T.E.N.S

TENS will deliver high energy live performances of R&B classics with an Afro-Brazilian percussion twist. Setlist includes songs of resistance, that uplift black culture, and spirit!

Te Encontro no Samba (TENS) is a Afro-Brazilian music project created in 2017 to promote Brazilian culture in the USA. “TENS” began as a small "roda de Samba" performance group, and over the years it grew into various projects. TENS has hosted 12 cultural events in New York, with an average of 450 people in attendance, all there to experience authentic live Brazilian music, food, and drinks. Some of our popular events include: 

“Bahia Connection” where TENS was joined by Batala New York (an Afro-Brazilian, all female percussion ensemble) at Drom NYC.

“Baile de Carnaval” where TENS brought the tradition of Brazil’s Carnival to New York, and hosted its first “Samba no pe contest” (Samba Dance). Attendants were able to compete for a cash prize by showing us their best samba no pe. The event was hosted at the Flamboyant Theatre in February 2019. You can find pictures and videos for these events on our website, www.teencontronosamba.com

In 2019, during the pandemic, TENS offered a series of hands-on percussion workshops including a movement dimension for the general public, geared towards all ages and ability levels. We worked via Zoom with renowned percussionists and dancers in Brazil to give students and others the opportunity to learn from authentic practitioners there. Currently we've been working with different artists, including singer Steph Rosario on an album that merges Brazilian rhythms with R&B. The idea is to give our listeners songs that they can relate to, while uniting both cultures.

Samba is a descendant of “Semba” which is traditional music and dance from Angola. It was brought to Brazil by enslaved Africans who arrived in Bahia, and later migrated throughout Brazil. The rhythm resisted through many years of oppression and evolved into what we hear today. We appreciate the opportunity to represent our Afro-Brazilian culture through our music and dance.