Biba Púčiková
Samba is more than music. It's my life.
For more than 23 years, I have dedicated my life to drums, rhythm and music that brings people together. For over a decade I have been travelling regularly to Brazil, learning directly from leading samba musicians and bringing authentic Brazilian rhythms back to Slovakia.
My journey began when I was seventeen, playing West African drums in my hometown of Nitra. At the time I had no idea that those first rhythms would lead me to stages, festivals and communities across Europe, Africa and Brazil. Over the years my path turned towards Brazilian samba. Its energy got me, so did the community around it and the sheer number of rhythms it holds. Today it is an inseparable part of my life.
From my first drums to my own samba school
I gained my first experience with samba in Campana Batucada, where I played for many years. It was a period that gave me hundreds of performances and taught me that samba is not about drums. It is about people.
After moving to Bratislava, I continued my musical journey with Batala Austria before joining Maribondo, where I helped develop the group both musically and organisationally. What started as a small group of enthusiasts gradually grew into a respected samba band known well beyond Slovakia.
After many years it was time to follow my own path. I wanted to create a project that truly reflected my own vision of Brazilian music, education and community. That is how TOCUMBÉ was born.
TOCUMBÉ
TOCUMBÉ is a community of people united by their love for Brazilian music. A place where learning, performing, travelling and friendships come together. It is the result of more than two decades of experience, thousands of hours of playing and a lifelong commitment to learning. And this is only the beginning.
From African rhythms to Brazilian samba
My musical journey began with the rhythms of West Africa. For many years I played with the Nitra-based percussion group Afro Campana, where, in addition to performing, I also organised African dance workshops. My passion for African music and dance has never faded. Today I am also a member of JAMADAN, a band dedicated to West African music and traditional rhythms. To better understand their origins and cultural context, I travelled to Ghana, where I studied directly with local musicians. It was African music that led me to a deeper understanding of the roots of Brazilian samba.
Learning from the best
Music, and especially samba, cannot truly be learned from the internet. That is why I return to Brazil regularly, studying directly with the musicians who live and breathe samba every single day. Over the years I have taken part in countless workshops, rehearsals and musical gatherings with renowned mestres and musicians from Rio de Janeiro and Salvador da Bahia. I have played with legendary blocos such as Monobloco, Batuquebatu and Estratégia, attended rehearsals of iconic escolas de samba including Mangueira, Portela, Salgueiro, Imperatriz Leopoldinense and Estácio de Sá, and learned from musicians such as Mestre Gordo, Mestre Memeu, Adriana Portela, Mario Pam, Marivaldo Paim, Mestre Chuvisko, Mestre Lolo, Mestre Nilo, Gabriel Lopes and Gabriel Policarpo.
Every trip to Brazil reminds me that samba is not a destination, it is a lifelong journey. I still have plenty to catch up on.
Music without borders
Thanks to drumming, I have travelled to dozens of countries across four continents. From Ghana, Brazil, Colombia, Canada and Japan to countries throughout Europe and the Middle East. Every encounter with musicians from different cultures taught me to hear rhythm differently. Rhythm is a universal language, understood by people everywhere.
I teach what I live
Alongside performing, teaching has become an essential part of my journey. I lead regular Brazilian percussion classes in Bratislava, organise workshops in Slovakia and abroad, and strive to share not only the technical side of playing, but above all the joy of drumming. Drums carry an incredible energy. I truly believe that anyone can learn to play. Age and previous experience do not matter. What matters is the willingness to discover rhythm.
Roda de Samba
A few years ago, together with friends from Brazil, Portugal and Japan, we started organising a regular Roda de Samba in Bratislava. What began as a small gathering of samba enthusiasts has gradually grown into an international community of people united by their love for samba. Every Saturday we come together to play, sing and continue building a place where samba can naturally thrive in Slovakia.
