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…
Do take note that Thursday 27 May 2010 will be our last class at the YMCA. We’ll be moving to a new location @ 149C Selegie Road (after Wilkie Edge and just before Hotel 81 - see pix below).
See the URL on Google Maps: http://tinyurl.com/2d6c9eg (thanks, Caçapa!)
The adult classes will begin on Monday 31 May 2010 at our new location with a slight change in schedule:
Mon 8.30pm - 10pm (Open class)
Wed 8.30pm - 10pm (Beginners)
Thu 9pm - 10.30pm (Open class)
Angola class will be rescheduled to a new timeslot (do check in again for an update here)
Nearest MRT stations: Dhoby Ghaut (if you’re planning to walk down Selegie Road from PoMo end, walk past Wilkie Edge till you come to a saree shop) or Little India (if you’re walking up the other end, look for Hotel 81 and keep walking till you come to a saree shop). Next to the saree shop called Stylemart, there’s a staircase. Go up to the top floor (happy quad training!)
There’s a bus stop in front of Hotel 81 (which is the blue building after ours). Free parking along Mount Sophia and all around the vicinity (there’s a public carpark around the the corner at MacKenzie Road).
Please direct all biz enquiries and inter-Bantus matters to singbantus@gmail.com (w.e.f 12 Jan 2010).
Internal mail regarding operational and school matters addressing our members will be emailed from a different email addy. If you have been a regular member, you’ll be receiving an email from us by the end of this week. Thanks for your patience.
Our email account singbantus@yahoo.com was hacked into this morning and someone used our email addy to send an email asking for money to our entire email listing. If you have receive this, it is NOT from us. Yahoo has locked down our account for the next 24 hours due to the security breach so we are unable to retrieve our email listing to warn everyone. If you’re a Bantus member and reading this, please spread the word.
If you’ve got any ideas to prevent future break-ins or post-op recovery, let me know. Thanks!
note: btw, the hacker will entertain your replies coz he went through our inbox and knows personal stuff about people on our email list so he is damn convincing. this is the latest feedback from a friend who called us from Germany to verify with us.
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.
Some highlights of our performance at the BMW Joy event outside Wisma Atria on 25 September 2009.
PARABENS to Claudinho who has just troco de corda. Not once but TWICE! Making it a double promotion! Whoa! When we asked him over the phone last Saturday, the ever modest Claudinho who sounded overwhelmed and slightly hoarse (because he had lost his voice), said it was so unexpected. But he was very happy. When we shared the news with Rafael from Bantus KL, who was in town over the same weekend, he was overjoyed for Claudinho, saying, “If anyone deserves that honor, it is Claudinho, man! That guy is a saint.”
Welcome back to Singapore, Professor Claudinho!
(keep an eye on this post ‘coz we’ll see if we can get hold of a vid and some pix of the grand event for u…)