Rabo de Foguete started out, in 2008, as a band playing Brazilian and carnival-inspired music, using the model of the 'bateria' or extended percussion section developed by Rio bloco, Monobloco.  Rabo's repertoire covered a range of energetic, contemporary and traditional music, from a few favourite Monobloco tunes to arrangements of other Brazilian songs, along with other artists whose music we felt had that same energy. The line up grew to include percussion, guitar, bass, four vocalists and a brass section.

 

Marcus was inspired to start the band after spending 3 months working with Monobloco in Rio in 2007/08, and Rabo's repertoire included Brazilian favourites such as Nacao Zumbi, Tim Maia, Lenine, Mestre Ambrosia, Cidade Negra, Ana Carolina, Roberta Sa, Ile Aye, Clara Nunes and, of course, the irrepressible Samba de Enredo of Rio's Samba Schools.  Other tracks included songs by the Cat Empire, the Police, Pharrell Williams, Outkast, Toots and the Maytals, and many more.  They performed regularly from 2009 until 2018, including shows at the UK Centre for Carnival Arts, Guanabara Club (London), Norwich's 'Head Out Not Home' festival, and Norwich Arts Centre, most notably selling out Norwich Art Centre in January 2016.

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Soon after the band's formation, Marcus started looking at ways to get their music back on the street, including the logistics of a mobile sound system that could support the melodic instruments and vocals. This led to the development of a number of street theatre shows, including Malandro (2011-12), Voodoo Hoodoo (2014-16) and an initial version of Ulysses (2017).  Both Malandro (2011) and Ulysses (2017) featured as part of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival.  A community bloco, Bloco Foguete, also ran from 2011 to 2016, extending the performing group up to 50 drummers.  The bloco took part in Carnival Crossroads (the UK Centre for Carnival Arts' Cultural Olympiad project, 2011/12), Norwich's Olympic Torch parade, Norfolk & Norwich Festival's 'Your Festival', NORCA's 'Head Out Not Home', Norwich City Council's 'Spooky City' and many more parades and performances.  It won first prize in the Norwich Lord Mayor's Procession in 2013.

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The carnival band has been on hiatus since September 2018, due to various competing commitments amongst members.  There are no current plans for reforming.

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The player below is a recording of the band's last gig at Norwich Arts Centre in June 2018.

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