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.
Festa si lucha tambien
Banda Bassotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ti guardi ancora intorno
bottiglie vuote e una gran sinfonia
comincia come sempre
che cosa ti credevi
chi ci controlla non si ferma mai
senti un richiamo: che cos'è la realtà
quando le belve arriveranno saranno guai
una musica nuova nella tua testa ronzerà
festa si lotta pure
E' la ricetta giusta che ci porta alla vittoria
festa si lotta pure
e l'energia che hai dentro non sarà dispersa al vento
senti la rabbia dentro
si sta sfasciando il mondo
senti un olesse e già sai che cos'è
sorridono i padroni
tornano a galla i vili
mostrano finalmente i muscoli
palazzi d'oro e limousine
si sentono al sicuro ormai (sanno dove sei)
E' una questione di potere
da conquistare la tua dignità
perciò comincia a pedalare
festa si lotta pure
E' una danza di guerra che farà tremare il mondo
festa si lotta pure
e finirà la pacchia per chi ci ruba la vita
fratello alza la testa gridalo dai:
finita è la pazienza ormai.
festa si lotta pure
E' la ricetta giusta che ci porta alla vittoria
festa si lotta pure
E' una danza di guerra che farà tremare il mondo
fratello alza la testa gridalo dai:
finita è la pazienza ormai
The lyrics of Banda Bassotti's song "Festa si lucha tambien" revolve around the theme of social justice and resistance against oppression. The song begins by describing the aftermath of a wild party, with empty bottles and chaos everywhere. As the singer wakes up, they realize that the struggle for justice never stops, and those in power never rest. The call to action comes in the form of a new idea - a "new music" playing in the singer's head that combines festivity and resistance.
As the song continues, the lyrics shift towards a sense of anger and urgency. It describes the world as falling apart, with the rich getting richer and the powerful becoming more oppressive. The repeated phrase "festa si lotta pure" (party and struggle together) becomes a rallying cry for resistance, encouraging people to fight back against the system and take control of their own lives. The song ends with a call to action, urging listeners to stand up and declare that their patience has run out.
Overall, the song is a powerful and passionate call to arms against oppression and inequality, blending music and politics to create a sense of defiance and unity.
Line by Line Meaning
Ti svegli la mattina
When you wake up in the morning
ti guardi ancora intorno
You look around again
bottiglie vuote e una gran sinfonia
Empty bottles and a great symphony
comincia come sempre
It starts as always
che cosa ti credevi
What did you think
chi ci controlla non si ferma mai
Those who control us never stop
senti un richiamo: che cos'è la realtà
You hear a call: what is reality
quando le belve arriveranno saranno guai
When the beasts arrive it will be trouble
e allora nessun santo ti salverà
And then no saint will save you
una musica nuova nella tua testa ronzerà
A new music will buzz in your head
festa si lotta pure
It's a party and a fight too
E' la ricetta giusta che ci porta alla vittoria
It's the right recipe that leads us to victory
e l'energia che hai dentro non sarà dispersa al vento
And the energy you have inside won't be lost to the wind
senti la rabbia dentro
You feel the anger inside
si sta sfasciando il mondo
The world is falling apart
senti un olesse e già sai che cos'è
You hear a call and you know what it is
sorridono i padroni
The bosses are smiling
tornano a galla i vili
The cowards come to the surface
mostrano finalmente i muscoli
They finally show their muscles
palazzi d'oro e limousine
Golden palaces and limousines
si sentono al sicuro ormai (sanno dove sei)
They feel safe now (they know where you are)
E' una questione di potere
It's a question of power
da conquistare la tua dignità
To conquer your dignity
perciò comincia a pedalare
So start pedaling
fratello alza la testa gridalo dai:
Brother, raise your head and shout:
finita è la pazienza ormai.
Patience is over now.
E' una danza di guerra che farà tremare il mondo
It's a war dance that will make the world tremble
e finirà la pacchia per chi ci ruba la vita
And the easy life for those who steal our lives will end
Contributed by Riley A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.