DJ Juanito Latin Music in Liverpool

Feb 2006, Bar Fresa.

Mar 2006, Pacific bar.

May, 2006, Pacific Bar.

Past Carnivals
Click on the flyers for photo's

June, 2006, Pacific bar.

November 2006, Temples bar

Nice to see Juanito doing Carnival nights and Brazilian/Latin clubs/bars springing up again in Liverpool!!
Look out for more Carnival nights from Juanito and do not forget- Juanito has been for the last 20 years promoting Brazilian music and dance in Liverpool, putting on bands such as Inner Sense, Batida, Chocante, Atribo Macaca, Braziloca, Batala, Beatlife, and worked with Mangueira, Olodum, and Ile Aiye. (Apart from Africa Oye with Olodum and Ile Aiye of course).
Jungledrums Brasilian magazine first introduced in Liverpool by Juanito leaving it in the Latin American Institute, University of Liverpool, 'c.2002/3.

May 2007, Brazilian Carnival

Hundreds of people stormed the nightclub with people gagging for the return of Juanito's famous Brazilian Music Carnival night almost 6 months after the last one!! The dance class, Live music, Capoeira, samba dancers and the disco were fantastic!! And there was a great set from Batala led by Giba Goncalves, the former Olodum and Kaoma percussionist!!

DJ Juanito practising with Paraiso Samba School's bateria (band) for the Notting Hill carnival, 2004 (different photos, different instruments).

Party with Paraiso and practise, 2004, with Brazil's supermodel Viviane Araujo and Dominguinos do Estacio, one of Rio's top Samba singers (left), and the Notting Hill parade (above).

Left, DJ Juanito (grey shirt), playing with the London School of Samba, 2000, and right, playing with his street band in Rio (white T-Shirt).

DJ Juanito, June 2007, playing with Batala Liverpool (left photo, white baseball cap) and other players at the front of the band (right photo).

The Great Olodum performing in Princes park. 1996 brought to Liverpool by Africa Oye.

Brighton Samba band playing at the Brouhaha festival c. 2000.

Brazilian street carnival ONE. Ile Aiye , the famous Afro bloco from Salvador, Bahia, perform their street parade on Bold street and playing in Concert Sq. for the Africa Oye festival, 2000.

Brazilian street carnival TWO. the mangueira Samba School parading in Liverpool c. 2002. This Samba School is the most famous in Rio, Brazil and worldwide and the oldest and most traditional. Brought to Liverpool by some Brazilian businessmen, they travel the world.

Brazilian street carnival THREE. Batala Liverpool joined by other Batala bands in September 2006 for their 'Encontro' or 'Meeting'.

Bahian/Brazilian Carnival/Festival, Liverpool 08?

For many years now, lots of towns and cities in the U.K. have promoted ‘Brazilian’ carnivals/festivals, most notably London, with its plethora of great bands and clubs, and London sees every year the ‘Carnaval del Pueblo’ (not mentioned, in my knowledge up to today- 22 August 2007- by any other Latin/Brazilian promoter/group in Liverpool before it was mentioned here) which is now probably the largest Latin American festival in Europe and there is the Notting Hill Carnival- which needs no explanation (and who in their right mind would try to copy it)?! Edinburgh recently held one and the Rotterdam Carnival in Holland and Coburg Samba festival in Germany seem to get more popular and bigger- and is there any need to mention Rio? Many people are always saying ‘Rio-style’ carnival, and ‘biggest’ or ‘best’ outside Rio. NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING, compares with the Rio carnival in Brazil (either at the Sambadrome or on the streets). I’m dumbfounded as to why they would want to, but hey- delusions of grandeur!! I do not know why they cannot just put on their own little festival and do the best they can. NO British ‘Samba’ band or school playing in the UK, or ANY city doing a carnival will EVER come anywhere close to matching Rio. The parade at the Sambadrome in Rio is for the top Brazilian musicians in the Samba groups. They practice all year round and the standard of musicianship of the Brazilian players and bands is incredible. It is in their blood and it is their culture. It is also in their interest to keep it Brazilian and not let the ‘gringos’ take over their culture and carnival like Yanqui (USA) culture is doing all over the world. To my knowledge of asking people in Rio and in the UK who are involved with the carnival in Rio, NO band from England has EVER played at the Sambadrome/Rio carnival (they may have played in the street though) and boasting they have is different from ACTUALLY doing it (it would be nice to see photos and film if it had happened). I myself would not even bother and embarrass myself! Saying you played at the Rio Carnival is like saying you played football for the Brazilian national team at the World Cup because you kick a ball around with your mates in the local park. That’s the analogy. Quite preposterous!

Now in Liverpool the city has bands, dancers and musicians, (like Batala and Beatlife) and the competition is great. Batala is considered to be the best Brazilian percussion band in the north of England, if not the country. They have played at the Royal Variety Performance in the presence of HRH Prince Charles and HRH Camilla backing the Sugababes in December 2006 in London, England and played at the first international at the New Wembley, London, England v Brazil in June 2007. Brazilian Carnivals have already happened in Liverpool over the years like ILE AIYE from Salvador, Bahia, Mangueira fro Rio and Batala from Liverpool. It has happened before and it looks like it will be happening again! Fantastic!

Juanito will try to organise something with different groups and dancers too for 2008, whether it be with the authorities help in Liverpool or not. But whatever happens, and whoever does it, let's hope the people of Liverpool see some great music and dancing from Brazil!!

Let’s see what happens! I’ll keep you updated!
SEE PHOTOS BELOW!!!