Toronto’s beloved Samba Squad celebrates 25^th anniversary with free gig

The theme of this 25th anniversary, “Celebrating Our Unity Through the Spirit of the Drum” is very apt in these troubled times—when divisiveness is spreading at alarming rates in our local and global communities.

In 1999, Rick Shadrach Lazar, renowned percussionist, gathered a small group of people in a studio at 401 Richmond. Most were not musicians. They were just people who loved music and wanted to learn to play samba.

Lazar developed this small community-based crew into a powerhouse band. With the percussion instruments of samba, he fused Brazilian rhythms with funk, soca, salsa and West African music to create a new, exciting sound. The Thrill Machine was born.

These became part of the fabric of the Toronto scene, reflecting the city back to itself: all ages, cultures, incomes, genders, orientations and languages.

The Squad plays everywhere: TV, festivals, clubs, sporting events, demonstrations, political rallies, and private celebrations of all denominations. They’ve travelled to British Columbia, around Ontario and to Trinidad and Tobago. The Squad played at Kashechewan’s 50th anniversary celebration, trading licks and steps with Indigenous dancers.

Everywhere they go, they bring people together into one vibe, one groove.

And now the Squad celebrates its 25th anniversary with a season-long program of gigs.

To kick it all off, we played a packed free show at Stackt Market on March 29 on the Blue Moon Brewery stage from 8-11pm.

Artistic Director, Rick Shadrach Lazar says, “for 25 years, Samba Squad has been bringing people together through the power of drumming. Our anniversary theme, expresses who we are: creating unity and celebrating diversity through the joy of making music together…

“We want to showcase the music we have been playing over these past 25 years. Featuring music from our three albums, we’re going to rock the house. One heart, one mind, one groove. Peace out.”