Pitura Freska was a Venetian reggae and ska band that sang in, amazingly, Venetian dialect. (The band's name means "Wet Paint" in Veneziano.) I was the only customer in a bar near the Frari one afternoon, and the barista slipped their CD, Gran Calma , into the player. I was hooked. And I'm a pretty discriminating reggae snob.
It looks as though the band broke up or suspended things in 2001, but their dreaded-out, inspirational leader, Sir Oliver Skardy, has a new band whose CD I am trying to track down. The older Pittura Freska CD's seem to be out of print, but are available ($31 + shipping) at Songsearch.
I say, why not pick one up? It's a cheap, unique way to get an authentic Venetian fix.
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