Celebrated as an outstanding percussionist, in recent years he has performed at a variety of international festivals, including the 1993 Korean EXPO in Taejon with the Korean Percussion group Samul Nori, in 1994 in Taiwan and at the "Perc Pan" percussion festival in Salvador de Bahia where he performed alongside musicians such as Nana Vasconcelos, Terry Bozio, Glen Velez and Los Papines an in 2000 at the Hannover EXPO.
As a much sought after percussion teacher he continues to inspire the many thousands of students who take part in his courses such as Conga Total, Samba Fever, and the professional training project "Roots of Brazil". In Germany alone there are over 130 samba groups, most of which have been substantially influenced by Dudu Tucci´s samba workshops . On the bases of his success as a teacher and his intensive method of working he has also been invited to many international workshops such as the "Mozarteum" symposium in Salzburg. The Orff Institute of Taiwan, The University of Memphis U.S.A. and the Saint Patricks Day celebrations in Ireland. Since 1996 he has worked in Great Britain and Ireland on the "Roots of Brazil" percussion project run by One Voice Music.
Abertura
Dudu Tucci Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Com Deus e Nossa Senhora
Eu abro a nossa gira
Samborê, pemba de angola
Eu abro a nossa gira
Com Deus e Nossa Senhora
Eu abro a nossa gira
Está aberta nossa gira
Com Deus e Nossa Senhora
Está aberta a nossa gira
Samborê, pemba de angola
Está aberta nossa gira
Com Deus e Nossa Senhora
Está aberta a nossa gira
Samborê, pemba de angola
The lyrics to Dudu Tucci's song Abertura are a call to open the "gira," which is a spiritual circle of healing and energy in the Afro-Brazilian religion of Candomblé. The singer begins by stating that they are opening the gira with God and Our Lady (Nossa Senhora), both of whom are important figures in Candomblé as well as Catholicism. The repetition of these lines emphasizes the importance of invoking these divine forces to aid in the opening of the gira.
The next line mentions "samborê" and "pemba de angola," both of which are instruments used in Candomblé. Samborê is a type of shaker or rattle, while pemba de angola is a chalk made from plant ash that is used to draw symbols on the ground during ceremonies. These instruments are often used to create a rhythm and enhance the energy of the gira, so their inclusion in the song emphasizes their importance as well.
Line by Line Meaning
Eu abro a nossa gira
I initiate our ritual gathering
Com Deus e Nossa Senhora
With God and Our Lady
Samborê, pemba de angola
Using the rhythm of Samborê and the ritual chalk of Angola
Está aberta nossa gira
Our collective ritual gathering is now commenced
Writer(s): Dudu Tucci
Contributed by Sydney E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.