Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Roberto Lodola - "Guru Guru Sunband - Hey Du" (1979)



Roberto Lodola is a DJ , composer and Italian record producer. His career began at the disco Mondo Blu of Busseto (Parma) on 1982- He’s certainly one of the main famous deejays promoting a musical genre called “Afro-Funky-Cosmic”, a mixture of several musical strands like : Electronic, Afro, Funky, Disco, Jazz Fusion, Blaxploitation, Rare Groove, Oriental, Reggae, etc…. His continued research of records, not properly created for the dance floor, addressed him, early in his careers, to approach the Brazilian music, which he inserted immediately in his musical playlist.

In the early 80’s, he started to collaborate with the African percussionist George Aghedo, that often played his percussions together in his DJ sets in the disco Futura in Parma. From this collaboration arose several successful recording productions, such as “Helen - Zanzibar”, that became theme song of a TV program on Channel 5 and Marimba do Mar (!!!), republished on 2013 from the Japanese label Let's Get Lost (Mule Music –Tokyo) (with two new great edits by KZA & COS/MES, we might add). In the year 1983, he introduced the analogic synthesizer Roland SH101 and the electronic drums, then, since 1987 started using the sampler in order to make arrangements and real live remixes.

Just experiencing these new techniques, on 1991 created “African Rhythms”, that was published under the pseudonym “Rhythm Factory”, This production had a great success in UK, so that the version “ A Touch of Jazz” attracted the attention of Gil Peterson. In 2005, the song was included in two prestigious international compilations: the French "Saint Germain des Prés Cafe' vol.7" label Wagram (Buddha Bar) and the London-based "Get this party started!", on the “Expansion”.

In the early 90’s, his relentless pursuit of music, pushed him to the renewal of all strands in the landscape "Afro Funky-Alternative Sound", which had already' treated previously. Consequently he started 'to propose songs with  more' modern sounds, but in line with the past and, as a good lover of Brazilian music, he played the newborn “Samba Reggae / Axe” , creating a genuine trend, which  influenced the new  line of alternative discos, called “ New Afro Style-Ethno Beat-World Music”, that he carried out as a resident DJ for more' than 15 years at the disco Primastella of Bergamo. In 1994, together with his wife and art director Francesca Costantini, coined 'the brand Afro Trend Italy, with whom he identified the major events organized by them. Since 2008 he start 'the project of One-Night 70 No Limit, dedicated to music Funky, Obscure Disco, Nu Disco and Rare Groove, who still collect a huge success. In addition, since 2010, Roberto selected and mixed  various compilations “Funk and Disco” for the Milestone Records label. Today he played music in over 250 Italian and European clubs

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Guru Guru - Taoma
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Useful links:
Roberto Lodola on Soundcloud
Roberto Lodola on Discogs
Roberto Lodola on ResidentAdvisor



Grazie Roberto!