Al Mavrik Latin Percussionist.
Alex has had a keen interest in percussion since 1989 and has performed at a lot of U.K. 's biggest festivals Glastonbury,Bestival ,Love Supreme ect with various groups and djs. Since then he has been performing and collecting percussion instruments from all over the world.
He has played with a wide variety of groups including The Mad Hatters: reggae and ska 1990-2003, The Harry Monk All Stars: funk 1996-2001 and Sonido Latino: salsa band 1997-2000, Barulho: Community samba group 1997- 2007. Swing/Brazillian jazz quaret session present.
He has studied Afro-Cuban percussion, Afro-Brazilian percussion and West African drumming completing the two and half year course “Roots of Cuba” run by one voice music and the two and half year course” Roots of Brazil “led by Dudu Tucci .
In 2000- 2012 he became Musical director of Blocofogo samba Band to lead the group at festivals and parades throughout the year, Thames festival, Streets Of Brighton Finale with Trans express to name but a few.
Under his musical direction the group has grow from 20 drummers performing locally in no costume, to 70 drummers in costume performing all over the uk and entertaining the corporate sector. Alex Booked nd wrote all the arragenments for 12 years before moving on to more professional groups.
See bloco fogo for more info
He leads samba workshops with various schools, youth clubs and colleges in the southeast and has an ongoing project with Uckfield community college leading” Spiritus jam “an Afro-Brazilian influenced after school drumming/carnival group.
It has been running since 2005, the group meets weekly during term time has performed at various events with there dance group led by Rosaria Garcia and makers stilt walkers/Makers led by Claire summons.
He has taught people with disability’s (headway) and also work’s regularly with the major arts company in Brighton Same Sky. He leads scrap percussion workshops for them and coordinates samba groups for the” burning the clocks” parade/event.
In 2004 he went to Ghana for a partnership project with same sky, kinetika,spiritus and Paddington arts to teach at the allied military school in Kumasi for a week . Working in partnership with matt fox musical director of kinetika they created a carnival-drumming group with scrap instruments for a nighttime lantern parade.
In 2007 and 2008 he composed and lead the opening of Chichester festival with Suzie shrub and same sky for “harmonic convergence” mixing the Sussex county school wind players with a combined samba bateria of bloco fogo and Westgate secondary school, where he lead workshops prior to the event. In 2008 we added another 2 secondary schools to make a combined bateria of 100 drummers with 50 brass and wind players. Each year it has grown from there including more schools and continues each year to date.
For Creative partnerships’ he has been working with rye college since 2008 helping set up there own samba group and running refresher workshops before the group performs at events and continues to work with them to date.
This year has been very busy working with same sky on the hecra project leading scrap percussion workshops and instruments making workshops with 3 primary schools from the same cluster. He worked with each school for a day then brought the 3 together ending in a parade at a local community event, other same sky artist’s had been doing the same with dance and costume making which all added to the parade.
Later in the summer he worked with same sky leading scrap percussion workshops at the “OLAVE” girl guiding camp a week of workshops each day building up to a massive parade with over 300 girl guides involved for the finale of the week.
He is currently leading samba workshops for under1sun his own company in the south east of England and beyond.
He also works within the corporate section leading drumming workshops for Owen Williams Consultants,redzebra ,total team work, square mile consultants and Salix ltd.
With an all round enthusiasm for drumming and respect for the cultural tradition he is passing on, you group will be in for an exciting day.
Currently performing with Russ Drewbury the legendary Brighton funk soul DJ in Bussey Building and green door store Brighton on 3 Congas, Dj Matt another legend of Brighton funk soul scene in Brighton on 3 congas and bongos standing, Dende 9 piece cumbia group playing festivals and club nights on 2 congas and afro cuban cajon, BOGALOOUNIVERSE a 9 piece bogaloo band i play 2 congas and cajon and timbales and bongo. Performing at festivals and club nights. Clatteratti scrap percussion group i play scrap percussion mostly corporate gigs like the england cricket world cup final 2019, touring abroad ect.
Find me in insta :)
Yours sincerely,
ALEX A MANN
