Be a Drummer for a Day 2026

Join Batalá Washington for our 9th annual community day and fundraiser. Learn to drum with Batalá, try Afro-Brazilian dancing, and more!
About this Event

Be a Drummer for a Day is Batalá Washington’s annual community event. We invite you to engage in Afro-Brazilian music and culture, try out drumming with the band, and enjoy fun, interactive activities for all ages. Every year, we also support a local nonprofit through on-site fundraising.

This year, we are excited to raise funds for Mamatoto Village, an organization devoted to serving Black women by creating career pathways in maternal health and providing accessible perinatal support services that equip women with the tools to make the most informed decisions about their maternity care, parenting, and lives.

FREE • Family-Friendly • Open to All

🗓 Date: Saturday, October 3

🕙 Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET

📍 Location: Hancock Park (right by L’Enfant Plaza Metro)

~ Em português~

GRÁTIS • Para Toda a Família • Aberto a Todos
Data: Sábado, 20 de outubro
Horário: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET
Local: Hancock Park, ao lado da estação de metrô L’Enfant Plaza

~ Em español~
GRATIS • Para Toda la Familia • Abierto a Todos
Hora: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET
Lugar: Hancock Park, al lado a la estación de metro L’Enfant Plaza

What to Expect / O que esperar / Qué esperar:

• ✨ Interactive Drum Workshops – Oficinas de Percussão – Talleres de Percusión
• 💃 Afro-Brazilian Dance Lesson – Aula de Dança Afro-Brasileira – Clase de Danza Afrobrasileña
• 🥁 Live Performance – Apresentação ao Vivo – Presentación en Vivo
• 🌍 Cultural Education – Educação Cultural – Educación Cultural
• 📸 Photo Booth + Costumes – Cabine de Fotos + Fantasias – Cabina de Fotos + Trajes
• 🎨 Face Painting – Pintura Facial – Pintura Facial
• 🎁 Prize Drawings – Sorteios – Rifas
• 🍛 Afro-Brazilian Food Samples – Degustações Afro-Brasileira – Degustaciones Afrobrasileña…
• and more! – … e muito mais! – … ¡y mucho más!

✅ What to Bring / O que trazer / Qué traer:

• Water bottle / Garrafa de água / Botella de agua
• Earplugs and kneepads if you have them (we’ll have extras to share) / Protetores auriculares e joelheiras, se você tiver (teremos extras para compartilhar) / Tapones para los oídos y rodilleras si los tienen (tendremos algunos extras para compartir).
• Optional: A monetary donation for our Charity Partner (to be announced soon!)

🌀 Rain or shine / Faça chuva ou sol / Llueva o haga sol

📣 Share: #DrumWithBatala

🥁 About Us / Sobre nós / Sobre nosotros:

, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is an all-women percussion band whose mission is to empower women through drumming and expose communities to Brazil’s dynamic music and culture. Our band is a part of the Batalá Mundo family, a worldwide project promoting and sharing Afro-Brazilian percussion, specifically samba-reggae which originates from Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. Over 1500 percussionists perform playing compositions created by Giba Gonçalves, but it’s not just a musical project - the ethos is that of inclusion, equality and joining together to make music and enrich members' lives and communities, including giving back to the original community in Brazil.

uma organização sem fins lucrativos 501(c)3, é uma banda de percussão formada apenas por mulheres, cuja missão é empoderar mulheres através da percussão e apresentar às comunidades a vibrante música e cultura do Brasil. Nossa banda faz parte da família Batalá Mundo, um projeto mundial que promove e compartilha a percussão afro-brasileira, especialmente o samba-reggae, originário de Salvador da Bahia, Brasil. Mais de 1500 percussionistas se apresentam tocando composições criadas por Giba Gonçalves, mas não se trata apenas de um projeto musical; o ethos é de inclusão, igualdade e união para fazer música e enriquecer a vida e as comunidades dos membros. Incluindo retribuir à comunidade de origem no Brasil.

, una organización sin fines de lucro 501(c)3, es una banda de percusión compuesta únicamente por mujeres, cuya misión es empoderar a las mujeres a través de la percusión y dar a conocer a las comunidades la vibrante música y cultura de Brasil. Nuestra banda forma parte de la familia Batalá Mundo, un proyecto global que promueve y comparte la percusión afrobrasileña, específicamente el samba-reggae, originario de Salvador de Bahía, Brasil. Más de 1500 percusionistas interpretan composiciones creadas por Giba Gonçalves. Sin embargo, no se trata solo de un proyecto musical; su filosofía es la inclusión, la igualdad y la unión para crear música y enriquecer la vida y las comunidades de sus miembros. Esto incluye la retribución a la comunidad originaria de Brasil.

About Mamatoto Village

Mamatoto Village (https://www.mamatotovillage.org/) is devoted to serving Black women by creating career pathways in maternal health and providing accessible perinatal support services that equip women with the tools to make the most informed decisions about their maternity care, parenting, and lives. By offering creative solutions to combating racism and health disparities for Black mothers, babies, and their families, Mamatoto Village’s innovative approach fosters a space for resistance, restoration, and reclamation fueled by Black women’s collective dreams of a more just world to live, love, birth, raise children, and sustain our families.