Mauro Pagani: reviews, works and a world‑music trailblazer

The Profile

Mauro Pagani (born 1946) is an Italian multi‑instrumentalist, composer and producer. A founding member of PFM, he later pursued a solo career, collaborated extensively with Fabrizio De André, and has been a key figure in bringing Mediterranean colors into Italian popular and progressive music.

Left PFM in 1977; debut solo album released in 1978 with contributions from Demetrio Stratos, Patrizio Fariselli, Giulio Capiozzo, Walter Calloni, Franz Di Cioccio, Patrick Djivas, Franco Mussida and Teresa De Sio; noted for violin, bouzouki, flutes, mandolin and viola; the 1978 album was issued on Ascolto; launched Officine Meccaniche Music and revisited Creuza de Mä in 2004 with international collaborators; long-time collaborator and co-author with Fabrizio De André.

Three reviews revisit Mauro Pagani’s 1978 debut as a pioneering, Mediterranean‑tinged milestone with major contributions from PFM and Area members, including Demetrio Stratos. The writing praises its instrumental breadth, clean production and cultural openness. Another review covers Pagani’s 2004 revisit of Creuza de Mä: respectful, interesting, yet inevitably compared to the original’s missing voice. Overall sentiment is warmly appreciative.

Notable Quotes

❝ The album is almost entirely instrumental, in which Pagani plays everything, from the bouzouki to the cane flute, from the mandolin to the viola, and where Mediterranean sounds pop up within music that has, indeed, an exotic flavor.

❝ In short, an album "frighteningly" ahead of its time that raised some perplexity in the late '70s Italian music scene but should be re-evaluated and listened to today to also realize the greatness of our musicians of the time, who had little to envy from the likes of ELP or Genesis & Co.