Canzoniere Del Lazio - Miradas (1978)

Tremendo discazo hoy nos trae el Mago Alberto; experimental, folk rock, fusión, progresivo y psicodélico. Otra joya desconocida que ahora viene de Italia. Un disco maravilloso que tenès que descubrir... como dice el Mago: "Un disco curioso, sorprendente, con arreglos de vientos, percusión y de violines que le van dando forma a un trabajo que no se parece a nada de lo que hayamos escuchado de la movida tana". No se lo pierdan, y hoy vamos a traer puro progresivo italiano.

Artista: Canzoniere Del Lazio

Álbum: Miradas
Año: 1978
Género: Prog Folk Italiano
Duración: 38:00
Nacionalidad: Italia

Lista de Temas:
1. Nu Gatto Come nu Lione
2. Glorias
3. Zandamela (Timbilas)
4. Poeta (Borgata Camion)
5. Mogadishu

Alineación:
- Clara Murtas / vocals
- Carlo Siliotto / vocals, violin, piano and percussions
- Pasquale Minieri / electric and acoustic guitars, acoustic bass
- Marcello Vento / drums, percussions, timbilas and vocals
- Giorgio Vivaldi / percussions, timbilas and foots
- Maurizio Ganmarco / tenor and soprano saxes, flute, piano and percussions

A estas alturas deberíamos hacerle un monumento al Mago Alberto. Y tengo varias cosas que nos compartió que no saben lo buena que están, y sin contar éstas que vamos a presentar hoy en día. Vamos con su comentario de éste disco de ésta ignota banda:

En algún otro posteo referenciaba sobre los ooparts musicales y de pronto nos encontramos con uno de la península italiana,si cabezonas/es el presente es un oopart un trabajo fuera de tiempo, esta es una producción con un alto contenido musical, en instrumentos, en arrebatos, en fraseos, en cadencias vocales, en letras, una alineación planetaria que se habrá dado justo cuando se grababa este disco, allá por los años 70s.
Un disco curioso, sorprendente, con arreglos de vientos, percusión y de violines que le van dando forma a un trabajo que no se parece a nada de lo que hayamos escuchado de la movida tana. Este es su cuarto disco y el mas sobresaliente de la corta discografía del grupo.
Los detalles de mezcla, sonidos de guitarras acústicas, violines, tabla, las vocalizaciones, todo es digno de escuchar y prestarle atención, nadie se sorprendería si dijéramos que esto se grabó en el 2015, por tirar un ejemplo, de allí lo de oopart.
Adelantados a su tiempo estos cantantes de Lazio dieron forma a un disco que no puede faltar en ningún archivo cabezón. Ideal para un domingo de pastas y vino tinto... acuerdense!!! Malbec para el Vampiro.

Mago Alberto

No hay otras referencias en castellano del grupo, ni reseñas ni menciones, ésta joyita ha pasado desapercibida por éstos parajes hasta que llegó el Mago y la presenta en el blog cabezón. La verdad, una obra injustamente desconocida.
Aquí, algunos comentarios en inglés que encontré por aquí y por allá...

Formed near Rome in 1972, this group has been one of the most important examples of progressive folk in Italy during the seventies.
Though their beginnings were strongly inspired by literal reworkings of central Italy traditional tunes, they soon added original elements that, never in a rock style, can let them considered as a "progressive" group in the wide sense of the word.
Initially a quartet, and only using acoustic instruments, Canzoniere del Lazio released their first album in 1973 for the Dischi del Sole label, (a small independent record company specialized in folk albums).
The album contained all traditional songs, and showed the good vocal interplay between singers Brega and Modigliani, but it didn't have a particular success.
Singer Sara Modigliani left after the album, still interested in discovering old folk tunes; she is still active as a solo artist and with her group La Piazza.
The other added new musicians, two of which, Pasquale Minieri and Giorgio Vivaldi have been stable members since then, and released a new album in 1974 for the newly born Intingo label, Lassa sta' la me' creatura.
Still strongly influenced by traditional music, this represents a transition album with the introduction of electric instruments and the use of some rock and jazz elements.
The best period in CdL career came with the following two albums, Spirito bono and Miradas.
The first of these, again on Intingo contained just four tracks (all of which also appeared in shortened form on singles), with long instrumental parts and traditional lyrics. It was produced by the American Peter Kaukonen (brother of Jefferson Airplane's guitarist Jorma) that probably gave a distinctive touch to the recordings even adding some electric guitar parts.
The group played at the VI Festa del Proletariato Giovanile in Milan (and were also included in the Parco Lambro live compilation LP) and were ready to embark on an african tour when three of their members, Piero Brega, Luigi Cinque and Francesco Giannattasio left.
The others reformed the group with new members, and successfully played at the VII Political Music International Festival in East Berlin in February 1977. A beautiful album, recorded in studio during that tour, was only released in East Germany.
Their fourth album Miradas was released in 1977, this time on Cramps and with the production of former Area guitarist Paolo Tofani (also known as Electric Frankenstein). Considered by many as their more mature work, the LP includes five songs, some of which show african music influences. The new members Clara Murtas on voice, Maurizio Giammarco on sax and Marcello Vento on drums (from Alberomotore) fit perfectly into the band's music.
The same line-up appears in the fifth and last album, Morra 1978, again on Intingo, with three long tracks, again a good album though maybe on a lower level than the previous two.
The LP, that was to be entitled A risciacquà li piatti e la paura, was released one year after the previous one and contains tracks recorded in the same session as the ones on Miradas, but not included on that album, and was presumably issued to fulfill the contract with the old label.
After the band split Minieri and Vivaldi formed Carnascialia, whose only excellent album in 1979 was an early example of world music.
Carlo Siliotto has kept working as film music composer. He made a nice solo album in 1979, Ondina, and at least another on CAM (Grooves, no. CML211, in the early 80's).
Pasquale Minieri has long worked as producer and sound engineer for many important Italian artists.
Two of the founder members, Brega and Giannattasio, have played in Malvasia, a group which released an eponymous album on Cetra in 1979 (LPX 74) halfway between Italian and celtic folk.
After leaving Canzoniere del Lazio, Luigi Cinque took on his solo artistic career still lasting today, releasing a first album for Cramps in 1978 (Note di atemporalità) and many other records, books, videos.

Italian Prog

With Miradas (look/glance in Spanish) is easily CDL's best achievement, but they were asisted by one of Italy's best group, Area. With former Area guitarist Paolo Tonati at the production helm, Miradas was released on the Cramps label (another area link), with another bronze age artwork on the outer gatefold and engaged left-wing newspaper articles on the inner gatefold in a typical Italian fashion.
Fast drumming, delicate electric guitar wailings, demented violin, light flutetwirls, strange yelled vocals in the backgrond are the main ingredients on Nu Gatto Come Nu Lionne (neither cat nor lion) while the other 10-min compagnion piece Glorias boasts is fairly similar folk rock, but with an added clarinet and a slight Gypsy twist. Both pieces are still very folk, but if not avant garde, they're sufficiently adventurous to be called rogressive and much worthy the progheads' attentions.
Once the flipside up, African drums greet you in the short Zandamela, percussions that segue without interuption into Poeta, an evolving 7 minutes track that brings you to an enchanting middle section where Giammerco's tenor sax mixed with the almost polyphonic vocals make it a real success. A percussion passage then a crazy demonstrative bass guitar, flamenco handclapping, than a soprano sax take over, with the piano's interventions keeping everything very tense, before triumphant trumpets and singing drives you to shake them shivers running down your spine. Yes, the closing Mogadishu track is easily CDL's crowning jewel.and it has nothing to do with their first folklore album.
Hopefully one dau, we'll see a Cd reissue for both Spirito Bono and Miradas, because both lbums are very much worth it. Most likely by now the vinyls have become rare, but don't hasiate if you see Miragas.

Sean Trane

Imagine the wedding scene in Godfather where Michael Corleone marries a young beautiful girl in Sicily. Add some drumming from a speed-freak with nervous twitches, a violinist playing strange circus themes whilst semi-drunk mixed with wild monkey-like cries in the background and you are close to the opening song of "Miradas".
The folk tag these guys got hanging from their shoulders should definitely be taken loosely, as some of the music found here is downright avant-gart-ish, and other times approaching extremely weird psychedelic territory. Then again, you can really hear the folkish melodies, the, at times, soft woodwinds and the violin bringing with them, that special feeling of sitting on a mustard yellow rock in Corleone eating oranges right from the tree, whilst people in traditional festive clothes are twirling - ferociously dancing around yelling: Yeah Yeah to the saxophone player! I am deeply addicted to this record, and it gives me some of the same vibes and wild energy, that I get from Area, which should come as little surprise, when you see that Area guitarist Paolo Tonati is listed here as producer.
This music makes you jump around like a mad frog in nikes while you´re juggling kiwis and hot potatoes - spewing large quantities of chocolate milk all over your cat - who actually seems to like it (your dancing). One thing that is recurring during most of the album in some form, is the appearance of strange and exotic percussions, - in particular Zandamela. This track is a gentle piece of what could be marimbas and other stuff you can hit, but we are no way near a drum feast extraordinaire. It rather sounds meditative like a Japanese stone garden. At some point you loose sight of the drumming patterns, and it shifts into something like rain hitting a tin roof.
However this is not all funny beards and liquorice. This album manages to be completely crazy, and still have its fair share of bone chillingly beautiful sections, that will curl up your toes like pork rinds meeting sizzling hot oil. The final track "Mogadishu" implodes into some beautiful violin playing, that sounds so fragile, it would take a mere sneeze to instantly wipe it clear off the face of the planet. I simply love it! Or like the understated sax of "Poeta" that seems to oooze out of your speakers together with the vocals. The thing is, that all these different musical ideas are very well knitted together by CdL. Such a unique melting together of instruments and alternating tempers. A thing which their Italian brethren too was brilliant at, although this is quite a step from say Le Orme or even the more folkish Delirium. Miles away.
There are no weak songs, no dull moments and about a million different reasons, why this album should be in your collection. If you are into folk music with a twist, and a soul mad as marbles - you should pour this wonderful music into your ear like the finest sauce.

David Guldbamsen

A couple of key members ( Minieri & Vivaldi) from this band would later form CARNASCIALIA after this band disolved, and that one album they released in 1979 is incredible ! Like this particular album it is maybe more Avant than Folk but hey they could be called either or both I suppose. AREA's guitarist is the producer here and I should mention that Demetrio from AREA sang on that CARNASCIALIA record, so yes there is a connection there.
"Nu Gatto Come Nu Lione" has this repetitive beat as the violin, sax and more come and go. Vocals before 2 1/2 minutes and he's really yelling the words but they are brief. The beat settles back 4 minutes in as sounds come and go. Distant sounding vocals can be heard as well. It kicks in with vocals after 6 minutes. Catchy stuff. The vocals are again brief and it does settle back again. "Glorias" has a beat with violin and more. it kicks in before a minute with vocals as he yells the lyrics. Again like the last song they are brief but they do come and go here. Sax leads after 4 minutes as the vocals are again yelled as the beat continues. Violin too and then the violin starts to lead. The vocals are insane late (haha).
"Zandamela (Timbilas)" is experimental with lots of intricate sounds throughout. It blends into "Poeta (Borgata Camion)" where it settles some and the piano joins in. Sax after 5 minutes as it builds. Vocals 6 minutes in. Man he has a different sounding voice. "Mogadishu" is fairly uptempo with different sounds helping out. Vocals before a minute. This is catchy but crazy. Percussion leads 3 minutes in. Cool sound. It leads right through to 5 1/2 minutes then some insane sax? takes over with piano and a beat. Vocals are back 9 minutes in. Oh my ! The violin starts to rip it up when the vocals stop.
Another adventerous and challenging album. I've been digesting a lot of these lately. This one took a while to appreciate.

John Davie

Just when Canzoniere del Lazio were about to go off to a triumphant African tour, their plans were thrown in the bin, as Francesco Giannattasio (he went to Malvasia), Piero Brega (played with Carnascialia) and Piero Avallone all left the band.The three remaining members then recruited female singer Carla Murtas, drummer Marcello Vento and Maurizio Giammarco on sax to go on and play at the VII Political Music International Festival in East Berlin in early 77', resulting to a German-only release of a self-titled album.Back in Italy a new album was recorded, ''Miradas'' (1977, Cramps), produced by Paolo Tofani of Area.Again a work comprised of four pieces, this time though with a more balanced length, simply establishing Canzoniere del Lazio as the most complex and inventive of all Italian Folk groups.Now electric instruments were absent and the sound is totally acoustic with only bass and drums providing a rockin' spark, featuring a unique female singer with a traditional, Ethnic-styled voice on lyrics and wordless voices and a heavy load of acoustic intertplays with a certain jazzy emphasis, a bit similar to Piirpauke.A combination of dark, experimental sounds and more exotic/Mediterrenean textures comes in forefront, while the piano-led tracks are the closest to Prog Rock.Lots of percussion, violin and sax as well towards a more R.I.O./Avant Folk style, which is not always convincing, but works well for most of the way.Very challenging and hard-to-digest album.

apps79

Ethnic folk group Canzoniere Del Lazio produced this one radically different album when compared to their earlier work. Very percussive, with an African flair, Canzoniere Del Lazio let loose with this mighty fine fusion album, not too far from what Area was doing at the time or perhaps the Bella Band, both acts on the Cramps label as well.

ashratom

1. Crazy, the beat is very sharp and fast, reminding me of Apoteosi, Eskaton, Shylock
2. Prog Folk
3. More interesting prog folk! Someone could call it world beat.
4. Even more interesting prog folk combined to beats again.

Fastro

Disparate ethnic avant music, sometimes in the vein of Area or Mamma Non Piangere, while at other times almost as chaotic as N.A.D.M.A.. Recommended!

Tovan

It is funny to be the second one to rate this record ;-) When I bought the LP 20 years ago in a dirty record shop in Amsterdam, the only reason was that it had the Cramps label on it. I think I listened to it once, didn't like it, almost sold it, until one day a Japanese friend of mine asked me to tape it for him.
While I was recording it for my friend, something happened at the end of side 2: I kind of liked the singing and I found the rhythm quite good. Which led me to listen to it once more, and then that was it, probably the record that has the most grown on me, leading to this five star rating today.
This record is extraordinary. To describe it is very difficult, as "avant-garde folk" is not a category that ordinarily rings a bell. Can I say that Canzoniere del Lazio are to folk what fellow Cramps workers Area are to jazz? Does it make any sense? At times, during the "easiest" moments, it is similar to things Mauro Pagani did in the late 70s.
Any way, if you happen to come accross the official Cramps CD reissue, don't hesitate: it might take you some time to get into this music but you won't regret it.

trickpascheri

Discazo increíble, es el primero de la movida tana que vamos a presentar hoy. Y van a ser varios.