Scorpio Universel - 1978 - Album II

    Born in Haiti and of Italian descent, Robert Martino,  started playing music and particularly the guitar at the young age of fourteen. One of his first major live appearance was at “Cabane Choucoune” with the creator of Compas Direct Nemours Jean Baptiste. Compas Direct  sometimes spelled “Kompa” is the popular rhythm and music from Haiti.

Robert Martino is one of the main creator of “Mini Jazz” a movement in Haitian music that started in the 1960’s with the worldwide emergence of The Beatles. This trend transformed Kompaby reducing the traditional number of musicians to only seven or eight.

In 1965,  Robert Martino started playing with “Les Difficiles” de Petion Ville of Henry Celestin, Jean Robert Herisse (Porky), Emmanuel Charles (Mama), Sony Louis (Ti Boeuf), Fredy Berenault, Paul Edme, Billy Degand, ect …. They became instant neighborhood sensation with hits such as: “Min Paulo”, “Ce La Vi”, “Composition / Espoir”, “Kenscoff”, “Les Ombres Du Temps”, ect ….

Les Gypsies de Petion Ville

In 1972,  Robert Martino joined the legendary group Les Gypsies de Petion Ville. This band became notorious for its many classics such as “Patience”, “La Tulipe”, “A Cote”, “Courage”, “Toi et Moi”, “La Priye”, ect …. The band included such great musicians as Tico Pasquet, Reynold Nadere (Cincin), Max Badette. The group was an instant hit and played regularly at then famous night spot “Chez Maxime”. The band was also famous for its many great Carnival songs.

In 1977,  Robert Martino took another turn when he became the lead guitarist for the famous group SCORPIO. He played alongside singers Olson Jean Louis and Gracia Jean Philippe “Ti Kit”. They became very popular and had hits such as “Map Mande Courage”, “Tande”, “Min Yayad La”, “Christianne”, “Opa Opa”. They played regularly at the “Caroussel Club”.

After moving to the United States in the 80’s,  Robert Martino started the “New Generation” movement by creating in 1986 Top Vice which became the first known band to play with a sequencer and drum machine. The group has hits such as: “Min Nou”, “Symphonie D’amou”, “Plezi Gaye”, “Fan’m Deyo”, “Min Aveg La”, ect….

Top Vice

Robert Martino introduced in Kompamusic guitar effects like chorus, delay, fith Dimension, distortion, tube-mouth and other sounds. To date,  Robert Martino has recorded over fifty albums. He has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, Le Zenith in Paris, the Bayfront Park in downtown Miami, au Palais Des Congres in Canada, in New Caledonia with his sons and more ….. He has performed all over the world in countries such as: France, Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guyana, The Dominican Republic, Dom-Tom, The Bahamas, Saint Martin, Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast, Canada, The U.S., The Turks and Caicos, ect…

Robert Martino has worked with many music giants such as: Celia Cruz, Claude Marcelin, Reynold Nadere, Ron  Perez, Dadou & Tico Pasquest, Roberto and Reynaldo Martino, Alan Cave, Ralph Thamar, Stanley Toussaint, Cubano, Loubert Chancy, Shoubou, The Widmaer Family, Reginald Policard, Makarios Cesaire, Demer Seide, Fabrice Rouzier, Misty  Jean, Eric Virgal, Orlane, Hoaraw, Kassav, Emeline Michelle, Ralph Conde, Tuco Bouzi, Henry Debs, Ronald Rubinel,  Jocelyne Labylle, Christiane Valejo, John Doane, Hoja Seca, Shleu Shleu, Tabou Combo, Coupe Cloue, System Band, Skah Shah, Dieudonne Larose, Message, Jacques Sauveur Jean, Skandal, Zin, Lakol, Phantom, Nu-Look, T-Vice, Kreyol La, Hangout…

Known as the “LEGEND”, his favorite guitar players are: Carlos Santana, Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, Joe Satriani, Jimmy Page and Pat Matheny. In 2007,  Robert Martino released his latest solo album “Oye Chica” that gathers yet some of his best work. Done in collaboration with long time partner Freddy, producers Ralph Conde & Jeff Wainwright, singers such as Misty Jean, Olivier Duret, Herly Jacques,  Robert Martino is truly one of the great artist that Haiti has produced. Today,  Robert Martino still records and performs regularly to the joy of his many fans.

http://facebook.com/robertmartino” http://facebook.com/robertmartino

www.myspace.com/robertmartino

TRACKLIST:

A1 Pélérinage

A2 Blinginding

A3 Ti Lu Lu Pe

B1 Noú Rivé

B2 Roots, Rock, Reggae

B3 Carnaval Cole' Sou Yo

Credits:

Bass – Jn. Robert Louis

Chorus – Mario Jn. Gilles, Pedro Souffrant

Composed By, Arranged By, Guitar [1st.] – Robert Martino

Congas – Roger Laurent

Drums – Georges Jn. Gilles

Engineer [Recording, Mixing] – Robert Denis

Guitar [2nd.] – Reynold Nader

Organ, Synthesizer, Piano – Claude Montreuil (tracce: Nathan Montreuil)

Other [Impressario] – Pierrot Al-Kal

Photography – Henry Célestin

Producer – Patrick Amson

Tom Tom, Gong – Eddy Louis

Trombone – Saur Gelin

Trumpet – Mario Denis

Written-By, Vocals – Olson Jn. Louis

 

Zabranjeno Pušenje - 1985 - Dok čekaš sabah sa šejtanom

   Zabranjeno Pušenje (transl. No Smoking) is a Bosnian rock band formed in Sarajevo in 1980. The group's musical style primarily consists of a distinctive garage rock sound with folk influences, often featuring innovative production and complex storytelling. Currently, the band consists of founding member, vocalist and guitarist Sejo Sexon, longtime drummer Branko Trajkov, guitarist Toni Lović, bassist Dejan Orešković, and violinist and keyboardist Robert Boldižar.

In the early 1980s, when the rest of the Yugoslav popular music scene followed the trends in Europe of the early 1980s, chiefly punk rock and new wave, Zabranjeno Pušenje were part of a unique rock movement centered in Sarajevo that forged its own path. This movement, for the most part, centered on simple, youthful, garage rock, with folk influences and a distinctive Sarajevo urban feel called New Primitivism.

The songs range from punk rock to rock, frequently arranged to feature trumpets and saxophones, adding to the band's unique sound, along with many samples and soundbites from the period. Zabranjeno Pušenje captured the feel of Sarajevo, its idols and local heroes along with tales of love and loss, in a distinctive and often humorous way. Very visual and cynical, the band's lyrics were progressive enough to show the last stages of Yugoslav socialism (songs "Dan republike", "Srce ruke i lopata", "Abid", "Guzonjin sin"), alternate clubs ("Pišonja i Žuga u paklu droge", "Javi mi"), as well as providing morbid hints for the Yugoslav Wars ("Kanjon Drine", "Zvijezda nad Balkanom").

They were one of the most popular musical acts of the 1980s in Yugoslavia, selling hundreds of thousands of records. Many times they got in trouble with the authorities for their, usually mild and sympathetic, criticism of the socialist system, and the habit of making light of issues considered sensitive at the time. The band's first lineup, originally named Pseudobluz bend Zabranjeno Pušenje, featured guitarist Sejo Sexon and vocalist Nele Karajlić, alongside drummers Fu-Do then Šeki Gayton, bassist Munja Mitić, keyboardist Seid Mali Karajlić, saxophonist and flutist Ognjen Gajić, guitarist Mustafa Čengić, and synthesizerist Zoran Degan. Their debut studio album Das ist Walter (1984) was initially released in limited circulation; the final count was 100,000 copies sold, setting a record for exceeding the initial release by 30 times. Their subsequent album Dok čekaš sabah sa šejtanom (1985), also released through Jugoton, was boycotted by the mainstream media due to troubles with Communist authorities (ofr a pun about Marshal Tito expressed during a concert). In 1986, Šeki Gayton, Mitić and Čengić chose to leave the group, while drummer Faris Arapović, bassist Darko Ostojić, guitarist Kowalski and keyboardist Dado Džihan joined in. During the second half of 1980s with the new lineup of the band released two albums Pozdrav iz zemlje Safari (1987) and Male priče o velikoj ljubavi (1989) through Diskoton.

During 1992, the band split followed the Bosnian War, Nele Karajlić continued working in Belgrade under the names Nele Karajlić & Zabranjeno Pušenje and Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra, while Sejo Sexon and other members rejoined in Sarajevo, using the original name, continuing the band's career released the fifth studio album Fildžan viška (1997) with the changed lineup. The band's 1990s lineup alongside Sejo Sexon featured the leader of the New Primitivism movement Elvis J. Kurtović, vocalist Marin Gradac, a guest on the 1987 album bassist Dragan Bobić, guitarist Sejo Kovo and violinist Bruno Urlić. After one temporary drummer, Branko Trajkov joined the group in 1996. The same lineup recorded the album Agent tajne sile (1999). In 2000, Kurtović, Kovo, and Gradac left the group, while guitarist and producer Dragianni joined the group and played on their subsequent album, Bog vozi Mercedes (2001). That album was followed five years later by Hodi da ti čiko nešto da (2006). In the mid-2000s, Dragianni, Bobić, and Urlić chose to leave the group, while guitarist Toni Lović, bassist Dejan Orešković, and violinist Robert Boldižar came to their seats. 

The band's ninth studio album, Muzej revolucije (2009), was released on the Anniversary of the October Revolution in almost all former Yugoslav countries, on the same day. The band released their tenth studio album, Radovi na cesti, in 2013. Their eleventh studio album was released in 2018, titled Šok i nevjerica. The twelfth and another double studio album Karamba! was released in 2022.

TRACKLIST:

A1 Stanje Šoka 3:10

Lyrics By – Karajlić

Music By – Sexon

A2 Djevojčice Kojima Miriše Koža 3:51

Lyrics By – Sexon

Music By – Seid L. Karajlić

A3 Lutka Sa Naslovne Strane 3:32

Lyrics By – Sexon

Music By – Munja

A4 Dok Čekaš Sabah Sa Šejtanom 4:43

Lyrics By – Karajlić

Music By – Sexon

B1 Dok Jezdiš Ka Alemanji 3:07

Lyrics By – Sexon

Music By – Seid L. Karajlić

B2 Ibro Dirka 3:20

Lyrics By – Karajlić

Music By – Sexon

B3 Ja Imam Kuhinju 3:36

Lyrics By – Karajlić

Music By – Degan

B4 Ne Me Quitte Pas 0:10

Adapted By (Text) – Fu-do

Written-By – Jacques Brell

B5 Učini Da Budem Vuk 3:40

Lyrics By – Karajlić

Music By – Munja, Degan

B6 Baš - Čelik (Prvi Dio) 2:25

Backing Vocals – Senad Od Bosne

Lyrics By – Kaštelan

Music By – Sexon

Synthesizer [Oberheim] – Stanko Juzbašić

C1 Brut 2:29

Lyrics By – Sexon

Music By – Elvis J.

C2 Radost Prvog Žita 3:34

Written-By – Gajić

C3 Ujka Sam

Lyrics By – Karajlić

Music By – Sexon

3:40

C4 Nedelja Kada Je Otišao Hase

Lyrics By – Karajlić

Music By – Sexon

4:07

D1 Sanjao Sam Noćas Da Te Imam 3:31

Lyrics By – Degan

Music By – Elvis J.

D2 Kažu Mi Da Novog Frajera Imaš 3:42

Lyrics By – Sexon

Music By – Elvis J.

D3 Gospođa Brams 3:41

Lyrics By – Karajlić

Music By – Sexon

D4 Baš - Čelik (Drugi Dio) 2:43

Backing Vocals – Senad Od Bosne

Lyrics By – Kaštelan*

Music By – Sexon*

Synthesizer [Oberheim] – Stanko Juzbašić

Credits:

Pressed By – GIP "Beograd"

Arranged By – Zabranjeno Pušenje

Bass, Backing Vocals – Munja Mitić

Congas, Backing Vocals – Fu-do Đozić

Design – Srđan Velimirović

Drums – Šeki Gayton

Engineer – Vladimir Smolec

Guitar [Rhythm] – Sejo Sexon

Guitar [Solo], Backing Vocals – Mujo Snažni

Keyboards – Seid Little Karajlić

Lead Vocals – Dr. Nele Karajlić

Photography By – Elvedin Kantardžić

Producer – Mahmut Paša Ferović

Recorded By – Dragan Čačinović - Čač

Saxophone, Flute, Keyboards – Ogi Gajić

 

Paja Brava - 1977 - Herencia I

   Paja Brava was born on September 21, 1975 on the occasion of participation in the "II Festival Estudiantil de la Canción Boliviana" held in Oruro representing the Bolívar National College in the city of La Paz. It obtained second place in the conjuto category instrumental vocal. In November 1976 they recorded her first album for the Lauro y Cia label, interpreting native music. Starting this year, they performed different performances and offers concerts in different stages of the country and neighboring countries.

1976.

They gained a great popularity publishing several great albums, Among their most recognized albums we can mention "Herencia I y II", "Serenata Mestiza", "Vuelve", "Sueño Inca" and "Chuquiago Total". 

In 1987 the group is invited to participate in the Edinburgh Festival (Scotland). They begins a series of artistic tours through European countries, mainly in France and Great Britain. Visit countries like England, Ireland and Scotland.

Eulogio Poma, Isidro Puña, Julio Rojas, Roger Sería y Eddy Montes de Oca. 1986.

In 1987 in France "PAJA BRAVA BOLIVIA" was published

Upon his return to Bolivia in 1997, they recorded for Discolandia the album titled "Vuelve"

In February 1998 they participated in the "Raices" Festival in Iquique, Chile.

In the year 2000 they released the album "El Sueño del Inca" on the Discolandia label.

In 2003 they recorded the album "Chuquiago Total" which was released in February of

2004.

The promotion of the album "Vuelve". 1997.

In 2005 they celebrate with a great concert in La Paz 30 years of activity

With 10 productions on the market, this important group of the folkloric genre has managed to establish itself as one of the most worthy representatives of Bolivia abroad. For this reason, they have toured and they are still touring several countries in Europe and America, bringing Bolivian folklore. 

TRACKLIST:

A1 Fiesta

A2 Flor De Santa Rosa

A3 Nube Negra

A4 Quena Quenas

A5 Phalahuata

A6 Hijo Del Sol

B1 Herencia

B2 Choquelas

B3 Mocenhada

B4 Agua Uma

B5 Aguita De Phutinha

B6 Tiempo Al Tiempo

Credits:

Realized by – Industrias Fonograficas "Heriba"

Distribuited by – Heriba Ltda.

Pressed by – Impresora Heriba

Charango, Percussion – Hugo Ch. Yujra*

Guitar, Instruments [Wind], Percussion – F. Eulogio Poma*

Instruments [Wind], Instruments [Acoustic] – Agustín Silva, Antonio Coronel (2)

Percussion, Instruments [Wind] – Ernesto Tacachira

Discos Heriba - Bolivia

Manufacturado por " HERIBA LTDA." La Paz - Bolivia

Industria Boliviana

 

Rossy - 1989 - Madagascar

    Paul Bert Rahasimanana (born 20 September 1960), better known as Rossy, is a Malagasy singer and songwriter, generally considered the most popular Malagasy artist of the 1990s. Beginning his musical career as an accordionist and singer within a traditional hira gasy musical troupe, Rossy innovated a fusion of hira gasy instrumentation and vocal style with contemporary rock, funk and folk sounds to create a uniquely Malagasy genre of contemporary popular music. Rossy actively promoted former president Didier Ratsiraka through concert performances throughout his presidency and served within the Ministry of Culture to promote artists' rights and copyright law. When Ratsiraka fell into disfavor following the contentious 2001 Malagasy presidential elections, Rossy went into self-imposed exile in France. He returned to the island to give concerts beginning in 2008 and enjoyed enormous popularity despite six years of absence, setting an unbroken record of 35,000 tickets sold for a performance given that year. His compositions and style are frequently associated with the Ratsiraka socialist period and commonly evoke a sense of nostalgia among Malagasy fans. 

Paul Bert Rahasimanana was born in 1960 to a working-class family. At the age of seven, he was given an accordion as a gift and began teaching himself to play. In the early 1970s, Rahasimanana and a group of friends formed an a capella group called Hazo Midoroboka and began singing traditional consolatory songs (mamonjy jaobany) for those grieving at wakes held in their neighborhood of Ampamarinana in the Mahamasina district of Antananarivo. Mourners paid the members of the group in the form of free cups of coffee and fritters. Like many other urban youth from working class and poor neighborhoods, Rossy also performed soava and vakisova, contemporary and typically a capella urban genres that expressed incisive social critique through slang-laden, rapped lyrics with complex hand-clapping accompaniment. While a high school student in 1981 he formed his first band, using African percussion rather than a Western drum kit to set the rhythm. In 1983, Rossy gave his first public performance of a song he had composed in the lively vakisôva genre. The performance occurred in the courtyard of the historic Ecole Sainte Famille located in Mahamasina and was attended by local television host Tsilavina Ralaindimby, who recognized the young man's talent. Ralaindimby brought him to the attention of the director of the Centre Germano-Malgache, who was sufficiently impressed to collaborate with WDR (the predecessor of Radio France Internationale) to organize a four-month series of performances for Rossy in Germany. Rahasimanana's youth was colored by the socio-political currents prevailing across the island under President Didier Ratsiraka's socialist Second Republic. The young musician was molded by his impoverished background, instilling in him a concern for the struggles of the Malagasy lower classes and motivating him to rise above his family's humble origins. Favorably impressed by policies of the president's AREMA party that provided scholarships and other benefits to underprivileged youth members, Rahasimanana became an early and enduring supporter of the party and its president.

Following his first overseas concerts in Germany in 1983, Rossy's popularity continued to grow both nationally and overseas. He performed abroad in such countries as the United States, France, Japan, Russia, England and Canada. These performances allowed Rossy to become the first Malagasy artist to introduce European audiences in Berlin and Paris to the genre of salegy, although Jaojoby would go on to promote the genre much more widely and successfully. Rossy's open and enthusiastic support for Ratsiraka throughout his presidency assured Rossy's band regular performances in association with presidential functions, and his band came to define the Ratsiraka era for many.

He recorded his 1991 album Island of Ghosts at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios in England.The following year he toured Europe with Rakoto Frah, an elderly master of the traditional sodina flute. His 1994 release, Bal kabosy, was a massive success in Madagascar and led Radio France International to award him a trophy, declaring him "The best ambassador of Malagasy music".

In 2001 he was named by Ratsiraka to the cabinet position of Cultural Adviser.

During the course of the 2001 campaign a conflict arose between Rossy and the opposition candidate, then-mayor of Antananarivo Marc Ravalomanana, which manifested in such indirect ways as the ostracism of Rossy's bodyguards by influential Ravalomanana supporters. Rossy chose to spend time in France to allow the political standoff to run its course. When Ravalomanana was ultimately declared the winner of the election, Rossy anticipated a further deterioration in his relations with the new political, social and economic leaders of the capital, and made the decision to remain with his family in France until the situation improved. He was to remain six years in France without returning home to Madagascar. Minister of Culture Patrick Ramiaramanana (2007–08) attempted to prohibit Rossy from holding concerts in Madagascar. Despite the friction between Rossy and Ravalomanana, Ramiaramanana's efforts were condemned by the president, who relieved the minister of his post.

During Rossy's self-exile in France, he continued to focus on projects that broadened his artistic abilities. He contributed to the album Vie Sauvage by French artist Antoine, and performed a concert in 2003 with Blankass, a French rock group

In 2008 Rossy returned to Madagascar, giving a series of concerts at Mahamasina Stadium in Antananarivo. These concerts were wildly successful; the first sold over 35,000 tickets, a number that in 2013 remained unsurpassed by any other Malagasy artist. He currently lives in Antananarivo with his family and gives regular performances. In addition, he serves as cultural adviser to the administration of Andry Rajoelina, current interim head of state for the High Transitional Authority following the 2009 Malagasy political crisis that removed Ravalomanana from power

Rossy's style draws its influences from musical genres across the island of Madagascar, including salegy, kwassa-kwassa, hira gasy, and vakisôva, as well as foreign genres ranging from reggae and soukous to pop and rock. The instrumentation of a typical Rossy song combines electric bass guitar and drum kit with a variety of Malagasy musical elements, most commonly including the brass section of a hira gasy troupe, an amplified kabosy guitar, accordion, folk instruments like the valiha or marovany, and traditional hand-clapping rhythms prominent in such local genres as salegy and vakisôva. Rossy and 1970s Malagasy folk rock supergroup Mahaleo were the first mainstream artists to integrate the kabosy into contemporary Malagasy pop music.

The accordion is Rossy's preferred instrument and the one he most often plays himself during live performances. He is also skilled in the sodina flute, guitar and valiha.

Like many other urban youth growing up in the working-class neighborhoods of Antananarivo, Rossy casually improvised with his friends to create songs in the vakisôva genre. This contemporary Malagasy musical genre is characterized by politically and socially incisive lyrics delivered a capella in a rhythmic, rap-like style over complex hand-clapping beats. Long after vakisôva performance launched his career, Rossy continued to draw upon its rhythms and sensibilities as a vehicle for expressing bold political and social critique while capitalizing on the genre's dance-inducing entertainment value. As a consequence, by the time he had achieved national popularity under his stage name Rossy in the early 1990s, he had developed a reputation for speaking truth to power and being unafraid to address sensitive issues through his music. Many of Rossy's songs raise awareness of such issues as environmental degradation and poor governance

TRACKLIST: 

1 Papa Mandela 3:21

2 Lehilahy Mahery 2:16

3 Any Imalala 3:17

4 Ambilahao Zaho 4:56

5 Avela Ho Avy 3:48

6 Manjelatra 2:49

7 Marary Africa 4:16

8 Mitombo 2:52

9 Soa Fa Nisy Anareo 3:43

10 Raha Manina 3:44

11 Madagasikara 3:58

12 Marobe 2:55

13 Hira-Gasy 3:37

14 Aza-Itsaninao 4:30

15 Vakisaoava 3:27

16 Ka Meloke 3:50

17 Alin Kisa 5:28

18 Mitotototo  3:14

19 Vakisiny 3:32

Credits

Recording studio – Studio Discomad, Antananarivo

Mixed at – Tonstudio B

Distribuited  – Mélodie Distribution

Bass – Luc-Henri Barege

Congas, Bongos – Jean-Roch Rakotomalala-Andrianasolo

Congas, Drums – Marie-Norbert Rakototafika

Drums, Kabosy – Laurent Razafindraibe

Keyboards [Additional] – Stefan Pape (tracks: 4, 7)

Keyboards, Guitar – Bruno Randrianasivelo

Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Zither [Valiha], Accordion, Flute – Rossy

Music By – Rossy / Paul Bert Rahasimanana

Vocals, Percussion – Marie-Josephine Rasoarimalala

 Matteo Salvatore - 1973 - Le Quattro Stagioni del Gargano

 "Hi, Matteo, you lived like a devil, but when you sang, you sang like an angel."

    This was the funeral poster that appeared on the walls of Apricena, in Puglia, in August 2005, while the funeral of Matteo Salvatore was taking place, considered - in the 60s and 70s - one of the greatest Italian songwriters, if not the greatest: a "prophet", the "Homer of the disinherited".  Salvatore was "a musician sublime" but at the same time "a histrionic man" and a "cheater". An angel and a devil, as it had been written on the anonymous poster of his funeral.  The great Apulian artist was singer of the poor, of the farm workers, of the forgotten, compared by many to Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash. However, he had many dark sides: the strangulation of his partner, a feminicide soon classified as an "accident", and the complex origin of the musical pieces of which Salvatore ended up attributing paternity to himself, after saying initially to have learned them from popular tradition. 

    The artist, born in 1925 into one of the most unfortunate families of Apricena, at the foot of the Gargano, in the province of Foggia, lived a hungry childhood and adolescence. His father was a porter, a man of hard work, and her mother pretended to be mutilated to beg and collect a few pieces of bread to take to her children. Matteo remained illiterate but at the age of 7, he was lucky enough to meet a blind musician, an over eighty year old "bearer of serenades", Vincenzo Pizzicoli, who taught him to play the guitar and passed on to him - this was Salvatore's first version - a heritage of 150 Apulian folk songs.

    With his wife Ida Signoriello and his children, Salvatore then moved to seek his fortune in Rome, where he lived in a shack and played in restaurants, as well as being an abusive valet. In a restaurant in Trastevere he is discovered by the "reuccio" of the Italian song, Claudio Villa, who opens the doors to Rai TV and the tours that count. His notoriety arrives in the 60s with the song "Lu suprastante", a story of the oppression and exploitation of the Apulian prisoners. It is in this period that Matteo abandons his wife and children to go and live with one of his singers, Adriana Doriani. Their love story is decisive in the life and art of Mattep: the two "didn't just share love and sex, home and money, problems and happiness. They shared everything.

She helped him, perfectly illiterate, to start distinguishing one letter from another and even to scribble something. Together, finally, the 'one hundred and fifty songs' that Matteo had learned from his blind teacher took graphic form".

    1973 is the year of the box set with four LPs and no less than fifty-six performances: "The four seasons of the Gargano", of which 23 are signed for four hands, by Matteo and Adriana.

     They tell of hunger, poverty, exploitation, labourers, work, love, joy, religion, games, death, proverbs, the ferocity of bullies. An absolute masterpiece, an overwhelming success, the definitive sanctification of the "greatest Italian storyteller", so much so that Matteo Salvatore, having savored the taste of glory, abandons the old version of the songs learned from tradition and claims, from now on, that the lyrics are all written by him. On August 26, 1973, in San Marino, however, the tragedy that will change everything also takes place. A few hours before a concert, Matteo, father-master in the couple, kills Adriana, probably blinded by jealousy for her and perhaps also by a sense of intellectual inferiority.  In the end Matteo Salvatore is sentenced to 7 years in prison but only serves 4. However, he is unable to recover. He lives as a penniless tramp.

     He sings in the campsites and in the Apulian summer festivals. For years he is kept on the sidelines, if not forgotten. A story, his, "always poised between redemption and damnation". But perhaps  precisely in this lies "his persistent greatness: in this profound contradiction between the man and the artist, between his private life and his art, as well as in his irreducibility, in his elusiveness. Thus perhaps he has defended himself all his life from a world he has never been able to understand or even accept. (ANSA).

TRACKLIST

Disc 1: Primavera: "Lu gregge, lu pastore e la campagna"

A1 Il bando della carne

A2 Lu gregge, lu pastore e la campagna

A3 Le mele

A4 Padrone mio ti voglio arricchire

A5 I maccheroni

A6 Corre a mamma tua

A7 Tuppe tuppe a lu portone

B1 Il pastore

B2 Maria Santissima Incoronata di Apricena

B3 Don Nicola si diverte

B4 Meza verzura de feve

B5 La cometa

B6 Lu maccatore

B7 Parruzzelle

Disc 2: Estate: "La siccità"

C1 La siccità

C2 Teresa

C3 San Lazzaro

C4 Lu soprastante

C5 Il lamento del mendicante

C6 Mennelle e mennelastre, vulive e vuluastre

C7 Petto tondo

D1 Lu polverone

D2 I fuochi

D3 Le tre frustate d'lu patrone

D4 Il forestiero

D5 La ballata di Taresina

D6 Io vado all'aia

D7 I proverbi paesani

Disc 3: Autunno: "Pe' 'nu cacchio d'uva"

E1 Il bando del comune

E2 Pe' 'nu cacchio d'uva

E3 Nostalgie di un emigrante

E4 Il pianto delle vedove

E5 Tarragnole

E6 I capelli neri

E7 San Michele

F1 Le fontanelle

F2 San Luca

F3 Gatti e cani

F4 Brutta cafona

F5 M'ha ditt' mamma mia

F6 La zia

F7 L'uomo della montagna

Disc 4: Inverno: "Carnuèle pecché sì morto"

G1 Carnuèle pecché sì morto

G2 La lota e lu traino

G3 Morte a lu paese

G4 La pizzetta de zucchero doce

G5 La femmina del Settecento

G6 La morte traditrice

G7 Prima, seconda, terza qualità

H1 L'ultimo martedì

H2 La notte è bella

H3 La santa ora

H4 Lu signèle

H5 Lu monaco cercatore

H6 La ballata del bracciante

H7 Uè chi vò l'anice

Credits:

Matteo Salvatore: Vocals, Guitar

Adriana Doriani: Baking vocals

     

Gjurmët - 1984 - Gjurmët

 Gjurmët - 1984 - Gjurmët

Gjurmët (trans. The Traces) was a Yugoslav new wave band formed in Pristina. The band is notable for being one of the first Yugoslav rock bands formed by Kosovo Albanians and the first new wave band from SAP Kosovo. Gjurmët was formed and led by Migjen Kelmendi (vocals, rhythm guitar). The band released only one self-titled album before disbanding in 1986. The band made three one-off reunions, in 1988, 2015 and 2019. 

The band was formed in 1980 by Migjen Kelmendi (vocals, rhythm guitar), the son of the writer and journalist Ramiz Kelmendi, inspired by the expansion of the Yugoslav new wave scene. The lineup also included Armando Gjini (piano, synthesizer), Tomor Kurshumliu (vocals, bass guitar), Gazmend Hasbahta (lead guitar), Petrit Riza (drums) and Bekim Dyla (lead guitar). During the same year, the band recorded their first song, being the first new wave song recorded in SAP Kosovo.

In 1982 the band recorded the song "Karrigat" ("Chair"), which Radio Television of Pristina refused to play due to its political-related lyrics. Afterwards the band recorded "Mikrofoni" ("Microphones"), which also had political lyrics but was accepted by Radio Television of Pristina. In 1984 Armando Gjini joined the band as the keyboardist. During the same year, the band recorded the material for their debut album, which was released the following year as a self-titled album. The reason for the delay was the controversial album cover, which featured dancers performing the traditional Albanian "eagle dance", making the shape of a double-headed eagle with their posture. Eventually, the album was released by Radio Television of Pristina, on compact cassette only, featuring the band's photo on the front cover; in the image, Kelmendi is looking at his wrist watch as a comment on the release delay. The album featured a combination of new wave, post-punk, reggae rock and folk music.

In 1986, the band disbanded due to Migjen Kelmendi having been called for his mandatory service in the Yugoslav army. In 1988 the members of the band got back together, only to record one more song as a nod to their home city, "Heroi i Qytetit Pa Lum" ("Hero of the City without a River").

Gjurmët LP, second album of the band Gjurmët released in 2002. Kelmendi became a journalist and was head of editing for the program Contacto on Radio Television of Pristina (1988-1990), executive producer of Victoria Television of New York (1996) and of the Programme Albanian Satellite (1997-1999), and director of television of Radio Television of Kosovo (2000-2001). He was also the founder of the weekly magazine Epoca (1991) and of the literary magazine MM (1996), and is currently editor of the weekly newspaper Java, which he founded in 2001. He has written four books, including To Change The World: A Short History of The Traces, about his musical career. Kurshumliu got a degree in economy and worked as a counselor in the Executive Council of Kosovo. During the 1989 abolition of the autonomy of the Province of Kosovo, he was fired from his job and moved to London. Riza got a degree in law and continued his career after the dissolution of Gjurmët as a drummer for the band Haliband. Dyla got a degree in architecture. After the rise of Slobodan Milošević to power, he moved to Switzerland, residing in Geneva and working as a designer. Gjini continued his musical career as a composer, and after Milošević's rise to power moved to Croatia.

In 2002, a compilation album LP, featuring a collection of material the band had recorded in the course of the 1980s, was released. The album upon release also featured Migjen Kelmendi's book Gjurmët LP. In 2022 the album was made available at the Internet Archive.

The band reunited in 2015 to perform a concert in Palace of Congresses in Tirana, Albania, on December 29. The concert featured several guest singers from Albania and Kosovo, including the rapper MC Kresha, who, the day before the concert, released the song "Era", recorded in collaboration with Gjurmët. After the 2015 reunion, Gjurmët reunited once again in 2019 and made a concert in the Palace of Youth and Sports in Pristina, on June 12. The money from the concert went to the Prenk Jakova School of Music in honor of its 70th anniversary. Gjurmët also received the Key of Pristina for the concert by the mayor of the city, Shpend Ahmeti.

TRACKLIST:

A1 Kur Dielli Perendon

A2 Ne Tren Për Perzeren

A3 Të Vallëzojmë

A4 Një Grusht Qershi

A5 Kënga Ime E Pakënduar

B1 Njeriu Dhe Kulla

B2 Rrezet Thehen Në Sytë E Tu Të Zez

B3 Era

B4 Të Shtrirë Mbi Kanape

Credits

Migjen Kelmendi – vocals, rhythm guitar

Armando Gjini – piano, synthesizer

Tomor Kurshumliu – vocals, bass guitar

Gazmend Hasbahta - lead guitar

Petrit Riza – drums

Bekim Dyla – lead guitar

Myslovitz - 1999 - Miłość w czasach popkultury

Myslovitz - 1999 - Miłość w czasach popkultury 

Myslovitz is the most popular rock band to emerge from Poland in the late Nineties. They took the name from the city where they were born, Myslowice, making it the new capital of the local alternative scene. Guitarist and vocalist Artur Rojek started the band in 1992 as "The Freshmen", taking the initial name from the 1990 film The Freshman, starring Marlon Brando and Matthew Broderick, indicating a fascination with cinema that would become a characteristic feature throughout the band's career. In 1994 they changed their name to Myslovitz. The band's early phase was characterised by a somewhat debonair punk attitude, as Rojek admits:

"I started Myslovitz in 1992. I was twenty then and I had no idea how to make good music. Surely, I was a big fan of a few British groups (Ride, Stone Roses, My Bloody Valentine, Housemartins) but I couldn't play the guitar at all. After several months of rehearsals […] I decided that I should cover the holes in my musical education by […] chaos (the bigger the better)." 

Even so, they soon caught the media's attention, winning several important competitions for young musicians. This enabled them to make their first professional recordings in the studio of Radio Lodz. In 1994, Myslovitz were signed by MJM Music Pl and recorded their self-titled debut album with British producer Ian Harris, who had previously worked for, amongst others, Joy Division, New Order, and The Exploited. Upon its release in 1995, the album received euphoric reviews and was declared "Debut of the Year" by several music magazines. Some critics compared it to Oasis, who were at the peak of their popularity at that time. In 1996, Myslovitz were joined by a third guitarist and keyboarder, Przemek Myszor, and released the second album Sun Machine on Sony Music Polska. The album spawned two somewhat beatlesque airplay hits - Z twarzą Marilyn Monroe ("With a Face Like...") and Peggy Brown, the latter being a cover version of a fellow Mysłowice rock band, with lyrics originally by the Irish "national bard" Turlough O'Carolan (in a translation by the Polish lyricist and translator Ernest Bryll).

The following year, the third album Z rozmyślań przy śniadaniu ("From meditations over breakfast") was released, displaying a tendency towards a more "polished" sound and more introspective lyrics. Also, Myslovitz's now typical fascination with cinema began to take centre stage with numerous allusions and hints in the lyrics and track titles, and a certain "cinematic" atmosphere in the music itself. The band's interest in cinema also showed in their contributions to soundtracks. In 1998, they recorded the unconventional track To nie był film ("That was no film") for the Polish movie Młode wilki ½ ("Young Wolves ½"). The lyrics referred to a wave of violent crimes committed by juvenile delinquents, which was controversially discussed in Polish mass media in the mid-1990s. The explicit depiction of violence in the lyrics and the accompanying video clip (which later won a Fryderyk award as "Video of the Year") caused further controversy and led Polish broadcasting networks to boycott both the song and the clip.  Also in 1998, Myslovitz had their first appearances abroad with shows in Sweden, Germany, and the United States.

The final breakthrough for the band came in 1999 with their fourth album entitled Miłość w czasach popkultury ("Love in The Time of Pop Culture"), which went platinum (i.e. 150,000 copies sold) soon and has by now achieved "double platinum" status in Poland. The single Długość dzwięku samotności ("[The Length of the] Sound of Solitude") became the biggest hit for the band so far. If "Miłość..." had been produced by an English band, today it would be considered a classic of the late Britpop era, as it contains some amazing songs. "Chłopcy" is introduced by a refined stratification of riffs and guitar effects, "Długość dźwięku samotności" is a touching love song with lounge-pop sounds, "Gdzieś" has some nice rhythm tricks and an explosive chorus, "My" is a softly depressive midtempo pierced by some subtle feedback noises, "Noc" is a celestial crescendo guided by acoustic guitars and percussions.

In 2000 Myslovitz again contributed to soundtracks, writing and recording the song Polowanie na wielbłąda ("Camel Hunting") for the movie The Big Animal (Duże zwierzę) by the legendary Polish actor and director Jerzy Stuhr, and the single plus another two (previously unreleased) tracks to director Waldemar Szarek's movie "That's Us" (To my). In 2003 Myslovitz continued their cooperation with Stuhr, creating not only the title song for his movie "Tomorrow's Weather", but also appearing in walk-on roles - as neophyte monks. In 2002, the follow-up to Miłość..., entitled Korova Milky Bar appeared; the title being an allusion to Stanley Kubrick's classic screen version of Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange. Strikingly, the melancholic elements took over almost completely, with both music and (sometimes sarcastic) lyrics creating an overall downcast mood. Nonetheless, the album sold even more copies than its predecessor had in the same amount of time, with the singles Acidland and Sprzedawcy marzeń ("Dreamsellers") repeating the success of Długość... three years earlier.

The reason for the new material's popularity, as some critics surmised, was that its atmosphere closely conformed to a presumed resignative-recessive mood within Polish society at large - which guitarist Przemek Myszor seemed to confirm in an interview for the Montreal Mirror: "For us, the Korova Milky Bar [from Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange'] is a place where something different may happen to your mind. It's a place like today's Poland. You know, Poland is a place where very strange things happen to your mind. It's a country full of crisis and everything around you is very sad, very dark, very fucked. There is an economic crisis here. People don't have money, politics are fucked. The lyrics on our record are sad because of this. We sing a lot about being in a strange state of mind". With Korova Milky Bar, Myslovitz appeared at several festivals throughout Europe, including the big, traditional German festival for Alternative acts (Bizarre) and the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival. Also, they supported Iggy Pop and the Simple Minds on their European tours that year. Also, they received an MTV Europe Music Awards in Barcelona for Best Polish Act, having been nominated twice in previous years. In November 2002 Myslovitz signed a new contract with EMI's Polish outlet Pomaton. The first album to be released on the new label was an English-language re-recording of Korova Milky Bar, which was released in 27 countries (including Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Spain, Russia, Turkey and South Africa). In addition to the Korova... material, this version also included English versions of older tracks. "Długość dzwięku samotności" now became a single as "The Sound of Solitude"' (an earlier English version, somewhat awkwardly but more correctly entitled "The Length of The Solitude Sound", had been a Polish b-side). A video clip for this song was directed Janusz Kamiński, the Polish Hollywood cinematographer who had won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography with Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan, and had declined an offer from Martin Scorsese in order to work with Myslovitz. Kaminski declares himself a "fan" of Myslovitz, saying "I only work for Spielberg and Myslovitz [...] Money is not a factor in this. What one doesn't do for one's idols!" The clip got frequent plays on MTV Europe and the album received positive reviews in the European music press, particularly in Germany. However, radio airplay was sporadic and largely limited to Alternative programmes (such as John Peel in the UK), as a consequence, Myslovitz so far failed to enter the upper reaches of the charts outside Poland.

Also in 2003, Myslovitz performed with Travis and Skin (of Skunk Anansie fame) on The Road to Edinburgh, where they received another MTV Europe Music Award for Best Polish Act. The same year, Sony Music domestically released an obligatory end-of-contract compilation album, entitled The Best of. The lead single Kraków was an older song re-recorded with 1970s Polish folk rock stars Marek Grechuta and Anawa. In the summer of 2004 Myslovitz were touring Europe again, starting with a concert for the German public radio and television broadcaster WDR on the eve of EU enlargement. Apart from headlining smaller venues and playing festival slots (including the largest Swiss open-air event in St. Gallen, they again opened for Iggy Pop & The Stooges on their European dates, as well as for The Corrs in the UK and mainland Europe. In December 2004, EMI released Myslovitz's most recent album entitled Skalary, mieczyki, neonki ("Angelfish, swordtails, neon tetras") - an out-of-schedule release with outtakes from the Korova Milky Bar recording sessions; longform, psychedelic-experimental and downbeat instrumental soundscapes took center stage. Skalary... earned Myslovitz comparisons to Radiohead and Pink Floyd. At the time, the band had finished recording of their new album Happiness Is Easy; it was released in May 2006. Myslovitz's success arguably contributed to a revitalisation of the Polish alternative rock scene in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which spawned bands such as eM, Kombajn do zbierania kur po wioskach, and Lili Marlene. In April 2012, frontman and co-founder Artur Rojek left the band after twenty years to pursue a solo career and continue work as creative director for the annual OFF Festival. Rojek was replaced by singer Michał Kowalonek, who left the band in 2018 (exactly six years to the day of Rojek's departure).

http://sovietsam.blogspot.com/2013/10/myslovitz-miosc-w-czasach-popkultury.html

TRACKLIST:

1. "Chłopcy" 3:58

2. "Nienawiść" 3:47

3. "Długość dźwięku samotności" 4:11

4. "Dla ciebie" 3:45

5. "Peggy Sue nie wyszła za mąż" 4:25

6. "Gdzieś" 4:31

7. "Kraków" 4:07

8. "Miłość w czasach popkultury" 3:12

9. "Noc" 5:53

10. "Alexander" 4:01

11. "My" 3:26

12. "Zamiana" 6:26

Credits:

Artur Rojek: Vocals, Guitar

Jacek Kuderski: Bass Guitar 

Przemysław Myszor: Guitar 

Wojciech Powaga: Guitar 

Wojtek 'Lala' Kuderski: Percussion

Szymon "Sakhya" Potyński, Robert Laska : Design 

Tomasz Rogula: Directed By 

Grzegorz Piwkowski: Mastered By 

Ryszard Horowitz, Rafał Latoszek: Photography By 

Myslovitz, Tomasz Bonarowski: Producer [Produkcja]