Maracatu NY

Maracatu NY is New York's first and only Maracatu ensemble dedicated to the performance and knowledge of traditional Maracatu de Baque Virado and other musical styles from the Northeast of Brazil, while fusing these rhythms with the New Orleans Second Line rhythms. Upon returning to New York after an extended study of Folkloric northeastern Brazilian music, Scott Kettner founded Maracatu NY in the hopes of exposing the community to a rhythm outside of the popularly known music of Brazil such as Samba and Bossa Nova. With his experience and contacts, Scott developed the goal of capturing this Folk Art with its traditional rhythms and presenting them to the New York Community through weekly Maracatu percussion workshops and performances. Kettner received an artist grant from The Brooklyn Arts Council in February 2003 and 2005 for this project. In 2005 and 2008 Maracatu NY was the first and only American Maracatu to travel to Recife, Brazil where they studied with Corpos Percussivos and Jorge Martins and performed in Carnival.
Maracatu NY has been offering classes and workshops at the Gowanus Arts Center in Brooklyn, NY since the fall of 2002. Weekly percussion workshops continue to explore the elements of Maracau de Baque Virado, including the rhythms, dances, songs and history. Maracatu NY and Scott Kettner also host an annual cultural exchange program between Recife Brazil with Jorge Matins and Corpos Percussivos.
As the classes and the groups reputation grew, the opportunities for the group to perform and do workshops increased. Maracatu New York has performed at various festivals and venues throughout NYC (and beyond) including:
--2008 Carnaval in Recife, Brazil
--2007 Celebrate Brooklyn, Prospect Park bandshell
--2005 Central Park Summer Stage
--2005 Carnaval in Recife, Brazil!
--Atlantic Antic
--Greenwich Village Halloween Parade
--Lincoln Center Out of Doors
--Brooklyn Botanic Gardens Ghouls & Gourds Halloween Festival
--Chile Pepper Festival
--Columbia University
--Knitting Factory
--Joes Pub
--SOBs
Maracatu NY have also recorded with Frank Londons Klezmer All Star Brass Band, the Nation Beat and Cyro Baptistas Beat The Donkey.