Alesandro Pomponi
Rock Oltre Cortina

This text, “Rock oltre cortina” by Alessandro Pomponi published by Tsunami Edizioni, is truly interesting and essential. The book examines the historical period from 1963 to 1978, meticulously and thoroughly analyzing all musical developments in the Beat, Prog, and psychedelic genres in the Communist Bloc countries. In fact, there are now many available resources on the topic on various specialized sites and webzines, but print remains a vital medium, and in this sense, “Rock oltre cortina” immediately positions itself as a “small bible” for music enthusiasts (particularly those of the aforementioned genres but not exclusively), for those who want to delve into the subject, and for those looking to broaden their cultural and musical horizons.

I sincerely consider it of great interest to explore the individual music scenes, given that the Anglophone model is often predominant. The book presents the rich and varied artistic landscape that took shape in the Communist Bloc, analyzing the musical ferment of individual nations, namely the former Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and the former East Germany. The examination reveals a controversial picture, certainly partly limited by the censorship of communist regimes and historical tragic events like the Prague Spring of 1968. Despite this, there was actually a certain freedom towards artistic expression, which allowed the emergence of top-tier names that have nothing to envy from the most famous Western groups.

Paradoxically, some restrictions within the Warsaw Pact countries, such as the obligation to sing in the mother tongue or demonstrate a certain musical proficiency, have benefited the originality of some standout artists. Speaking of progressive, names like the Czechoslovakians Collegium Musicum of the great keyboardist Maria Varga, or their compatriots Modry Effect (formerly Blue Effect), the renowned Polish Czeslaw Niemen and SBB, the Hungarians Omega and Illés, and the East German Stern Combo Meissen and Electra, just to name a few, should be considered among the major and certainly not lesser groups of the genre. Alessandro Pomponi, a long-time collaborator with the magazine Raro!, demonstrates great expertise, passion, and knowledge of the subject, managing to delve into and argue various artistic phases attentively and never superficially: thus, it talks about not only progressive but also psychedelia, jazz-rock, folk, avant-garde, new wave, and even singer-songwriting. However, there is no room for punk, a genre that was never officially tolerated by the authorities in Eastern countries and thus only developed at an amateur level.

“Rock oltre cortina” is, ultimately, a volume that fills a gap on the subject and is a great service to Culture.