Tazenda
Limba

The Tazenda without Andrea Parodi cannot call themselves Tazenda. After the singer's departure, there has only been a Camedda & Marielli Band. But not Tazenda.

If Tazenda (1988) is the album that launched them thanks to tracks like "Carrasecare" and "No Potho Reposare", Murales (1991) made them famous with "Disamparados (oops, Spunta La Luna Dal Monte)", "Mamojada", "Nanneddu", "Limba" (1992) represents the ultimate artistic testament of Tazenda (second to last, if you consider Tazenda Live Reunion of 2006).

The sound of "Limba" (in Italian "Lingua") feels dated, due to the electronic '80s sounds that persist even though we were in the '90s at the time, but which are nevertheless mellowed compared to "Murales". The influences of Sardinian folk music are always present, especially the Launeddas, but also the organetto and the accordion. And it is thanks to this blend that the album is still accessible and, in a way, enjoyable (the same results wouldn't have been achieved with just electronic bases).

The album is full of little gems that deserve mention: the title track, a fierce defense, an invitation to use and support the Sardinian language, which at the time was disappearing even more than today, as, according to the perfect Italian of many individuals, "speaking in Sardinian was something for crude people".

"Pitzinnos In Sa Gherra", with its strong anti-war accents, which allowed them a second consecutive participation in Sanremo, but with less success than the more fortunate "Spunta La Luna Dal Monte" from the previous year.

"S'ispera Manna" tells of the possibility of another life after this, where "we will return to sing and make love".

"Non la Giamedas Maria" stems from an ancient melodic-song of the Sardinian tradition.

It passes through the drama of the drought (which in those years gripped the island) of "Etta abba, chelu" (literally "throw water, sky"), boasting vocal participation from Fabrizio De André, who reciprocates the favor to Parodi & Co. who had lent their voices in the track "Monti do Mola" from 1990 on Faber’s album called "Le Nuvole". Also noteworthy is "Deus Ti Salvet Maria" already well-known for the (better) almost Floydian version by De André himself, included in his album "Indiano" from 1981.

Less interesting, yet valid in my opinion, are "Preghiera Semplice", which allowed the group to participate in Festivalbar, and "Vai (senza di noi)".

I end with the track that I consider the real underrated masterpiece of the entire album: "Astrolicamus" (literally Let's Astrology).

In the island's context, it would be an album rated 4.5. But on the national level, the rating drops to 3.5.

A special thanks to Andrea Parodi, who already in 1990 had entered a phase of breaking with Camedda and Marielli, due to different musical horizons and perspectives, more ethnic and less pop for the former, commercial for the latter two. Despite this, he stayed with the group and released two formidable albums, "Murales" and "Limba", plus a third, "Fortza Paris" (from 1995), which marked the end of the artistic collaboration of the three.

And the end of Tazenda itself.