ARMENTOS - Andrea Parodi & Al Di Meola

THE GREAT ELECTRIC JAZZ MEETS ANDREA PARODI'S VOICE
Al Di Meola, one of the most virtuous jazz guitarists in the world - one of the main rock-jazz musicians of 70s and 80s, right-hand musician of Chick Corea in Return To Forever, continues on his recent way of fusion between jazz and etno-world music. After a few months from his last CD release with another virtuous of acoustic guitar, the Russian Leonid Agutin - jumped to the first places of the hit parades in Germany and other Countries - Di Meola faces an ethnic trend that in some way belongs to him: the Italian one. Son of Italian people, the guitarist turns his art to Sardinia, one of the few lands which keeps its deep musical traditions alive, and compares them with modern sounds. The Sardinian singer ANDREA PARODI, ex leader of the ethno-pop group TAZENDA, for a long time has been promoting a Mediterranean music culture manifesto, by singing in his own language - Sardinian - the most beautiful popular melodies of Sardinia and Mediterranean, and by collaborating with jazz musicians among the best ones the Italian and international panorama.
His last artistic production takes place just together with AL DI MEOLA.
This is ARMENTOS, it means flocks, and the theme is the migratory movements.

2003, Seui -MEETING OF THE ARTISTS
The collaboration between Parodi and Of Meola was born two years ago in Seui (Sardinia-Italy) when they were on the same stage in a concert against nuclear slags in the island; during the sound-check, Al Di Meola was impressed and moved from the voice and the language of Andrea Parodi, so he invited Parodi in a duet with him, and it happened during the concert in the song LA MAZA of the Cuban Silvio Rodriguez.

ARMENTOS - MUSICIANS
ARMENTOS was so born from a friendship and became artistic fellowship and musical project, in which Andrea Parodi, who is the greatest representative of Sardinian and Mediterranean culture, involved some of the best jazz and world musicians from Sadinia and from Italy: Roberto Dani (drums), Gianluca Corona (electric guitar), Gavino Murgia (sax, launeddas, sulittu, bassu, duduk, ethnical instruments; Sardinian musician ed ethno-musicologist, at the moment he is the one who brings the Sardinian instruments and identity all over the world, among the most prestigious ethno-jazz festivals), and Ammentos Trio: Peo Alfonsi (classic guitar), Fausto Beccalossi (accordion), and Salvatore Maiore (contrabass). Finally there is the prestigious Cuban percussionist Gumbi Ortiz together with Al Di Meola.

ARMENTOS - THE SHOW
Therefore Andrea Parodi's voice intertwines through polished atmospheres with exemplary musicians who express themselves in an acoustic plan rich of contaminations, from ethnic and popular music to jazz.
The show contains the new performance of Di Meola's INFINITE DESIRE, taken from the homonymous album, there interpreted by the Italian singer Pino Daniele, now rewritten for the occasion in Sardinian language in four hands by Andrea Parodi and Gino Marielli.

2005 -EUROPEAN TOUR
ARMENTOS had its full live realization in the 2005 tour Al Di Meola - Andrea Parodi in some European concerts. The first one took place in the Liric Theatre of Cagliari in 22nd June, then it touched the most prestigious European ethno-jazz festivals, among them the International Opera Festival Bartok + Bel Canto 2005, Miskolc (Hungary), Jazz in Parco Festival in Nocera Inferiore (Naples - Italy), Taormina Womad Festival (Italy), Friuli Jazz Festival (Sesto al Reghena - Italy), and others.

2005 - MIDSUMMER NIGHT IN SARDINIA
The live recordings of 2004 concert Armentos in Santa Maria Navarrese and the 2005 recordings in Cagliari became a live CD, MIDSUMMER NIGHT IN SARDINIA, which is the memory of a concert which remained in the heart of the protagonists.

ARMENTOS for AL DI MEOLA
The collaboration and discovery of Andrea Parodi and this combination of incredible and sensitive musicians from Italy-Sardinia have proved to be one of the most fulfilling musical experienses in my life!I am so honored to be a part of this incredible experience!
This unique voice of Andrea Parodi stirs emotions that go to the most heartfelt depths of the human soul! In my opinion he is one of the most important and original voices of our time! The world needs to hear and experience this Golden Voice!
The 2004 concert MIDSUMMER NIGHT IN SARDINIA will go down in
my memory forever! It was like a dream! Al Di Meola

http://www.andreaparodi.it/english/armentoseng.htm

ANDREA PARODI WILL BE IN THE REAL WOMEX - STAND E1

• article submitted by: Valentina Casalena, vandle99 di Casalena Valentina