Artemisia Samba Drummers

An unexpected treat for the inhabitants of Barga Vecchia this week with the stunning arrival and sound of the Artemisia Samba Drummers who played two short sets under Porta Reale as part of the festivities to celebrate "The Mutande of Barga" Exhibition at the Altana.

The drummers, led by their charismatic leader Raz Jayasuriya, a master percussionist from Sri Lanka, moved easily and seemingly without effort from Cuban and Brazilian rhythms and back again to the delight of the large and enthusiastic crowd in the piazza.

There was an added surprise for Jack Nannini, the guitarist with the blues band Jack's Pack (who were also playing in the piazza that evening) when he looked closely at Raz Jayasuriya and realised that they had been musicians together in the same band in Cambridge England many years before.

The energy and and sheer enjoyment displayed by the Artemeisia Samba Drummers meant that they will be a much sought after addition to the events in the piazzas in the future. Let's hope that they decide to come back and invigorate the ancient stones of Barga with their samba rhythms once again.