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Bio

More About the Artists of HIT Week 2012

Alessandro Mannarino

Mannarino Alessandro was born in Rome in 1979. He began his career since 2001, when turning to the old slum district of Monti, he performs weird session in between DJing and live sound. Leaving behind these experiences "with the guitar dj", in 2006, he founded the "kampina" a band composed of 5 elements: trombone, bass, accordion, drums, violin and guitar. With the birth of this formation began a successful stage career that saw him Mannarino Alessandro performing in major clubs and venues in the capital before arriving as a songwriter at various festivals, clubs and centers, including in areas outside the context strictly musical.

Later he performed in his lifetime performances and was invited by Fiorello and Baldini in the program "Viva Radio 2". The same year he takes the stage of Jovinelli of Rome in the show "Augustine" where he was noticed by Serena Dandini who wants it with him for three seasons, the television show "Talk to Me".

In February 2009 he stayed in the radio program "Vasco de Gama" on Radio 2, hosted by David Riondino Dario Vergassola, for which he composed the letters.

In 2009 he released his first CD Bar of anger, Leave produced by and distributed by Universal Music Ltd., was invited on stage at the first big concert in May 2009 and participated as an actor and musician playing "Me so 'mbriacato", one of his most loved, in the feature film All the love in the world.

In July, participated in the closing night of the Viareggio Prize Giorgio Gaber. And subsequently among the finalists of the 2009 Tenco Prize in the category "Album emerging artists - first work" where she performs live.

In November 2011 Supersantos out, his second disc of unreleased product from Leave Ltd. and distributed by Universal Music. In June, personally invited by John Floris studies Ballaro on the air the last episode of last season, where he plays live his reworked version of the opening theme of the program (still used in the current season). In November, however, opens with a live performance show of the artist Valerio Berruti "Revolution Earth" and, on occasion, he composed the unreleased song "Living Life" (Chapter 1 bonus track box set, released in December) . Having enjoyed great success with the tour's last day of humanity, theatrical reinterpretation of his most famous songs, the singer is currently preparing the new Roman summer tour, "Supersantos tour." On July 13 will receive a special recognition by SIAE, which will award as best young Italian composer.

BoomDabash

BoomDaBash sees the light back in 2002 as a classic jamaican sound system, founded and brought into the world by Blazon, current dj, sound engineer and producer of the quartet. The years of hard work will soon lead the group to have an awareness of the enormous potential that perhaps could be better exploited and in a more 'effective. Slowly BoomDaBash outline progressively changes the features, along a path of artistic development that guide him towards the realization of the first official work, "A" (2008 ELIANTO EDITIONS). The sound system there now 'little left and after meeting with Treble (former Sud Sound System), BoomDaBash becomes a musical group in all respects. Blazon, Biggie and Paya Bash '(both singers) and Mr. Ketra, talented beatmaker Abruzzo start their adventure in reggae music, now actively and with greater consciousness. The debut album collecting feedback so enormous and unexpected, in some aspetti.Cio 'and hitting' the freshness of style, the innovative way of looking at reggae, sophisticated production and the choice of using two languages ??simultaneously, Patois jamaicano and Salento dialect, to express themselves and communicate. All this makes the 4 guys in the south one of the most 'solid and appreciated reality' of the peninsula. Output from the first successful training shares the stage with some of the most 'famous Big of Italian and international (Gentleman, Shaggy, Beenie Man, Nas, Casino Royale, Alborosie, Junior Reid, Michael Rose, Julian Marley and many others) attending the most 'big festivals like this and not. During the years who has known BoomDaBash appreciate the ductility 'music, the attention to the social and the ability' to innovate and renew itself. Now, the wait more 'big' the output of the second work of the crew, "Mad (e) in Italy", in advance from the hit track "Murder" is manifest that the best thing you will have to 'wait from 13 tracks contained in the new disk. Music, passion, perseverance and sweat. Obviously, all MADE IN ITALY.

Mama Marjos

Mama Marjas is one of the most important and promising artists of the modern reggae Italian scene. She is very young and extremely talented , self-confident, rooted in reggae culture but, at the same time, versatile thanks to her solid musical culture. Mama Marjas dominates on stage with simplicity, extends her voice through different styles and languages, and therefore conquers her public with her niceness and talent.
After “marking” big reggae festivals like Gusto Dopa and Rototom Sunsplash, she has become one the artists most in demand. She is already a national reggae star at only 24 years old and she has everything she needs to break Italian boundaries.


She accounts for many singles and featurings with various Italian reggae artists and producers and her first solo album came out in 2009. The excellent “B-Lady” produced by Don Ciccio for his Love University Records, is a mature piece of work and shows all her different stylish abilities.
After the success of her first album, Mama Marjas is featuring in the new Africa Unite album and will represent Italy in the new Adrian Sherwood “Dub No Frontiers”.


A new single with a special guest will be released in summer.

Mama Marjas live on stage is backed by prestigious Italian reggae artists such as “Michelangelo Buonarroti”, an important band from Florence, and together they offer an amazing show.
The showcase with sound systems, for small venues, is held by the veteran Dj Don Ciccio and accompanied by the splendid voice of Miss Mikela.

Maria Germinario, aka Mama Marjas, was born in 1986 and grew up in Apulia, between the cities of Bari and Taranto. Gifted with a vibrant voice and with a unique low timbre, she started singing when she was 6 years old together with her family orchestra (International Band). Thanks to this early experience and to her musical studies – the violin – at Matera’s Music Academy, she has gained a remarkable artistic background that gives her the complete control of the stage and the chance to show all her different skills.


She started her musical career in reggae music with a sound system from Matera called KIANKA TOWN, IN 2005.


She starts singing in local dancehall and quite soon the most important Italian sound system - One Love High Power - proposes her to sing on Maria Riddim. “Everytime” is her first hit.


Then “This World is wrong” for Love University Records (Don Ciccio), “Look out” on the Yard Italia riddim in combination with Lu Marra, “Stop the War” for Rastasnob compilation Reggae Girls, ‘Cause I Love you” for Treble Studio, “Bless the Ladies” on Bless the Ladies riddim, and “Live as One” in combination with Jaka on Early Morning riddim for Macro Beats Records which are all popular among her several fans.


The success reached with these tunes, and with other unreleased hits such as ROBERT NESTA MARLEY LIVE, SUD SUD, L’UAGNUNE TENENE PAJURE and STEP OUT A BABYLON, give her the chance to intensively tour Italy festivals and events, obtaining consent from the public, the press and the web.


After 3 years spent touring Italy, in 2009 Marjas was ready to release her first album: B-LADY, produced by Don Ciccio’s Love University Records. Versions are made by the most important Italian reggae musicians and producers such as Alberto Dati, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Mighty Cez, ErbaPipa, Macro Marco, Dj Lugi.


In this album we can appreciate Mama Marjas progress and her ability to sing in English or in Apulia dialect all her hit singles of the past years and new unreleased songs offering a blend of dancehall, dub reggae, soul and R’n’B.
Alongside her live and studio work, she continues her collaboration with main Italian reggae crews such as Africa Unite – in the single “LADY”- Dj Lugi to name just a few.


She won a competition held by M2O radio (national radio network) featuring on Mirko Kiave hit.
In 2010 our B-Lady is touring Italy backed by one of the most talented Italian reggae bands – Michelangelo Buonarroti made of 6 musicians, two backing voices.

Her remarkable show suits every kind of music festival.


Quality guaranteed also with the Dj set, suitable for small stages and venues, in which Mama Marjas will be on stage with the skilled producer and dj Don Ciccio – as selecter and the splendid voice of Miss Mikela as backing voice.
The combination of Miss Mikela and Mama Marjas on stage offers a “B-Lady” Show with two great ladies voices.

Negrita

NEGRITA start their musical career in 1992 as Pau, Mac and Drigo hang around the same places and schools in the provincial town of Arezzo (Tuscany) with a wild love for rock and blues… well before being signed they show the Italian audience their great impact and energy, building their profile as a unique live rock band. Their debut album released in 1994 “NEGRITA” (Polygram/Mercury) immediately reveals the essence of the band: irresistible guitar riffs, “stainless” rhythm section, powerful bass grooves and incisive vocal lines delivering relevant messages to the audience.

Since then each album rises the media and audience attention by a constant growth and experimentation of new musical and contents lands, both thanks to their eagerness for cross-over and their journeys. They soon tour beyond the national borders in Switzerland, France - “Printemps De Bourges Festival”, Belgium, Turkey -“European Rock Festival”, more recently in Argentina (last tour in march 2009), Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, Spain supporting the band Bersuit Vergarabat (releasing their album “Helldorado” in Argentina in April 2009).

Though keeping their unmistakable style, they achieve to express themselves in many genres: from the authentic blues vein of “XXX” (recorded in the U.S. in 1997), to the hard rythms and electronic sounds of “RESET” (1999, platinum award in Italy from which the single "Hollywood" was nominated in the European MTV Music Awards, the first nomination of three ), going through the new rock/funk/blues vibrations of “RADIO ZOMBIE” (with a great tour following it) and the multi-cultural sounds & lyrics of “L’UOMO SOGNA DI VOLARE” (2005).

This last one is a new important step in Negrita’s career, a journey through the artists’ mind and soul, born from the South American tour, a mix of different sounds from Funk to Blues – with the richness of Brazilian drummers such as (Peu meurrey ands Itajata jose de Sa) – from elecctro-raggae (“Mother”) to Punk (“Il mio veleno”), from The Beatles (“Tutto bene”, sung by Drigo) to the latine atmosphere of Teresa; from Balcanic influences- Mac comes from Croatia- to Jamaican and Sicilian’s ones (“Il Branco”).

That year the band takes part to the “LIVE 8” in Rome.

“Rotolando Verso Sud” wins the best video Italian Award 2005.

While working on the new album, the bands members carry out several new projects like “Zona Bastarda” (Dj sets with Pau and Mac), and “Rock Notes” (a recital, guitar and voice, taken from the book written by Drigo, “Rock Notes”, 2007, Mondadori ed.).

In September 2008 the new single “Che rumore fa la felicità”, announces the release of Negrita’s new album “HELLdorado”, a musical and conceptual journey on the contradictions of the contemporary world: a 360° exploration on sounds and lyrics (in Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese), whereby Africa, LatinoAmerica, Jamaica and Spain are the grid references for the wide musical universe of the band in these last years. All mixed with a rock’n’roll attitude quite uncommon both in Italy and abroad. The following two singles, “Radio Conga” and “Gioia Infinita” soon become public and critics acclaimed hits on the radios and they mirror the unprecedented success of the “Helldorado Tour 2009”, acclaimed as the best tour of Negrita’s career: 11 dates in February, 40 dates in the summer, most of the dates register a SOLD OUT.

Helldorado was released in Spain on May 4th 2009 and was followed by a successful promo tour in the best iberic venue & cities (Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona and Bilbao) followed by a great gig at the Electric Ballroom in London on June the 9th.

On October 2011, after a n.1. single Brucero’ per te Negrita last album “Dannato Vivere” was released followed by the biggest tour in Negrita history: an arena winter sold out tour.

Subsonica

Subsonica were formed in Turin in 1996 by underground producer and Africa Unite guitarist Max Casacci and singer Samuel Romano, who soon also enroll keyboardist and long time friend Boosta, together with Ninja and Pierfunk to complete (on drums and bass respectively) a straight forward and top notch rhythm section, for what is immediately nicknamed “an unidentified musical object”.

The eponymous debut album comes in ’97, shortly followed by a stunning performance, opening for U2, on the MTV Day main stage. The album includes the collaboration with iconic pop singer Antonella Ruggiero: the cover version of her “Per Un’Ora D’Amore” becomes a radio hit, and paves the way for the album, which sells over 200k copies.

The follow up album comes in 1999: for “Microchip Emozionale” (winner of the Italian Music Award), Vicio becomes the band’s new bass player. The buzz around Subsonica is huge, but still most “official media” seem not to care about the band. Until they decide, surprisingly, to compete at the following year’s Sanremo Festival with an explicit and uncompromising track, “Tutti i miei sbagli”, in which they mix house-beats with furious electric guitars. Subsonica are now definitely on the map both for the critics and the more mainstream audience. Thus they can go back to touring, just in time to gain the award for “Best Italian Act” at the MTV EMA’s.

With their third, called “Amorematico” (January 2002), the band explore new sounds, sometimes anticipating future international trends. It sells over 100k, and they play in front of over 350k people during the following tour dates. They then decide to release a live album (“Controllo del livello di rombo”, 2003), and again secure the best Italian band award for MTV.

With more explorations and new horizons in mind, the 2005 studio album “Terrestre” is more rock and electric. It immediately tops the Italian album charts, and sells over 110k in the first month after the release. The attention it ignites is huge, and it’s followed shortly by a live dvd and double cd, including some unreleased acoustic tracks.

“L’Eclissi”, fifth studio album, hits the shelves on Nov 23rd 2007. The following tour sells out at all main Italian cities, as well as in Bruxelles and London. The video for “Quattrodieci” opens the 4th season of Lost on Fox Italy.

Subsonica then decide to remaster and retouch the highlights and gems of their catalogue: the collection “Nel vuoto per mano” is released on Oct 2008, to document the band’s first 12 years, with a new unreleased track, “Il vento”

On April 22nd 2009, Subsonica represent Italian music at the World Earth Day concert in Rome.

Since January 2010 the band is behind all music breaks and jingles of national FM radio RadioRai2. In Summer 2010 Subsonica are one of the few Italian bands to be guest on Sziget Festival Main Stage.

On March 8th 2011 the band releases the new album Eden, which becomes a huge success shortly after opening at #2 in the italian chart. The first single off the album, Istrice, is one of the most played songs on italian radio and the spring tour gathers a total of over 90k tickets sold spread over 11 gigs.