Baracuda Batucada is one of five acts who will be performing at Celebrate AWARE’s 25th Birthday Party. Vimal Veeran, 19-year-old lead percussionist from Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s percussion ensemble, tells AWARE’s Debbie Sim about the samba drum group that has a little bit of rhythm and a lot of soul.

What does your band name actually mean?
Batucada means Brazilian Percussion Band. The baracuda is a voracious predatory fish. We choose the name to portray a band thats filled with life, fire and thrill, incorporating samba music in the process.

Ngee Ann Business students are setting up 16 stalls at our bazaar, is that what made you perform at Celebrate and how will you support your schoolmates?
That’s not what made us want to perform for the event. We did this to help for a good cause and also to give our newer members a chance to experience the joy of performing outside of school.

You guys are going to be really, really loud while rocking those samba percussion tunes. Are we going to have some angry Dover Crescent residents on our hands?
The noise is always a double-edged sword. People are either enticed by it and gather around the music or they move away with their hands covering their ears. Whatever happens we just let the show carry on and perform the way that is intended. Anyway, the performances are early in the evening and not late at night!

What makes you want to support AWARE? Any particular cause you’re passionate about?
We’re not passionate about any area in particular. All we know is that AWARE focuses on women’s rights. I see it as an organisation to protect women and help women who are victimised by society and that is a good cause to be a part of.

What can the crowd expect from your performance at Celebrate?
They can expect a very different and enjoyable performance. Baracuda Batucada will make them move to our grooves.

Read other interviews with Lunarin, MICappella, Like A Band and Aarthi Sankar.