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.
Orient Express
Banda Bassotti Lyrics
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The lyrics of Banda Bassotti's "Orient Express" speak of the frustration and struggles of everyday individuals who feel oppressed and unheard under the rule of those in power. The opening lines express anger towards poverty and inequality, and the sense of powerlessness felt by those who have to stay quiet while the wealthy get richer. The song then goes on to suggest that this frustration can be channeled into various forms of resistance, such as music, protests, or occupations, all of which can give people a sense of unity and purpose.
The lyrics also touch on themes of corruption and injustice, with references to wealthy individuals who engage in drug use and misuse of power, and to the struggles faced by those fighting for justice and equality. Despite the challenges they face, the song emphasizes the importance of holding onto hope and continuing to fight for a better future.
Overall, "Orient Express" is a powerful protest song that speaks to the struggles of those who feel disenfranchised and oppressed, and encourages them to find ways to resist and fight back against those who seek to hold them down.
Line by Line Meaning
Mannaggia a la miseria che ce se guadagna
Curse the poverty we gain little from
A stasse zitti mentre er Luco ce se magna
We kept quiet while Luco feasted
Pò esse na canzone o 'na barricata
It could be a song or a barricade
'na sega a scuola o 'na frabbia occupata
A strike in school or occupying a factory
che prima o poi chi nun more se rivede
Sooner or later those who die come back
e tira avanti solamente chi ce crede
And only those who believe in it keep going
Da radioscarperotte sale 'na canzone
A song rises from the slums
"Tu chi ce metteresti dentro ar pentolone?"
"Who would you put in the cooking pot?"
Signò commendatò cavallieri-sniffatori
Gentlemen sniffers of the establishment
Salò De Gregò Costrutto-benefettori
Salò, De Gregò, and Costrutto, beneficiaries
Tutta la vita cosi
All life like this
In cerca di una tris
Looking for a way out
E' sempre il solito tram
It's always the same tram
Che non arriva mai
That never comes
Signo commendatò
Gentlemen of the establishment
Attacateve a 'sto balcò
Hang onto this balcony
Pure noi famo bene
We do good too
A tiravvè 'n po' de pietre
Throw some stones
La giustizia grande amore
Justice is great love
Anche se portà il prigione
Even if it leads to prison
Noi non vi vogliamo bene
We don't love you
Brutte le vostre catene
Ugly are your chains
Servitori di signori
Servants of lords
Il nostro giorno verrà
Our day will come
E il nostro giorno verrà e il treno arriverà
And our day will come and the train will arrive
il treno arriverà ORIENT EXPRESS
the train will arrive, ORIENT EXPRESS
Contributed by Nora H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.