SANDRO OLIVA
& the Blue Pampurio's Extravaganza
Born in Roma, Italy (4/26/54) from a half-sicilian
family, SANDRO OLIVA stepped into the six-strings-and-a-pick world
in 1966.
- He started very soon to compose experimental pieces
for two tape recorders and a very primitive electronic equipement. The
same year he joined the first of a bunch of very obscure beat combos.
- In 1968 he was introduced to the music of Frank Zappa. Two years later he attended
a composition course.
- After having exposed himself to the dangerous influence
of contemporary avant-garde music and free-jazz, S.O. put together
his "FUNGO! (Insieme Musicale Abnorme)" in 1973.
- The band, a bizarre mixture of Free Jazz & Satyrical
Rock'n'Roll with coreographies, playied in Italy and abroad, released a
single, appeared in TV shows and in a movie, achieved an under-underground
"cult" status and finally broke up in 1981, leaving a big bunch
of bills to pay and an equally big amount of unreleased recordings.
- In the Eighties OLIVA
formed the "BLUE
PAMPURIO's" and released two albums.
- Excellent reviews (though both the music and the
lirycs are not easy), TV appearences (JEANS2, DOC, etc.)
and many concerts all over the country made S.O. a cult figure of
the Italian Underground scene in the '80s.
- In 1990 S.O. won an award from FARE MUSICA
music magazine as best independent musician of the year.VIDEOMUSIC
TV channel (the Italian MTV) broadcasted a live 40 minutes show.
- The two following years were for the building-up
of his "CUCURBITACEA SAPIENS RECORDING STUDIO", where
he started the recording sessions for his third album.
- Many musicians from all over the world playied in
the CD, including 5 former members of the MOTHERS of INVENTION.
- A few months later he joined the GRANDMOTHERS
(the band formed by some of those former Zappa's band members).
- With the GRANDMOTHERS he made two european tours
and a live CD.
- A third 5 months tour ended in London, Xmas '94.
- In '95 and '96 OLIVA played with many italian
and american musicians (Riccardo Fassi, Tommy Mars, Eugene Chadbourne).
- In the last two years has also started the recordings
of many different new projects.
- The first to be released will be "HEAVY LIGHTNINGS"
for Muffin Productions, Austin, Texas. In February a beefed-up GRANDMOTHERS group will tour Europe,
just before the release of their newest CD.
- In spring a tour with the "BLUE PAMPURIO's " and two releases for his new "OBVIOUS
MUSIC Productions": the live "JUNK FOOD" CD with
Jimmy Carl Black and the ballet "SERGIO's HAREM"
-
- (..not to mention the upgrading of his guitar collection
and his 32 track recording studio.....).
Discography:
PUSHER! / S-S-SURF (7"-
80 Venezuela)
ARIA MALSANA (LP
- 87 Spittle Rec./ Italy)
LIVING WITH (1
song on compil. "PUNTOZERO 8" - 92 Toast / Italy)
WHO THE FUCK IS SANDRO OLIVA ?!? (CD - 94 Muffin Rec./ Germany)
CICCIO (1 song on compilation
"ASSORTED MUFFINS" - CD '97 - Muffin Productions / USA)
SOON OUT:
S.Oliva & the Blue Pampurio's: HEAVY LIGHTNINGS
- CD '98 - Muffin Productions / USA
S.Oliva & Jimmy Carl Black: JUNK FOOD Live - CD '98 - Obvious Music / Italy
S.Oliva: SERGIO's HAREM -
CD '98 - Obvious Music / Italy
with "the Grandmothers":
WHO COULD IMAGINE? (CD
- 94 Munich Rec./ Holland) co-produced with Don Preston
out soon:
NECESSITY IS.... - spring'98 -
Filmography:
ECCE BOMBO
di Nanni Moretti, Italia '78
the Band:
SANDRO OLIVA: Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals
SIMON J.SIMON: Organ,Synthesyzers,Bg.Vcls
MAURO ANDREONI: Piano, Synthesyzers
STEVE B.RONEY: Drums, Bg.Vcls
NICK GALLE: Bass, Bg.Vcls
BOB MONEY: Tenor Sax
email: oliva.pampurios@flashnet.it
or write to:
OBVIOUS MUSIC,
via Limbara 9 - 00139 ROMA, Italy
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