Samba Squad

With Rick Lazar as grand referee, Toronto's ubiquitous Samba Squad makes a welcome return to TD Sunfest. For 24 years, the Squad has been following the path of the drum from Brazil to Toronto – and often to London, where it has opened our festival with a Brazilian carnaval-style parade around Victoria Park. What a joyful noise this 35+ percussion posse raises on drums of all kinds - from the surdo’s rumble to the cuica’s ‘squeak.’ Stop-on-a-dime precision, playful melodies and beaming smiles are always part of the group’s appeal. Proclaiming the motto, “One Heart, One Mind, One Groove,” Samba Squad embodies the quintessential TD Sunfest joy of embracing different cultures.