Modena City Ramblers
Appunti Partigiani

Remember to not forget.

This is the motivation behind the birth of "Appunti partigiani," a project that emerged from the minds of the Modena City Ramblers. The group from Emilia has always been characterized by a profound and indissoluble bond with the songs and events of the Italian resistance.
And it is precisely to the Italian Resistance and the partisans' struggle that the album is dedicated. A particularly heartfelt project that aims to remind younger generations of the true meaning of April 25th and the battles fought by the partisans. Remembering why many Italians oppressed by the fascist dictatorship chose to take to the mountains to fight against the oppressive regime. The partisan struggle, which despite the danger and driven by great love for the homeland, led to the liberation of our country on April 25, 1945.

Unfortunately, today the events of the Resistance tend to be forgotten, especially by the younger generation, and in history books, they are often downplayed. Memory, however, is very important, especially to avoid falling back into the nightmare that engulfed Italy and the whole world during the years of World War II. The Ramblers, to execute this project, are surrounded by a substantial array of guests both Italian and foreign for an exceptional result, to say the least. The task of opening the album could only fall to "Bella ciao," one of the most famous partisan songs. A splendid version, recorded on New Year's Eve 2000 in Modena, sees the Ramblers share the stage with Goran Bregovic's orchestra, coloring the song with Balkan tones. An incredible blend of folk ballad and Balkan music.
One of the most prominent guests is undoubtedly the bard Francesco Guccini, who duets with Cisco in his own "Auschwitz." A never-forgotten song that better than any other has managed to recount the nightmare and tragedy of the concentration camps. Beautiful is "Oltre il ponte" where an inspired and charismatic Moni Ovadia plays the part of the old man remembering the war, dueting with an absolutely outstanding Cisco.

Another famous partisan song is "I ribelli della montagna," sung by the brigades during their stays in the mountains. The Modenese rearrange it with contributions from some members of Bandabardò, for a track with strong emotional impact. Stunning is also the inclusion of a narrative part citing passages from Gramsci's youthful writings, adding even more meaning to the song. I was particularly struck by hearing Piero Pelù sing "La guerra di Piero," a song by the never-forgotten Fabrizio De André, in which all the cruelty of the war is narrated, but I must say that the Tuscan singer handles it excellently.
The song "Al dievel" is then reprised, dedicated to Germano Nicolini, known as Commandante Diavolo by his partisan comrades, falsely accused of the murder of a priest near Reggio Emilia. Imprisoned, he was only exonerated in 1994. Remarkable here is the contribution of the Choir of the Rice Weeders of Novi, which perfectly suits the song's atmosphere (the track was already on the Ramblers' studio album "La Grande Famiglia" but is rearranged for this occasion).

The second foreign guest on the album is Billy Bragg who performs "All you fascists" with the Ramblers. The song was written by the great Woody Guthrie during World War II, and on this occasion, the song's typically country sounds blend with the Ramblers' Irish connotations for a goosebump-inducing result. In "Notte di San Severo" there is participation from the collective La Casa Del Vento, great friends of the group and Cisco in particular. Another clear track tinged with Irish atmospheres. The only unreleased track inserted by the Ramblers is "Il sentiero," based on Italo Calvino's novel "The Path to the Spiders' Nests," set during the partisans' era, for a literature-music combo rarely heard around. The sound then shifts to reggae with "Il partigiano John" featuring Bunna from Africa Unite.
An inspired Fiamma duets with Cisco in "L'ultima superstite," a beautiful song and testimony to the cruelty of Nazi soldiers. The whimsical Paolo Rossi lends his voice to the masterpiece by the late CCCP "Spara Jurij," for a rock jab tinged with Cossack atmospheres. Excellent also is the Gang's performance in "La pianura dei sette fratelli" dedicated to the Cervi brothers, another great song on the album. Also noteworthy is the heartfelt interpretation by Ginevra di Marco in "Pietà l'è morta," a track written by the writer from Cuneo, Nuto Revelli, to describe the horrors of those days. "Viva l'Italia," the concluding piece, sees the participation of all the guests (with the addition of Morgan who sings a verse) for a result truly worth remembering. The alternation of voices indeed strengthens the symbolic and emotional value of the piece written by Francesco De Gregori. Truly remarkable are the contributions made by the guests present, who have managed to interpret with emotion the tracks they took part in.

A big applause goes to the Modena City Ramblers, who with this ambitious project, confirm themselves as one of the best Italian groups for social commitment and interpretative skills. Truly great!