Batalá Financial Structure and Economy

Batalá Houston is not fiscally sponsored, incorporated nor a non-profit entity. It is a community-based project that is volunteer-based. Luana, along with her musical leadership team, donate their time and skillset to community members of various experience levels (novices to proficient) to teach them how to play drums and learn the rhythms and “calls” of Samba Reggae in Batalá. The band learns in weekly rehearsals with the goal of preparing everyone to present the music of Batalá in performances across audiences, settings, and events in Houston, and beyond. In doing so, all of the money that is collectively gained from the group’s efforts are put back into the band for drum, costume and gear maintenance and acquisition, all of which are made in Salvador da Bahia, Brasil, under a fair trade agreement with local communities from which the culture and music Batalá represents comes from. Another portion of the money the band makes goes towards bringing Master Director Giba Goncalves from Brasil yearly to teach workshops and lead performances in Houston to remain culturally rooted as a group.