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ABOUT
Born in Palermo (Sicily), his first real involvement in music began in 1976, showing from the very start an interest in archaic wind instruments from all over the world. A historic founder in 1979, composer, and versatile flautist of the now dissolved band Agricantus, of which he has followed all the stages in artistic and record until 2008, the year of the official dissolution of the group. He has completed research into ethnomusicology, both with the Sicilian Ethnophonic Archive, the Folkstudio of Palermo, the Institute for Folk Traditions of the University of Palermo, and the Museum of Folk Traditions of Nuoro. In order to deepen his musical research, he has visited many regions of the world, including Africa, the Middle East, Asia Minor, and Brazil, meeting many musicians, experiencing history and atmospheres, making important musical experiences, and elaborating musical concepts and compositions.
In addition to Agricantus productions (10 albums, 4 soundtracks, dozens of compilations, including the most important Buddha Bar IV, Nirvana Lounge Vol I, Siddhartha), he composes music for dance shows (Roberta Escamilla Garrison), for theater, for sound design for environments (the exhibition "Form: the city and its past" by Massimiliano Fuksas at the Coliseum in Rome), and for movie soundtracks ("Jung", by A. Vendemmiati and F. Lazzaretti, presented at the 57th Venice Film Festival 2000 and winner of the IDFA in Amsterdam, "Afghanistan - Side Effects" by A. Vendemmiati and F. Lazzaretti). In 2010, he produced the soundtrack for the documentary film "Left by The Ship" by A. Vendemmiati and E. Rossi Landi.
He has participated, either as co-author and interpreter in music productions and soundtracks, in the fields of traditional, world, and trance music, working with various artists such as Luis Bacalov, Pivio and Aldo De Scalzi, Trancendental, Andrea Guerra, Enzo Avitabile, Brothers, Giovanni Lo Cascio.
His research activities continued over the years with the participation in ON Nomadic Observatory of Rome, with which he made territorial artistic events and multimedia installations in Sicily and the Mediterranean.
Since April 2007, he is the owner of the workshop of construction and practice of wind instruments made from recycled materials for the Juakali Drummers Project conceived by Giovanni Lo Cascio within the AMREF rehabilitation program "Children in need" in Nairobi, Kenya. Juakali Drummers is a Dulcimer Fondation pour la Musique and AMREF permanent project to rescue children from the streets through music education.
He is a sound designer of logos and local music projects. Since 2004, he is the author and Artistic Director of the Festival Paesaggi di Suoni of Tuscania (www.paesaggidisuoni.it). In 2008, he started in Palermo the art collective of improvised creation called FolkaLab (www.folkalab.com), a permanent musical and multidisciplinary workshop which has linked 200 artists which he directed for the 2008-2009-2010 editions.
He performed as a soloist in various Italian and international festivals such as MedFest 2003 (Italy), Premio Grinzane Cavour 2004 (Italy), Theatron Musikommer 2004 (Munich-Germany), Kals’Art 2005 (Italy), Musica sulle Bocche 2005 (Italy), La Notte della Taranta 2006 (Italy), September Concert 2006 and 2007 (Italy), Sete Sois e Sete Luas 2006 (Italy), Paesaggi di Suoni 2006 and 2009 (Italy), Auditorium Parco della Musica Rome, 2008 and 2010, Cornerstone Festival 2008 (England), Festival Letteraltura Macugnaga 2009 (Italy). In 2006, he was invited to Pakistan, as a representative for Italy, to the World Performing Arts Festival of Lahore.
With Agricantus, he has realized tours in Europe, Brazil, Israel, Syria, Hong Kong, participating in international festivals like "Le Printemps de Bourges", "Arezzo Wave", "Les Nuits Européennes" at Strasbourg, "Womad" in Sicily, "International Festival of Medina" in Tunis, and won the prestigious Targa Tenco 1996 (for the Best World Music Album), PIM – Italian Music Award 1997 (for the best frontier music album), and the Augusto Daolio Prize (for social engagement).
In addition to Agricantus productions (10 albums, 4 soundtracks, dozens of compilations, including the most important Buddha Bar IV, Nirvana Lounge Vol I, Siddhartha), he composes music for dance shows (Roberta Escamilla Garrison), for theater, for sound design for environments (the exhibition "Form: the city and its past" by Massimiliano Fuksas at the Coliseum in Rome), and for movie soundtracks ("Jung", by A. Vendemmiati and F. Lazzaretti, presented at the 57th Venice Film Festival 2000 and winner of the IDFA in Amsterdam, "Afghanistan - Side Effects" by A. Vendemmiati and F. Lazzaretti). In 2010, he produced the soundtrack for the documentary film "Left by The Ship" by A. Vendemmiati and E. Rossi Landi.
He has participated, either as co-author and interpreter in music productions and soundtracks, in the fields of traditional, world, and trance music, working with various artists such as Luis Bacalov, Pivio and Aldo De Scalzi, Trancendental, Andrea Guerra, Enzo Avitabile, Brothers, Giovanni Lo Cascio.
His research activities continued over the years with the participation in ON Nomadic Observatory of Rome, with which he made territorial artistic events and multimedia installations in Sicily and the Mediterranean.
Since April 2007, he is the owner of the workshop of construction and practice of wind instruments made from recycled materials for the Juakali Drummers Project conceived by Giovanni Lo Cascio within the AMREF rehabilitation program "Children in need" in Nairobi, Kenya. Juakali Drummers is a Dulcimer Fondation pour la Musique and AMREF permanent project to rescue children from the streets through music education.
He is a sound designer of logos and local music projects. Since 2004, he is the author and Artistic Director of the Festival Paesaggi di Suoni of Tuscania (www.paesaggidisuoni.it). In 2008, he started in Palermo the art collective of improvised creation called FolkaLab (www.folkalab.com), a permanent musical and multidisciplinary workshop which has linked 200 artists which he directed for the 2008-2009-2010 editions.
He performed as a soloist in various Italian and international festivals such as MedFest 2003 (Italy), Premio Grinzane Cavour 2004 (Italy), Theatron Musikommer 2004 (Munich-Germany), Kals’Art 2005 (Italy), Musica sulle Bocche 2005 (Italy), La Notte della Taranta 2006 (Italy), September Concert 2006 and 2007 (Italy), Sete Sois e Sete Luas 2006 (Italy), Paesaggi di Suoni 2006 and 2009 (Italy), Auditorium Parco della Musica Rome, 2008 and 2010, Cornerstone Festival 2008 (England), Festival Letteraltura Macugnaga 2009 (Italy). In 2006, he was invited to Pakistan, as a representative for Italy, to the World Performing Arts Festival of Lahore.
With Agricantus, he has realized tours in Europe, Brazil, Israel, Syria, Hong Kong, participating in international festivals like "Le Printemps de Bourges", "Arezzo Wave", "Les Nuits Européennes" at Strasbourg, "Womad" in Sicily, "International Festival of Medina" in Tunis, and won the prestigious Targa Tenco 1996 (for the Best World Music Album), PIM – Italian Music Award 1997 (for the best frontier music album), and the Augusto Daolio Prize (for social engagement).
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