The Berkshire Bateria is a lively troupe of musicians who perform hot samba rhythms on traditional Brazilian percussive instruments including drums, bells, and shakers. They make up one of three incredible groups of the musical collective known as Sambaland, founded in 1994 by Teri and Jim Weber. Along with their mission to provide authentic Brazilian music to the Berkshires and beyond, The Berkshire Bateria also hosts “Joy of Samba” workshops. Participants will be exposed to performing on traditional Brazilian instruments such as the Pandeiro, Ganza, Surdo, Agogo, Tamborim, and Cuica an Berimbau. The Berkshire Bateria is widely known as a family affair welcoming up to sometimes 60 drummers at once. Perfect for all ages, they've performed at venues and events as diverse as New York City's Halloween parade, a Portuguese festival in New Bedford, and the old Otis Elementary School. Master percussionist and the leader of The Berkshire Bateria, Jim Weber continued his love of Brazilian music in the Drummers Collective of Manhattan, (Duduka Du Fonseca, and Bobby Sanabria), The Brazilian Cultural Center of New England, (Deraldo Ferreira) Manhattan Samba (Ivo Arujo) and each year travels to Salvador, Bahia, Brazil to continue his studies.