Keep the Fierce and Fabulous Fogo going!

2018 and we're bigger and stronger than ever!

We are Fogo Azul NYC.   FogoAzul NYC  is one of the few all women, no experience necessary drumming groups in the country!  Launched in July 2016 as an offshoot of a drumming franchise, Fogo Azul NYC was started by a small group of women in Brooklyn, NY in response to the need and desires of many for a truly all women run drumline.  

The group was started as a  branch of Grooversity which is an international innovative and creative drumming network project based in Somerville, Mass.  Marcus Santos is the Director of Grooversity and his drumming network brings activism to an entertainment level and has engaged communities worldwide!

Our mission and vision is to be a community based drumming band that teaches any woman regardless of musical experience to play the powerful rhythms of Brazil.  This encourages self-expression and self-confidence. Fogo Azul NYC focuses on community outreach, school workshops and shows, as well as social justice and feminism.

As a community based organization we thrive on exposing a wider audience to this alluring music and engaging as many people as possible in the art and music of Brazil to catalyze authentic, cross-boundary communities through the collaborative art form of drumming, music and dance. For the members, the experience of playing in front of live audiences is incredibly unique and liberating.  It's also a place to be able to find community without judgment, and to play with others even if they’ve never played an instrument before.  This creates an unusually animated and supportive environment of growth and exploration.  There’s nothing like it!

Our members range in age from their teens to 80s, come from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, and work in various professions, including medicine, education, the arts, non-profit organizations, restorative justice, business, and technology. We play throughout the NYC Area, bringing the infectious joy of drumming and dancing to community events and charity walks, educational institutions and corporate venues, nightclubs and private parties.
We have no paid staff, including our directors. We are committed to serving under-resourced communities (e.g., youth, incarcerated, elderly) and a majority of our performances are community based, with no or nominal pay, often donated.

 Why are we posting a Go Fund Me page:

 We have grown because it is an awesome and fun experience! When we started in 2016 we had 15 members, we now have 96 and are still growing! Our musical director and creative force behind FogoAzul NYC, Stacy Kovacs has personally invested her own money to bring this amazing experience and cultural force to women who are interested, and to ultimately bring this empowering experience for the members out to the community.  Her passion for teaching music to those eager to learn is unsurpassable! She is truly a force of nature (this is a quote from one of our members!)

In order to sustain the growth of the band, we need larger rehearsal space, more drums, more drums and more drums! We do charge members a fee of $35.00 a month, on a sliding scale.

Costs:

At this point we need more drums and equipment!  We have about 100 drums, and have more women interested.  Drums in general cost anywhere from $100-$200 per instrument, and we're looking for at least 20 more! 

Our rehearsal space is roughly $1400.00 a month.  Rehearsal space is difficult to find because we are loud and large.  We typically use public schools, or private theaters.  

The drums, as you can see, have a special vinyl design which is about $60.00 per drum, drum sticks I provide are $12.00 dollars, and belts to hold the drums are about $25.00.

The band is still growing and at this point, to sustain our growth  (Because it is awesome, fun, empowering and the community loves it) we need some additional funds!  Some facts about our growth:
Since inception of FogoAzul NYC, we have had 303 women join our ranks.  In 2016 we played about 10 shows.  In 2017 we played 53 shows.  In 2018 we have SO FAR played 76 shows!  That's more than 1 per week!!  We're ecstatic and delighted and would love to continue to grow and be more available! 

We are trying to reach a goal of $10,000 to continue this amazing project that has taken off more than we expected or  dreamed, and keep the dreams alive of the group’s members and provide an amazing experience to the community in and around NYC.

Please help keep the drums LOUD and PROUD!

Here we are having some fun at the 2018 Coney Island Mermaid Parade!