The KaZamba dance and drum troupe is on the move

By Vianna Davila    San Antonio Express-News

Infectious energy and rhythms reminiscent of a Brazilian Carnival — this is KaZamba.

A dance and drum troupe that promotes samba and Afro Brazilian music in a family atmosphere, KaZamba formed this past July.

In October, KaZamba performed at the YWCA annual meeting. Strutting across the gymnasium floor, the dancers pulled board and community members out of their seats and onto the dance floor.

This kind of reaction is typical of a KaZamba performance.

Marinella Murillo is a YWCA board member and volunteer. She joined KaZamba in July and temporarily slipped away from the board member table at the annual meeting to perform with the group.

"It's a fantastic way to spend time with friends," she said.

"Brazilian African music and parade-type music is getting really popular now. People really get into it," said KaZamba founder and CEO Robert Ramon. "You'll see that the music itself, the drums, gets the adrenaline going and people dancing."

Ramon and a number of other KaZamba members, including the five organization board members, had performed together in another troupe and broke off to form their own group this summer. Through an acquaintance on the YWCA board, they found a temporary and welcoming practice facility in July.

Since then, KaZamba has hired a new music director, planned the establishment of a new dance studio and earned a respectable reputation as one of the premiere dance performance groups in the city.

Already, KaZamba has performed in the Floresville Peanut Parade and the Flatonia CZHILISPIEL Parade and festival, winning first place at both events. They also were invited to perform before the Flatonia Chamber of Commerce.

In addition, KaZamba performed in this year's San Antonio's Veterans Day parade and is scheduled to perform in the Galveston Mardi Gras parade next February.

"We are planning on being involved with Fiesta, if at all possible," Ramon added. He said he hopes that KaZamba will have 50 to 60 members by Fiesta time.  Almost all of KaZamba's recruitment efforts are based on the performances themselves.  "As soon as you perform at one place, people start coming in," Ramon said.

This grass-roots form of recruiting reflects the major tenet of KaZamba — that love of the music prevails over technical skill. Anyone can join KaZamba, regardless of previous experience, ethnic or cultural background, sex or age. The youngest member is 4 years old.

"I'm dealing with all levels of ability, because we have that open door," said KaZamba choreographer Yvette Ramirez. "What it comes down to is working with the person over and over. I pretty much do whatever I need to do in order for them to know the steps."

Ramirez has taught dance for about 15 years and fell in love with Brazilian music and dancing when she was 18 or 19. She heard from friends that a local Brazilian dance troupe was advertising for a choreographer, and soon she was leading the KaZamba dancers through their routines.

At 70, Ruby LaRose is the oldest member of KaZamba, though her enthusiasm might convince an audience otherwise. "It gives you a lot of pep and energy. It makes you feel like 22," LaRose said of the dancing.

Her son-in-law, Gary Grandstaff, was one of the founders of KaZamba. When he joined the original dance group, he was one of the many members who had no previous experience. "I had never drummed but I had always wanted to," Grandstaff said.

Terri Lara started dancing with KaZamba in July, having no previous formal dance training or experience.  "I saw it in the paper," Lara said. "I love to dance and I figure that it's something that I enjoy doing, and I've always wanted to do parades."  Though her daughter and mother originally were skeptical about her decision to join the group, now they attend every performance.

"You'd be so surprised about how many people are wanting to do this," Ramirez said.

"We want to spread the joy and culture, the colors, and the sights and the sounds," said Steve Harris, KaZamba music director.

Harris, a recent addition to the troupe, specializes in ethnic percussion, including African and Latin music. A drummer for 40 years, he found kindred spirits in KaZamba.  "I thought they were very nice people who had the right spirit to contribute to contemporary ethnic dance and drumming," he said.

Harris works for the Institute of Texan Cultures and is familiar with the value of exploring different cultures.  "We are supporting ethnic diversity," he said.

When KaZamba moves into its new West Commerce Street studio on Dec. 1, the group will begin to focus more on teaching the music, the instrumentation and the technique. But they still are intent on promoting the fun of the activity.

The group, Ramirez said, wants to deliver both a cultural and an artistic message.

"We all are hoping for the best — to branch out to everyone. We hope for the group to be different in a sense that we want to bring all cultures into the dance group, musicwise and dancewise," Ramirez said.  "When you see people joining in, it's all worthwhile," Ramon added.

KaZamba currently practices at the Olga H. Madrid YWCA 7:30-9 p.m. every Monday and Thursday. Members pay dues of $25 a month, with discounts for families.

To join KaZamba or for more information, call (210) 386-3772 or (210) 857-3931, or check out their Web site at www.kazamba.org.

vdavila@express-news.net

 11/20/2002