Sunday, February 01, 2009

Italian Beat (Part 1)

Following the "british invasion" in the first years of the sixties and the global success of Beatles and Rolling Stones and many others bands, also in Italy during the decade a process of imitation had started. Two elements were back to the phenomenon: the hegemony in the music sector of the anglo-saxons models, after the II World War, and the strong request of new music coming from Italy, at that time a fast growing country, with many young people, one of the main music market in the western world.

Everywhere in the peninsula, almost in every town, thousand of young people, mostly boys, but also girls, decided to create a musical group, the name used at that time was "complesso" (complex) and the collective definition of complessi beat. The groups were based on the model coming from UK: a lead guitar, a second guitar, an electric bass, drums; afterwards, following the new directions in the music, keyboards and wind instruments were sometimes added.

More information on Music-Graffiti website

The main beat groups in Italy (1964-1970): Camaleonti / Corvi / Dik Dik / Equipe 84 / Kings / New Dada / Nomadi / Rokes

A musical example from the Italian beat era, an original song of a group from Turin, I Ragazzi del sole, about the rival young gangs, "Atto di forza n.10" (strong action n.10).

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