S“Isola Metropoli”, the first self-produced album by Il Befolko (Roberto Guardi) will be officially presented on Thursday 14 December at the MMB in Naples (vico Quercia, 3) starting at 22.00:2017 pm. The album, recorded, mastered and mixed in the summer of 8 at Stereo2014 in Naples, marks the debut of the twenty-five year old singer-songwriter after his experience in the studio as a percussionist with La Maschera, with whom he recorded the very successful “'O vicolo 'e l'alleria” (XNUMX).
On the dimly lit stage of the MMB where he has already performed on other occasions, the singer-songwriter will play the eight tracks entirely in Neapolitan from his first album for the first time ever in a band (Guardi & Ladri), accompanied by Marco Ricciulli (double bass), Mattia Intignano (drums), Noemi De Simone (glockenspiel, harmonica and backing vocals) and Marcello Mastrocola (electric guitar and backing vocals).
The opening of the evening will be entrusted to the singer-songwriter “La Nazzaro”, stage name of Alessandra Nazzaro (Naples, '96). Pianist, guitarist and singer, she will be accompanied in her unreleased Italian songs by Marco Lembo on bass and Luco Martino on drums.
“Isola Metropoli” is the first album by “Il Befolko”. Recorded, mastered and mixed in the summer of 2017 at Stereo8 in Naples by Andrea Giuliana and Paci Ciotola. Entirely in Neapolitan, it includes eight tracks (plus a ghost track) composed between April 2012 (Mannaggia tengo famme) and July 2016 (Riru). With the exception of Riru (first track), the tracklist is ordered following the concrete chronological genesis of the songs, almost as if the pieces of a “story” had to be reconstructed (the author's personal story, a part of it). All the songs, lyrics and music, were composed by Roberto Guardi (with the exception of Riru, with lyrics by Bagony Snickett). The eight songs chosen are a personal anthology, a collection (philologically speaking), a personal selection of his own songs considered best. The arrangements were curated by the singer-songwriter with the collaboration of Paci Ciotola. The eight songs can be divided into two subcategories, 4 recorded in bands and 4 with more basic and essential arrangements. The musicians involved are: Bagony Snickett and Enrico Rispoli (the first in Riru and in 'O Bigliettino, the second in Piatto Vacante) on acoustic guitar, Noemi De Simone on glockenspiel and harmonica, Marco Ricciulli on electric bass, Paci Ciotola on organ (in Nuttata chiara chiara) and on backing vocals together with Toto Traversa and Rosario Brandi. Roberto Guardi recorded first and second voice, backing vocals, first and second acoustic guitar, drums and percussion. The album cannot be considered a concept album but all the songs are linked by a common thread and try to establish a first stylistic landing in terms of lyrics and music. The title “Isola Metropoli” takes inspiration from a reflection that the singer-songwriter had entrusted in May 2015 to his artist fb page a few weeks after his debut (9 May 2015). The two terms represent, respectively, solitude, nostalgic interior recollection as well as the figure of the singer-songwriter (secluded, shy, jealous of his own way of "feeling") while the metropolis embodies the city (physical and not only), the community, the essential set of all the impulses and external contributions that feed the singer-songwriter and his stories. The two terms can be dialectical but also synergic and are found in all the tracks. The starting genre is to be considered folk, with some contamination.
The album was preceded by the release, on October 18, of the single 'O Bigliettino, the fifth track. The video clip that accompanies the song was made by Alessandro Freschi (Frè), filmed in the historic center of Naples. The video clip was made in an hour, intentionally conceived as something simple and spontaneous. Like all the songs on the album and not only, the song takes inspiration from the life of its author and like other songs on the album ('O 'mbrello, 'A lavatrice) it is dedicated to a humble, simple, everyday, modest and apparently unpoetic object.
Article published on 12 December 2017 - 15:15
