Maracatu for Drumset and Percussion explores the traditional Brazilian rhythms of the Maracatu de Baque Virado, which originated in the Candombl religion but have expanded to provide the rhythmic framework for a particularly exciting style of music. Author Scott Kettner explores every aspect of this dynamic genre, including: instruments of Maracatu de Baque Virado, changing traditions of maracatu, traditional and contemporary maracatu manifestations, drumset applications, New Orleans mambo, and more.

Master percussionist, bandleader, producer, and songwriter Scott Kettner is the guiding force behind Nation Beat, a band whose teeming, vibrant rhythms find common ground in the primal maracatu rhythm of Brazil's northeastern region, the Big Easy's funky, hypnotic second-line and strolling Mardi Gras Indians, and the unfettered freedom of big-city downtown jazz. After graduating from New York's New School University, Kettner moved to Brazil to learn more about maracatu. With this book, he shares an accessible and pragmatic approach to learning and understanding the instruments and basic rhythms of Maracatu de Baque Virado and how to apply these rhythms to drumset.