Banda Ionica is an Italian folk group focused on the brass band traditions of Sicily

Sicily

Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...

. The roots of the music played by the band can be traced to Holy Week

Holy Week

Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...

 and funeral marches. The banda

Banda

-People:*Banda people, an ethnic group of the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Sudan*Rupiah Banda, President of Zambia*Hastings Banda, former President of Malawi...

 tradition, updated by Banda Ionica and others, helped to bring the operatic and classical music to the rural poor.

Founded in 1997 by Fabio Barovero (formerly of the group Mau Mau

Mau Mau (band)

Mau Mau is an Italian band from Turin. It was formed in 1991 as a continuation of the underground cult group I Loschi Dezi.- Biography :...

 and Roy Paci

Roy Paci

Rosario Paci is an Italian trumpeter, singer, composer and arranger.-Music and career:Born in Sicily, Paci started playing the piano as a young child and picked up the trumpet at age 10...

, the group is currently composed of twenty young musicians and plays a mix of traditional and original compositions.

Soundtracks

• Dopo mezzanotte, directed by Davide Ferrario (2004)
• La febbre, directed by Alessandro d'Alatri (2005)