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.
Una storia italiana
Banda Bassotti Lyrics
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In tema di sanità
Arriva il ladro che non si nasconde mai
I sogni realizzerà, di certo non quelli tuoi
Li tiene tutti nella casa delle Libertà
Non è un politico ma un commerciante perciò
Trasformerà tutti i ministeri in mini-store
"Aiuto c'è un comunista è
È un ministro che nun ce vole proprio sta'
Oh oh oh ohohoh ma che mondo è mai questo?
Oh oh oh ohohoh cambia canale fai presto
Come si fa? Oh oh oh ohohoh si sceglie
Il canale giusto: ¡No pasaràn!
Non arrenderti mai!
Sognano d'essere lui tutti gli amici che ha
Disprezzo per chi lavora e diritti non ha
Scordarsi il lavoro fisso è lo slogan che va
Un bell'assegno è la garanzia di libertà
È l'uomo giusto per chi
Non paga tasse perché
Di chi sta peggio non gliene frega un granché
Lavoro nero + mafia è
Il nuovo patto d'acciaio
I morti sul lavoro una calamità
Oh oh oh ohohoh ma questo
Film l'ho già visto
Oh oh oh ohohoh genere centro-sinistra
Neanche tanti anni fa
Oh oh oh ohohoh è una storia italiana
Che ce voi fa' chissà se cambierà?
Mi piacerebbe svegliarmi e non
Vederli mai più
Lo sfruttamento un ricordo di un tempo che fu
Guardarmi intorno e vedere gente senza catene
Niente razze speciali o civiltà superiori
I ricchi a lavorà i poveri a governà
Per un po' di dignità e
Non dover più pregare
Per avere una casa e non dover più penare
E non sentirsi colpevoli di fare l'amore
Oh oh oh ohohoh non è il nostro mondo questo?
Oh oh oh ohohoh se ci mettiamo
Del nostro vedrai che si farà
Oh oh oh ohohoh questa è
La formula giusta: ¡No pasaràn!
Non arrenderti mai! Non arrenderti mai!
The song "Una storia italiana" by Banda Bassotti tackles the theme of political corruption and the exploitation of the working class in Italy. The lyrics criticize the actions of politicians who do not hide their illegal activities, as they fulfill their own dreams and desires while disregarding the needs of the people. The phrase "Li tiene tutti nella casa delle Libertà" suggests that these corrupt politicians hold all power within the "House of Freedom," manipulating various government departments for their gain. The lyrics emphasize that these individuals are not true politicians but rather shrewd businessmen who transform ministries into mini-stores, profiting from their positions.
The song accuses these corrupt politicians of labeling anyone with communist ideals as a disruptive force, even comparing them to an unwanted ingredient in their soup. This highlights the fear and opposition these politicians have towards any form of socialist ideology. The line "Oh oh oh ohohoh ma che mondo è mai questo?" expresses disbelief and disappointment in the current state of affairs, questioning the world we live in and its values.
The song also criticizes those who dream of becoming like these corrupt politicians, highlighting their contempt for workers' rights and stable jobs. The lyrics depict these individuals as driven by a desire for personal wealth and prosperity, while showing a disregard for the struggles and needs of the less fortunate. The line "Scordarsi il lavoro fisso è lo slogan che va" portrays the slogan of forgetting stable employment as a means to achieve individual freedom and success. The song condemns this perspective, emphasizing that a decent income and dignified life should be the primary goal.
The chorus expresses a yearning for a different reality, where exploitation and inequality no longer exist. The desire is to wake up and no longer see those who exploit others for personal gain. The lyrics envision a world where people are free from chains, where there are no special races or superior civilizations. It advocates for a society where the rich work and the poor govern, aiming for dignity and a life free from the struggle for basic necessities.
Overall, "Una storia italiana" is a critical song that denounces political corruption, exploitation, and the disregard for the working class in Italy. It calls for a change, hoping for a future where equality, justice, and dignity prevail. The phrase "¡No pasaràn!" reflects the spirit of resistance, urging listeners not to give up in the face of these injustices and to keep fighting for a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Dalla pensione alla scuola o
From retirement to school or
In tema di sanità
Regarding healthcare
Arriva il ladro che non si nasconde mai
The thief who never hides arrives
I sogni realizzerà, di certo non quelli tuoi
He will fulfill dreams, certainly not yours
Li tiene tutti nella casa delle Libertà
He keeps them all in the House of Freedoms
Non è un politico ma un commerciante perciò
He's not a politician but a merchant, therefore
Trasformerà tutti i ministeri in mini-store
He will transform all ministries into mini-stores
"Aiuto c'è un comunista è
"Help, there's a communist
Dentro la mia minestra"
in my soup"
È un ministro che nun ce vole proprio sta'
He's a minister that we really don't need
Oh oh oh ohohoh ma che mondo è mai questo?
Oh oh oh ohohoh what kind of world is this?
Oh oh oh ohohoh cambia canale fai presto
Oh oh oh ohohoh change channel, do it quickly
Come si fa? Oh oh oh ohohoh si sceglie
How does one do it? Oh oh oh ohohoh one chooses
Il canale giusto: ¡No pasaràn!
The right channel: ¡No pasaràn!
Non arrenderti mai!
Never give up!
Sognano d'essere lui tutti gli amici che ha
All his friends dream of being him
Disprezzo per chi lavora e diritti non ha
Contempt for those who work and have no rights
Scordarsi il lavoro fisso è lo slogan che va
Forgetting about stable employment is the popular slogan
Un bell'assegno è la garanzia di libertà
A nice paycheck is the guarantee of freedom
È l'uomo giusto per chi
He is the right man for those
Non paga tasse perché
Who don't pay taxes because
Di chi sta peggio non gliene frega un granché
He doesn't care much about those who are worse off
Lavoro nero + mafia è
Black market work + mafia is
Il nuovo patto d'acciaio
The new Pact of Steel
I morti sul lavoro una calamità
Deaths at work, a calamity
Oh oh oh ohohoh ma questo
Oh oh oh ohohoh but this
Film l'ho già visto
Film I've already seen
Oh oh oh ohohoh genere centro-sinistra
Oh oh oh ohohoh center-left genre
Neanche tanti anni fa
Not even many years ago
Oh oh oh ohohoh è una storia italiana
Oh oh oh ohohoh it's an Italian story
Che ce voi fa' chissà se cambierà?
What can we do, who knows if it will change?
Mi piacerebbe svegliarmi e non
I would like to wake up and not
Vederli mai più
See them ever again
Lo sfruttamento un ricordo di un tempo che fu
Exploitation, a memory of a time that was
Guardarmi intorno e vedere gente senza catene
Looking around and seeing people without chains
Niente razze speciali o civiltà superiori
No special races or superior civilizations
I ricchi a lavorà i poveri a governà
The rich to work, the poor to govern
Per un po' di dignità e
For a bit of dignity and
Non dover più pregare
Not having to pray anymore
Per avere una casa e non dover più penare
To have a house and not have to suffer anymore
E non sentirsi colpevoli di fare l'amore
And not feel guilty about making love
Oh oh oh ohohoh non è il nostro mondo questo?
Oh oh oh ohohoh is this not our world?
Oh oh oh ohohoh se ci mettiamo
Oh oh oh ohohoh if we join
Del nostro vedrai che si farà
You will see what will happen
Oh oh oh ohohoh questa è
Oh oh oh ohohoh this is
La formula giusta: ¡No pasaràn!
The right formula: ¡No pasaràn!
Non arrenderti mai!
Never give up!
Non arrenderti mai!
Never give up!
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind