Here is the latest update so far from Brasil.
CONGRATULATIONS/PARABENS to Contra-Mestre Tyson (Bantus Capoeira’s 1st!), 
Professor Rafael, Professor Leandro/Titio 
on their promotions to their new ranks! We’re still checking on the status of the others as our information is not complete. So expect an update soon! :0)
Latest in: Congratulations to Formado Grao!
Pix: Nicked from Leandro’s album
We’re looking forward to our 5th festival batizado cum troca de corda this year. The workshops will take place from Wed 27 Oct to Fri 29 Oct. From 8pm to 10pm. Location to be confirmed. Batizado/Troca de corda will be scheduled for Sat 30 Oct (will confirm time later). We’re already collecting batizado fees. So make sure yours is in before the DEADLINE (20 Sept 2010) or you’ll have to pay the late fee penalty. Parents and students, please note: No Exceptions (If you plan to be away, we suggest you pay before you leave.)
If you need a pair of abadas, please make sure you place your order ahead. Otherwise, you may not have a pair in time for your batizado. Stay tuned. More updates later…
Our batizado will take place at South Agora entrance of The Republic Polytechnic. 2pm -5pm. 
Nearest MRT station is Woodlands followed by a short walk (about 10mins - depending on your pace) which should be mildly invigorating for most of us (unless you’ve been skipping training).
When you get to RP (see Pix 1), just walk up along the corridor of the building where the trees are lined up, passing Subway on your right as you come to the glass entrance of Agora South (see Pix 2).
Those driving can park their cars at the The Republic Cultural Centre carpark (the carpark fees are very reasonable). (Pix 3) You will have to drive up past the bus stop, passing The Republic Cultural Centre (TRCC) on your left and the taxi drop-off (see Pix 4). Make a left just before the next traffic junction.
If you are going by cab, your cab will drop you off at the taxi stand (Pix 5) which is a couple of steps from where we’ll be having the batizado. After you alight, just walk towards the pond and towards your left where you will see a building entrance with glass doors. That’s the spot. If it rains, we’ll just move the action indoors.
Here’s a location map of Woodlands MRT to RP:
Our 4th batizado cum troca de corda is just 2 weeks away! Here are the details:
Workshops: Wed 11- Fri 13 Nov 09
Time: 8 - 10pm
Venue: The Republic Cultural Centre (Studio 1 & 2) @ Republic Polytechnic (MRT station: Woodlands)
Admission: Only For Bantus students who have paid their batizado fees. Sorry, no observers.
Kids’ Workshop: Sat 14 Nov 09
Time: 10-11am (in lieu of a class so we won’t be accepting new students that day)
Venue: Dance On Us studio (8 Claymore Hill)
Admission: Only for Bantus junior students who have paid their batizado fees.
Batizado Sat 14 Nov 09
Venue: Istana Park (across from the Istana & Plaza Singapura) It’s now at Agora South entrance of The Republic Polytechnic - please read latest post
Time: 2pm - 5pm
Family, friends and the curious are more than welcome to stay on and watch.
I can’t really pinpoint any one part of the Batizado which was my favourite. However, if I have to, it’s when people got their coral, their first cordas. The thing that always amazes me about Bantus and Capoeira as a whole is both the amount of dedication the average Bantus capoeirista shows and how they, as ordinary people, go on to do extraordinary things. I remember back during the March holidays last year when I first saw Capoeira in a roda, and hearing Claudinho’s immortal words “It’s all in your head, brother”. Back then, I would think it would have been a very bad joke if you had told me that in the following months after I joined, I would be doing, among other things, half breaking my neck in a headstand, playing music with a coconut attached to a bow using a stick and a coin and trying to dance with others who were way better at it then me. However, I did. I think I speak for all the die-hard Bantus tribe members when I say that Capoeira not only has greatly changed our lives, but also ourselves. Capoeira, Luta de Libertaçao, the fight of liberation. When one gets their Coral and is officially recognised as a capoeirista, one doesn’t just get liberated in the mind, doing all those moves, but free in the mind, when one transcends one’s limitations to play and learn capoeira, whether it is doing a Saudaçao, the samba de roda, playing the berimbau and all the other amazing things that make people who walk by our roda stop and think “Wow, I will never do that in my lifetime”, all the amazing things our tribe does regardless of their age, gender, body condition, life outside Bantus or whatever else. That is probably why that was the best part of the Batizado, where ordinary people (not professionals), get officially initiated into Capoeira and rise up to do or eventually do the things they previously thought was impossibly out of reach, and so much more.Da Lua
Grão’s troca de corda! Parabens Grão!
Watch our maculêlê story-based performance
Our samba batucada band and sambistas debut @ The Penny Black
Hey guys, i must say i’m so proud of all of u.. the batucada band and samba dancers!! Tho i wasn’t there to witness it myself but i heard sooo much about it!! Congrats to Bantus and the new Coral students!! See ya in class soon!!The perf looks great!! Bummer about the lighting!!! But i can feel the vibes man!! Great job everyone!!! I wanna be part of it next year!! Pls fix the batizado dates earlier next year can?!! ;P Cornetto - well done being the host!! Love the Italian accent. Next year i’ll make sure u have a full costume on than just the hat and bowtie 
I cant say enough how hot the girls looked and the band was TIGHT!!! Bantus is gonna be the hottest Batucada band with passistas in town!! Lua
Yeah! I totally agree with Lua - the samba girls were KILLER!!!! 
woo hoo! Will be even better when you’re with them next time, Lua! And I love being part of the band.. thanks everyone for helping me be part of it all! Playmobil
The performance looked awesome!! 
Everyone was awesome! Haha. Oh how I abhor exams. 
‘Hope there’ll be another samba thing going on soon, in which I shall hopefully participate! Piu Piu
Personally, I want to thank all the gals who enthusiastically agreed to samba and a voluntary sentence over several weeks of sleepless nights labouring over sequins and feathers on a tight deadline just to look incredibly hot as sambistas. You gals ROCK and you can sew, I tell yah! I also want to thank the batucada band for such a great sound so we can shake our bundas with gusto. Way to go guys n gal (go Playmobil!) Also, I am overwhelmed by the silent givers in our school who go about doing the most mundane things without a squeak (never heard a single grumble from them) - Careca (who tirelessly ferried fellow classmates and instruments to gigs, demos and their respective homes) - a big thank you! Playmobil who is like the Duracell bunny on a constant high (I think it’s the kopi o!) baking cakes for all occasions for us! Barracuda for saying yes to helping me get the samba troupe going (despite her nightmarishly packed schedule), Lombinho (yes, you!) for always helping Claudinho carry instruments even without him asking and responding to the call for help instantly, a big thank you! Jai, for your incredible hospitality on both sides of the Causeway and giving us so much help in so many ways, you’re the man! Da Lua, for being the first to respond to my email when I asked for afterthoughts on the batizado. ‘Nice to have discovered a budding writer in the making! Flora
And for the rest who are too tongue-tied, you can add your two cents’ worth under the comments. And if you have some great pix or vids, let’s share the links. Thanks!
Feel free to download the batizado pix from Taturana’s album http://gallery.me.com/jemuel85#100149
as well as from Thierry Diagana’s album http://gallery.me.com/tdiagana#100041