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Meet the People Behind the Weave
Every community is shaped by people who quietly carry knowledge, create opportunities, and invite others to belong.
Umbela Brasil is guided by people whose paths into Afro-Brazilian culture have been different, yet deeply connected. Some are educators, some are artists, some are community builders, and some work quietly behind the scenes. Together, they help create the relationships, opportunities and shared experiences that allow the weave to continue growing.
Rather than standing apart from the communities they serve, each person continues to contribute through their own practice while strengthening Umbela's shared vision across Australia.
Susie Smith (SambaSooz)
Executive Team
CEO | Public Officer
Umbela Thread
Provides the vision and leadership that guides Umbela's national work, bringing together research, cultural practice and community through collaboration, education and creative exchange.
Community Thread
Through Samba Exchange and SambaSooz, Susie has spent more than two decades teaching, performing, mentoring and creating spaces where people can experience Afro-Brazilian culture with curiosity, respect and belonging.
Mestre Loki
Umbela Thread
Helps guide Umbela's cultural integrity and organisational leadership, supporting respectful relationships between communities, teachers and cultural traditions.
Community Thread
Through Capoeira Educators Australia, Loki mentors artists and educators in culturally informed practice, building understanding across Capoeira, dance and Afro-Brazilian traditions.
Deputy CEO | Vice Chair
Julio Cesar
Treasurer
Umbela Thread
Supports Umbela's growth through thoughtful financial stewardship and a genuine commitment to strengthening the organisation for future generations.
Community Thread
A self-confessed Samba nerd, Julio combines professional expertise with decades of dedication to Samba, championing dancers, drummers and community events while encouraging others to discover the richness of culture.
Directors
Mestre Val
Cultural Director
Umbela Thread
Offers cultural guidance grounded in decades of lived experience, helping ensure Umbela remains connected to the traditions and communities from which Samba began.
Community Thread
Founder of Capoeira Filhos da Bahia, Mestre Val has spent more than four decades teaching performing and sharing Afro-Brazilian culture throughout Brazil, Australia and around the world.
Jen Howarth
Director - Education & Engagement
Umbela Thread
Strengthens Umbela's educational initiatives and organisational development, helping create welcoming pathways for learning and participation.
Community Thread
Drawing on extensive experience in dance, government and education, Jen continues to support cultural learning through teaching, leadership and community engagement.
Silvi Pereira
Life Member
Umbela Thread
Recognised for her longstanding contribution to Umbela and her dedication to strengthening the wider Samba community.
Community Thread
For more than twenty years, Silvi has nurtured Brazilian dance and culture in South Australia, mentoring generations of performers and helping Samba flourish through education and community.
Gianne Abbott
Life Member
Umbela Thread
Continues to contribute through cultural leadership, education and collaborative projects that connect communities across borders.
Community Thread
As a teacher, performer, educator and choreographer, Gianne helps carry Afro-Diaspora stories through film, education and international cultural exchange.
Staff & Volunteers
Behind every project, performance and conversation is a wider community of volunteers, artists and partners whose generosity continues to strengthen the weave.
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Bariah & Dalia Boa Morte
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Nat Malta
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Florencia Adorno
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Morgan Ryan
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Lou Sawilejskij
The Weave Continues
Communities are shaped not by individuals working alone, but by people who generously share their knowledge, their time and their care for one another.
The people you have met here are only part of that story. Across Australia and beyond, many more hands continue to strengthen the weave.
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