Samba: A strut with a Latin accent

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pounds out a beat that rumbles through the North Philadelphia nightclub, spilling down a flight of steps and penetrating the gentle hubbub of the restaurant below.

Over the top of a bass drum's bone-quaking rhythm, smaller percussion instruments answer with an incessant takka-tak-tak. Four dancers move smoothly - then explosively - under the club's mirror balls.

School is in session at the Tierra Colombiana nightclub. And there's nothing academic about it.

The Philadelphia-based Brazilian samba school, PhilaSamba, is rehearsing for the highlight of the school's year: the celebration of Carnaval Sunday at the South American-themed nightspot.

"There are no blackboards or books," says Orlando Haddad, taking a break from leading the bateria, or drum ensemble. "A samba school is not really a school where people come to learn how to play music and dance," he continues. "It's using the name school as the same as association."

Carnaval, a festival that marks the beginning of the religious season of Lent, won't be officially celebrated until the four days before Ash Wednesday (Feb. 25 this year). But that isn't keeping the city's Brazilian musical groups from getting into the rhythm a little early.

In addition to PhilaSamba's weekend gig with the venerable Brazilian duo Minas, the group Alo Brasil performs Feb. 21 in West Philadelphia at the World Cafe Live and the raucous samba-reggae of Philly Bloco roars on Feb. 27 in Mount Airy at North by Northwest.

"Carnaval is this huge celebration, a celebration of joy," says Suzana Silva, a director of the Philadelphia Samba Club. "In Brazil, it is a national holiday. We're trying to bring a taste of that here."

Founded in 1987, PhilaSamba has remained constant in size at about two dozen members, with an additional contingent of 12 dancers. Schools in Brazil can reach up to 5,000 members, Haddad says.

"You have the bateria, which is the percussion ensemble, and you have the alas Bahianas - the women wearing big, old-fashioned dresses - a master of ceremonies, and scores of dancers and other participants all united with a single theme and competing in Carnaval parades."

Silva says she'd like to see the school's "enrollment" grow, drawing from both the region's 10,000 to 15,000 Brazilian expatriates and local residents.

"The hope is to make this all participatory," Silva says. "To open it up to people from all over Philadelphia."

Haddad, who also leads Minas - the city's longest-lived Brazilian musical group - echoes Silva's desire to expand PhilaSamba's student body.

Philadelphians already have a leg up on Americans from any other part of the country, he says.

"Especially since Philadelphia has the Mummers," Haddad says. "Mummery is very similar to the revelry and costume-making and music and partying in Brazil."

Interested in joining? E-mail the organizers at info@thephiladelphiasambaclub.com.

"You don't have to be Brazilian to join PhilaSamba," Haddad says. "As long as you'd like to come and play an instrument or be a participant and dance, everyone is welcome."

For a video of the Philadelphia-based Brazilian samba school PhilaSamba, visit go.philly.com/samba

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