Established in 1992
From our humble beginnings in 1992 we have grown to become a loud and lively performance group specialising in authentic rhythms from the flamboyant Carnival culture of Brazil. Samba is the heartbeat of celebration, street parties, dance, and fun - our aim is to promote Brazilian carnival culture throughout the UK and Europe.
We are a charity
TESS is a Scottish charity whose aim is to promote Brazilian culture. All funds we raise are used to sustain the group’s activities in the community - teaching, rehearsing, purchase and maintenance of instruments - as well as a variety of outreach projects.
On the big stage...
We have performed at many events in Edinburgh including the Murrayfield Rugby 7s, the Festival Cavalcade, the Jazz and Blues Festival Mardi Gras, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and many more. We’ve also performed further afield, including in the Tenerife Carnival (the largest outside Rio!), King’s Day in Amsterdam, and the Fête de la Musique in Paris.
...and at the local level
We also drum and dance for street festivals, private parties, community or corporate events, club gigs - anything that requires a loud party atmosphere.
Get involved!
We run regular percussion and dance courses for anyone who is interested in performing with us or fancies giving it a try - it’s great fun! Experienced drummers are welcome too: we have intakes throughout the year. Get in touch if you’ve played in a bateria before or have musical/percussion experience!