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.
Sam Song
Banda Bassotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
with armalites and motorbombs I thought I knew the score
but now we have a weapon, we've never used before
the Brits are looking worried - and their going to worry more!
Tiocfaidh Ar La, sing Up the 'RA
SAM missiles, in the sky
with a 100 more lads like me I never was along
but soon and learned that bricks and stones won't drive the Brits away
it wasn't very long before, I joined the IRA
Then there came Internment in the year of '71
the Brits thought we were beaten that we were on the run
on that early August morning they kicked'in our back door
but for every man they took away, they missed a hundred more
I spent eight years in the cages, I had time to think and plan
for though they locked away a boy, I walked out a man
and there's only one thing that I learned will in their cell I lay
the Brits will never leave us, until their blown away!
All through the days of Hunger strike I watched my comrades die
while in the streets of Belfast you could hear the women cry
I can't forget the massacre that Friday at Loughgall
I salute my fallen comrades, as I watch the choppers fall
(Grazie a James per questo testo)
The lyrics of Banda Bassotti's song "Sam Song" speak of the experience of a former member of the IRA, the paramilitary organization that fought for Northern Ireland's independence from British rule from the late 1960s to the late 1990s. The singer of the song explains how he first joined the cause through relatively peaceful protests such as throwing bricks and petrol bombs, but soon realized that more drastic actions were needed to achieve their goal. He spent eight years in prison ("the cages") as a result of his involvement in the IRA's activities, but emerged from his sentence as a "man" with a stronger conviction that the conflict with the British army could only be resolved through violence.
The song's chorus, "Tiocfaidh Ar La, sing Up the 'RA, SAM missiles in the sky," contains two slogans that were widely used by IRA supporters. "Tiocfaidh Ar La" is an Irish phrase that translates to "our day will come," and became a rallying cry for those who believed in the eventual success of the Republican cause. "Up the 'RA" is a shortened form of "Up the IRA," and was typically used as an expression of solidarity with the organization. The mention of SAM missiles in the sky suggests that the IRA had access to powerful weapons that could inflict significant damage on the British army.
Line by Line Meaning
I have been a Provo now for 15 years or more
I've been a part of the Provisional Irish Republican Army group for over 15 years
with armalites and motorbombs I thought I knew the score
I believed that we had the upper hand with our weapons like Armalites and motorbombs
but now we have a weapon, we've never used before
However, we have a new weapon that we never had the chance to use before
the Brits are looking worried - and their going to worry more!
This new weapon has made the British nervous and they will continue to be even more concerned
Tiocfaidh Ar La, sing Up the 'RA
Let's celebrate our day and support the Irish Republican Army (IRA)
SAM missiles, in the sky
We have Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAM) in the air and ready for use
I started off with petrol bomb and throwing bricks and stones
Initially, I used crude methods like throwing petrol bombs, bricks, and stones
with a 100 more lads like me I never was along
However, I had the support of many others like myself
but soon and learned that bricks and stones won't drive the Brits away
Unfortunately, I quickly realized that these methods were not enough to force the British out
it wasn't very long before, I joined the IRA
As a result, I became part of the Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Then there came Internment in the year of '71
In 1971, the British government imposed internment on members of the IRA
the Brits thought we were beaten that we were on the run
The British thought we were defeated and fleeing
on that early August morning they kicked'in our back door
However, they attempted to capture us by raiding our locations
but for every man they took away, they missed a hundred more
For each member they captured, there were countless others who slipped away undetected
I spent eight years in the cages, I had time to think and plan
I was imprisoned for eight years and had ample time to strategize and reflect
for though they locked away a boy, I walked out a man
While they may have imprisoned a young boy, I emerged from prison a grown man
and there's only one thing that I learned will in their cell I lay
During my time in prison, I came to the understanding that the British would never leave us alone unless they were forcibly removed
the Brits will never leave us, until their blown away!
Therefore, we must use force to drive them out
All through the days of Hunger strike I watched my comrades die
I saw many of my fellow IRA members perish during hunger strikes
while in the streets of Belfast you could hear the women cry
The women of Belfast were grieving and mourning the loss of their loved ones
I can't forget the massacre that Friday at Loughgall
One particular event that stands out is the massacre that occurred in Loughgall on a Friday
I salute my fallen comrades, as I watch the choppers fall
I pay tribute to my fallen comrades while watching helicopters being brought down
Contributed by Mateo L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Polish Husaria
It would be fun if this Irish song was sung on the talent show "Britain's Got Talent". It would be even funnier if the song was announced with this sentence. "The song is named after SAM missiles bought by the IRA in the US to shoot down British helicopters, further to undermining the morale of British troops in the country."
Bojan Nedeljkovic
You nailed the Irish accent. Not an easy thing to do, I would bet that singer is actually Irish.
Javier Eloscuro
Ooh ah up the RA!
¡Mis respetos desde Argentina!
gustavo segovia
temaso saludos desde Argentina
Soter Bruno
<3 IRA
saludos desde México
Ivar Torres
Italiano, es Banda Bassoti. Salud e Independencia desde Andalucía!
BerserkerCompay3
Up the RA. Es cojonudo ver gente de mi país en este tipo de vídeos, sabiendo que aquí ha una situación muy parecida a la del IRA.
Asier Urteaga
Euskaldune?
Diego Rabelo
saudações desde o brasil.
Alberto Suazo
Me llamó la atención que esta canción la interprete una banda comunista, si al principio dice "i've been a Provo...". Los Provo eran del PIRA (Provisional IRA), una facción del IRA estrictamente nacionalista (y la más conocida y activa en su tiempo) y no de izquierda, contraria al OIRA (Original IRA), que sí era de izquierda. Aún así, buen cover. Up the 'RA!