Casa Samba is New Orleans's first samba school, founded in 1986 by Curtis Pierre from the ashes of the Krewe of Palmares. Born from that Mardi Gras Indian and carnival tradition, it grew into a complete Rio-style escola de samba: a battery of drums and percussion, beautiful samba dancers, and a parade unit that includes Mardi Gras Indians, Baby Dolls, stilt dancers, and brass bands. The group brings authentic Brazilian carnival to the Crescent City, directed by Mestre Curtis Pierre and Mestre Jorge "Alabé" Bezerra, a master drummer from Rio de Janeiro.
Beyond the spectacle, Casa Samba is an education engine. Its teaching artists conduct samba drumming workshops in schools throughout the city — percussion instruction, instrument building, choreography, and costume making — keeping Brazilian rhythms alive in the next generation of New Orleanians. The group has been honored for its role in the city's cultural life, proclaimed New Orleans's first samba school by the mayor in 1993.
Catch Casa Samba at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, drumming alongside the Krewe of Endymion in the Superkrewe's parade, or at neighborhood events citywide. Their first release, Afro Brazilian Fantasy (1993), captured the group's early sound, and their shows remain among the most joyful things you can see in New Orleans.