Agricantus is a band from Sicily. Its early releases Gnanzù and Viaggiari were fine examples of its ability to mix ethnic music, mainly from the Mediterranean, with ambient and trance rhythms, and were followed by Tuareg, with which they achieved success in Italy and Europe. This album was recorded in the desert of Mali with nomad instruments and musicians and won the prestigious Tenco award in 1996.
In 1997 the band went on to win the important Italian “PIM” award, and had a key role in the soundtrack to the film hamam- The Turkish Bath, which won the Globo d’Oro 1997 (Italian Golden Globe).
The mini-CD Hale Bopp Souvenir, featuring Fadimata Wallet Oumar – spokesperson for the true Tuareg culture – was Agricantus’ next release and this was then followed in 1998 by Kaleidos, an album that immediately attracted attention worldwide. In Kaleidos, Agricantus undertook an extraordinary journey to the heart and origins of classical music, letting themselves be inspired by great composers such as Grieg, Paganini, Brahms, and Luciano Berio. They included samples of their music amidst original Agricantus compositions, and, in the case of Berio, took score of his work and let their music be enriched by it. Classical music and technology were united with an incredible flair.
In 1998, they co-wrote the soundtrack to the film I Giardini dell’Eden (Gardens of Eden). A year later, in 1999, the album Best of Agricantus was released in the United States with the label “World Class”, that distributed it not only in the United States but also in Canada, South America, Australia, and Japan. In just a few weeks, it rose to the top of American and Australian radio charts. September 1999 saw the release date of Faiddi, a compilation of their most beautiful songs re-arranged and played live.
Habibi (2006) explores Sicilian and Sardinian music combined with electronic beats and acoustic instruments from various parts of the globe.
Agricantus has had several lineups, from 1979 to 2008, the year the band went on hiatus for a few years. Their artistic journey resumed in 2013 with the release of the single “Omini”, produced by CNI, Blob, Lega Ambiente. The single was followed in 2014 by the full-length album Turnari.
Discography:
Gnanzu (CNI, 1993)
Viaggiari (Ludos/CNI, 1995)
Tuareg (Ludos/CNI, 1996)
Hale Bopp Souvenir (CNI, 1997)
Kaleidos (Ludos/CNI, 1998)
Best of Agricantus (CNI/World Class, 1999)
Ethnosphere (CNI, 2001)
Calura (CNI, 2002)
Habibi (CNI, 2006)
Luna Khina (Edel, 2007)
Placido Rizzotto (2010)
Turnari (2014)
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.