Why anyone would swap those for the pouring rain and flooded streets of West Yorkshire is a question perhaps only Brazilian beat-master Claudio Kron do Brazil can answer.

The Dewsbury-based percussionist moved to the UK in 1996 to study at Dewsbury College.

Since then he has carved out a career performing and running percussion workshops all over the world and works with community groups and businesses around the country.

Claudio made a special appearance at a Brazilian carnival music event at the Wakefield Media Centre yesterday. He said: "I believe that if you have a heart beat you have a rhythm and can play the drums. It's something everyone alive has inside of them.

"If you can find a bin in your office, you can let that rhythm out of you by using it as a drum and that's what I like to show people."

The 36-year-old hails from the Bahia region of northern Brazil and was in Wakefield as part of a nationwide campaign in conjunction with the Samaritans.

The campaign was aiming to encourage everyone to use office items to create their own office samba carnival bands on what experts say is the most depressing day of the year, January 21.

He said: "In the north of Brazil, we have the same sense of humour as the people in Yorkshire so a lot of the jokes we tell are the same sort of things."

Using staplers, paperclips, a computer keyboard and waste bins, Claudio led an impromptu band of Samaritans staff and media centre workers in an energetic performance.

He said: "Working with the Samaritans is great, and what better way to lift people's mood on the most depressing day of the year than to get a Samba beat going."