Dirotta su Cuba
E' andata così

THE REVIEW

The historic trio of "toscanacci" that made up Dirotta su Cuba in 1997, the year this kind of compilation was released, no longer exists. This group was founded in 1989 by Rossano Gentile and Stefano Di Donato, with the young vocalist Simona Bencini joining, now with solo career ambitions. The CD contains a dozen tracks, including the Sanremo single "E’ Andata Così", which would give this collection its name. The characteristic of the group is a musical style based on funky atmospheres and Jazz influences, obviously infused with pop, not to stray too far from mainstream tastes. With this album, partly thanks to the Sanremo showcase, the group reached the peak of their success. In fact, their sound is fresh and international, and the blend with Italian light music creates an overall pleasant mood that is appealing, but in the long run tiresome. They rode the wave of the era when the genre was abundantly played on the radio (funky orbit), resurrected and recirculated in the heart of the '90s, also, for example, by Jamiroquai. They, Dirotta, drew inspiration from Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, and Enigma. Nationally, from Le Orme and Delirium (the album also features a remake of one of their classic tracks "Jesahel"). It's easy to talk about "mimicry," when in fact, the capabilities of the musicians, along with the harmonious vocals of the singer, appear credible and well-structured. The CD also includes good radio hits like "Dove Sei", with a melancholy tinge, "Gelosia" more lively and modern, even if it revisits disco sounds from the '70s. The album closes with a curious unplugged-romantic version of "Ridere". Musically very respectable. The problem is that the genre is self-contained, renewing was difficult, and success, riding the wave of changing trends, quickly tapered off. Today, the group has a new singer, Marquica, with the "old" Rossano Gentile on sound.