Alfio Antico was born on November 22, 1956 in Lentini, in the island of Sicily, Italy. Alfio lived as a shepherd until the age of 18 surrounded by a rustic environment, deeply connected to nature. He listened to his grandmother’s tales and came in to contact with a wide range of local traditions. He played frame drums and listened to the wind, the sounds of animals, and the tales of the ancestors.
Like many Italians in the south, Alfio migrated to the north in the early 1970. While performing in Piazza Della Signoria in Florence, Alfio was discovered by folk singer Eugenio Bennato who invited Alfio to join his band called Musicanova. Alfio became a prominent member along with singer Teresa De Sio.
Alfio reclaimed traditional southern Italian folk culture and presented this “exotic” music to the urban alternative scene made of students, working class people, and musicians.
Alfio Antico became a professional musician, performing worldwide. His musical instruments provided a signature sound to many Italian singers-songwriters’ hits. Alfio also worked with Fabrizio De Andrè, Lucio Dalla, and Vinicio Capossela and played in theatrical pieces together with some of the most famous Italian actors and directors.
The highly respected musician is an acclaimed master of frame drums. All his instruments are handmade and decorated by himself: from the skin to the frames and cymbals, hand cast, hammered and tuned. As an instrumentalist, his rhythm style is captivating, from the skin tension to the resonating buzzes of cymbals, and the drawing of melodic patterns. Additionally, Alfio is a poet and singer.
Alfio Antico is active both live and in studio, involved is various projects, and performing as solo artist in jazz festivals, world music gatherings, contemporary electronic events, literature and poetry events, baroque music ensembles, and theaters.
His 2020 album “Trema La Terra,” distributed by Warner Music Italy featured electronic and electric instruments. The lineup included Alfio Antico on vocals, frame drums, chitarra battente, campane, lamiera; Cesare Basile on acoustic and electric guitar, cigar box guitar, ngoni, synthesizer, molle, radio noise, bansuri, bass flute, and backing vocals; Gino Robair on modular synth, prepared piano, Hammond, e-bow, acoustic guitar, chitarra battente; Mattia Antico on acoustic guitar, classical guitar, resophonic guitar, banjo-viola, e-bow, molle, synthesizer, richiamo per quaglia, glockenspiel, harmonium; Puccio Castrogiovanni on chitarra battente, ciaramella, marranzano, zampogna, backing vocals; Alice Ferrara on backing vocals; Rossella Alessandrini on urlo; and Salvo Noto on campana.
Discography
With Musicanova:
Brigante se more (1979)
Quanno turnammo a nascere (1979)
Solo recordings:
Anima ‘Ngignusa (Onyx, 2000)
Supra Mari (Alfamusic-Rai Trade, 2002)
Viaggio in Sicilia (Alfamusic-Rai Trade, 2005)
Antichi Ritmi e Nuovi Suoni dell’Italia Meridionale-I Concerti del Quirinale di Radio3, live album (Rai Trade, 2007)
Guten Morgen (Narciso Records, 2011)
Antico (Origine-Believe Digital, 2016)
Trema La Terra (Ala Bianca Records, 2020)
[headline image: Alfio Antico – Photo by Julia Martins]
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.