| Testimonials - Pages: 1 >> 2 |
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 "Hello Possums, I love Melbourne and I love Brazil and now thanks to Carlos Ferreira, Brazil and its fabulous music has come to Melbourne. I adore Carlos, and his fabulous band which brought the carnival of Rio to Johnson Street, Fitzroy on a memorable Tuesday night. Much love and thanks to you and your loved one." Dame Edna Everage Barry Humphries, "MegaStar of the Millennium!" CLUBE DO SAMBA, Night Cat, 16 July 2002 |
 BRAZJAZ ("Vibrant Brazilian Jazz") was personally chosen by Barry Humphries to perform at his Melbourne book launch ("My Life As Me"). Click here to see our Photo Album!! |
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"Dear Carlos and everyone at MelSamba, We would like to thank you for the wonderful atmosphere you created by playing at our wedding. All we wanted for our wedding was for it to be fun, and for there to be lots of dancing. Well, thanks to you guys, we certainly had that! I don’t think there was anyone who wasn’t on the dance floor. The only complaints we heard was that a few people had sore feet and legs the next day! The music was fantastic. Everyone from the eldest to the youngest loved it. The band’s energy and enthusiasm made the reception really fun and memorable for all our guests. You really did an awesome job and it was well above our expectations. Thank you for making our wedding reception a fabulous night that we will never forget. We will definitely be coming to the Rio, Red and Black party again this year too. Warm regards, |
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" Oi Carlos, Eu estava presente no seu show em Brisbane sabado passado (12 May), so' queria lhe dizer que foi excelente. Voce e sua banda tocam muito bem e possuem um repertorio digno de um bom Brasileiro. Parabens pelo excelente trabalho. Abraco |
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" A festa do Red & Black deste ano foi a melhor dos tres ultimos anos que eu fui... Valeu demais!!
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" Hello CARIOCA! Vamos falar mal da sua festa!!! PUTZ que samba MARAVILHOSO!!!! Me diverti e dancei muitoooooooooooo! Parabens! Agora quero mais ne! A melhor festa que fui aqui em Melbourne desde que cheguei! Sem duvida!
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"Carlos, |
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"Thank you to MelSamba once again for a wonderful night of entertainment,
you really made my 40th birthday party something special, it will be a night
that we will always remember – and we look forward to seeing you perform again. My feet hurt and I can still feel the Cachaça and the rhythm in my system - I
love it! Jane Wong |
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" Thanks to the Melsamba band for providing awesome entertainment for our party! They were professional from start to finish and gave us maximum entertainment with minimum fuss! Carlos Ferreira is a real gentleman and a great showman and had the crowd singing along, laughing and dancing. Most people there had never heard Samba music before and were thrilled by the end of the night. We owe the success of the night to the band, who provided great music and a fantastic festive atmosphere. They all had such a sense of fun and so much energy and did their best to make the night memorable, and it was. A big thankyou to Carlos and his crew for introducing us to the wonderful world of Samba!" |
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Maggie Pegg |
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You and your ensemble were fantastic - a real crowd magnet. I got a little worried for our celebrity on the big stage as people flocked to see your very infectious music and dance show. Thank you also for being flexible with your stage show. We had a last minute cancellation and it was great to have you close by ready to step in at short notice. - the mark of a true professional! I'd also like to thank you for your free performance in front of the Brazilian food stall 'Taste of Brazil'. It showed a generosity of spirit that was not only appreciated by the stall holders but by the public and the event organisers! I only hope you will be available for our next event! Ana Vrantsis |
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"Dear Carlos, I would like to thank you for your fabulous contribution to the staff Well-being Day, at Monash Medical Centre, as part of our Mental Health Week. Your contribution made this day a major success. The staff that did your workshop on Brazlian music, found it most enjoyable. Well done and we hope to engage you again. Thanking You" George Osman |
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Thank you for your participation in the 2006 & 2005 Monash Multicultural Week.
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"Dear Carlos, Thankyou for your contribution to making the Mornington Festival 2006 such a great day. We weathered the weather-just.Still the sun shone for most of it and you were fabuluous troopers, Thanks again," Evelyn Krape |
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Thank you for the brilliant performance of MelSamba at the "Rhythm Of The Drums" dinner dance on 2nd July 2005 at the Malvern Town Hall. I wish to commend you personally for handling the logistics of the performance with such a professional approach. It was a delight to work with you during the lead up to the event. The lively Bateria of MelSamba and the fabulous dancers made a real impact to our dinner dance. The feedback from those who attended has been extremely positive to say the least. Of particular note is the way you managed to get crowd participation with the vibrant Brazilian music whilst entertaining them with a fine display of the passion and energy of samba dancing. The energy of those drums truly reverberated in the Malvern Town Hall. The guests had a wonderful time and enjoyed your performance with enthusiasm. I look forward to engaging you in future events organised by the Royal College Old Boys In Australia Association. I recommend MelSamba highly for anyone wanting a genuine Brazilian experience at any of their functions. Go Rio! Go MelSamba" Suraj Jayawickrama |
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"Dear Carlos, A HUGE belated thankyou for your wonderful performance at Churchill Island MarkART!!!!!! Everyone raved about your performance, we just loved it. I hope that you can come down again for classes or an event very soon - we will all be there with bells on. Hope you & your lovely girl are both happy & well! Cheers!! " Maria Reed |
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I wanted to say a big "thank you" to you and your team for putting on a fantastic show for our Rio Carnival NYE 2004 event. The feedback from our customers was great, in fact the whole crowd on the Southgate promenade were straining to get a look inside BearBrass which is obviously great promotion for the venue! Warm regards," Annette Verhoeff |
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 "MelSamba played at the launch of our new product MAP Coffee. One of our coffees being made of 100% Brazilian Arabica beans, inspired the theme of our evening and with the unbelievable talents of Carlos Ferreira and his twenty percussionists the night was a huge success and is still on the lips of those who attended. MelSamba I must say not only know their music but really know how to work a crowd and add an incredible energy of "life" to a function.I would highly recommend" " Tottie Goldsmith, Actress
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 "Captivating Brazilian rhythms and alluring dancers were just the antidote for the cool sea winds at the inaugural Dockfest on February 7. Melsamba brought excitement, life, warmth and spirit to our event and people are still talking about the performance. Thanks Carlos and Melsamba for being a star attraction at our festival. You were a knockout! Cheers," Peter CrowleyProject Manager -- Community & Cultural Activities Docklands Authority |
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"Rio Carnivale comes to Docklands.... Congratulations MelSamba on your wonderful performance at our inaugural Dockfest. The music was intoxicating, the dancers captivating and the overall Brazilian experience.....exhilarating!! If there was ever a band to get our event jumping Melsamba was it. Thanks for being such an integral part of Dockfest 2003. Looking forward to next year," Nicqui Merlino |
It was great that you got quite a large majority of people up by the end of the night. I can't remember the last time that this has happened at a Christmas Party.Thanks to you, we now have the biggest conga line in AFL history! I have no hesitation in recommending yourself, the band and the girls for future functions. |
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THANK YOU! On behalf of The Cancer Council Victoria, I'd like to thank you and your band, for your wonderful contribution in supplying the music for the Carnivale for Cancer held in August. Your kind support of the event is greatly appreciated. Due to the huge success of the night over $30,000 was donated to cancer research - a fantastic effort for a first event! The overall success and popularity of the event has lead to Carnivale for Cancer becoming an annual event for The Cancer Council. The evening at the Observatory Cafe in Melbourne's Botanic Gardens was magical, with a sell-out crowd of over 400 enjoying the carnivale atmosphere and partying the night away to the brilliant sounds of your 24 piece Brazilian Band who kept the dance floor packed. The feedback from guests has been very positive, with the consensus being that Carnivale was a fantastic night of delicious food and beverages, fun and dancing. Once again, please accept our sincere thanks for your generosity and look forward to your involvement next year. Kind regards"Megan Potter Community Fundraising Officer The Cancer Council Victoria |
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| "Dear Carlos,
Thank you so much for such a fantastic night. Everyone LOVED your music, and it was difficult to get people to leave. I think you'll have a few visiting the Night Cat on Tuesday nights. The committee attribute this to your enthusiasm, and of course, to the BRAZILIAN RHYTHM! Vice-President, Carnivale for Cancer Committee |
"Dearest Carlos, THANK YOU!!! EVERYONE just LOVED you on Saturday night. You were the biggest hit. Congratulations on an excellent performance. No one can stop talking about you and your wonderful band and dancers. Thank you for your generous support to Carnivale for Cancer. Again, thank you for everything, I had the best night. " Charlotte Coote Carnivale for Cancer Committee |
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"Hi Carlos, Emma O'Connor |
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"Dear Carlos, On behalf of the Hispanic Latin-American Festival & Cultural Association Inc, I want to thank you for your contribution to make Fiesta 2003 a great event. It has been a pleasure to work with you and we are extremely happy to see that the Festival has been a success. It is also wonderful to feel that we can work together and can share a great diversity of cultures that enriches all of us and make us feel part of a greater oneness. Overall, it is great to feel that even if we come from many different places, we share the same spirit and passion for showing Latin American traditions to people of all backgrounds. We look forward to working with you at future events and wish to keep in regular contact to work together on new ideas. We also would like to have some feedback and open discussions as to how we can improve organizing the event in the future. Thanks again and looking forward to hearing from you, Kind regards, " Diana Arteta |
| "Dear Carlos, First of all, congratulations and thank you for your brilliant participation in Fiesta 2001. MelSamba's performance on Saturday was MARAVILLOSO, full of energy and passion. I have received many phone calls with congratulations for the inclusion of your Samba School in the program. People regards your participation as one of the highlights of this year's festival. Thank you very much!" Dinorah Cortes Festival Co-ordinator Spanish-Latin American Festival "FIESTA 2001" |
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 "Apreciado Carlos,Your music, your players and your dancer were just magic at the 2001 AAPT Cellular One Christmas Party! You could feel the Brazilian passion coming out of those drums! I never thought I would see my Asian dealers get up and dance to the rhythm of Samba! FANTASTICO! I loved it so much, that this year I have recommended MelSamba to entertain the Annual Dinner of the Consular Corps of Melbourne. Viva Brasil al ritmo de Samba! FELICITACIONES! " Eleonora Quijada Cervoni |
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| "Dear Carlos, Just wanted to say THANK YOU for a sensational evening. I can't stop telling people about it! My partner and I had never heard of you guys until I read your ad in The Age that morning, and I am so delighted that we came to the Carnival - it was a brilliant evening. I have subscribed to your newsletter, and look forward to more nights of samba music and dance." Paula Todd Guest - Rio, Red & Black Carnival Party 2002 |
Wellington International Jazz Festival 2003 | |
 Program |
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| "Dear Carlos, Australia Day 2004 was an enormous success. Thousands of people attended the Australia Day March. Your participation was instrumental in the success of this event. THANKYOU! Thankyou for your time and effort in the lead up to Australia Day and on the day itself. We hope to see you again next year." Liz Pain Manager Australia Day Celebrations 2004 |
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"Dear Carlos, The crowds continue to increase each year with over 900,000 people enjoying the fun and the action of Australia’s largest community festival in 2004. Once again, thank you for your contribution to making the 2004 Moomba Parade and Moomba Waterfest such a success. |
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 Brisbane Workshops 2007 |
"Hi Carlos, I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your workshop here in Brisbane. And what a BIG thrill it was to play with your group, which I never expected to do. You guys are a real inspiration - a standard for us here in Brisbane to aim for. Thanks again - I really enjoyed myself. " Patty Brisbane Samba School Brisbane, Queensland, May 2007 |
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"Its been a pleasure! I admire your skills my friend and Beleza has been enriched with "carlos" rhythms! Valeu" Michael Boase Beleza Music Director Fremantle, WA, November 2007 |
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| "Over just a few hours Carlos dropped us straight into the Quadras of Rio and then led us on a awesome tour of Bahia. In between we danced ourselves silly at the Rio, Red and Black Carnival Party. We tasted Brazil - albeit too briefly. See you soon Carlos" Richy Glasgow Sambanistas Music Director Perth, WA, March 2004 |
 Perth Workshops 2004 - Photo © 2004 Akiko Sakuma |
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| "Hi Carlos, I was amazed at how quickly you got a whole group to play fast, complex, Brazilian rhythms together and in such a short time! I found the vocal language of Brazilian beats great to understand and the comparisons of jazz and funk were quite interesting. Setting each instrument section off individually is a great idea to obtain that overall carnival sound! Lots of energy and drive - well done!!! (Couldn't believe it was us!)" Maria Daniels Sambanistas Bookings Manager Perth, WA, March 2004 |
"Hi Carlos
, I attended both your workshops at City Farm on the weekend, and I want to say THANKYOU!! They were wonderful... For me, I guess the most wonderful thing - and the most surprising
thing,
was hearing someone talking in music (and being able to understand it !!!)... they were fun, inspiring and I learned heaps !! |
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| "Hi Carlos, Just a couple of lines to let you know how much I enjoyed your workshops with Perth's samba community. I'm fairly new to the scene and couldn't believe how lucky I was to have the chance to be a part of something so spectacular so soon! The Red and Black gig on Satuday night, though small, was a fantastic evening. I had a marvellous time, as did everyone else I've since spoken to. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and humour. Hurry back! " May Sambanistas Perth, WA, March 2004 |
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| "Hey Carlos, Thanks very much for sharing your passion with us last weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed the workshops and the party. Your enthusiasm and style of teaching ensured we all got something from the workshops, and we all had plenty of fun too. I sure look forward to future workshops, parades and gigs. I hope you enjoyed your stay too, and that it was worthwhile for you. Obrigado, |
"Hi guys, Just wanted to say thankyou for the amazing Brazilian workshops you gave in Perth, and for the honour of playing on stage with Carlos. It was a real inspiration. Keep up the fabulous work!" Robyn Perth, WA, March 2004 |
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"Hi Carlos....tis Ally Kadmos here...a dedicated Agogo player from Sambanistas emailing all the way from Perth! Just wanted to Thankyou again for putting on the workshops and the Red and Black Carnival night.. |
"Hi Carlos, I had a great time at both your workshops in Perth last weekend, and the Red and Black gig too. I nearly didn't make it to the first workshop as I had the flu and was feeling down, but within 10 minutes of strapping on my surdo you had put a big smile on my face, along with everyone else in the room. It was a great vibe jamming with sambistas from all of Perth's samba groups, and it was a great experience for us to get a fresh burst of new rhythms injected into our veins! Please come again soon - let's do a parade! Thanks again," Matt Price Sambanistas Perth, WA, March 2004 |
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 "Meu querido Carlos, Que prazer imenso foi a sua vinda a WA! Fiquei muito feliz em ter a oportunidade de presenciar mais uma vez seu infinito carisma e sua maravilhosa energia. Parabens meu irmao de terra, mereces todo o sucesso que estas encontrando, pois sempre batalhastes para introduzir a nossa rica cultura aos nossos irmaos australianos. Me considero privilegiada por ter sido testemunha, nao so no passado, mas mais recentemente quando viestes a Perth, da maneira como conduzes a sua oficina de samba a todos aqueles que querem participar. Com aquele nosso jeitinho carioca, consegues transformar em duas horas, coisa que acho incrivel, a maneira pelo qual os chamados "gringos" passaram a tocar os instrumentos de percussao como se fossem parte de uma verdadeira bateria de escola de samba do nosso Rio de Janeiro . Torno a repetir, fiquei toda arrepiada com o resultado do seu ensino. Deus te abencoe meu irmao. Obrigada e muito axe pra todos voces. Com todo carinho," Beth Cabelo (Carioca da Gema = de Vila Isabel, Rubro-Negra e Salgueiro de Osmar Valenca e Chica da Silva !!! ) Perth, WA, March 2004 |
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| "The first New Zealand Festival of Latin Rhythm and Dance was held in Taupo in Easter Weekend 2003 and involved three days of percussion and dance workshops and performance, over 80 workshops in all.
Carlos Ferreira of the Melbourne Samba School was our headline teacher for Samba percussion. Carlos taught workshops in all levels of Samba during the festival, including vocal improvisation, managing to convey the truly Brazilian sound into the performance of his students. Carlos's energy and teaching style were a highlight of the festival for many of the students, his transformation of the Wellington Samba School, after only two hours of training with them, was inspirational. We have invited Carlos back to be a part of Jambalaya next year, his professionalism and the knowledge he has to share will have a lasting effect on the standard of Samba percussion in New Zealand. We very much look forward to working with him again in the future." Heidi Hughes |
"Dear Carlos, Here are a few comments from emails after the event. "highlights: Voice improvisation workshop with Carlos....."
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I would like to thank you for your wonderful Brazilian Percussion workshop at Kew High School. We look forward to working with you again in the near future." Judy Bartosy |
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 "..... somehow Carlos was able to involve all 400 students as well as some very 'noteable' teachers in performing a Samba together. Some of us clapped, some of us sang and some of us were lucky enough to play the Brazilian instruments. It was amazing to hear how each small part worked together to create a tremendous sound. This is teamwork at its best!" Darren Wicks Caulfield Grammar School - Melbourne Click on the thumbnail for full size view. |
 " In the three years that I have been with the Melbourne Samba School, I have been extremely lucky to have been taught the tips & tricks of REAL SAMBA percussion by Mestre Carlos. I can recommend his classes to everyone, even if you have never played an instrument before! Muito obrigado Carlos!" Remko Wallach G.R.E.S. Primavera, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
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 "To Carlos,
Ngä mihi nui ki a koe Wellington Batucada Crew |
"Hi Carlos, I just want to say thank you so much. You can not imagine how much I appreciate all the energy and work you put into teaching us, it was amazing and inspiring, it is the first time that I started to understand and feel what Samba really is. Thanks a loooooooooot. I hope to see you very soon again. All the best for you and your school. Muito axe and heaps of sunshine " Ron Wellington Batucada New Zealand, April 2003 |
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"Carlos, Huge THANKS from the Auckland Samba Crew!!!!!!! |
"Dear Carlos,
Ray and I would like to thank you again for being such a fabulous teacher and for making Jambalaya very special for us. Auckland Samba New Zealand, April 2003 |
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| "Viva voice improvisation!!! Kia ora Carlos, I just want to let you know how much I am looking forward to do another voice impro workshop with you...... and how much fun the voice impro was...... |
"Dear Carlos, Like everyone else from Wellington Batucada I want to say how much we loved your time, energy and enthusiasm at Jambalaya!! Can't wait till your forthcoming workshops in Auckland. |
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"Thank you Melsamba for entertaining us at the 2006 VicUrban Christmas luncheon. A great performance and a great day was had by all. 
"Oi Carlos
"Hi Carlos,
"Dear Carlos,
"Dear Carlos,
"Dear Carlos,
"Dear Carlos, 
"Dear Carlos,
"Dear Carlos, 
"Hi Carlos,
"Dear Carlos,
"Hi Carlos
"Dear Carlos,
"Hello Carlos - Paul from Madman Cinema here.
"We are very grateful for MelSamba’s participation in our event.
"Hi Carlos, 
"Dear Carlos & Mandy,
"Hi Carlos,