Area (band)
Encyclopedia
Area - International POPular Group, most commonly known as Area or AreA, is an Italian progressive rock
, jazz fusion
, electronic, experimental groupb) “It was the mid-1970s and live events roused enthusiasm as never before; they fulfilled the need to be together and the illusion of continuing as a person. Area ... (was) a head above the rest. Not only because they seeemed to be more attentive to the themes outside the world of music ... nor due to their interest in the use of instruments which seemed vaster and futuristic, but above all because ... (of) an incomparable coherence in their everyday work and in the steadfastness (sic) with which thay faced even their contradditions.” –“Riflusso,” resistances, unoccupied roads
c) By the time Demetrio Stratos died of leukemia in 1979.
| page = 35
}} formed in 1972 by singer Demetrio Stratos
and drummer Giulio Capiozzo. They are known for their left-wing adogmatic Socialist and Communist lyrics.
scene.
Originally composed of Demetrio Stratos
, Giulio Capiozzo (drums and percussion), Victor Edouard "Eddie" Busnello (saxophone and flutes), Leandro Gaetano (piano), and Johnny Lambizzi (guitar), soon followed by Patrick Djivas (bass) and Patrizio Fariselli (keyboards and piano), Area was formed in 1972. The band was led by Demetrio Stratos
, a highly original and talented singer of Greek
family who used his voice as an instrument, in spite of not having written anything for the group until the "1978 Gli Dei Se Ne Vanno, Gli Arrabbiati Restano!" album.
In 1973, Johnny Lambizzi left the band and was replaced by Paolo Tofani (guitar and synth). In that year, they recorded their first studio album Arbeit macht frei
("Work Brings Freedom"), taken from the inscription that was found on the gate at the entrance to Auschwitz Nazi
concentration camp, was released by Cramps Records and the band performed in many musical and cultural events. Area went on tour in Chile
and, representing Italy, they took part in the eighth Biennale de Paris
. At that time, Area's sound was an odd mish-mash that drew from rock
, jazz
, Eastern, and Arabic music, and it was the blending of all sorts of music that made the band stand out.
The band soon grew to prominence because the youth of the time were able to identify with Area's socialist lyrics, and the band was founded on a strong and virtuosic musicianship. To aficionados of Italian progressive rock, their debut album Arbeit macht frei is considered a classic.
In 1974, Eddie Busnello and Patrick Djivas left the band. Patrick Djivas, who would later play with Premiata Forneria Marconi
, was replaced by Ares Tavolazzi (bass). Early in the band, Area had prominent saxophone
work from Busnello but when he left, along with bassist Patrick Djivas, the Area sound became more guitar and keyboard oriented. At that time, the line-up of the group was composed of Demetrio Stratos on vocals, Hammond organ and steel drum; Giulio Capiozzo on percussion; Patrizio Fariselli on piano and keyboards; Ares Tavolazzi on bass and trombone; and Paolo Tofani on guitar and VCS 3 syntethizer
.
The sixth unofficial member of the group was Gianni Sassi, founder of the Cramps Records label, who took care of the group's image. Sassi was involved in nearly all of the cultural projects of the time and was a component of the Italian Fluxus
movement, the international network of artists, composers, and designers noted for blending different artistic media and disciplines in the 1960s. Area held a “therapeutic” concert at the Psychiatric Hospital of Trieste
, directed by Franco Basaglia; recorded their second studio album Caution Radiation Area, played at the Parco Lambro Festival in Milan
and at the first International Festival of Rovereto
; They represented Italy at the first Pop Festival of Berne
and performed at the Velodromo Vigorelli
event against the Vietnam War
together with Joan Baez
.
During 1975, the number of their live performances and exhibitions increased. They participated at the second Parco Lambro Festival and at the "Festa Nazionale dell'Unità
" in Florence
; in November of that year, Area recorded their third studio album Crac!, and their recordings were published for the first time in France
.
In 1976, their recordings were distributed in Japan
. They were featured at the third Parco Lambro Festival. In this year, Area played around 200 concerts in Italy. They were invited to take part in the Fête de L'Humanité, held in the working class suburbs of Paris
at Le Bourget
, near Aubervilliers
, and at the Festa do Avante!
in Lisbon
. Giulio Capiozzo and Ares Tavolazzi left the group for a couple of months to meet the Andrea Mingardi Orchestra. Fariselli, Tofani, and Stratos did a concert at the University of Milan
with Steve Lacy
and Paul Lytton
, and from that concert their live album was released, Event 76. Area recorded their fourth studio album Maledetti with the Arze brothers, Steve Lacy, Paul Lytton, Walter Calloni, and Hugh Bullen as guest musicians.
During a concert at the Teatro Uomo in Milan in 1977, the band presented their compilation album Anto/Logicamente, and Paolo Tofani left the group.
In 1978, Area left the Cramps record label for Ascolto, a record label owned by CGD
; in that year, their fifth studio album was released, 1978 Gli Dei Se Ne Vanno, Gli Arrabbiati Restano!. In March, they played three concerts in Lisboa, Coimbra
, and Oporto in Portugal
; in July, the band had two dates in Havana
, Cuba
at the World Festival of Youth and Students
(for Anti-Imperialist Solidarity, Peace and Friendship).
1979 was the year of study, experimentation, and research. Members of the group guested on PFM violinist/flautist's first solo album, "Mauro Pagani" (released in Tokyo in 1979 on Seven Seas and distributed by King Record Co.) with contributions by Demetrio Stratos, Giulio Capiozzo, Patrizio Fariselli, and Ares Tavolazzi ("L'Albero Di Canto" and "L'Albero Di Canto II" with Area members backing Pagani exclusively). Later Demetrio Stratos left Area, and Fariselli, Capiozzo, and Tavolazzi recruited several musicians: Massimo Urbani, Pietro Tonolo, Sara Borsarini, and Guido Guidoboni. In April 1979, Demetrio Stratos was diagnosed with a severe case of aplastic anemia
. His condition deteriorated rapidly and he was transferred to New York City Memorial Hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, in Italy, his friends organized a concert to pay for his medical expenses. Many musicians accepted the invitation to perform, and the concert was planned for June 14, 1979. It was to become Demetrio Stratos’ memorial concert, where over a hundred musicians played in front of an audience of 100,000. He died in New York City Memorial Hospital on June 13, 1979 at the age of thirty–four, while waiting for a bone marrow transplant (the official cause of death was myocardial infarction
, more commonly known as heart attack). The band, Demetrio Stratos, Patrizio Fariselli and Paolo Toffani were included in the Nurse with Wound list
, a list of musicians and bands that accompanied the first album by Nurse With Wound
, entitled Chance Meeting on a Dissecting Table of a Sewing Machine and an Umbrella
and released in 1979.
Area released five studio albums and two live albums before Demetrio Stratos's death in 1979: the already mentioned Arbeit Macht Frei, Caution Radiation Area, Are(A)zione (live), Crac!, Maledetti, the live performance Event '76 and Gli Dei Se Ne Vanno, Gli Arrabiati Restano!, which does not feature Paolo Tofani and was not released by Cramps.
, their sixth studio album, was released in 1980. Then, Area released Gli Uccelli ("The Birds
"), a Greek classic comedy by Aristophanes
, in collaboration with the theatrical company Nuova Scena and directed by Memè Perlini. Gli Uccelli was performed in Italy around 100 times and finished in Brussels
on May 1981. Larry Nocella was recruited and the band did several concerts with him.
In 1982, together with Nuova Scena company, they prepared and performed Tristano e Isotta ("Tristan and Iseult
"), a theatrical representation with dance and music of that influential romance/tragedy under the choreography and direction of Amedeo Amodio
. In 1983, Area was disbanned and the musicians continued their musical activities separately. There was a reappearance of Area II in the mid 1980s. Area II released two studio albums, but this was in fact a project by Area drummer Giulio Capiozzo with session musicians.
Chernobyl 7991, their seventh and last studio album, was released in 1997. Gigi Cifarelli, John Clark
and Pietro Condorelli featured as guest musicians. In January, the record was presented at the Leoncavallo Social Center in Milan, where they were denounced for "abuse of musical instruments and serious acoustic pollution". The group commonly known as Area II had several live concerts performed as a trio consisting of Fariselli, Capiozzo, and Paolo Dalla Porta.
In 1998, Marco Micheli replaced Dalla Porta, and the band also recruited Angela Baggi. This line-up toured until its split in 1999. Capiozzo died a year later.
, Patrizio Fariselli, Ares Tavolazzi, and Paolo Tofani with Capiozzo's son, Christian on drums, and Mauro Pagani
on vocals and violin perform together for the first time in over a decade during the ninth Edition of the festival "La Città Aromatica", dedicated to Demetrio Stratos
thirty years after his death. On 29 and 30 January 2010, there was another reunion when Fariselli, Tavolazzi, and Tofani with UT Gandhi (Umberto Trombetta) on drums, played together at the San Lazzaro di Savena
(Bologna
) theatre as part of "StratosFerico: Omaggio a Demetrio Stratos", a tribute to Demetrio Stratos. On 2 May, Fariselli, Tofani, and Tavolazzi reunited again for a performance at New York
's Brecht Forum
, accompanied by Italian session drummer Walter Paoli and former collaborator Mauro Pagani on violin and vocals.
The official Reunion Tour started on 21st Sept 2010 in Milano at Blue Note Club, with Fariselli, Tavolazzi, Tofani, Walter Paoli on drums and Mauro Pagani as special guest. During the Reunion Tour, ending on Novembre 2011,AREA had several special guests among them Maria Pia De Vito on vocals.
Italian progressive rock
The Italian progressive rock scene was born in the early 70s, mostly inspired by the progressive movement in Britain, but with certain features of its own that makes some sources mention it as a separate musical genre....
, jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
, electronic, experimental groupb) “It was the mid-1970s and live events roused enthusiasm as never before; they fulfilled the need to be together and the illusion of continuing as a person. Area ... (was) a head above the rest. Not only because they seeemed to be more attentive to the themes outside the world of music ... nor due to their interest in the use of instruments which seemed vaster and futuristic, but above all because ... (of) an incomparable coherence in their everyday work and in the steadfastness (sic) with which thay faced even their contradditions.” –“Riflusso,” resistances, unoccupied roads
c) By the time Demetrio Stratos died of leukemia in 1979.
| page = 35
}} formed in 1972 by singer Demetrio Stratos
Demetrio Stratos
Efstratios Demetriou better known as Demetrio Stratos was an Italian lyricist, multi-instrumentalist, music researcher, and co-founder, frontman and lead singer of the Italian progressive rock, jazz fusion band Area – International POPular Group.Born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt, of Greek...
and drummer Giulio Capiozzo. They are known for their left-wing adogmatic Socialist and Communist lyrics.
Demetrio Stratos' years: 1972–1979
Area grew to be one of the most respected and important bands of the blooming 70s Italian progressive rockProgressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
scene.
Originally composed of Demetrio Stratos
Demetrio Stratos
Efstratios Demetriou better known as Demetrio Stratos was an Italian lyricist, multi-instrumentalist, music researcher, and co-founder, frontman and lead singer of the Italian progressive rock, jazz fusion band Area – International POPular Group.Born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt, of Greek...
, Giulio Capiozzo (drums and percussion), Victor Edouard "Eddie" Busnello (saxophone and flutes), Leandro Gaetano (piano), and Johnny Lambizzi (guitar), soon followed by Patrick Djivas (bass) and Patrizio Fariselli (keyboards and piano), Area was formed in 1972. The band was led by Demetrio Stratos
Demetrio Stratos
Efstratios Demetriou better known as Demetrio Stratos was an Italian lyricist, multi-instrumentalist, music researcher, and co-founder, frontman and lead singer of the Italian progressive rock, jazz fusion band Area – International POPular Group.Born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt, of Greek...
, a highly original and talented singer of Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
family who used his voice as an instrument, in spite of not having written anything for the group until the "1978 Gli Dei Se Ne Vanno, Gli Arrabbiati Restano!" album.
In 1973, Johnny Lambizzi left the band and was replaced by Paolo Tofani (guitar and synth). In that year, they recorded their first studio album Arbeit macht frei
Arbeit macht frei (album)
Arbeit macht frei is the debut album of the Jazz fusion band Area. It is notable for featuring Patrick Djivas on bass and Eddie Busnello on saxophone, which parted after the release of the album...
("Work Brings Freedom"), taken from the inscription that was found on the gate at the entrance to Auschwitz Nazi
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
concentration camp, was released by Cramps Records and the band performed in many musical and cultural events. Area went on tour in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and, representing Italy, they took part in the eighth Biennale de Paris
Biennale de Paris
-History:The 'Biennale de Paris' was launched by Raymond Cogniat in 1959 and set up by André Malraux as he was Minister of Culture to present an overview of young creativity worldwide and to create a place of experiences and meetings.-Presentation:...
. At that time, Area's sound was an odd mish-mash that drew from rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, Eastern, and Arabic music, and it was the blending of all sorts of music that made the band stand out.
The band soon grew to prominence because the youth of the time were able to identify with Area's socialist lyrics, and the band was founded on a strong and virtuosic musicianship. To aficionados of Italian progressive rock, their debut album Arbeit macht frei is considered a classic.
In 1974, Eddie Busnello and Patrick Djivas left the band. Patrick Djivas, who would later play with Premiata Forneria Marconi
Premiata Forneria Marconi
Premiata Forneria Marconi is an Italian progressive rock band. They were the first Italian group to have success abroad, entering both the British and American charts. Between 1973 and 1977 they released five albums with English lyrics...
, was replaced by Ares Tavolazzi (bass). Early in the band, Area had prominent saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
work from Busnello but when he left, along with bassist Patrick Djivas, the Area sound became more guitar and keyboard oriented. At that time, the line-up of the group was composed of Demetrio Stratos on vocals, Hammond organ and steel drum; Giulio Capiozzo on percussion; Patrizio Fariselli on piano and keyboards; Ares Tavolazzi on bass and trombone; and Paolo Tofani on guitar and VCS 3 syntethizer
EMS VCS 3
The VCS 3 is a portable analog synthesiser with a flexible semi-modular voice architecture, by Electronic Music Studios Limited in 1969....
.
The sixth unofficial member of the group was Gianni Sassi, founder of the Cramps Records label, who took care of the group's image. Sassi was involved in nearly all of the cultural projects of the time and was a component of the Italian Fluxus
Fluxus
Fluxus—a name taken from a Latin word meaning "to flow"—is an international network of artists, composers and designers noted for blending different artistic media and disciplines in the 1960s. They have been active in Neo-Dada noise music and visual art as well as literature, urban planning,...
movement, the international network of artists, composers, and designers noted for blending different artistic media and disciplines in the 1960s. Area held a “therapeutic” concert at the Psychiatric Hospital of Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, directed by Franco Basaglia; recorded their second studio album Caution Radiation Area, played at the Parco Lambro Festival in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and at the first International Festival of Rovereto
Rovereto
Rovereto is a city and comune in Trentino in northern Italy, located in the Vallagarina valley of the Adige River.-History:Rovereto was an ancient fortress town standing at the frontier between the bishopric of Trento - an independent state until 1797 - and the republic of Venice, and later...
; They represented Italy at the first Pop Festival of Berne
Berne
The city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000...
and performed at the Velodromo Vigorelli
Velodromo Vigorelli
Velodromo Vigorelli is a velodrome in Milan, Italy. It is currently used mostlyfor American football events. The stadium holds 9,000 people and was built in 1935 by 'Vigorelli Cycles'....
event against the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
together with Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
.
During 1975, the number of their live performances and exhibitions increased. They participated at the second Parco Lambro Festival and at the "Festa Nazionale dell'Unità
Festa de l'Unità
Festa de l'Unità is an annual social-democratic celebration in Italy, originally organised by the Italian Communist Party to finance and spread its official newspaper l'Unità , and now organised by Partito Democratico...
" in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
; in November of that year, Area recorded their third studio album Crac!, and their recordings were published for the first time in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
In 1976, their recordings were distributed in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. They were featured at the third Parco Lambro Festival. In this year, Area played around 200 concerts in Italy. They were invited to take part in the Fête de L'Humanité, held in the working class suburbs of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
at Le Bourget
Le Bourget
Le Bourget is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.A very small part of Le Bourget airport lies on the territory of the commune of Le Bourget, which nonetheless gave its name to the airport. Most of the airport lies on the territory of the...
, near Aubervilliers
Aubervilliers
Aubervilliers is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Name:In medieval times the name Aubervilliers was recorded as Alberti Villare, meaning "estate of Adalbert"...
, and at the Festa do Avante!
Avante! Festival
Every year, in the first weekend of September the Avante! Festival is held named after the official newspaper of the Portuguese Communist Party...
in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. Giulio Capiozzo and Ares Tavolazzi left the group for a couple of months to meet the Andrea Mingardi Orchestra. Fariselli, Tofani, and Stratos did a concert at the University of Milan
University of Milan
The University of Milan is a higher education institution in Milan, Italy. It is one of the largest universities in Europe, with about 62,801 students, a teaching and research staff of 2,455 and a non-teaching staff of 2,200....
with Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy , born Steven Norman Lackritz in New York City, was a jazz saxophonist and composer recognized as one of the important players of soprano saxophone....
and Paul Lytton
Paul Lytton
Paul Lytton is an English free jazz percussionist.Lytton began on drums at age 16. He played jazz in London in the late 1960s while taking lessons on the tabla from P.R. Desai. In 1969 he began experimenting with free improvisational music, working in a duo with saxophonist Evan Parker. After...
, and from that concert their live album was released, Event 76. Area recorded their fourth studio album Maledetti with the Arze brothers, Steve Lacy, Paul Lytton, Walter Calloni, and Hugh Bullen as guest musicians.
During a concert at the Teatro Uomo in Milan in 1977, the band presented their compilation album Anto/Logicamente, and Paolo Tofani left the group.
In 1978, Area left the Cramps record label for Ascolto, a record label owned by CGD
CGD
CGD can mean:*Compagnia Generale del Disco, an Italian record label.*Constitutional growth delay*Chronic granulomatous disease*Caixa Geral de Depósitos, the biggest public owned Portuguese bank....
; in that year, their fifth studio album was released, 1978 Gli Dei Se Ne Vanno, Gli Arrabbiati Restano!. In March, they played three concerts in Lisboa, Coimbra
Coimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
, and Oporto in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
; in July, the band had two dates in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
at the World Festival of Youth and Students
World Festival of Youth and Students
The World Festival of Youth and Students is an international event, organized by the World Federation of Democratic Youth , a left-wing youth organization, jointly with the International Union of Students since 1947....
(for Anti-Imperialist Solidarity, Peace and Friendship).
1979 was the year of study, experimentation, and research. Members of the group guested on PFM violinist/flautist's first solo album, "Mauro Pagani" (released in Tokyo in 1979 on Seven Seas and distributed by King Record Co.) with contributions by Demetrio Stratos, Giulio Capiozzo, Patrizio Fariselli, and Ares Tavolazzi ("L'Albero Di Canto" and "L'Albero Di Canto II" with Area members backing Pagani exclusively). Later Demetrio Stratos left Area, and Fariselli, Capiozzo, and Tavolazzi recruited several musicians: Massimo Urbani, Pietro Tonolo, Sara Borsarini, and Guido Guidoboni. In April 1979, Demetrio Stratos was diagnosed with a severe case of aplastic anemia
Aplastic anemia
Aplastic anemia is a condition where bone marrow does not produce sufficient new cells to replenish blood cells. The condition, per its name, involves both aplasia and anemia...
. His condition deteriorated rapidly and he was transferred to New York City Memorial Hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, in Italy, his friends organized a concert to pay for his medical expenses. Many musicians accepted the invitation to perform, and the concert was planned for June 14, 1979. It was to become Demetrio Stratos’ memorial concert, where over a hundred musicians played in front of an audience of 100,000. He died in New York City Memorial Hospital on June 13, 1979 at the age of thirty–four, while waiting for a bone marrow transplant (the official cause of death was myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
, more commonly known as heart attack). The band, Demetrio Stratos, Patrizio Fariselli and Paolo Toffani were included in the Nurse with Wound list
Nurse with Wound list
The Nurse with Wound list is a list of 291 musicians and bands that accompanied Chance Meeting on a Dissecting Table of a Sewing Machine and an Umbrella , the first album by Nurse With Wound...
, a list of musicians and bands that accompanied the first album by Nurse With Wound
Nurse with Wound
Nurse with Wound is the main recording name for British musician Steven Stapleton. Nurse with Wound was originally a band, formed in 1978 by Stapleton, John Fothergill and Heman Pathak...
, entitled Chance Meeting on a Dissecting Table of a Sewing Machine and an Umbrella
Chance Meeting on a Dissecting Table of a Sewing Machine and an Umbrella
Chance Meeting on a Dissecting Table of a Sewing Machine and an Umbrella was the debut album by Nurse With Wound, released on their own United Dairies label in 1979. The album enjoys a reputation as one of the most singular debuts of all time...
and released in 1979.
Area released five studio albums and two live albums before Demetrio Stratos's death in 1979: the already mentioned Arbeit Macht Frei, Caution Radiation Area, Are(A)zione (live), Crac!, Maledetti, the live performance Event '76 and Gli Dei Se Ne Vanno, Gli Arrabiati Restano!, which does not feature Paolo Tofani and was not released by Cramps.
Post Demetrio Stratos years and Area II: 1980–1986
Tic&TacTic&Tac
Tic&Tac is the eight album of the Jazz fusion band Area and was released in 1980. It's the first album without Demetrio Stratos as he died a year earlier, and it's generally more jazzy than progressive. This is the only album in which Larry Nocella performs. After releasing this, Area toured until...
, their sixth studio album, was released in 1980. Then, Area released Gli Uccelli ("The Birds
The Birds (play)
The Birds is a comedy by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It was performed in 414 BCE at the City Dionysia where it won second prize. It has been acclaimed by modern critics as a perfectly realized fantasy remarkable for its mimicry of birds and for the gaiety of its songs...
"), a Greek classic comedy by Aristophanes
Aristophanes
Aristophanes , son of Philippus, of the deme Cydathenaus, was a comic playwright of ancient Athens. Eleven of his forty plays survive virtually complete...
, in collaboration with the theatrical company Nuova Scena and directed by Memè Perlini. Gli Uccelli was performed in Italy around 100 times and finished in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
on May 1981. Larry Nocella was recruited and the band did several concerts with him.
In 1982, together with Nuova Scena company, they prepared and performed Tristano e Isotta ("Tristan and Iseult
Tristan and Iseult
The legend of Tristan and Iseult is an influential romance and tragedy, retold in numerous sources with as many variations. The tragic story is of the adulterous love between the Cornish knight Tristan and the Irish princess Iseult...
"), a theatrical representation with dance and music of that influential romance/tragedy under the choreography and direction of Amedeo Amodio
Amedeo Amodio
-Early career:Born in Milan in 1940, Amodio trained at the ballet school of the Teatro alla Scala, whose ranks he joined immediately. While there, he performed in productions by Léonide Massine , George Balanchine , and Petit -Early career:Born in Milan in 1940, Amodio trained at the ballet school...
. In 1983, Area was disbanned and the musicians continued their musical activities separately. There was a reappearance of Area II in the mid 1980s. Area II released two studio albums, but this was in fact a project by Area drummer Giulio Capiozzo with session musicians.
First reunion: 1993–2000
In 1993, Patrizio Fariselli, Giulio Capiozzo, and briefly, Ares Tavolazzi, resumed the live activity of Area, experimenting with new sounds, materials, and new languages. Ares Tavolazzi left the band and was replaced by Paolo Dalla Porta and Pietro Condorelli.Chernobyl 7991, their seventh and last studio album, was released in 1997. Gigi Cifarelli, John Clark
John Clark
-Entertainers:*John Clark , opera singer known as Signor Brocolini*John Clark , British actor, ex-husband of Lynn Redgrave*John Clark , jazz horn player and composer-Politicians, judges, and civil servants:...
and Pietro Condorelli featured as guest musicians. In January, the record was presented at the Leoncavallo Social Center in Milan, where they were denounced for "abuse of musical instruments and serious acoustic pollution". The group commonly known as Area II had several live concerts performed as a trio consisting of Fariselli, Capiozzo, and Paolo Dalla Porta.
In 1998, Marco Micheli replaced Dalla Porta, and the band also recruited Angela Baggi. This line-up toured until its split in 1999. Capiozzo died a year later.
Second reunion: 2009–present
On 25 August 2009 in SienaSiena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
, Patrizio Fariselli, Ares Tavolazzi, and Paolo Tofani with Capiozzo's son, Christian on drums, and Mauro Pagani
Mauro Pagani
Mauro Pagani is an Italian musician and singer.Pagani was born in Chiari, Lombardy. A multi-instrumentalist, he made his debut in the music world in 1970 as violinist and founding member of the progressive rock band Premiata Forneria Marconi. In 1977 he left the band to follow a solo career, but...
on vocals and violin perform together for the first time in over a decade during the ninth Edition of the festival "La Città Aromatica", dedicated to Demetrio Stratos
Demetrio Stratos
Efstratios Demetriou better known as Demetrio Stratos was an Italian lyricist, multi-instrumentalist, music researcher, and co-founder, frontman and lead singer of the Italian progressive rock, jazz fusion band Area – International POPular Group.Born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt, of Greek...
thirty years after his death. On 29 and 30 January 2010, there was another reunion when Fariselli, Tavolazzi, and Tofani with UT Gandhi (Umberto Trombetta) on drums, played together at the San Lazzaro di Savena
San Lazzaro di Savena
San Lazzaro di Savena is an Italian comune of some 30,000 inhabitants in the province of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna.- Geography :...
(Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
) theatre as part of "StratosFerico: Omaggio a Demetrio Stratos", a tribute to Demetrio Stratos. On 2 May, Fariselli, Tofani, and Tavolazzi reunited again for a performance at New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Brecht Forum
Brecht Forum
The Brecht Forum is an independent Marxist educational and cultural center in New York City, named after German writer Bertold Brecht. Throughout the year, the Forum offers a wide-ranging program of classes, public lectures and seminars, art exhibitions, performances, popular education workshops,...
, accompanied by Italian session drummer Walter Paoli and former collaborator Mauro Pagani on violin and vocals.
The official Reunion Tour started on 21st Sept 2010 in Milano at Blue Note Club, with Fariselli, Tavolazzi, Tofani, Walter Paoli on drums and Mauro Pagani as special guest. During the Reunion Tour, ending on Novembre 2011,AREA had several special guests among them Maria Pia De Vito on vocals.
Members
| 1972 Original line-up |
|
|---|---|
| 1973 |
Keyboard instrument A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... Synthesizer A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones... , VCS 3 EMS VCS 3 The VCS 3 is a portable analog synthesiser with a flexible semi-modular voice architecture, by Electronic Music Studios Limited in 1969.... |
| 1974-1979 Classic line-up |
Trombone The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate... |
| 1979 |
|
| 1980-1982 |
|
| 1993 |
|
| 1993-1997 |
Piano The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... , keyboards Double bass The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... |
| 1998-1999 |
|
| 2009–present |
|
Live albums
| Year | Album | Additional information |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Are(A)zione | Cramps, CRSLP 5104. Track listing Side one
Side two
|
| 1979 | Il concerto - Omaggio a Demetrio Stratos | Cramps.
Track listing Side one
Side two
Side three
Side four
|
| 1979 | Event '76 | Demetrio Stratos, Paolo Tofani, Patrizio Fariselli, Steve Lacy and Paul Lytton live 1976. Cramps, 5205-107.
Track listing Side one
Side two
|
| 1996 | Parigi-Lisboa | Cramps. Live 1976
Track listing
|
| 1996 | Concerto Teatro Uomo | Ascolto, ASC 20063.
Track listing Disc one
Disc two
|
| 1996 | Live Concerts Box | Akarma |
| 2003 | Live '77 | Akarma |
Compilations
| Year | Album | Additional information |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Anto/Logicamente Anto/Logicamente Anto/Logicamente is the first compilation of the Jazz fusion band Area and was released in 1977. As the title suggests, the track selection focuses more on the tracks that were "hidden, ignored by the critics and many others", as told on the booklet... |
Cramps Track listing Side one
Side two
|
| 1980 | Area '70 | Cramps |
| 1996 | Gioia e Rivoluzione | Universal/Polydor |
| 2002 | Revolution | Akarma |
| 2005 | International Popular Group | Auditorium |
| 2007 | Gold Edition | Edel |
See also
- Art rockArt rockArt rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
- Demetrio StratosDemetrio StratosEfstratios Demetriou better known as Demetrio Stratos was an Italian lyricist, multi-instrumentalist, music researcher, and co-founder, frontman and lead singer of the Italian progressive rock, jazz fusion band Area – International POPular Group.Born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt, of Greek...
- Electronic musicElectronic musicElectronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
- Experimental musicExperimental musicExperimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
- Italian progressive rockItalian progressive rockThe Italian progressive rock scene was born in the early 70s, mostly inspired by the progressive movement in Britain, but with certain features of its own that makes some sources mention it as a separate musical genre....
- Jazz fusionJazz fusionJazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
- Jazz rock
- Progressive rockProgressive rockProgressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
- World musicWorld musicWorld music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...