May is a fantastic month to get married, and lately we have been invited to play at more than one wedding. Funnily enough, some were celebrated within a few days of each other in the Cinque Terre; therefore, we had the opportunity of making a little tour of the Cinque Terre.
Wedding n. 1, the music of Salsamba in Vernazza
We started in Vernazza with Hannah and Alex’s wedding, a splendid party on the terrace of the restaurant Il Castello, on the cliff overlooking the sea. The bride and groom requested the music of Salsamba Trio to accompany both the ceremony and the cocktail buffet. We played for them and their guests a selection from our Jazz and Bossanova repertoire, and a few international Pop classics we like best (such as Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and Burt Bacarach).
The Cinque Terre are not easy to reach by car (we advise the newly-weds and their guests to go by train or, even better, by boat!), but we had no choice, since we were carrying our instruments. That is why we needed to get to the wedding location early in the morning. The village was just beginning to stir and welcomed us with its wonderful vista and a fresh, bracing air.
We couldn’t wait to start playing our music, but we still had a long day before us, so we had time for a stroll and a bathe in the crystal clear sea of Vernazza. But the moment we liked best of all was definitely music time. The newly-weds and some of their guests were very competent and experts in the field – it was a pleasure to take part with the music of Salsamba Trio in their wedding party in the Cinque Terre.
Here are a few pictures of Hannah and Alex’s wedding party in Vernazza.
We spent the night at Alba’s, a woman full of energy and with a great sense of humour. Alba welcomed us very nicely, and when she heard that we were there to play at more than one wedding in the Cinque Terre she asked where we had played and remarked “I’m from Monterosso; I have been to Vernazza only three times in my life…”. Apparently, even among the villages of the Cinque Terre there is a reasonable rivalry!
An anecdote about the Cinque Terre
An old quarrel between Manarola and Rio Maggiore flashes through my mind. The people from each village claim that the best anchovies… are fished in the other village and not in theirs. This shouldn’t sound like an admission of inferiority, quite the contrary. Those who support this theory, in fact, also say that in Manarola you can fish for the anchovies of Rio Maggiore, and vice versa. A complicated theory which shows that there is a good-natured competition between these splendid villages.
Wedding n. 2, the music of Salsamba in Monterosso
On the second day we said goodbye to Alba and set off for the location where the second wedding was to take place: Monterosso.
The music of Salsamba Trio had already been heard in Monterosso due to summer festivals. Playing at a wedding party is however quite another thing. While we were there we had the chance to discover a fantastic farm where specialities from the Cinque Terre are produced: olive oil, Sciacchetrà wine and other white wines, honey, and even citrus fruit (which came as a surprise, since we had never seen lemon orchards in the Cinque Terre before).
In Monterosso we met Jess, Kyle, and their nice guests. The music of Salsamba accompanied their wedding every step of the way: we played during the ceremony, the toast, the cocktail hour, and finally, after a generous dinner which restored our strength, we played for dancing.
Most of the music of Salsamba Trio is danceable, especially Caribbean music. Not just Salsa and Samba, to which our trio owes its name, but also Swing, Rumba, Rock ‘n’ Roll, and other classics from the 50s, 60s and 70s. The guests were truly untiring, especially the bride’s lovely sister, who thrilled us with her dancing – humorous****** and bursting with energy.
Here are a few pictures of Jess and Kyle’s wedding in Monterosso
Playing at a wedding
Playing in the Cinque Terre was a lot of fun to us. One may think that playing at a wedding party is boring and not very stimulating. Sometimes that’s how it is, when the band is relegated to the background of the party. In some other cases, music participates in the elation and cheerfulness of the newly-weds and their guests, and we can experience some exciting moments.
Playing at a wedding party in the Cinque Terre gave Salsamba the opportunity to spend some unforgettable days. It was a great pleasure and a great honour.
See you at the next wedding party – with Salsamba, of course.
Whether in the Cinque Terre or somewhere else, we will always do our best!
