Pitura Freska
Duri I Banchi

I think I have chosen a rather difficult review to start with... I don't know how many of you know Pitura Freska, but it seemed necessary to address the absence of any written testimony about them on this site.

Pitura Freska is, for those who don't know, a Venetian-origin reggae group that sought to promote the main ideas of the Rasta culture of peace, freedom, and brotherhood. The album I'm about to review is "Duri I Banchi" from 1993.

I believe it's one of Pitura's most fun and irreverent albums, touching on various themes always with a lot of humor: it goes from the longing to become children again in "Picinin", to more engaged themes like "Le Sorti Di Un Pianeta" which denounces misery and exploitation and invites respect for every being in this world. "La Pianta" is perhaps the funniest song I have ever heard about the legalization of Cannabis (a theme particularly dear to the group), and "Iole" demonstrates what alcohol and too much weed can do to a person's brain (listen to believe).

In short, an album that can be enjoyed without concern, speaking about important things while making you laugh, perhaps one of the best albums of a band that will remain one of the best in Italy for its genre (platinum record with the debut album "'Na Bruta Banda"). The only issue might be the dialect, but with a bit of effort, there shouldn't be any problems.