Samba Squad

Samba Squad
Samba Squad
	Samba Squad performing at SunFest Festival in 2010
Background information
Origin	Canada
Genres	World, samba
Years active	1999–present
Members	Rick Shadrach Lazar;
Website	www.sambasquad.com

Samba Squad is a Canadian world music group. The Squad was formed in 1999 by percussionist Rick Shadrach Lazar.^[1] The band incorporates world rhythms performed on Brazilian Bateria drums and percussion. Their musical style combines samba with other styles such as salsa, soca, reggae and funk.^[2] Samba Squad was awarded the UMAC (Urban Music Association of Canada) Award for Best World Recording of 2001 for their self-titled debut album. They are a popular group^[3] well known for the energy of their live shows.

Appearances

Samba Squad has performed in the

Pride Parade, the Beaches International Jazz Festival, the Kensington Festival of Lights

, AfroFest, Salsa on St. Clair and others.

In 2004,

Vision TV and Bravo! along with Riddle Films co-produced an hour documentary about the group. "Samba Squad: Drums We Love" was broadcast on both Vision TV^[4] and BRAVO on a second window

.

Samba Squad opened for

Juno award-winning singer Sarah McLachlan and is a regular guest performer for Canadian Nuevo Flamenco guitarist Jesse Cook, appearing on two of his CDs as well as his recent DVD. The group has also performed with other international acts such as Antibalas

.

In August 2007, Samba Squad performed at

Kashechewan (James Bay), Ontario

, in celebration of the Cree culture and the community’s 50th anniversary. Samba Squad is the first group of its kind to be honored with such an invitation. While there, Samba Squad participated in ground-breaking collaborations with the Shawanda dancers.

Samba Squad performed in City TV's 2008/2009 New Year's Eve live TV gala at

Leslie Feist

.

An edited version of the track "Maracatu Funk", from the album Batuque, was used for a dance number during the Week 2 episode, which aired on November 3, 2009, of the

So You Think You Can Dance, featuring dancers Channing Cooke & Phillip Attmore performing a Samba

dance number.