Banda Bassotti was formed in 1988, by a group of politically active musicians who began to sympathize with the Nicaraguan, Salvadorean, Palestinian, and Basque people fights. This group of friends supports the Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional with solidarity initiatives by creating some work brigades. From 1984 to 1987 they took part to a three months brigade with the building cooperative XXV Aprile, to build some students houses and a school. From 1987 to 1989 the group creates a rock-band which begins to stir in the squats and in the demonstrations. The Banda Bassotti together with other comrades establishes the project Gridalo Forte No fascism! No racism! A documentation centre against fascism and racial prejudice.
From 1990 to 1991 they organize an antiracist festival with the same title who took place in Rome on 1991 May 3rd and 4th. European antiracist bands took part into such festival with concerts, videos and meetings. From this documentation centre, after two years the label Gridalo Forte Records is created. From this documentation centre the project Balla e Difendi arises, always in 1991, where the Banda Bassotti, took part to, together with other roman bands, such as: Red House, Filo da Torcere, AK 47. In this record, produced by the Gridalo Forte Records independent label, took part the most active bands of the left roman antagonist scene. "Figli della stessa rabbia" the first Banda Bassotti cd follows the success of such initiative and it is produced by the same label. This cd obtained a great success of both audience and critics and acted as an ingagements band multiplier: from a roman dimension to a national, and then an international one.
Without abandoning their roots, the BB obtained appreciation in Spain and especially in the Basque Country, where they performed in several concerts together with some independist left bands. During the recording of "Bella Ciao" together with the GANG, it raised the idea to play in Salvador for the FMNL. The occasion to realize such idea comes out few months later in march 1994, for the first political elections after 11 years of civil war in Salvador. The Banda Bassotti played with the Negu Gorriak in San Salvador central square at the end of the campaign with an audience of 50.000 people. They performed in 4 concerts in less than a week.
In June 1995 the band moved to Euskadi for 15 days in the IZ studio, on the mountains and with Kaki Arkarazo –sound technician and Negu Gorriak guitarist- they recorded "Avanzo di Cantiere" produced by Gridalo Forte Records label. Fermin Muguruza took part to the traditional song "Carabina 30-30" This cd is sold also in Euskadi and Spain, published by Gora Herriak Records a branch of the International Basque label Esan Ozenki. The record has been presented in several concerts in Italy and all over Spain: Bilbao, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Santiago De Compostela, Saragoza, Gasteiz, Oiartzun. The Banda Bassotti played with the Negu Gorriak in summer 1995 in Bilbao Gaz Square at the town party with an audience of 10.000 people. After a while the Banda Bassotti took part to a Hitz Egin demonstration for the freedom of expression, a big concert to raising funds for the Negu Gorriak trial against the civil guard General Galindo. The song reported is Ustalkerria. They raised 200.000.000 liras for the defence, about 12.000 people took part to it and 15 bands played, there were all Basque bands and the Banda Bassotti represented the international sympathy.
In the mid 1996 the band decided to stop because of great energies spent and the obvious difficulties to go on both with the band and to work in the yard.
In February 2001 Negu Gorriak -who broke in the same time of of the Banda Bassotti- decided to keep the promise to get back together to play in a concert to celebrate the end of the legal prosecution of Colonel Galindo against their song Ustalkerria when the Negu Gorriak won the trial. The agreement stated that also the Banda Bassotti should have to rejoin nad play with the Basque band. The Banda Bassotti decided to increase the instruments of the band with the brass section: Sandokan to the tombone -singer of the Ramiccia and trombone of the International Fermin Muguruza Dub Manifest and of the Radici nel Cemento- and Stefano Cecchi to the trumpet -trumpet of the bands International Fermin Muguruza Dub Manifest and Radici nel Cemento-. They rearranged their songs and left for Bilbao.
Concerts in February should have been two but they were three, due to the great demand of tickets (30.000). Seizing this opportunity the Banda Bassotti organized two concerts in Rome on 15th and 17th March 2001. The first concert is in support of the people reported for the demonstration against the nazi Haider arrival in Rome, while the second took place in the Social Centre "Villaggio Globale" with an audience of 9.000 people. The great success of these occasional concerts was the input to find new energies and the Banda Bassotti started to reorganize its future as a band. They started again to play and they received great demands from Italy and Spain.
In May 2001 a double live cd has been published by the label Gridalo Forte Records with the title "Un altro giorno d’amore" recorded at the Villaggio Globale and mixed in the Euskadi Garate Studio by Kaki Arkarazo. The video is the live concert of May 17th as well. Fermin Muguruza took part to roman concerts singing "La Linea del Frente" and "Zu Trapartu Arte" the two most famous songs by Fermin Muguruza’s first band: the Kortatu. After a while they shoot the video of "Carabina 30-30" and Maurizio Gregori -Ramiccia’s saxophonist- joined the band.
In summer 2001 the Banda bassotti is on tour again in Italy, Spain and the Basque Country until September when they played at the Independent Day Festival with Manu Chao, Africa Unite, and so on. Without forgetting their attitude, the Banda Bassotti and their label organized a concert in Rome to support the partisan Walter Dall’Olmo and his family. After that they performed in Italy and Spain and in November 2001, during their first seven concerts tour, they had a total audience of about 30.000 people.
In their second tour in December, with four concerts their audience was of around 7.000 people. During this month they released a compilation with the title "Poetry and reality" for the Japanese label Two Children Records.
Singer Angelo "Sigaro" Conti, died at the age of 62 on 11 December 2018.
100Celle City Rockers
Banda Bassotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Alla brigate partigiane
A tutti i comunisti e le comuniste caduti
A Valerio Verbano, a "Dax" Cesare
(Dax è vivo e lotta insieme a noi
Le nostre idee non moriranno mai)
Arrivai di notte senza meta né via
Sotto un lampione quella scritta storta
Su un muro è 100Celle City Rockers
In quella grande periferia
La sera ubriachi e via musica, birra, canne
Allora sì che ero fuori di me
100Celle City Rockers, 100Celle City Rockеrs
100Celle City Rockers
È il mio cuorе che sente
E i miei occhi vedono
La mie braccia chiamano e stringono
Centocelle è dentro di me
Centocelle scritta nel mio cuore
Dentro di me
Centocelle batte forte un motore dentro di me
Centocelle scritta nel mio cuore
Dentro di me
Centocelle un graffio sul mio cuore
Dentro di me
Rimasi a piedi quella notte alle cinque
Mentre tornavo a casa dai Discharge
Mi hanno preso a calci e pugni solo perché
Quella notte ero fuori di me
Non sarà un pugno a cambiare la sorte
Di quel ragazzo che non ha età
A Centocelle è scritta una storia che rimarrà
Storta sul muro fino a che non cadrà
100Celle City Rockers, 100Celle City Rockers
100Celle City Rockers, 100Celle City Rockers
Calcola che noi ci siamo
Conosciuti a Centocelle
Quindi la dedicherei proprio ai Bassotti
A questi ragazzacci
The lyrics of Banda Bassotti's song "100Celle City Rockers" express a sense of solidarity, resistance, and pride in the neighborhood of Centocelle in Rome, Italy. In the first verse, the band pays tribute to timeless bandits, partisan brigades, and fallen communists, as well as mentioning Valerio Verbano and "Dax" Cesare. The reference to "Dax" Cesare is significant as it showcases how he is alive and fighting alongside them, ensuring that their ideals will never die.
The song describes the author's arrival in a large suburb without purpose or direction. Under a lamppost, they notice the graffiti on a wall that reads "100Celle City Rockers." The neighborhood comes alive, with drunken nights, music, beer, and marijuana. The author vividly describes the feeling of losing oneself in the vibrant atmosphere of Centocelle.
The chorus reveals the deep emotional connection the author feels towards Centocelle. The heart feels it, the eyes see it, the arms call and embrace it. The neighborhood is engraved in their heart, and it beats like a strong engine inside them. Centocelle has left its mark, both as a scratch and a story that will remain on the wall until it falls.
The final verse speaks of a night when the author was left stranded at five in the morning after attending a concert by the punk band Discharge. They were violently attacked, kicked, and punched simply because they were caught up in the energy and spirit of the night. The lyrics acknowledge that one punch cannot change the fate of a young person who carries the rebellious spirit of Centocelle. The neighborhood's history is etched on the crooked walls and will endure.
Overall, "100Celle City Rockers" is an anthem of solidarity and rebellion, reflecting the pride and experiences of the band and the community of Centocelle.
Line by Line Meaning
Ai banditi senza tempo
To the timeless bandits
Alla brigate partigiane
To the partisan brigades
A tutti i comunisti e le comuniste caduti
To all the fallen communists
A Valerio Verbano, a 'Dax' Cesare
To Valerio Verbano, to 'Dax' Cesare
(Dax è vivo e lotta insieme a noi
(Dax is alive and fights with us
Le nostre idee non moriranno mai)
Our ideas will never die)
In una grande periferia
In a great suburb
Arrivai di notte senza meta né via
I arrived at night without a destination or way
Sotto un lampione quella scritta storta
Under a lamppost, that crooked writing
Su un muro è 100Celle City Rockers
On a wall is 100Celle City Rockers
In quella grande periferia
In that great suburb
La sera ubriachi e via musica, birra, canne
In the evening, drunk and music, beer, joints
Allora sì che ero fuori di me
That's when I was out of my mind
100Celle City Rockers, 100Celle City Rockers
100Celle City Rockers, 100Celle City Rockers
È il mio cuore che sente
It's my heart that feels
E i miei occhi vedono
And my eyes see
La mie braccia chiamano e stringono
My arms call and embrace
Centocelle è dentro di me
Centocelle is inside of me
Centocelle scritta nel mio cuore
Centocelle written in my heart
Dentro di me
Inside of me
Centocelle batte forte un motore dentro di me
Centocelle beats strongly an engine inside of me
Centocelle scritta nel mio cuore
Centocelle written in my heart
Dentro di me
Inside of me
Centocelle un graffio sul mio cuore
Centocelle a scratch on my heart
Dentro di me
Inside of me
Rimasi a piedi quella notte alle cinque
I was left on foot that night at five
Mentre tornavo a casa dai Discharge
While I was returning home from Discharge
Mi hanno preso a calci e pugni solo perché
They kicked and punched me just because
Quella notte ero fuori di me
That night I was out of my mind
Non sarà un pugno a cambiare la sorte
A punch won't change the fate
Di quel ragazzo che non ha età
Of that ageless boy
A Centocelle è scritta una storia che rimarrà
In Centocelle, a story is written that will remain
Storta sul muro fino a che non cadrà
Crooked on the wall until it falls
100Celle City Rockers, 100Celle City Rockers
100Celle City Rockers, 100Celle City Rockers
100Celle City Rockers, 100Celle City Rockers
100Celle City Rockers, 100Celle City Rockers
Calcola che noi ci siamo
Consider that we are
Conosciuti a Centocelle
Known in Centocelle
Quindi la dedicherei proprio ai Bassotti
So I would dedicate it to the Bassotti
A questi ragazzacci
To these rascals
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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