WHAT IS THE CALGARY SCHOOL OF SAMBA?

The Calgary School of Samba comprises men and women who drum and dance for connection, joy, and renewal of spirit!

The Calgary School of Samba, founded in 2001 by Malcolm Lim and Barbara Oliveira-Lim, is a funky Brazilian-inspired drum and dance ensemble. The Bateria, or percussion ensemble, performs on traditional Samba percussion instruments including surdos, caixas, repiniques, tamborims, chocalhos, cuicas, and pandeiros. The Passistas, or dancers, perform energetic choreographies that match the beat of the drums. Barbara sings on top of the irresistible beat and draws elements from a range of Afro-Brazilian, Rap, and Reggae songs.

The ensemble has performed at the Calgary Stampede, Fiestaval, Lilac Festival, Sun and Salsa, Carifest, and has shared the stage with Jesse Cook at the Jack Singer Concert Hall. The Samba School honors the multi-ethnic mix that is Calgary and performs music and dance inspired from Afro-Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, Middle-Eastern, and N. American cultures. MALCOLM LIM - MUSIC DIRECTOR

Malcolm Lim (B. Music, McGill University) is the co-founder and musical director of the Calgary School of Samba. With the support of The Alberta Foundation for the Arts and The Canada Council for the Arts, he has studied percussion in New York City and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His mentors include Prof. Pierre Beluse, D’Arcy Gray, Louis Charbonneau, Kyle Eustace, and Dr. Rod Squance (Orchestral percussion); Glen Velez and Alessandra Belloni (frame drums); Prof. Trichy Sankaran (S. Indian percussion); Michel Mirhige, Suleiman Warwar, and Adel Awad (Arabic Percussion); Marcos Suzanno and Boca Rum (Brazilian percussion), Arthur Hull and Judy Atkinson (drum circle facilitation), and Paul Walker and Jon McCaslin (drum set).

Comfortable performing in various genres, Malcolm is a musical chameleon. His orchestral experience includes performances with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Opera, and the Bow Valley Chorus. In addition Malcolm has performed with the Move to Strike Percussion Ensemble, Peter Knight, Klezmerovitz, and the Rebetika Hipsters.

In the educational field, Malcolm has held teaching positions at the University of Lethbridge, the Red Deer College Conservatory of Music, Augustana University College, and the Mount Royal College Conservatory of Music. Moreover, he has been a creativity facilitator for Leadership Development at The Banff Centre since 2001 and a drum circle facilitator for Circles of Rhythm since 2006. BARBARA OLIVEIRA - DANCE DIRECTOR

Barbara Oliveira-Lim is the co-founder and dance director of the Calgary School of Samba. Barbara hails from Rio de Janeiro and has trained in Afro-Brazilian dance and Middle Eastern Belly dance. She has performed at the Rio Carnival with several major Samba Schools such as Mangueira, Caprichosos de Pilares, and Unidos de Padre Miguel.

Barbara has taught dance at The Banff Centre, the University of Calgary, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, Free House Dance Plus, the City of Calgary, and The Studio School of Dance. In collaboration with her husband Malcolm, Barbara conducts highly engaging Brazilian Drum and Dance programs in elementary, middle, and high schools.

Proficient in crafts, Barbara has created her own line of Carnival Headdresses (see PRODUCTS).