Queen of the Drums

Rainha da Bateria

The Rainha da Bateria or Queen of the drums is one of the highest positions of honour in a Samba School both in Rio and worldwide. The Rainha da Bateria, or Queen of the drums, is right in front of up to 300 drummers at Rio Carnival!

History of the Rainha in a Samba School

The first Rainhas da Baterias (Queen of the Drums) started to appear in the 1970s. One of the very first was Adele Fatima who led the drummers (bateria) from Mocidade da Independente de Padre Miguel at the carnival. The idea behind the Rainha da Bateria is to help the Bateria (samba drummers) give it their all and play their hearts out to honour the samba school. Her role is to parade in front of the drummers, proudly strutting and exciting the crowd for the samba school to parade down the Sambodromo (Rio de Janeiro), or in London – the Notting Hill Carnival.

The position of Rainha da Bateria is one of the most important posts for any Escola da Samba. The World Samba Organisation’s definition is “A person who samba dances very well who accompanies the percussion or “bateria” unit of a samba school. This person is usually a woman and is also chosen for their physical beauty.” She leads out the Bateria at key events and represents the school’s dancers and bateria.

First Rainha da Bateria of The London School of Samba

The London School of Samba had our first queen in 1994 and there have now been nearly 30 different Rainha Da Bateria. The first London School of Samba Rainha da Bateria competition was held a few years later in 1998 in Waterloo. It is usually held in the second half of July in time for the August Notting Hill Carnival Parade.

Rainha da Coburg Competition at International Samba Festival

The International Samba Festival in Coburg in Germany is a place where our Rainhas da Bateria have done well. The London School of Samba Rainhas has won top prizes: in 2004, 2008 & 2013.

Rainhas da Bateria for the London School of Samba

Below are some of our Rainhas da Bateria over the years for The London School of Samba. We have had fantastic Samba Queens or Rainhas lead the London School of Samba. A big thank you to all our Queens both past and present for representing the bateria and the London School of Samba.

Welcome to our new queen: Phoebe

Welcome to our New Queen Phoebe at the London School of Samba!

Phoebe got into samba almost 4 years ago, having always loved dance and especially Latin rhythms. She joined an LSS class one Sunday with a friend, and since then has been a dedicated and passionate member of the school, performing twice in the Passista Ala at Notting Hill Carnival, amongst numerous shows and community events. Last year she was invited to join DG Events and Productions, a Brazilian- owned dance company in London.

At it’s core, Samba is about resistance against oppression, celebrating marginalised identities and finding joy in community. These values are what Phoebe most loves about Samba, particularly as a member of the queer community. As a non-Brazilian, it is an honour to represent Samba culture, and Phoebe hopes to do this with respect and reverence during her time as Queen.