Louise Robbins-Ferreira (tour-manager): 06 77 75 14 92 - courriel: lulududa@wanadoo.fr 

Jacques Pasquier: 06 07 05 89 28 - courriel: artrue@wanadoo.fr 

« With Moleque de Rua the Barcelona Forum of Culture has found a nugget of gold…» Libération

MOLEQUE DE RUA (literally, Street Urchin) are a staggeringly energetic 10-piece favela combo who make their innovative polyphonic percussion instruments from recycled material and use them to concoct excitingly original sounds mixing samba and other traditional Brazilian rhythms with rock, funk and hip hop. In their dynamic stage show they not only decry the poverty, corruption and violence rife in Brazil but also exuberantly celebrate the force of their own life-saving culture.

Sao Paulo based composer and bandleader, Duda created the band 23 years ago with kids from his neighbourhood. The band, which has been touring Europe since 1993 is made up of several generations of these « moleque » performers; the youngest now being 15. The band has five albums to their name and has appeared in music festivals all over Europe. In addition, over the last 12 years Moleque de Rua has developed with the association Gamins de l'Art Rue a concept of workshop-residencies in Europe which encourage the active participation of local young artists and communities in festival and carnival events.

Moleque de Rua 2006 – 2007…

In 2006 Moleque de Rua got off to a tremendously successful start celebrating their 12 year partnership with Musiques de Nuit Diffusion with a three-week residency preparing for the Carnival des 2 Rives in Bordeaux. In Austria, working with Moleque de Rua for the second year running, the Vienna Institute for Development and Culture took the band on their countrywide Onda Latina tour. Working with The Beat Initiative in Belfast, Northern Ireland, preparing for the Belfast Carnival and performing at the Drogheda Carnival, Ireland were two firsts for Moleque. The partnerships with the Estivales in Perpignan and the CCAS in Saint- Cyprien, South West France, also continue flourish. The 2006 tour culminated with Moleque de Rua playing at the Estivales to 1,800 people in the prestigious Campo Santo.

2007 Nouvel Album - Utopia Now !

Utopia ? We need to live it and construct it now in our own back yards - and that is just what Moleque has done with their new album for which they brought together musicians of all ages from their community around the favelas of Coreia and Bica in the Santa Catarina suburbs of Sao Paulo. The album is to be launched in March in Brazil and later in the year in Europe.

2007 – MOLEQUE DE RUA Utopia Now Tour!

All year long, with the fundamental support of the association Gamins de l'Art Rue, the musicians work at keeping this oasis of a utopia that is Moleque de Rua real, fresh and alive. This year will see them returning to Europe bringing with them two new exceptional young percussionists: Marcela and Simone; two sisters, two neighbours, two life-long friends, two quietly confident young women whose truly indisputable, bright talent, nurtured in the neighbourhood's street band (led by one of the original Moleque de Rua members, Gelo), has earned them their place in Moleque de Rua.

2007 is not just a time for new emerging talents in the band. It is also a time for crossing new frontiers as Moleque de Rua will perform for the first time in Slovakia at the Pohoda Festival and launch new projects in Italy. Moleque de Rua will also be involved in new urban regeneration arts projects developed by Gamins de l'Art Rue in various cities throughout France. During this tour they will be breaking new ground in the UK playing at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival and returning to continue building their relationship with the young carnival artists of Belfast with The Beat Initiative. Innovation and developing long term commitment are also defining traits in Moleque de Rua's work and this year they will continue to work with the VIDC in Austria branching out to playing and working with rural festivals and their communities. Working with the CCAS in South West France for the third year running Moleque de Rua will be playing in more venues and developing community arts with a wider range of the organisation's members.

Discover more about the band at  www.gaminsdelartrue.net or www.myspace.com/molequederua

LES GAMINS DE L'ART RUE is a cultural association, based in France, dedicated to promoting the recognition of popular culture. Founded to fight against exclusion, it works to provide material and human resources for cultural movements, associations and emerging artists to develop exchanges and international projects. In France GDLAR has become an indispensable tool for local government agencies and independent cultural associations who work together with GDLAR to create opportunities for cultural and social exchanges in local communities.

body {background-image:url;} table, tr, td {background-color:transparent;}

..

Moleque de Rua shared the stage with Johnny Clegg, Kool and the Gang, Youssou N'Dour, Santana, Jean-Louis Aubert, Tom Zé, Gilberto Gil, Raul Paz, and much more!