Banda Bassotti is an Italian

ska Ska (; , ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a w ...

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

band formed in 1987 in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, Italy. Their songs are generally political in nature, focusing on

Communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

and

anti-fascist Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...

issues. Many are about also

politics of Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

and

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

. The band was inspired by

The Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...

and

The Specials The Specials, also known as the Special AKA, were an English 2 tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry. After some early changes, the first stable lineup of the group consisted of Terry Hall and Neville Staple on vocals, J ...

. The band was politically active from the beginning, attending protests and sympathizing with anti-fascist movements in Italy. Their name derives from the Italian version of the Disney characters

Beagle Boys The Beagle Boys are a group of cartoon characters created in 1951 by Carl Barks for the Donald Duck universe. They are a family clan of Organized crime, organized criminals who constantly try to rob Scrooge McDuck. Their introduction and first a ...

Releases

Banda Bassotti released their first album ''Figli della stessa rabbia'' in 1991, which gained them a success amongst the local political and punk circles. In 1995, they released their second album ''Avanzo di cantiere'' recorded in the Basque Country with Kaki Arkarazo and

Negu Gorriak Negu Gorriak (Basque for ''"Red Winters"'' or ''"Severe/Harsh Winters"'') were an underground group from the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country. Their musical style combines various styles such as hardcore punk, hip-hop, ska, and reg ...

. With this lineup the band toured Spain during the same year. The band split up in 1996, only to be reunited in 2001 for a benefit concert. The reunited band introduced trombone and trumpet sections to their previously strictly guitar based punk lineup. The concert was released later the same year on the live album ''Un altro giorno d’amore''. In March 2002, they released ''L’altra faccia dell’Impero'', seven years after their last studio-album. For the promotional tour for this album they played hundred of concerts in Spain, Italy and in Japan where they concluded the

Fuji Rock Festival is an annual music festival, rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The three-day event, organized by Smash (Music promoters), Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it th ...

with the

Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...

. Shocked and disappointed at the direction politics were taking in the following years all over the world with the rise of such politicians as

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

and

Silvio Berlusconi Silvio Berlusconi ( ; ; 29 September 193612 June 2023) was an Italian Media proprietor, media tycoon and politician who served as the prime minister of Italy in three governments from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. He was a mem ...

they decided to record ''Asi es mi vida'', an album with popular political songs from all over the world. In 2004 they released the album ''Amore e odio'' and toured Germany for the first time. In September 2014, the band's tour called 'No Pasaran' took in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

Rostov Rostov-on-Don is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, from the Sea of Azov, directly north of t ...

and the

Donbas The Donbas (, ; ) or Donbass ( ) is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine. The majority of the Donbas is occupied by Russia as a result of the Russo-Ukrainian War. The word ''Donbas'' is a portmanteau formed fr ...

region. The vocalist with the band, Angelo Conti, died at the age of 62 on 11 December 2018.

Discography

* 1992 – '' Figli della stessa rabbia'' ("Children of the Same Rabble") * 1993 – ''

Bella ciao "Bella ciao" () is an Italian song dedicated to the partisans of the Italian resistance, who fought against the occupying troops of Nazi Germany and the collaborationist Fascist forces during the liberation of Italy. The exact origins are not ...

'' ("Hey Good Looking") * 1995 – '' Avanzo de cantiere'' ("Remains of a Construction Site") * 2001 – '' Un altro giorno d'amore'' ("Another Day of Love") * 2002 – '' L'altra faccia dell'impero'' ("The Other Face of the Empire") * 2003 – '' Asì es mi vida'' ("This Is My Life") * 2004 – '' Amore e odio'' ("Love and Hate") * 2004 – '' Baldi e fieri'' ("Bold and Proud") * 2006 – '' Vecchi cani bastardi'' ("Old Bastard Dogs") * 2008 – '' Viento, lucha y sol'' ("Wind, Fight and Sun") * 2010 – '' Check Point Kreuzberg – Live at SO36 – Berlin'' * 2012 – '' Siamo guerriglia'' ("We Are Guerrilla") * 2013 – ''" Rumbo al Socialismo XXI"'' ("Onward to Socialism XXI") * 2014 – '' Banditi Senza Tempo'' ("Bandits Out of Time")

References

External links

Italian ska groups Italian rock music groups Italian punk rock groups Musical groups from Rome {{Italy-band-stub