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Fantástica Bateria is a global ensemble of percussionists and other musicians formed as a result of Alan Hetherington and Chocolatte da Vila Maria’s deep interest in percussion music and samba. After being introduced to one another by management at Contemporânea Instrumentos Musicais, they became good friends and began working together in Brazil. Subsequently, in 2011, they put together a tour there of international percussionists.
The tour was a tremendous success, and spawned the idea for a recording. This recording was conceptualized as a means of documenting the musical ideas of Alan and Chocolatte’s collaboration. The work is a musical collective of distinctive backgrounds that reflect the growing samba movement, its development within its place of origin and throughout the world.
As pioneers of the tradition in Canada, and supported through its association with the Royal Conservatory of Music, A Fantástica Bateria is widely recognized today as one of the most important cultural links between Toronto and Brazil.
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