Samba on the sands

Glittering costumes, rhythmic tunes and smiling faces will engulf Tauranga at the International Capoeira and Latino Festival.
For one week, Kiwis will be able to get a taste of traditional Brazilian culture when the fourth annual festival returns to Western Bay shores.
With the Brazilian culture growing in the Western Bay, festival organisers said this year's festival promised to be bigger and better than previous years.
There are more workshops to take part in and more activities that will entertain at the end of the celebration. Festival-goers can watch and take part in a large street festival that will show off some traditional Brazilian talent.
Festival organiser Tulio Costa said the main reason for the event was to introduce people to the unique and beautiful culture of Brazil as well as promoting a healthy, active lifestyle.
"The Brazilian culture is very beautiful and this festival is a change to help people understand it better," Mr Costa said.
"I've been living here for eight years and I've experienced the growth of the Brazilian culture in Tauranga and I want to share the beauty of our culture with the people of Tauranga.
"We're not trying to be a different community, we're living together in harmony and the point of this is to give people a taste of where we come from," he said.
For the past 14 years, Mr Costa has been heavily involved in the traditional Brazilian art form, Capoeira. It is an activity that combines elements of martial arts, music and aerial acrobatics.
In the Western Bay, Mr Costa teaches Capoeira to people of all ages and abilities in Mount Maunganui and Papamoa. For him, Capoeira is a lifestyle and he has practiced Capoeira for much of his life.
"Capoeira is a group thing that promotes inclusiveness and group support. It allows teenagers particularly to be involved in something that allows them to express themselves in a healthy environment and feel like they're part of a team," Mr Costa said.
At this year's festival, Mr Costa has organised Capoeira masters from all over the world to visit Tauranga and take part in the festival.
They will lead a number of workshops and demonstrations and give people a rare insight into the traditional art form. One of the world's leading Capoeira masters, Master Paulinho, will travel from Brazil to take part in the festival.
"People travel from all over the world to see him so having him here in Tauranga is really special."
Other guests from Brazil, New Caledonia, Australia and other parts of New Zealand are also expected to take part.
"The range of activities we have at the festival has attracted interest from respected individuals from all over the world and we're very lucky to have them come and be a part of the celebration," he said.
The festival will open today with a special art exhibition at The Cargo Shed, hosted by Brazilian artist Ana Medina. "Her work is surreal," Mr Costa said.
"She is from the Amazon and much of her work surrounds animals, birds and trees."
This event in invitation only but the exhibition will be open to the public all week.
From then on and throughout the week, Tauranga will be transformed into a place where locals can experience traditional Brazilian sights and sounds.
Experts will host a range of workshops through the week at Mount Sports Centre. These activities include Capoeira, acrobatics, forro, samba and maculele. Mr Costa said with the diversity of activities available, there was bound to be something to interest everyone of all ages and abilities.
On Friday night, Brazilian restaurant Armazen, in Mount Maunganui, will host a Forro and Samba party, where guests can "show off their dancing skills", Mr Costa said.
He explained Forro as a Brazilian dance similar to Samba.
"It's intimate and it's sexy and it's something that anyone can take part in, regardless of ability."
The following day, Saturday, will be the festival's biggest day. Held at Edgewater Fan, downtown Tauranga's waterfront, Mr Costa said the day would be "the biggest Brazilian celebration to hit the Bay".
"From 10am, we're inviting 100 school children to take part in a kids shaker workshop. They'll learn about Brazilian music, they'll make their own instruments and take part in the parade down the street at the end of the day," he said.
Those interested in taking part need to be pre-registered.
From midday, everyone is invited to a "great big party", where they'll experience a "slice of Brazilian life," Mr Costa said.
Percussion band Brazil Beat Sound System, will play their rhythmic tunes from 12-1pm, followed by live performances and a capoeira show. Masters from all over New Zealand, Australia and New Caledonia will also perform.
The festival will host a Brazilian tattoo artist, who will host live tattoo demonstrations. If people get hungry, they can also sample traditional Brazilian food and drink.
From 4pm onward, guests will enjoy the festival's grand finale - a Brazilian street festival - where hundreds of people will parade through downtown Tauranga. The Strand will be closed so people can "get up close" with musicians, stilt-walkers, performers and other festival-goers.
Children from the morning workshop will parade alongside traditional Brazilian Divas, who have travelled from Brazil to take part in the festival. The Brazilian Divas will be wearing dazzling glittering costumes and feathered head-dresses - traditional Brazilian festival attire.
The parade will come to an end about 6pm but will continue at Cornerstone Pub, until about 8pm.
But it does not end here.
From 10pm onward, the Bay of Plenty's superclub, Illuminati, will host the official after party.
"I'm really excited about it," Mr Costa said.
"It's going to be full-on and really exciting for everyone involved as well as spectators," he said.
"Each year the festival has grown and this is the biggest festival of its kind in the Bay.
"I'm really looking forward to sharing a week of great activities with people of the Bay."
Mr Costa has thanked the festival sponsors. "They've really got behind me and I wouldn't have been able to do this without them."
For tickets to the workshops or more information about the carnival, visit www.capoeirabrasil.co.nz
See the gallery for colourful Brazilian people who live locally and a taste of what to expect from the festival next week.