ziying has been with the group since it's inception⁵. Herself a dancer and percussionist, she has made regular visits to the US for samba training. Today she is one of the group's most important mentors⁷.

"We are an adult performing group. We have adult dancing, samba dancing and all kinds of Brazilian dancing and we also have Brazilian percussion. We also have Samba from Rio de Janeiro and many other styles like religious style afro styles as well as children percussion."

Whether in Brazil or abroad samba has become a symbol of the Brazilian nation and it's growth in China is unprecedented⁸. Membership at the Templo do Samba has seen a jump in it's signing of new members says Fiona.

So have the Rio Olympics and the Fifa world cup hosted in brazil helped catch the attention of Chinese people? According to Fiona the answer is yes.

Today suddenly on the dance class we have many new ladies because they saw on the (Olympics) opening ceremony how Brazilian ladies were doing the Samba and everything so they decided⁹ they want to learn that and two years during the world cup, it was the same thing."

Since 2006 she says, the group has grown from a handful of armatures to full blown group of samba professionals. With over 55 active members.

Perhaps it's the shaking and jiving to the frenetic beat of the dance, that's attracting people, who knows. But one thing's for certain, samba fever has caught on. And Temple do Samba has also gained a massive audience here in Beijing.

Estrella Zhu Zhou was first mesmerized¹⁰ by the infectious energy elicited¹¹ from a performance when she first visited Sao Paulo.

"I have a friend, who now lives in Sao Paulo Brazil when we visited him I saw people dancing on the streets playing the drums and I felt like 'woah' this is really cool. So I asked him about it and he told me that there was this (kind of) group in Beijing and that I should join them. So then when I came back from Brazil, I joined them. "

Today she is a strong member of Templo do Samba as a dancer and percussionist.

Most of its members are professionals from various fields of work and backgrounds; They attend the sessions at least, twice a week. Besides entertainment Estrella says, their main reason is to let go off stress, especially after a long day of work.

"It's just happiness I would say. You feel the groove¹² and the music inside you and you just want to show it to the world and then it's just happiness."

The man helping¹³ bring all the happiness is Xiao Yong, who is also the founder¹⁴ of Samba China, an umbrella group that consists of Templo Do Samba for adults and the Kids drumming and dance sessions.

A former rock and roll enthusiast¹⁵ and drummer with a former underground rock band, Xiao Yong or Manu as he is fondly known, turned to Brazilian music after meeting his mentor⁶ Jimmy Biala.

"The first time I played samba, it made me really happy and very cheerful. That's how magical this type of music is. Because the type of music I used to do before was very angry and cynical¹⁶ and not really that fun. But now what I have learned from many maestros and native Brazilian musicians is that, what I'm doing elicits¹⁷ a lot of positive and sparkling energy and also is inspiring. And that's why I want to share this energy with Chinese and others as well".

To boost his teaching methods, Xiao Yong has spent some time in Brazil to learn the craft first hand. And so today he brings um pouco of Brazil or a little of Brazil to Beijing.

Meanwhile as the rest of the world enjoys the contagious¹⁸ rhythm of Samba in Rio, Templo do samba is putting a mini-Carnival right here in the heart of Beijing.

1 percussion   

n.打击乐器；冲突，撞击；震动，音响

参考例句：

• In an orchestra,people who play percussion instruments sit at the back.在管弦乐队中，演奏打击乐器的人会坐在后面。
• Percussion of the abdomen is often omitted.腹部叩诊常被省略。

2 ensemble   

n.合奏(唱)组；全套服装；整体，总效果

参考例句：

• We should consider the buildings as an ensemble.我们应把那些建筑物视作一个整体。
• It is ensemble music for up to about ten players,with one player to a part.它是最多十人演奏的合奏音乐，每人担任一部分。

3 percussionist   

n.打击乐器演奏者

参考例句：

• She overcame her deafness and eventually became a successful percussionist. 她克服了耳聋的毛病，最后当了打击乐队敲打手。 来自辞典例句
• For many years I practiced these techniques as a professional percussionist in jazz and new music. 许多年来作为一个职业的爵士乐和新音乐演奏者我不断实践着。 来自互联网

4 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

5 inception   

n.开端，开始，取得学位

参考例句：

• The programme has been successful since its inception.这个方案自开始实施以来一直卓有成效。
• Julia's worked for that company from its inception.自从那家公司开办以来，朱莉娅一直在那儿工作。

6 mentor   

n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导

参考例句：

• He fed on the great ideas of his mentor.他以他导师的伟大思想为支撑。
• He had mentored scores of younger doctors.他指导过许多更年轻的医生。

7 mentors   

n.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的名词复数 )v.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Beacham and McNamara, my two mentors, had both warned me. 我的两位忠实朋友，比彻姆和麦克纳马拉都曾经警告过我。 来自辞典例句
• These are the kinds of contacts that could evolve into mentors. 这些人是可能会成为你导师。 来自互联网

8 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 mesmerized   

v.使入迷( mesmerize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country girl stood by the road, mesmerized at the speed of cars racing past. 村姑站在路旁被疾驶而过的一辆辆车迷住了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• My 14-year-old daughter was mesmerized by the movie Titanic. 我14岁的女儿完全被电影《泰坦尼克号》迷住了。 来自互联网

11 elicited   

引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Threats to reinstate the tax elicited jeer from the Opposition. 恢复此项征税的威胁引起了反对党的嘲笑。
• The comedian's joke elicited applause and laughter from the audience. 那位滑稽演员的笑话博得观众的掌声和笑声。

12 groove   

n.沟，槽；凹线，（刻出的）线条，习惯

参考例句：

• They're happy to stay in the same old groove.他们乐于墨守成规。
• The cupboard door slides open along the groove.食橱门沿槽移开。

13 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

14 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

15 enthusiast   

n.热心人，热衷者

参考例句：

• He is an enthusiast about politics.他是个热衷于政治的人。
• He was an enthusiast and loved to evoke enthusiasm in others.他是一个激情昂扬的人，也热中于唤起他人心中的激情。

16 cynical   

adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的

参考例句：

• The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
• He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。

17 elicits   

引出，探出( elicit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• You might find that a sympathetic approach elicits kinder and gentler behavior. 你或许会发现用同情的方法，可引出更友善及更温和的行为。
• It presents information, shares ideas and elicits emotions. 它展示信息、流思想和抒发情感。

18 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。