Matia Bazar

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Matia Bazar
Matia Bazar performing in June 2007, from left to right: Piero Cassano, Roberta Faccani and Giancarlo Golzi
Background information
OriginGenoa, Italy
Genres
Years active1975–present
Labels
Members
  • Fabio Perversi
  • Silvia Dragonieri
  • Silvio Melloni
  • Gino Zandonà
  • Piercarlo Tanzi
Websitematiabazarofficial.com

Matia Bazar (Italian: [maˈtiːa badˈdzar; baˈzar]) is an Italian pop band formed in Genoa in 1975. The original members of the group were Piero Cassano (keyboards), Aldo Stellita (bass), Carlo Marrale (guitar, vocals), Giancarlo Golzi (drums) and Antonella Ruggiero (vocals). They represented Italy in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest with a song called "Raggio di luna". They are known for the quality of their female vocalists: after Antonella Ruggiero, Laura Valente, Silvia Mezzanotte, Roberta Faccani and currently Luna Dragonieri. Their major hits were Solo tu (1978), Vacanze Romane (1982), Souvenir (1985) and Ti Sento (1985), which peaked on the charts in Belgium, Netherlands and Italy.

The group achieved several major successes, amongst which the win of two Sanremo Music Festivals, in 1978[1] and in 2002.[2]

Ruggiero and Marrale, the two main vocalists of the original line-up, left respectively in 1989 and 1994 to pursue solo careers. Main lyricist and bassist Stellita died in 1998 and drummer/writer and founding member Golzi in 2015. Cassano, the last original member, left in May 2017. The band is currently led by Fabio Perversi, keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist since 1998, who has been indicated by Cassano and Golzi as the right person to carry on the new era of the band, which in their idea "should survive to their original members".[3] To date (2024), thus, none of the current members of the group belongs to its original lineup.

Personnel[edit]

Current members[edit]

  • Fabio Perversi – vocals, keyboards, violin (1998–)
  • Silvia Dragonieri – vocals (2017–)
  • Silvio Melloni – bass (2021–)
  • Gino Zandonà – guitars (2021–)
  • Piercarlo Tanzi – drums (2021–)

Past members[edit]

  • Piero Cassano – vocals, guitars, keyboards (founder, 1975–1981, 1999–2017)
  • Giancarlo Golzi – drums (founder, 1975–2015)
  • Carlo Marrale – guitars, vocals (founder, 1975–1994)
  • Antonella Ruggiero – vocals (founder, 1975–1989)
  • Aldo Stellita – bass (founder, 1975–1998)
  • Mauro Sabbione – keyboards (1981–1984)
  • Sergio Cossu – keyboards (1984–1998)
  • Laura Valente – vocals (1990–1998)
  • Silvia Mezzanotte – vocals (1999–2004, 2010–2016)
  • Roberta Faccani – vocals (2005–2010)
  • Piero Marras – guitars (2017–2021)
  • Paola Zadra – bass (2017–2021)
  • Fiamma Cardani – drums (2017–2021)

Discography[edit]

  • Matia Bazar 1 (1976)
  • Granbazar (1977)
  • Semplicità (1978)
  • Tournée (1979)
  • Il tempo del sole (1980)
  • Berlino, Parigi, Londra (1982)
  • Tango (1983)
  • Aristocratica (1984)
  • Melanchólia (1985)
  • Melò (1987)
  • Red Corner (1989)
  • Anime pigre (1991)
  • Dove le canzoni si avverano (1993)
  • Radiomatia (1995)
  • Benvenuti a Sausalito (1997)
  • Brivido caldo (2000)
  • Dolce canto (2001)
  • Profili svelati (2005)
  • One1 Two2 Three3 Four4 (2007)
  • One1 Two2 Three3 Four4 - Volume due (2008)
  • Conseguenza logica (2011)

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Francesco Fornari (29 January 1978). "Hanno vinto i Matia Bazar" [Matia Bazar won]. La Stampa (in Italian). Turin. p. 24. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  2. ^ Ernesto Assante (10 March 2002). "Vittoria annunciata per i Matia Bazar. Seconda Alexia, terzo Gino Paoli" [A foreseen victory for Matia Bazar. Alexia is runner-up, third place for Gino Paoli]. la Repubblica (in Italian). Rome. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Piero Cassano lascia i Matia Bazar" [Piero Cassano leaves Matia Bazar]. ANSA (in Italian). Rome. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2024.

External links[edit]

Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Homo Sapiens
with "Bella da morire"
Sanremo Music Festival
Winner

1978
Succeeded by
Mino Vergnaghi
with "Amare"
Preceded by Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest
1979
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Elisa
with "Luce (Tramonti a nord est)"
Sanremo Music Festival
Winner

2002
Succeeded by
Alexia
with "Per dire di no"