The Scottish Link Years
Chapter 2 The Scottish Link Pipe Band (SLPB) came into being in July 1995, with five pipers and four drummers, at a musical festival held in the mountain resort of Campos do Jordão, state of São Paulo. The place and occasion had been carefully selected by Cristiano Bicudo to attract powerful sponsors that would ensure logistic support and the flow of more funds to the band in the following years. British Airways, Johnnie Walker Red Label and Cultura Inglesa were in their mighty sponsorship portfolio. This plan, as well as the training programme, proved both so successful that the band doubled its size in 1996 and it considered traveling to Scotland to compete. In August 1997, the SLPB with a crew of fourteen players, made its debut at the grade 4 competition in Perth, and a week later at the World Championships on Glasgow Green, the very first time a South American band had competed at the Worlds. Even Drum-Major Ronaldo Artnic competed in Perth! Competition results were