Ricardo O Rosinha has had no trouble drumming up musically inclined followers since he arrived in Rotorua.
Brazilian native Ricardo has been teaching Samba drumming to classes of 20 to 40 people at a series of weekly and one-off workshops at the Hei Tiki Gallery.
It
is part of the lead-up to the Jambalaya festival being held this Easter which begins in Rotorua on Thursday night.
Hailing from Curitiba, Brazil, Ricardo has been a percussionist and professional drummer since 1990.
He is considered to be one of the best pandeiro (an instrument similar to a tambourine) players in Brazil.
Workshop organiser Juliet Boone said the interest shown in Ricardo's classes boded well for the four-day Jambalaya festival.
"The attendance has been really, really good.
"We have had about 20 to 40 people turn up each time and his sessions in schools around the region have also been really popular."
Ricardo was this week taking a group of his top students through a full "immersion course" at Aorangi Primary School in the lead-up to Jambalaya.
The results of his tutoring will be seen and heard at the climactic carnival parade on Sunday night.
Ricardo is also the founder of Curitiba's Carnival street group Garibaldis e Sacis.
He has recorded 25 albums, working in a rainbow of styles and with a range of high profile artists.
He regularly delivers top-quality workshops in pandeiro and other types of Brazilian percussion.
He has extensive experience teaching people new to music, employing a progressive approach that incorporates body movement with instrumental technique.
His workshops include teachings based on a well known rhythm course called ritmica; games with rhythms; practice with instruments and techniques; practice in groups; and construction of instruments from recycled materials.
* A full guide to the Jambalaya festival - including what's on, when, where and how much - will be published in the Out and About section of tomorrow's Daily Post.
