To get to know us...Les Gloires

Name?

Gruppo Emiliano.

Meaning?

A group of four souls bound by friendship and the insesant need to make music rather than just listen to it.

What does it do?

Music!! Which we've already said, and more precisely traditional folk music from Emilia which was played previously to the popular "ballo liscio", but much more, because it's pleasurable to see them perform.

Age?

Around thirty years old (started in 1975): one of the oldest groups of this kind of music, a little because of our insistance and maybe stubborness and a little because the other groups in time have mended their ways. The Gruppo Emiliano has passed unscathed through the stages of the reproposals of folk music to the public by taking pieces of original music and putting new words to the songs (Ask who has seen them).

Sound?

Playing, which is a pleasure and if it's not filled.....with happiness and exuberance from people who firmly believe that success on stage isn't tied to electronic tricks but to muscular strength, the physical hard work of making music and the pleasurable experience from reducing the distance between musicians and public.

Instruments?

Guitar, violin, accordeon, doublebass, flute, bagpipes and "zampogna" (italian bagpipe), clarinet, voices and other ineffable wonders like the "ocarinas", the duet of a violin and cello made with a brush and balloon, strange viola made with a rolling pin, spoons for accompanying rhythm and so on.

Artistic ideal?

Given the difficulty in keeping them, even though we put the joy of eating before that of mixing music, we are still among the few who believe that music is primarily a way of enjoyng yourself and celebrating.

Names?

The Gruppo Emiliano are:

• Marco Chiappelli - guitar, mandolin, voice.
• Paolo Giacomoni - violin, accordeon, voice.
• Roberto Losi - flutes, ocarina, voice.
• Gian Emilio Tassoni - doublebass, voice.

Les Gloires!

The four musicians who form the "Gruppo Emiliano" today started to work together in 1979. They are attributed to numerous and legendary works, but not all of them are true, To avoid these false rumours we declare as follows:

1. A large recording with original documents on folk music of our region was published by the members of Gruppo Emiliano. It was put in the 'Centro Etnografico of Ferrara, in the State archives. The enormous amount of material was obtained by research. Other times!!! (1979}.
2. The "Gruppo Emiliano" have performed in numerous and periodical tours abroad: seste and east Germany, Checoslovachia, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Holland, in small folk clubs for amateurs to the large folk concerts. The fact that some of those states have been cancelled from history says a lot about the group, but what does it say we're not really sure.
3. In summer 2003 have performed in US public Television series "Smart travels with Rudy Maxa".
4. On the road toward comedy in music the group met the directors Daniele Sala and Francesco Freyrie with whom they worked for the play "Il baraccone" organised in the "Teatro tenda" at the D.L.F. of Bologna, (Italy) in the far spring of 1997.
5. In their desire for immediate contact with the public they performed and still perform concerts on the road. They also participated as guests at the Ferrara Buskers Festivals (1996-1997).
6. They have produced and distributed their own considerable repertory on various cassettes and compact disks all thoroughly produced by themselves.
7. The last recording was partially published in the weekly magazine "Avvenimenti" on 23 April 1998.
8. They have participated in national TV transmissions ("La Zanzara d'oro", RAI, 1997), regionals one (Rete sette) and foreign ones ("Folkmusic der Welt", "Les saisons de la musique").
9. Favourable in any type of experimenting they have made an edition software (midi) of their repertory. The material it.s available free of charge at the Groups homepage.
10. The prerogative however of which they are most proud is that of being able to live, work and develop their way of performing, for twenty years, inspite of the indifference of the structures, corporation, advertising agents and agencies, promoters, productors and the multitudes of angels.

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