Bonifica Emiliana Veneta (BEV) – Bonificare, from the ancient Latin bonus facere, refers to drainage of marshes/clearing mine-fields/restoring and improving. A rich and evocative repertoire of songs and dances has accompanied for ages the life of people living on the Northern Apennine mountains, from the plans of Po river to the Alps range.
Dances like Furlana, Manfrina and Jigs are ancient stories and rhythms left behind today. The group starts from back in time – by the means of performing traditional and original compositions as well -in order to restore a forgotten musical identity.
The itinerary begins with tunes that characterized the seasons in the life of women and men, which delivered northern Italy’s popular culture. Bonifica Emiliana Veneta researches the music essence as a universal language, comparing its culture from the Emilia and Veneto regions to different tones. The group also follows the thread linking sounds, rhythms and ballads of the Emilia and Veneto regions to those coming from Western Europe. All these elements become part of the musical aim of Bonifica Emiliana Veneta, originally a quintet established by three members of the group La Piva dal Carner, which led the progressive folk scene in Italy.
The ensemble stopped performing in 2007 although never officially disbanded. The lineup has gone through various changes and a new incarnation of the band started touring in 2014.
Bonifica Emiliana Veneta original line-up:
Walter Rizzo – hurdy-gurdy, bombard, oboe, voice
Alessandro Mottaran – mandoloncello, bagpipe, guitar, voice
Marco Mainini – voice, guitar, bagpipe, sax
Luciano Giacometti – diatonic organ, voice
Claudio Pesky Caroli – acoustic bass, voice
Francesco Sguazzabia – percussion
Discography
Apotropaica—Enrosadira (Roby Droli, 1999)
Variabile/Naturale (Felmay, 2001)
Materiali Tradizionali (2006)
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.
