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.
All are equal for the law
Banda Bassotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Figli della stessa madre
Figli della stessa rabbia
Fumo nero copertone brucia
Fumo nero copri le città
Lo stesso fumo nel tempo
I cani in blu corrono sempre
Otto ore di lavoro a Chicago volevamo
Il fumo colpiva il cielo, sei morti ci hanno dato
Wounded-knee, segnale nel cielo
L'abbiamo visto sporco di sangue
Abbiamo visto bestie feroci portare via i fratelli rossi
Quanti polsi hanno stretto le catene a stelle e strisce
Turbe di cani feroci scatenarsi contro i deboli
Fino a Hegueras lottamo con il "Che"
Ci hanno ammazzato
SCIACALLI!!
Che paura che vi fanno i morti...
Strade di Londra! Harlem! Soweto!
"Siamo noi a San Salvador, abbiamo occupato l'Hotel Sheraton
Adelante compañeros cosciencia y fucil, VENCEREMOS!!!"
Ancora fumo in Palestina...
Pietre volano contro Israele
L'occupazione FINIRA'!!
Sventoliamo le nostre bandiere
Il piombo assassino non ci fermerà!
1916, Londra assassina bombarderà a Dublino l'esercito d'eroi
Onore a chi lotta per la propria terra
Esercito inglese i terroristi siete voi!
Corri uomo corri, i cani inglesi inseguono la tua libertà
Corri uomo corri, sopra le barricate,
Irlanda libera!!
All are equal for the law!
Todos iguales frente la ley!
Tutti uguali per la legge!
Nero acre il fumo sale ancora: all are equal for the law!
"Tutti uguali", pensava Huey P. Newton
Giudicato da una giuria di bianchi
Londra, Harlem, Belfast, Soweto, Maranagua, Bilbao...
Rivolte!
Per il tuo telegiornale è un bel gioco da vedere
Questa volta sale dalle scale
Dalla porta non dal televisore
E' un fumo forte - gridalo forte!
Sentirsi uguali - gridalo forte!
Pugni neri, bianchi, rossi o sporchi dalle miniere della Thatcher
Pugni si levano!
Catene spezzano!
Fratelli nella lotta
Figli della stessa rabbia
The lyrics of Banda Bassotti's song "All are equal for the law" convey a message of unity and resistance against oppression. The opening lines describe a sense of brotherhood among the people, with the reference to Giorgiana Masi, Fabrizio Ceruso, and Walter Rossi as "brothers". The line "sons of the same mother" suggests that they all come from the same place and share the same roots. The following line, "sons of the same anger", implies that they are all united in their anger against injustice.
The song then goes on to describe a series of events where people have been oppressed, from the burning of tire covers to the exploitation of workers in Chicago. The references to Wounded Knee, a Native American reservation where a conflict with US troops took place in 1890, and to the Che Guevara-led revolution in Higuera, Bolivia, highlight the ongoing struggles against imperialism and colonization. The lines about the English bombing of Dublin in 1916 and the ongoing conflict in Palestine underscore the ongoing struggles for self-determination and freedom.
The chorus repeats the phrase "all are equal for the law" in different languages, emphasizing the universal nature of the fight against injustice. The song ends with a call for unity among all people who are fighting against oppression and for their rights, with the line "brothers in the struggle, sons of the same anger".
In summary, "All are equal for the law" is a powerful anthem that speaks to the struggle of oppressed people around the world, calling for unity and resistance against all forms of injustice and oppression.
Line by Line Meaning
Fratelli di Giorgiana Masi, Fabrizio Ceruso, Walter rossi
Brothers of Giorgiana Masi, Fabrizio Ceruso, Walter Rossi
Figli della stessa madre
Sons of the same mother
Figli della stessa rabbia
Sons of the same rage
Fumo nero copertone brucia
Black smoke from burning tires
Fumo nero copri le città
Black smoke covering the cities
Lo stesso fumo nel tempo
The same smoke over time
I cani in blu corrono sempre
The blue dogs always run
Otto ore di lavoro a Chicago volevamo
We wanted eight hours of work in Chicago
Il fumo colpiva il cielo, sei morti ci hanno dato
The smoke hit the sky, they gave us six dead
Wounded-knee, segnale nel cielo
Wounded Knee, signal in the sky
L'abbiamo visto sporco di sangue
We saw it covered in blood
Abbiamo visto bestie feroci portare via i fratelli rossi
We saw ferocious beasts take away our red brothers
Quanti polsi hanno stretto le catene a stelle e strisce
How many wrists have been chained under the stars and stripes
Turbe di cani feroci scatenarsi contro i deboli
Hordes of ferocious dogs unleashed against the weak
Fino a Hegueras lottamo con il "Che"
We fight with Che Guevara until Hegueras
Ci hanno ammazzato
They killed us
SCIACALLI!!
JACKALS!!
Che paura che vi fanno i morti...
How scared are the dead making you...
Strade di Londra! Harlem! Soweto!
Streets of London! Harlem! Soweto!
"Siamo noi a San Salvador, abbiamo occupato l'Hotel Sheraton
"We are in San Salvador, we have occupied the Sheraton Hotel
Adelante compañeros cosciencia y fucil, VENCEREMOS!!!"
Forward comrades with conscience and rifle, WE WILL WIN!!!"
Ancora fumo in Palestina...
Still smoke in Palestine...
Pietre volano contro Israele
Stones fly against Israel
L'occupazione FINIRA'!!
The occupation WILL END!!
Sventoliamo le nostre bandiere
We wave our flags
Il piombo assassino non ci fermerà!
The deadly lead will not stop us!
1916, Londra assassina bombarderà a Dublino l'esercito d'eroi
1916, murderous London will bomb Dublin's army of heroes
Onore a chi lotta per la propria terra
Honor to those who fight for their land
Esercito inglese i terroristi siete voi!
English army, you are the terrorists!
Corri uomo corri, i cani inglesi inseguono la tua libertà
Run man run, English dogs chase your freedom
Corri uomo corri, sopra le barricate, Irlanda libera!!
Run man run, over the barricades, Ireland is free!!
All are equal for the law!
All are equal before the law!
Todos iguales frente la ley!
All are equal before the law!
Tutti uguali per la legge!
All are equal before the law!
Nero acre il fumo sale ancora: all are equal for the law!
Black acrid smoke still rises: all are equal before the law!
"Tutti uguali", pensava Huey P. Newton Giudicato da una giuria di bianchi
"All equal", Huey P. Newton thought, judged by a white jury
Londra, Harlem, Belfast, Soweto, Maranagua, Bilbao...
London, Harlem, Belfast, Soweto, Maranagua, Bilbao...
Rivolte!
Revolt!
Per il tuo telegiornale è un bel gioco da vedere
For your news, it's a nice spectacle to see
Questa volta sale dalle scale
This time it comes up the stairs
Dalla porta non dal televisore
From the door, not from the TV
E' un fumo forte - gridalo forte!
It's a strong smoke - shout it out loud!
Sentirsi uguali - gridalo forte!
Feeling equal - shout it out loud!
Pugni neri, bianchi, rossi o sporchi dalle miniere della Thatcher
Black, white, red or dirty fists from Thatcher's mines
Pugni si levano!
Fists are raised!
Catene spezzano!
Chains are broken!
Fratelli nella lotta
Brothers in the fight
Contributed by Adalyn H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
OVOSODO
Braća Giorgiane Masi, Fabrizio Ceruso, Walter Rossi
Deca iste majke
Deca istog besa
Crna guma gori
Crni dim pokriva gradove
Isti dim tokom vremena
Psi u plavom uvek trče
Hteli smo osam sati rada u Chicagu
Dim je pogodio nebo, dalo nam je šest ljudi
Ranjeno koleno, signal na nebu
Videli smo da je umrljana krvlju
Vidjeli smo divlje zvijeri koje su odnijele crvenu braću
Koliko ste zglobova zategnuli lance zvijezda i pruga
Nevolje divljih pasa oslobodile su se protiv slabih
Do Hegueras se borimo sa "Che"
Ubili su nas
Šakali!
Kakav strah vas mrtvi čine
Streets of London! Harlem! Soweto!
„Mi smo u San Salvadoru, zauzeli smo hotel Sheraton
adelante compañeros sentiencia y fucil, VENCEREMOS! "
Još uvek pušim u Palestini
Kamenje leti protiv Izraela
Zanimanje će završiti!
Valjamo zastave
Ubojica nas neće zaustaviti!
1916, ubilački London bombardovao je vojsku heroja u Dablinu
Čast onima koji se bore za svoju zemlju
Vi ste britanska teroristička vojska!
Trči, trkači, engleski psi lovi tvoju slobodu
Trčite, prelažite barikade,
Irska besplatno!
Svi su jednaki za zakon!
Todos iguales frent the ley!
Sve isto za zakon!
Ponovo se diže crni oštar dim: svi su jednaki za zakon!
"Svejedno", pomisli Huey P. Newton
Sudi po poroti belaca
London, Harlem, Belfast, Soweto, Maranagua, Bilbao
Neredi!
Za vijesti je lijepa igra za gledanje
Ovog puta uz stepenice
Iz vrata, a ne iz televizora
To je jak dim.
Osećaj isto - vičite glasno!
Crna, bela, crvena ili prljava pesnica iz Thatcherovih mina
Fists rise!
Chains break!
Braća u borbi
Deca istog besa
Marcello Malloni
Per me questa è la migliore, poi fate voi. Mi spiace solo che ai concerti non la ripropongano più, come tante altre dei primi '90.
Francesca Alberti
bellissima questa canzone.....l'avevo conosciuta a 15 anni e l'avevo ascoltata fino alla nausea....bellissimabellissima!
anna decola
Ora e sempre: Resistenza!
Libera Anti Anti
Que viva la lucha del pueblo Palestino 💪✊
LalliGRIFO
grandi compagni Bassotti...FIGLI DELLA STESSA RABBIAAAA!!!
Zlaya Robija
does anyone have the lyrics and their translation? greetings from Zenica, Bosnia !
OVOSODO
Braća Giorgiane Masi, Fabrizio Ceruso, Walter Rossi
Deca iste majke
Deca istog besa
Crna guma gori
Crni dim pokriva gradove
Isti dim tokom vremena
Psi u plavom uvek trče
Hteli smo osam sati rada u Chicagu
Dim je pogodio nebo, dalo nam je šest ljudi
Ranjeno koleno, signal na nebu
Videli smo da je umrljana krvlju
Vidjeli smo divlje zvijeri koje su odnijele crvenu braću
Koliko ste zglobova zategnuli lance zvijezda i pruga
Nevolje divljih pasa oslobodile su se protiv slabih
Do Hegueras se borimo sa "Che"
Ubili su nas
Šakali!
Kakav strah vas mrtvi čine
Streets of London! Harlem! Soweto!
„Mi smo u San Salvadoru, zauzeli smo hotel Sheraton
adelante compañeros sentiencia y fucil, VENCEREMOS! "
Još uvek pušim u Palestini
Kamenje leti protiv Izraela
Zanimanje će završiti!
Valjamo zastave
Ubojica nas neće zaustaviti!
1916, ubilački London bombardovao je vojsku heroja u Dablinu
Čast onima koji se bore za svoju zemlju
Vi ste britanska teroristička vojska!
Trči, trkači, engleski psi lovi tvoju slobodu
Trčite, prelažite barikade,
Irska besplatno!
Svi su jednaki za zakon!
Todos iguales frent the ley!
Sve isto za zakon!
Ponovo se diže crni oštar dim: svi su jednaki za zakon!
"Svejedno", pomisli Huey P. Newton
Sudi po poroti belaca
London, Harlem, Belfast, Soweto, Maranagua, Bilbao
Neredi!
Za vijesti je lijepa igra za gledanje
Ovog puta uz stepenice
Iz vrata, a ne iz televizora
To je jak dim.
Osećaj isto - vičite glasno!
Crna, bela, crvena ili prljava pesnica iz Thatcherovih mina
Fists rise!
Chains break!
Braća u borbi
Deca istog besa
Nicola Rosso
VENCEREMOS!
Córka Sama Berkowitz
Belfast is Irish!
Grozny is Chechen!
MCG
Viva la lucha del valiente pueblo palestino!!!💪🏻✌🏻️✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻