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.
Mané
Banda Bassotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
È come il piombo questa povertà
Con i piedi nudi la palla di stracci
Sarà passaporto per la libertà
Traffico di sogni nel cielo
Sale dalle case di fango
Ogni risveglio quel pensiero ce la farò
Buongiorno favelas io sono Mané
Sul tetto del mondo c'è un posto per me
Ai vostri campioni io gli farò
Ballare un samba e poi tornerò
Brasile di mille colori
Come la pelle dei suoi schiavi
Come la maglia dei campioni garrincha Gol
Pesa come il piombo questa povertà
Tu fagli una finta e lasciala là
La poliomelite la finta Mané
La vita in baracca la finta Mané
La colla ai polmoni la finta Mané
C'è la polizia la finta Mané
Io sono Mané io sono Mané
Sul tetto del mondo c'è un posto per me
Io sono Mané io sono Mané
Buongiorno favela io torno da te
Aprite quella gabbia d'oro
Il passero riprende il volo
Morire povero e da solo ma libero
Garrincha Gol
The lyrics to Banda Bassotti's song "Mané" speak of the hardships and struggles faced by the marginalized and impoverished communities. The first two lines, "Segni di catene l'orgoglio e la farne / È come il piombo questa povertà," metaphorically describe the heavy burden and oppression that poverty brings. The chains symbolize the pride and dignity of the people, while poverty is compared to lead, highlighting its weight and suffocating nature.
The following lines, "Con i piedi nudi la palla di stracci / Sarà passaporto per la libertà," depict a scene where a ball made of rags becomes a symbol of hope and escape for those with barefooted dreams. Despite the difficult circumstances, dreams and aspirations still flourish in the slums, as represented by the phrase "traffico di sogni nel cielo" (traffic of dreams in the sky).
The chorus, "Buongiorno favelas io sono Mané / Sul tetto del mondo c'è un posto per me / Ai vostri campioni io gli farò / Ballare un samba e poi tornerò," reinforces the singer's identity as Mané, expressing solidarity with the favelas (slums) and the belief that there is a place for them on top of the world. Mané promises to make their champions dance to a samba before returning to them, symbolizing empowerment and a sense of belonging.
The lyrics also touch on the socio-economic disparities in Brazil, referring to it as a country of a thousand colors, but also acknowledging the historical context of slavery and the struggle for equality. "Come la pelle dei suoi schiavi / Come la maglia dei campioni garrincha Gol" suggests the contrasting colors of the slaves' skin and the jersey worn by the famous Brazilian football player, Garrincha. It emphasizes the resilience and talent that emerges from the marginalized communities, despite their difficult circumstances.
Overall, the lyrics of "Mané" convey a message of resilience, hope, and the determination to overcome poverty and oppression, while recognizing the strength and cultural richness of the marginalized communities.
Line by Line Meaning
Segni di catene l'orgoglio e la fame
The signs of chains are pride and hunger
È come il piombo questa povertà
This poverty is heavy like lead
Con i piedi nudi la palla di stracci
With bare feet, a ball made of rags
Sarà passaporto per la libertà
It will be a passport to freedom
Traffico di sogni nel cielo
Traffic of dreams in the sky
Sale dalle case di fango
Rises from the mud houses
Ogni risveglio quel pensiero ce la farò
Every awakening, I will make that thought come true
Buongiorno favelas io sono Mané
Good morning favelas, I am Mané
Sul tetto del mondo c'è un posto per me
On the top of the world, there is a place for me
Ai vostri campioni io gli farò
I will make your champions
Ballare un samba e poi tornerò
Dance samba and then I will return
Brasile di mille colori
Brazil of a thousand colors
Come la pelle dei suoi schiavi
Like the skin of its slaves
Come la maglia dei campioni garrincha Gol
Like the jersey of the champion Garrincha Gol
Pesa come il piombo questa povertà
This poverty weighs like lead
Tu fagli una finta e lasciala là
Trick it and leave it there
La poliomelite la finta Mané
The polio, the fake Mané
La vita in baracca la finta Mané
The life in the shack, the fake Mané
La colla ai polmoni la finta Mané
The glue on the lungs, the fake Mané
C'è la polizia la finta Mané
The police is there, the fake Mané
Io sono Mané io sono Mané
I am Mané, I am Mané
Sul tetto del mondo c'è un posto per me
On the top of the world, there is a place for me
Io sono Mané io sono Mané
I am Mané, I am Mané
Buongiorno favela io torno da te
Good morning favelas, I'm coming back to you
Aprite quella gabbia d'oro
Open that golden cage
Il passero riprende il volo
The sparrow takes flight again
Morire povero e da solo ma libero
To die poor and alone, but free
Garrincha Gol
Garrincha Gol
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Luciano Cardoso
Brasile di mille colori
come la pelle dei suoi schiavi
come la maglia dei campioni
Garrincha Gol.
Viva a Banda Bassotti, viva ao comunismo, viva ao povo brasileiro!
Bonde doKakaroto
Salutti dallo Brasile.