Punk and Ska band from Italy. Their songs are generally rational in nature,… Read Full Bio ↴Punk and Ska band from Italy. Their songs are generally rational in nature, focusing on socialism, internationalism and atheism issues. its music can to remind The Clash, Angelic Upstarts, Red London, Hard Skin, The Selecter or Madness.

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.

Insciallah mi amor
Banda Bassotti Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

De La Calle Y De Su Olor
Salieron Nuestras Raices
Somos Lucha Vida Y Sol
Hambre Y Desesperacion
Somos De Lo Que Vivimos
Lo Que Hacemos Lo Que Vemos
Somos Reir Y No Llorar
Viento Y Al Fin Huracan

Libres Vamos Por El Mundo
Más De Noche Que De Dia
Desierto Y Soledad
Miles De Ojos Otra Ciudad

Roma Bilbo - Tokio Paris
Buenos Aires Y Madrid
Vigo Berlin - Barna Df.
En L'havana Y A Caracas

Preparados Para El Mañana
Con La Rabia Y El Corazon
De La Vida Otra Vida Llega
Gasolina En El Motor

Naturaleza Y Delirio
Desde El Calor Más Intenso
Hasta El Frio De Los Sin Techo
Pura Arena De Vida

Generacion De Los Sin Nada
Es Una Vida Que Te Veo
Todos Somos Prisioneros
Buscando Una Salida
Todos Buscamos Irnos
Roma Bilbo-Tokio Paris
Buenos Aires Y Madrid
Vigo Berlin-Barna D F
En L'havana Y A Caracas

Bienvenidos A L'infierno
En Esta Enorme Sing Sing

Somos Lucha Vida Y Sol
Insciallah Mi Amor

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Banda Bassotti's song "Insciallah mi amor" paint a vivid picture of a world filled with struggle and desperation, yet also resilience and hope. The opening lines, "De La Calle Y De Su Olor / Salieron Nuestras Raices" (From the street and its smell / Our roots emerged), suggest that the band draws inspiration from the raw realities and experiences of the streets. They proudly proclaim themselves as a product of what they live, see, and do, encapsulating the essence of their identity.

The lyrics further delve into themes of freedom, traveling, and confronting various cities and landscapes, from Rome to Bilbao, Tokyo to Paris, Buenos Aires to Madrid. The constant movement and exploration reflect a desire to break free from the restrictions of a confining society. The mention of Havana and Caracas adds a political undertone, hinting at political struggles and revolutions.

The song also highlights the importance of being prepared for the future, holding on to anger and passion, and embracing life's challenges. The reference to "Gasolina en el motor" (Gasoline in the engine) suggests a driving force that propels them forward, perhaps referring to the band's music as a vehicle for change.

Overall, "Insciallah mi amor" showcases Banda Bassotti's commitment to highlighting societal issues, advocating for change, and promoting unity and solidarity among the marginalized and oppressed.

Line by Line Meaning

De La Calle Y De Su Olor
From the streets and their smell

Salieron Nuestras Raices
Our roots emerged

Somos Lucha Vida Y Sol
We are struggle, life, and sun

Hambre Y Desesperacion
Hunger and desperation

Somos De Lo Que Vivimos
We are what we live

Lo Que Hacemos Lo Que Vemos
What we do, what we see

Somos Reir Y No Llorar
We are laughter, not tears

Viento Y Al Fin Huracan
Wind and finally hurricane

Libres Vamos Por El Mundo
We go freely through the world

Más De Noche Que De Dia
More at night than during the day

Desierto Y Soledad
Desert and solitude