DURHAM, N.C. — With Hispanic Heritage Month officially underway, many performance groups like Batalá Durham are celebrating their heritage and sharing their culture.
Batalá originates from northeastern Brazil and is a type of samba reggae music. Although Brazil is often not considered Hispanic due to its Portuguese colonization, this Brazilian-based drumline honors its Latin American roots all the same.
“Even though there's some differences to the term Hispanic, we love that a Hispanic Heritage Month exists to highlight and really celebrate Latin American countries,” said Patricia Olivieri, one of the members of Batalá Durham.
Although Latino in origin, this group is open to anyone of any background, no experience necessary. The group believes in sharing the music and culture that has been shared with them, and their goal is educating people about Afro-Brazilian culture using percussion.
“Percussion is seen over and over throughout Latin American countries as resistance, as joy, as something that is used to endure, resist and even stand up against oppression,” Olivieri said. “We use this music to learn and empower and just continue to share percussion.”
Olivieri believes the best thing about drums is that people don’t have to speak the same language to understand it.
“So the amazing thing about percussion is that we have a heartbeat, and so all of us carry percussion with us in our heart when we walk, our rhythm,” Olivieri explained while marching to the beat of the drumline.
She said one of the best parts is the group's ability to shape the future of Hispanic culture in North Carolina.
“The biggest joy for me is, is just taking something that has been used historically, and then being able to share that with our community,” Olivieri said.
Batalá Durham is a nonprofit organization, and it frequently performs at schools, festivals and community events like La Fiesta del Pueblo.