It's fair to say that the past 12 months have been the quietest period in SYB's 22 year history in terms of gigs, but there's still been a lot going on behind the scenes and we have some BIG news to share. At the end of the summer 2020 we submitted our application to the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) for SambaYaBamba to become a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) and this was approved late last year. We recently held an EGM where our members voted unanimously to wind up the old Voluntary Organisation to allow us to officially become SambaYaBamba the SCIO, bringing the SambaYaBamba adult band, Youth Band and Youth Outreach Projects (more updates to follow), Pure Bangin' workshop group, and other projects under the SCIO umbrella. 

To say this is exciting is a massive understatement and huge thanks go to committee and band members past and present - without everyone's involvement SYB would not be what it is today.

So what does this mean you can expect from us in the future? We'll still be bringing our unique sound of samba to the streets, festivals, and venues across the country as soon as regulations permit; but we'll also be able to expand our outreach work in the community and deliver more workshops allowing more people to experience the sheer joy of playing music together.

The street band community in the UK and beyond is vibrant and diverse and we are proud to be part of it. If there's one thing we've learned over the past year it's that THE WORLD NEEDS LIVE MUSIC and our new status as a Scottish charity will help us in our mission to deliver just that.

There's still much uncertainty surrounding the performing arts, but rest assured we'll be back as soon as possible. For now it's time to roll up our sleeves, brush off the cobwebs and be ready to get back to what we do best!