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.
Mockba '993
Banda Bassotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Non risplende più il sole che scaldava la povera gente
Sta cambiando l'aria il vento dell'ovest non si fermerà
Fino a quando guerra odio e sfruttamento si respirerà
Dalle montagne fino al mare calpesteranno l'uomo I piedi della proprietà
Quando tu vedrai la fame entrare nelle case della gente e ti accorgerai di te al freddo non gliene importa niente
Mafia et CIA polvere di stelle vite prenderà cacheranno soldi sopra la tua pelle I cani dello zar
Quale giustizia e libertà costruiranno sulla fame e la povertà
Facce di operai al muro insieme all'uguaglianza tra la gente
Tra le cannonate e l'asfalto rosso Ilijc partirà andrà per il mondo cercherà il suo amore Solidarietà
Sopra il fumo e le macerie un corvo bianco indosserà la camicia nera
Mosca '993, signor padrone mi ricorderò di te... Come un partigiano Tovaric non si arrende
Col martello in mano Tovaric si difende scenderà la notte con lo sfruttamento sopra le città
Ma la nostra idea si alzerà ogni giorno e camminerà
Tra chi mangia polvere e sudore tra chi resiste tra chi non dimenticherà
Mosca '993 signor padrone mi ricorderò di te
The lyrics of Banda Bassotti's song "Mockba '993" address the changing political climate in the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. The glory of the socialist state with the red star is fading, as the winds of change blow in from the west, bringing with them war, hatred, and exploitation. The people are being trampled underfoot by the owners of property, who care nothing for their suffering or the hunger and poverty that they see all around them. The CIA and the mafia are lurking in the shadows, taking lives in their quest for power and money. In the midst of all this, Ilijc sets out on a journey to find his love, seeking solidarity and equality among the workers and the people who remain committed to the ideals of socialism.
The song paints a picture of a society that is in turmoil, torn apart by greed and corruption. The chorus, "Mosca '993, signor padrone mi ricorderò di te" (Moscow 1993, lord and master, I will remember you), suggests a sense of bitter irony and defiance in the face of the overwhelming power of those who seek to dominate and control. Despite the darkness and despair, however, there is a glimmer of hope that shines through, symbolized by the white crow wearing a black shirt, standing as a beacon of resistance and rebellion against the forces of oppression.
Line by Line Meaning
Sopra le città della gloriosa stella rossa dell'oriente
Above the cities of the glorious red star of the East
Non risplende più il sole che scaldava la povera gente
The sun that used to warm the poor people no longer shines
Sta cambiando l'aria il vento dell'ovest non si fermerà
The wind from the West is changing the air and won't stop
Fino a quando guerra odio e sfruttamento si respirerà
As long as war, hatred, and exploitation exist
Dalle montagne fino al mare calpesteranno l'uomo I piedi della proprietà
From the mountains to the sea, people will be trampled on by the feet of property
Quando tu vedrai la fame entrare nelle case della gente e ti accorgerai di te al freddo non gliene importa niente
When you see hunger enter people's homes and realize that they don't care about you being cold
Mafia et CIA polvere di stelle vite prenderà cacheranno soldi sopra la tua pelle I cani dello zar
Mafia and CIA, stardust will take lives, hiding money over your skin, the czar's dogs
Quale giustizia e libertà costruiranno sulla fame e la povertà
What justice and freedom will they build on hunger and poverty
Ottobre vedrà volare bassi gli avvoltoi dell'occidente
October will see the vultures of the West flying low
Facce di operai al muro insieme all'uguaglianza tra la gente
Worker's faces on the wall, along with equality among the people
Tra le cannonate e l'asfalto rosso Ilijc partirà andrà per il mondo cercherà il suo amore Solidarietà
Between the cannon shots and red asphalt, Ilijc will leave, travel the world, and search for his love - Solidarity
Sopra il fumo e le macerie un corvo bianco indosserà la camicia nera
Above the smoke and ruins, a white crow will wear a black shirt
Mosca '993, signor padrone mi ricorderò di te... Come un partigiano Tovaric non si arrende
Moscow '993, master, I will remember you... Like a partisan, Tovaric doesn't give up
Col martello in mano Tovaric si difende scenderà la notte con lo sfruttamento sopra le città
With a hammer in his hand, Tovaric defends himself, the night will come down with exploitation over the cities
Ma la nostra idea si alzerà ogni giorno e camminerà
But our idea will rise every day and walk
Tra chi mangia polvere e sudore tra chi resiste tra chi non dimenticherà
Among those who eat dust and sweat, among those who resist, among those who won't forget
Mosca '993 signor padrone mi ricorderò di te
Moscow '993, master, I will remember you
Contributed by Landon T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@frunzeairship6885
Обожаю эту песню
☭☭☭🇷🇺🇮🇹🇷🇺🇮🇹☭☭☭
@gianlucatarchi
La combat-band italiana per definizione ✊😎🚩
@xeneizesampdoria3839
Power of music!
@falzanoangeloaf
Addio compagno Sigaro, che la terra ti sia lieve
@Porpettona
Grandiiiiiii !!!
@nobblesavage2848
Когда-нибудь все вернется, но это лишь мечты... Время которых уже безвозвратно прошло.
@frunzeairship6885
Когда-нибудь спираль истории сделает новый виток
Парижская Комунна просуществовала 80 дней
Советский Союз 80 лет
Кто знает, сколько просуществует следующая реализация самого прогрессивного мироустройства на практике в следующий раз ✊😉🤙
@seanport
Adeus Sígaro. La lotta continua !!!!
@danielesforna5755
SIEMPRE CONTIGO SIGARO
@oscarromerogarcia2116
Eterno Sígaro.