Almamegretta
Lingo

In 1998, Almamegretta had already released two studio albums, "Animamigrante" and "Sanacore," plus a collection of remixes of previously released tracks called "Indubb," which brought Raiz and company to the attention of the media and the local public, even earning the admiration of several distinguished colleagues from across the Channel, as evidenced by the 1995 collaboration with Massive Attack.

"Lingo," according to the writer, can be considered the album of the definitive artistic consecration of the Neapolitan band, too often superficially categorized by the radios and newspapers of the time as part of the independent social center propaganda music scene. Unlike their cousins (according to the media) 99 Posse, the lyrics and arrangements of Alma's songs have always had a greater "international breath." The Almamegretta of "Lingo" excel even more than in their previous works in the arduous task of addressing delicate themes such as: racism, immigration, religion, and political power without ever falling into easy and banal student protest slogans. This is achieved through a skillful intertwining of melodies and rhythms from around the world and refined electronic sounds, all tied together by the common denominator of popular music. A musical journey that begins in Naples and connects the Maghreb, Jamaica, England, and Africa across the 14 tracks of the album.

Within the album, alongside the historic core of the band composed of Raiz, Facchielli, and Polcari (plus Gennaro Tesone on drums), a vast array of prestigious musicians and multi-instrumentalists alternates. From the participation of Pino Daniele as a guitarist in "Rootz" to Count Dubulah (bassist of the seminal TransGlobal Underground), to Bill Laswell and Eraldo Bernocchi present in several tracks. Also noteworthy are the rap contributions of Dre Love, Jiulie Higgins, and Dave Watts.

The two most appealing singles of the entire work are undoubtedly the splendid opening track "Gramigna" and the fierce "Black Athena," both were in heavy rotation on radio and music TV channels with their respective videos for several months at the time. As in these two singles, the thread of the entire album will be the alternation of Raiz's vocals, halfway between the Neapolitan and Arab traditions, sometimes with Caribbean influences; alongside English rap interventions by the various MCs involved in the project. Also noteworthy is "Fatmah" (Fatima), a song imbued with mysticism and Middle Eastern atmospheres, with lyrics very similar to those of a popular prayer. Among the most successful episodes of the album are also "Rootz" and "47," as well as the melancholic "Respiro," the latter conceptually close to the classical Neapolitan repertoire where a poignant string arrangement by Pasquale Minieri blends with avant-garde electronic loops. The album closes with the title track "Lingo" and the lysergic "Suonno."

Twelve years after its release, "Lingo" stands out as an extremely relevant album both in terms of the lyrics and themes addressed always in an extremely allegoric manner; and for the sound and arrangements, which are meticulously curated. In conclusion: not just Dub, if you love electronics in general and a certain type of world music in its highest sense, I would say this album is just for you.

Until next time, bye.