Fiamma Fumana were formed in 1999 by three people who shared a love for the… Read Full Bio ↴Fiamma Fumana were formed in 1999 by three people who shared a love for the musical tradition of Northern Italy in general and their native Emilia Romagna in particular, but had otherwise very diverse backgrounds. Alberto Cottica, accordionist guitarist and pianist, has been active in the Italian folk-rock music scene, for over ten years as co-founder of the highly successful (well over 350000 albums sold) Modena City Ramblers; Marco Bertoni is an electronic musician and record producer who cooperates regularly with top-rank Italian deejays such as Santos; Fiamma Orlandi, at 22, was then an absolute beginner who had been brought up musically in the Emilian countryside, by her mother and grandmother. Her singing is a unique blend of traditional style and modern sensitivity. The elements had been carefully selected and balanced: Fiamma Fumana was to be a tribute to the tradition of female vocals of Emilia and Italy in general (like the choirs of mondine, the rice gatherers who were all young girls), and that tradition was to be revitalised by a new generation and its musical culture: hence, electronica, the most natural musical expression for Fiamma and people her age in post-industrial and affluent Italy. The result was an intriguing blend of old Italian dance tunes played to new Italian dance grooves, traditional ballads and state-of-the art electronica.

FF’s first album, 1.0, was released in 1999 in Italy by Mescal and soon travelled beyond national borders. Universal Music Japan engineered a Japanese release in 2000, and Omnium Recordings an American/Canadian/Mexican one in early 2001, to a wide acclaim. In the mean time, Fiamma and Alberto had built up a permanent (and predominantly female and very young, consistently with the attitude of the project) live band. This includes the versatile Lady Jessica Lombardi, here (Emilian bagpipes, flutes, electric bass) and Italian-Eritrean female dj Medhin Paolos (loops and samples). The band has been invited to WOMAD 2001 in Palermo; to the CMJ Music Marathon in New York in the same year (the event cancelled because of the Twin Towers tragedy); to the Detroit Festival of the Arts in 2002 and to many festivals and gigs in Italy and abroad.

In September 2003 FF signed to American label Omnium Recordings and released their second album, Home. The new release is even more focused on northern Italian roots than the former one (almost all of the 11 tracks are traditionals, and traditional artists of the old generations feature prominently), but it is also more extreme in sound, with a harder, more “live” approach to electronica. The album was accompanied by a contract with an agent in the USA, SRO Artists, and an American tour, which saw FF perform on the most important American world music festivals and clubs of the period (Chicago, Detroit, Bloomington, Minneapolis, St. Louis...). Since January 2004 Home is in distribution in Sweden (by CDA); since March in the UK (by Discovery); on April 16th it will be released in Italy, too (by Mescal).

Mercy Is Dead
Fiamma Fumana Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Up there in the mountains, black flag flying
A partisan is dead, fighting the war

A partisan is dead, fighting the war
The best of our youth goes underground

The partisan fights his battle
Nazis and fascists, go out of Italy!

Nazis and fascists, go out of Italy!
We cry with all our might "Mercy is dead!"

Overall Meaning

The song "Mercy Is Dead" by Fiamma Fumana depicts the struggles of Italian partisans fighting in the mountains during World War II. The lyrics paint a picture of a black flag flying in the mountains, symbolizing the resistance and defiance of the partisans against Nazi and fascist oppression. The death of a partisan in battle is mourned, as the best of the youth of Italy goes underground to continue the fight against the occupying forces.

The chorus "The partisan fights his battle, Nazis and fascists, go out of Italy!" expresses the determination and the ultimate goal of the partisan movement, which is to liberate Italy from the grip of the invaders. The final cry "Mercy is dead!" signifies a rejection of any mercy or compromise with the enemy, as the partisans are willing to sacrifice everything to achieve their freedom. The song is a tribute to the bravery, dedication, and sacrifice of the partisans, who were instrumental in the eventual liberation of Italy.

Line by Line Meaning

Up there in the mountains, black flag flying
Amidst the rugged terrain, the black flag of resistance flutters in the wind

A partisan is dead, fighting the war
A soldier of the resistance has perished in the fight against oppression

The best of our youth goes underground
The most promising members of our society must live in hiding to evade capture and execution

The partisan fights his battle
The soldier of the resistance perseveres in his struggle against tyranny

Nazis and fascists, go out of Italy!
The message is clear - the occupying forces of hatred and oppression must leave our land

We cry with all our might "Mercy is dead!"
We mourn the loss of compassion and mercy in a time of war and strife

Contributed by Tristan I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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