From Manchester to Brazil and back again, Holly Prest, Artistic Director of carnival arts organisation Global Grooves, names those who have shaped and inspired her career.
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After a chance meeting with local percussion outfit the Bean Brothers’ Bongo Band at my secondary school in 1996, I found myself inspired to make weekly visits to a local community group, Cabasa, to learn about world percussion. 13-year-old me had no idea what adventures lay ahead as I tried out every instrument, soaking it all in and working towards leading the band by age 16.
Band leader Iain Mellor’s never-ending enthusiasm, generosity, and commitment to putting young people first still influences everything I do. It was here that I met lifelong brother in music Leon Patel. When Eraldo de Sá Marques arrived in the UK from Brazil in 2004 – bringing with him a wealth of experience from the Meninos do Morumbi youth music project – he made our Global Grooves family complete.
We are firm believers in practising what we preach, and it’s satisfying to know that our own personal experiences have added such strength and integrity to our work in the community and with young people.
