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.
El Quinto Regimiento
Banda Bassotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
en el patio de un convento
el partido comunista
fundó el Quinto Regimiento.
Venga jaleo, jaleo
suena la ametralladora
y Franco se va a paseo.
Con Líster, el Campesino,
con Galán y con Modesto
con el comandante Carlos
no hay miliciano con miedo.
Venga jaleo, jaleo
suena la ametralladora
y Franco se va a paseo.
Con los cuatro batallones
que Madrid están defendiendo
se va lo mejor de España
la flor más roja del pueblo.
Venga jaleo, jaleo
suena la ametralladora
y Franco se va a paseo.
Con el quinto, quinto, quinto,
con el Quinto Regimiento
madre yo me voy al frente
para las lineas de fuego.
Venga jaleo, jaleo
suena la ametralladora
y Franco se va a paseo
The lyrics to Banda Bassotti's song El Quinto Regimiento is a powerful anthem that captures the spirit of the Spanish Civil War. The song narrates the founding of the Fifth Regiment, which was established on July 18, 1936, in the courtyard of a convent by the Communist Party of Spain. The Fifth Regiment was made up of members of the working class, and it was formed to support the Spanish government in its fight against General Francisco Franco's fascist forces. The song pays tribute to some of the most revered leaders of the Spanish Civil War, including Líster, el Campesino, Galán, Modesto, and the legendary Comandante Carlos.
The lyrics are a call to arms for the people of Spain to rise up against Franco's fascist government. The "jaleo" or noise made by the ametralladora (machine gun) is symbolic of the struggle for freedom and justice. The song emphasizes the bravery and fearlessness of the Fifth Regiment, who were willing to risk their lives to defend their country and their ideals. It also speaks to the sacrifice of those who fought in the war. The line "Con el quinto, quinto, quinto, con el Quinto Regimiento, madre yo me voy al frente para las lineas de fuego" (With the Fifth, Fifth, Fifth, with the Fifth Regiment, mother, I'm going to the front lines, to the lines of fire) expresses the courage and determination of those who were willing to lay down their lives for the cause.
Line by Line Meaning
El dieciocho de julio
On the 18th of July
en el patio de un convento
in the courtyard of a convent
el partido comunista
the communist party
fundó el Quinto Regimiento.
founded the Fifth Regiment.
Venga jaleo, jaleo
Come on, uproar, uproar
suena la ametralladora
the machine gun sounds
y Franco se va a paseo.
and Franco takes a walk.
Con Líster, el Campesino,
With Líster, the Peasant,
con Galán y con Modesto
with Galán and with Modesto
con el comandante Carlos
with Commander Carlos
no hay miliciano con miedo.
there is no militiaman with fear.
Con los cuatro batallones
With the four battalions
que Madrid están defendiendo
that are defending Madrid
se va lo mejor de España
the best of Spain is going
la flor más roja del pueblo.
the reddest flower of the people.
Con el quinto, quinto, quinto,
With the Fifth, Fifth, Fifth,
con el Quinto Regimiento
with the Fifth Regiment,
madre yo me voy al frente
mother, I'm going to the front
para las lineas de fuego.
to the firing lines.
Venga jaleo, jaleo
Come on, uproar, uproar
suena la ametralladora
the machine gun sounds
y Franco se va a paseo.
and Franco takes a walk.
Contributed by Kaelyn E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
manuel adérito gonçalves moreira adérito
Oh! irmãos caídos na luta fatal,Ví
timas do sagrado amor pelo povo,
Por ele tudo destes;
Por sua honra, a vida e a liberdade.
..
Sofrestes em tenebrosos presídios,
Condenados por verdugos infames;
Sofrestes no desterro, sob o peso dos grilhões.
..
Adeus, irmãos! Trilhastes pela senda verda
deira.
Um dia há de chegar, e o povo há de despertar,
Grande, poderoso e livre.
..
Adeus, irmãos.
Marcha Fúnebre (Música soviética)
Saudações de Aveiro-Portugal.
darkec71
My grandmother's cousin died in Spain in 1939 as a Yugoslav (Slovenian) volunteer- let this song be for his memory too.
Harun Arslan
Yaşasın Enternasyonal Mücadele!
Antoni Mohedano López
Give him our respect from antifascist Spain comrade!
I
What an amazing man. Big respect from Serbia brother!
SeraKvronElCarrillo
Honor y gloria para los internacionalistas que vinieron a pelear contra el yugo fascista en españa. Los martires del pueblo y de nuestra clase nunca seran olvidados. Tu tio, tiene todo mi respeto. Que la tierra le sea leve.
Luca Bucciarelli
He was a heroe! International Brigades I salute you!!! 🙌🏻✌🏻👏🏻💪🏻
Zocaro1917
Mi abuelo se fue voluntario junto a sus amigos de la JSU y 19 años al 5 regimiento, ahora tiene 94 años y yo le quiero mucho. Me dice que la guerra civil es lo peor que puede pasarle a un pueblo y que nuestra familia a sufrido mucho por los que mataron y por los que sobrevivieron.
tajonibcn
Descansen en paz camaradas que murieron defendiendo la libertad y la justicia frente a la barbarie, siempre les estaremos agradecidos y estarán en nuestros corazones. La lucha continua no lo olvideis, ahora mas que nunca.
Pancho Pantera
Resistencia desde Mexico hermanos españoles!!!!
Santi Millán
De quién hay que resistir, pedizle a vuestro inútil presidente que resuelva los graves problemas de los ciudadanos de Méjico, por cierto, su escendencia es claramente española. 🤔