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.
Zio paperone
Banda Bassotti Lyrics
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The lyrics of Banda Bassotti's "Zio Paperone" are a scathing critique of capitalism and the system of exploitation that accompanies it. The song's protagonist is a man named Avaraccio, who is depicted as a heartless businessman who delights in his own success and profits. Avaraccio is contrasted with the "operai un po' sbandati" who are struggling to make a living and just trying to get by.
The song is addressed directly to "Zio Paperone", which is Italian for "Uncle Scrooge", a character from the Disney comics who is known for his greed and miserliness. In the song, Paperone represents the larger system of capitalism, which is seen as a corrupt and oppressive force that exploits workers and benefits only the wealthy.
The lyrics are a call to action, urging listeners to join with the "fratelli" (brothers) in the fight against oppression and exploitation. The song argues that the only way to confront the power of capitalism is through collective action and solidarity.
Overall, "Zio Paperone" is a powerful protest song that speaks to the struggles of the working class and the need for social and economic justice.
Line by Line Meaning
Avaraccio sfruttatore- con la tuba ed il bastone
Uncle Scrooge is a tight-fisted exploiter- with his horn and his walking stick
Con quel ghigno d'affarista- con le mani sempre posta
With that smug grin of a businessman- and his hands always in his pockets
A vegliare i suoi guadagni- frutto del sudore
He watches over his profits- earned through the sweat of workers
Di operai un po' sbandati dalla tele e dai giornali
Of workers who are a little lost- in the TV and the newspapers
Tanto ci pensa Basettoni- se ci sono i Bassotti che gli rompono i coglioni
Basettoni takes care of it - if the Bassotti are causing him trouble
Dorme tranquillo Paperone- Tanta gente ricattata gli farà la produzione
Uncle Scrooge sleeps peacefully- knowing that so many people who are blackmailed will do the work for him
Combattiamo il tuo potere- che vestito da paciere
We fight your power- disguised as a peacemaker
Sa incantare ed ingannare- coi sorrisi più smaglianti
He knows how to enchant and deceive- with the most brilliant smiles
Sempre pronto ad allearsi- con sceicchi e dittatori
Always ready to ally himself- with sheiks and dictators
Sei odiato dalla plebe, solo amico dei padroni
You are hated by the people, only a friend to the bosses
Stai espandendo il tuo potere- con le multi nazionali ti fananzi le tue guerre
You are expanding your power- with multinational corporations funding your wars
Sempre ne nome del progresso- fai recinti in tutto il mondo improgioni anche la terra
Always in the name of progress- you build fences all over the world, imprisoning the land
Penetriamo notte tempo- nel deposito mondiale
We penetrate day and night- into the world's depot
Ti espropriamo del tuo oro- che si chiama imperialismo
We take away your gold- which is called imperialism
Teppa, turba, sovversivi- coi fratelli combattiamo
Hoodlum, mob, subversive- we fight with our brothers
Ti cacciamo dal fumetto, sporco infame paperotto
We kick you out of the comics, filthy infamous little duck
Zio paperone?..... Prrrrrrrr!!!
Uncle Scrooge? ... Prrrrrrrr!!!
Contributed by Max T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.