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.
Corrido de Lucio Cabañas
Banda Bassotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que se oiga en el mundo entero
Para que sepa la gente
Lo que pasa allá en Guerrero
Que hay campesinos armados
Defendiendo la Montaña
Comandados por un hombre
No son ni desesperados ni les falta la razón
Son hombres que han decidido
Hacer la revolución
Pero las hienas del centro
Llenas de pan y dinero
Mandaron a sus chacales
Atrás de los Guerrilleros
Las ordenes son precisas
Son consignas de un villano
Asesinar a Cabañas y a todos sus milicianos
Los soldaditos están
Dispuestos a aniquilarlos
La verdad es que andan buscando
Rogando a Dios de no encontrarlo
Llevan tanques y camiones
De matar tienen permiso
Pero a esa gente le falta
Lo que le falta al carrizo
Cuidado tigre Cabañas
Te andan rastreando los perros
Pero cuando un perro pudo
Con un tigre de los cerros?
Dicen que es que es un fantasma
Y dicen que lo mataron
Con el petate del muerto
Piensan que nos asustaron
Villa y Zapata saludan
Desde el cielo tu forjia
Jaramillo te bendice al mirar tu valentía
Y es que ízate la bandera
Por los que dieron la vida
Defendiendo los derechos
Por nuestra nación querida
Se les hizo ojo de hormiga
Se perdió en los matorrales
En la punta de la Sierra
Se sentó a los federales
Se les hizo ojo de hormiga
Se perdió en los matorrales
En la punta de la Sierra
Se sentó a los federales
The lyrics of Banda Bassotti's song "Corrido de Lucio Cabañas" tell the story of a group of armed peasants in Guerrero, Mexico, led by a man named Lucio Cabañas. The singer intends to share this story with the world, shedding light on the situation in Guerrero.
The first paragraph introduces the purpose of the corrido, which is to inform people about what is happening in Guerrero. The singer wants the whole world to know about the armed peasants who are defending the Montaña region, and specifically about their leader, Lucio Cabañas.
The second paragraph addresses the perception of these armed peasants. The singer emphasizes that they are not desperate individuals, but rather people who have made a conscious decision to engage in revolution. Their actions are driven by reason and a sense of righteousness.
The third paragraph describes the opposition that the peasants face. The "hienas del centro," or the powerful elite in the center (referring to the Mexican government), are depicted as sending their henchmen to track down and kill the guerrillas. The soldiers have been given explicit orders to eliminate Cabañas and his militia.
The fourth paragraph highlights the preparations made by the soldiers to suppress the movement, including the use of tanks and trucks. However, the singer suggests that while the government may have the means to kill, they lack something that the peasants possess. The comparison to the carrizo, a type of reed known for its resilience, implies that the peasants possess a strength and fortitude that the soldiers lack.
The following verses describe the ongoing pursuit of Lucio Cabañas. It is mentioned that the soldiers are tracking him like dogs, but the singer questions whether mere dogs can overcome a tiger from the mountains. This suggests that despite being pursued, Cabañas remains a formidable force, perhaps even supernatural according to some rumors.
The next lines pay homage to historical figures, Villa and Zapata, who symbolize past revolutionaries, and Jaramillo, who blesses Cabañas for his bravery. This part emphasizes the valiant and heroic nature of Cabañas' struggle.
The final two lines depict a turn of events. The phrase "se les hizo ojo de hormiga" refers to an incident where something becomes invisible, like an ant-sized object disappearing from sight. It suggests that Cabañas and his militia managed to evade the soldiers, disappearing in the thick bushes and taunting the federal forces from the Sierra mountains.
In conclusion, the lyrics of "Corrido de Lucio Cabañas" recount the story of a group of armed peasants defending their region in Guerrero. The song paints a picture of their struggle against the oppressive forces of the government, with Cabañas emerging as a defiant and elusive leader. It also pays tribute to historical revolutionaries and highlights the resilience and bravery of those fighting for their rights and their beloved nation.
Line by Line Meaning
Voy a cantar un corrido
I'm going to sing a ballad
Que se oiga en el mundo entero
That can be heard worldwide
Para que sepa la gente
So that people know
Lo que pasa allá en Guerrero
What's happening there in Guerrero
Que hay campesinos armados
That there are armed peasants
Defendiendo la Montaña
Defending the Mountain
Comandados por un hombre
Led by a man
De nombre Lucio Cabañas
Named Lucio Cabañas
No son ni desesperados ni les falta la razón
They are neither desperate nor lacking reason
Son hombres que han decidido
They are men who have decided
Hacer la revolución
To make the revolution
Pero las hienas del centro
But the hyenas from the center
Llenas de pan y dinero
Full of bread and money
Mandaron a sus chacales
Sent their jackals
Atrás de los Guerrilleros
After the Guerrilleros
Las ordenes son precisas
The orders are precise
Son consignas de un villano
They are instructions from a villain
Asesinar a Cabañas y a todos sus milicianos
To assassinate Cabañas and all his militiamen
Los soldaditos están
The little soldiers are
Dispuestos a aniquilarlos
Ready to annihilate them
La verdad es que andan buscando
The truth is that they are looking
Rogando a Dios de no encontrarlo
Praying to God not to find him
Llevan tanques y camiones
They have tanks and trucks
De matar tienen permiso
They have permission to kill
Pero a esa gente le falta
But those people lack
Lo que le falta al carrizo
What the reed lacks
Cuidado tigre Cabañas
Watch out, tiger Cabañas
Te andan rastreando los perros
The dogs are tracking you
Pero cuando un perro pudo
But when has a dog been able
Con un tigre de los cerros?
To deal with a mountain tiger?
Dicen que es que es un fantasma
They say he's a ghost
Y dicen que lo mataron
And they say they killed him
Con el petate del muerto
With the dead man's mat
Piensan que nos asustaron
They think they scared us
Villa y Zapata saludan
Villa and Zapata salute
Desde el cielo tu forjia
From heaven, your forge
Jaramillo te bendice al mirar tu valentía
Jaramillo blesses you as he sees your bravery
Y es que ízate la bandera
And it's because you hoist the flag
Por los que dieron la vida
For those who gave their lives
Defendiendo los derechos
Defending the rights
Por nuestra nación querida
For our beloved nation
Se les hizo ojo de hormiga
It became an ant's eye for them
Se perdió en los matorrales
They got lost in the shrubs
En la punta de la Sierra
At the tip of the Sierra
Se sentó a los federales
They sat down the federal soldiers
Se les hizo ojo de hormiga
It became an ant's eye for them
Se perdió en los matorrales
They got lost in the shrubs
En la punta de la Sierra
At the tip of the Sierra
Se sentó a los federales
They sat down the federal soldiers
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
El Chiro One
INCREIBLE QUE ESTA BANDA SEPA MAS DE LA HISTORIA MUSICAL DE MEXICO Y AQUI EN MEXICO SOLO SE HABLE DE PURO PUTO FUTBOL
Moises Guzman
Grande lucio cabañas mis respetos
soldadoblanco80
bravissimi banda bassotti. Saluti da Messico...
Carlos Buchan
es increible q mejor un grupo italiano como lo es b. bassotti, una banda española como lo es ska-p, un gpo. frances como babylon circus, y demas compañeros europeos canten canciones referentes a la historia de México y sus héroes, y q aqi en México se hagan puras mamadas como la pau rubio, la academia, y demas pendejadas...OJALA ALGUN DIA REGRESE LA BANDA BASSOTTI A MEXICO SERIA UN PLACER VOLVER A VERLOS ni un paso atras no pasaran
GOomiiz AlarcOon
yo opino q no olovidemos el esfuerso de todos los q nos andadado liverta al entregar su propia vidad y que nos andegado su legado si no hay lucha no hay victoria y segimos hasta hoy en su memoria
Alejandro Rojas
Esa canción la escuché con el "Guerrillero de la Guitarra" José de Molina.
KARATE DO KURO OBI SHUDO KAN
Es de José de Molina.... Chingonazo...
Ariel Campos
Adiós para siempre Sigaro. Gracias por tus canciones.
mauricio henriquez cortez
En este video de homenaje veo al gran salvador allende que fue presidente en mi pais, si todos pensaran como nosotros no existirian esas pugnas de territorio que actualmente existen y la oligarquia que existe en nuestros paises donde acumulan mucha riquesa el obrero y el campesino y empleado se sigue matando el lomo para llegar con un sueldo digno a fin de mes, saludos y mis respetos a mis hermanos de mexico america del sur y del mundo saludos desde chile
Abraham Mendieta
Heroíco Lucio Cabañas. Hoy el gobierno de la 4T honra su memoria.