Cyro Baptista's Beat the Donkey

*** Baptista named DownBeat Critics Poll Percussionist of the Year! ***

"Wild, vivid entertainment — Brazilian carnival crossed with Lower East Side performance art!"
— The New York Times

"A solid program of folk melodies and tribal polyrhythms that takes no prisoners... This is wild, untamed, and wondrously joyous music. It has no seams, it is truly international, and it is ultimately visionary."
— All Music

"An effective antidote to overly cerebral and self-consciously serious music."
— All About Jazz

"A product of unbridled imagination, intense musical knowledge, skill and a lust for sheer joy, fusing Brazilian styles with jazz, funk, rock and reggae"
— Relix Magazine

Brazilian performer and bandleader Cyro Baptista has emerged as one of the premier percussionists in the world, bringing his unique charm and undeniable rhythmic drive to countless stages, performing on numerous Grammy Award-winning recordings, and collaborating with myriad luminaries such as Paul Simon, Herbie Hancock, John Zorn, Laurie Anderson, Yo-Yo Ma, Caetano Veloso, and many others.

Baptista’s critically acclaimed, seven-plus-member ensemble, Beat the Donkey, or “Pau Na Mula” (Brazilian slang meaning “Let’s go!” or “Let’s do it!”), performs with the wild, joyous energy of a carnival drum line, fusing music, dance, humor and madcap theatrics into unforgettable events. The repertoire pairs famous Brazilian standards with Baptista's infectious originals, which weave a common thread through many musical languages of the world: forró, samba, jazz, bossa nova, gamelan, raggae, rock, blues and more. Adorned in fantastical costumes and outlandish headgear, this multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-talented group of vocalists, instrumentalists and dancers invites audiences to join their festive celebration of cultural expression, collaboration and fun.

Beat The Donkey has toured to major venues and festivals including Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Grand Performances in Los Angeles, Detroit International Jazz Fest, Quebec City Summer Fest, the Chicago World Music Fest, the International Festival of Arts and Ideas, the Krannert Center, the Hancher Auditorium, the Walker Art Center, George Washington University, Central Park Summerstage, FloydFest in Virginia, and 92nd Street Y. Beat the Donkey’s self-titled release was selected by The New York Times’ Jon Pareles as one of the top ten alternative albums of the year, and by The Wire as a top ten Global Music album of the year. The ensemble members are expert teaching artists who have performed and given workshops around the world, with training in many forms of dance, including jazz, samba, ballet and tap.

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