WELCOME TO OUR SITE!

What’s in a name?

We ALWAYS get asked what our name means and how to pronounce it!

Juba do Leão (pronounced ‘joo-bah (with a soft ‘j’) doo lay-yow) means ‘lion’s mane’ in Brazilian Portuguese. In Brazil, where majority of our music originates, it’s very common to find groups named after animals, stars, and even boats! See What is Maracatu? for more info. Our logo and name are partly inspired by our director’s Leo zodiac sign.

Who are Juba do Leão?

Juba do Leão are a percussion and dance group from Manchester who specialise in the musical styles from the Northeast of Brazil, namely Maracatu. We also play Coco (a rhythm featuring a strong alfaia rhythm and call & response songs), Caboclinho (a lilting yet powerful rhythm with indigenous Indian roots), Manguebeat (a style mixing traditional Brazilian percussion with modern sounds, originating in Recife) and many other Brazilian styles with a modern twist… Our show features vocals in English, Portuguese and Spanish, and is completed by beautiful energetic dance choreographies. We also have a new melody element to our group which includes vocals, guitar, violin, bass and percussion..

The group was founded by Maracatu enthusiast Holly Prest following her travels to Brazil in 2004/5 thanks to a grant from the Winston Churchill Trust. The group’s first rehearsal took place on the 7th October 2005, and since then the group has gone from strength to strength.

We played our first ever blistering performance at Notting Hill Carnival 2006 as part of a Maracatu extravaganza. Since then we have performed at club nights, parties, parades, festivals, private parties, and many more (see Your Booking page for more info). We were greatly honoured to be invited to support top Rio-samba outfit M.O.N.O.B.L.O.C.O. at thier Manchester date of their 2007 UK tour.

Why not come and see what we’re all about and check out one of our gigs… see our News/Events page for more info.

If you would like to book us for a performance or would like any further information, please email us at info@jubadoleao.com or see Your Booking page.