Osanna are an Italian psychedelic rock

Psychedelic rock

Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...

/progressive rock

Progressive 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...

 band.

The group originated in the Vomero

Vomero

Vomero is a central district of Naples, with a population of about 48,000.-Geography:Vomero is a hilly and heavily urbanized area in the center of Naples...

 neighborhood of Naples

Naples

Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...

 with the union of Lino Vairetti (voice), Danilo Rustici (guitar), Massimo Guarino (drums), Lello Brandi (bass), from the first line-up of the band Città Frontale, and Elio D'Anna (flute and sax), former member of the Showmen. Osanna were among the first bands in the world to present themselves theatrically in their shows, featuring costumes and made-up faces.

After the debut album L'uomo, they released the soundtrack for the film Milano Calibro 9

Milano calibro 9

Milano calibro 9 is a poliziottesco film written and directed by the Italian crime film specialist Fernando Di Leo in 1972. The film is based on a novel of the same name written by Giorgio Scerbanenco...

. In 1972 they toured in Italy alongside Genesis

Genesis (band)

Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...

. Their following album Palepoli

Palepoli

Palepoli is a progressive rock album released in 1973 by the Italian band Osanna, widely considered amongst the best in the Italian progressive rock genre....

(1972) is regarded as one of the finest hours of the Italian progressive rock

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....

 movement, http://www.gnosis2000.net characterized by a wild composition fantasy which mixes Neapolitan

Neapolitan

Neapolitan may refer to:* Neapolitan, of or pertaining to the city of Naples, Italy and sometimes its wider Duchy or Province of Naples** Previously a nationality, during the time of the Kingdom of Naples or the Neapolitan Republics* Neapolitan cuisine...

 and Mediterranean sounds with modern progressive rock elements, such as the extensive use of electric guitar and mellotron

Mellotron

The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...

.

In 1974, despite strife amongst band members, they released Landscape of life, which included participation from future rock and pop producer Corrado Rustici, brother of Danilo. The band disbanded but reformed in 1977 without D'Anna, who was replaced by keyboardist Fabrizio D'Angelo, while the bass role was taken up by Enzo Petrone. With this line-up they released Suddance in 1978, only to disband again in 1979.

The Osanna reformed in 1999, releasing the LP Taka boom the following year, including old successes and some new songs. Their next production was Prog Family, under the name of Osanna/Jackson, featuring notable figures of progressive rock history, such as Van der Graaf Generator

Van der Graaf Generator

Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester. They were the first act signed to Charisma Records. The band achieved considerable success in Italy during the 1970s...

's saxophonist David Jackson

David Jackson (rock musician)

David Nicholas George Jackson , nicknamed Jaxon, is a British progressive rock saxophonist, flautist, and composer. He is best known for his work with the band Van der Graaf Generator and his work in Music and Disability...

 (as per name), King Crimson

King Crimson

King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...

's David Cross

David Cross

David Cross is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr...

, Balletto di Bronzo's Gianni Leone and others.

Discography

• L'uomo (1971)
• Preludio Tema Variazioni e Canzona (best known as Milano calibro 9, 1972)-Issued in the USA via Neil Kempfer-Stocker's imprint COSMOS.
• Palepoli
  Palepoli
  Palepoli is a progressive rock album released in 1973 by the Italian band Osanna, widely considered amongst the best in the Italian progressive rock genre....
  
  (1973)
• Landscape of life (1974)--Issued in the USA via Neil Kempfer-Stocker's imprint COSMOS.
• Suddance, (1978)
• Taka boom, Afrakà (2001, anthology with new songs)
• Live - Uomini e Miti (live, 2003)
• Prog Family (2008, as Osanna Jackson)