Holly takes samba beat to city

Holly Prest . . . will be drumming at a charity event

SADDLEWORTH musician Holly Prest will bring the samba beat of Brazil to Manchester as she does her bit for charity.

The 26-year-old founded percussion and dance collective Juba do Leão in 2005 following a fact-finding visit to Brazil.

Juba do Leão will play at the Royal Northern College of Music on April 15 to raise money for Christian Aid.

Holly said: “To perform in such a highly-respected music venue will be amazing. We’ll definitely be something different to the sort of acts that usually perform there.”

The former Saddleworth School pupil’s interest in Brazilian music was sparked at the age of 12 when she heard a local percussion band.

She said: “I was absolutely blown away by the power of the rhythms all feeding off each other, seemingly simple patterns making the most complicated and danceable sound.”

Her passion led her to study under Manchester percussionist Iain Mellor and she was awarded a grant from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust which funded her five-month trip to South America.

She brought a number of instruments while in Brazil before coming home to form Juba do Leão, which performed for the first time at the Notting Hill Carnival.

The band has since played all over the UK and took part in 2008’s BBC “Children In Need”.

Holly added: “The creative arts are a fantastic opportunity to not only discover a new passion, but to nurture skills you already have.

“Drumming in particular is so much more accessible than the majority of music styles, in that even those who believe they have no natural rhythm can play something, or at least make a half decent sound from a percussive instrument.”

Holly’s next ambition is to forge links with groups in Brazil.

She added: “I definitely want a focus of the band’s future projects to be some sort of an exchange or partnership. It’s important to acknowledge the debt we owe to the country and to give something back to local communities.”


Tickets for the event are available from the Christian Aid office in Warrington on 01925-573 769 or by e-mail to warrington@christian-aid.org