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Fue en 2004 cuando CAPOLINEA cautivó nuestra atención con su estupendo álbum "Vietato Parlare", disco comprometido con la calidad y con la libertad no sólo de expresión, sino con el libre albedrío que atañe también una práctica de libertad interpretativa. Así llegó "Uno", primera propuesta oficial de URBAN SOUL que, al igual que CAPOLINEA, se realiza con Millennium Music y su Sello MIA Records, recibiendo entre sus invitados a Genzo OKABE (saxo alto) y Stefano CIUFFI (guitarra), integrantes en ese otro grupo también. URBAN SOUL, alineado por Daniele TAVANI (voz, teclados), Silvia MINGUZZI (voz, pandero) y Alessio RAMACCIONI (bajo), reciben además la colaboración adicional de Giancarlo MURA (batería) para reforzar la sección rítmica, y de Giuseppe RUSSO (saxofón), Mike APPLEBAUM (tromba) y Massimo PIRONE (trombón) para dar realce a los metales, sonido indispensable para la propuesta funky jazz / fusión de este grupo ‘da la Roma’.
Pasando al análisis musical, justo es advertir que URBAN SOUL no ofrece en su álbum "Uno" rock progresivo natural. No obstante, si disfrutas naturalmente de proyectos como 4/3 de TRIO, WEATHER REPORT o incluso lo experimental melódico de ZAPPA, sabrás apreciar delicias musicales como 'Alba', 'Anime urbane', 'Mama' y la extraordinaria 'Debole' que contienen los pretextos progresivos suficientes para harte de él, sin dejar de lado la oportunidad de oír las delicias funky rítmicas en forma de 'Farfalla', 'Mama', 'Resistenza danzante', 'Codici a barre' y 'Free the funk', e incluso la romántica 'Solo un momento', cada pieza desempeñada con una enorme capacidad interpretativa, un alto nivel de originalidad competitiva y un compañerismo musical envidiables.
Cada uno de los miembros de URBAN SOUL (y desde luego incluyendo a sus músicos invitados) goza de un virtuosismo característico e identificador en la interpretación de su instrumento, voces incluídas. Aquí, en "Uno", nos encontramos ante la oportunidad de progresar en el disfrute musical coherentemente con el género que nos ocupa, etiqueta necesaria para percibir mentalmente el tipo de sonido que queremos escuchar. Sin atreverme demasiado a etiquetar a este grupo como “funk jazz progresivo”, son los amplios espectros tonales y la solidez de la propuesta de URBAN SOUL lo que permite recomendar a oídos cerrados su álbum debut, con apreciación general de 9 sobre 10.
–Alfredo TAPIA CARRETO. Opinión personal. - Manticornio.com
Discography
2000 - Urban Soul - EP
2003 - Fun2k - CD
2007 - UNO - CD
Photos
Bio
The urbanSoulband was formed in 2000, and the main task of the early periods was to blend the diverse experiences and musical backgrounds of the members in a straight and close funky style.In summer 2001, Urban Soul release their first self-produced CD and bring their songs on outstanding Rome stages (Il Locale, Classico Village, Big Mama, Bush, Sonica, Jailbreak, Circolo degli Artisti), and in prestigious locations all over Italy (Napoli Strit Festival, Portacomarock, Spazio Giovani 2003, Arezzo Wave Lazio 2002 and 2003, SpaghettiMusic 2002).
After recording their second mini-CD, Fun2k in summer 2002, starting from early 2003 the Urban Soul toured the new songs among pretty all the top musical scenes in Rome and underground festivals around the country. The programmatic title of the album, synthesizing the mixture of funk and new millennium dance sonorities, has been for a while the label under which the band got widely known in the Italian underground circuit. Various tracks included in the CD have been played on cool radios in Rome like Radio Centro Suono (Black Music Station), Radio Citta' Aperta, and for two year sin a row Urban Soul had songs played in the number one public radio in Italy, Radio 1 Rai.
Urban Soul were selected to represent Italian Contemporary Music at XI Biennial of Young Artists of Europe and the Mediterranean (www.bjcem.org), set in Athens, Greece, june 6th-15th, 2003. During the gig of june 11th, more than 1500 people gathered together, grooving and dancing with the band's sound, and, as many of the participants and organizers said, the gig was one of the most exciting moments of the entire festival.
During 2004, the interaction with musicians and djs of the Roman clubbing scene resulted in the co-production of the dance song Sweet Love with Francesco Gazzara, leader of the worldwide known acid-jazz band Gazzara. The song features in the compilation "Slowly Cafe", mixed by Jacopo Corazza. Right after, Urban Soul started writing the songs for a new big album project, and decide to quit every live activity until the CD is issued. It is at this moment that some of the band members leave the band, that remains formed of only 3 of the original 7 elements.
Starting June 2005, the band enters in studio for the first recording sessions of the new album, UNO, to be released by the independent label Millennium Music. At the end of the summer, non-musical reasons bring two thirds of the band to work and live in New York, thus slowing down the post-production process of the album.
Nonetheless, after 2 years of hard work, the CD has been released June, 24th 2007.
The new album has been presented to the public during a spectacular live set at Villa Lais, Rome, featuring the band playing with a full brass section, after more than 3 years of absence from the stage. A few weeks later, the band plays again with a more traditional line-up at Big Bang, 07/07, always in Rome. A new italian tour is currently being set up for late december 07/january 08.
Keep in touch for news and live sets, check us out on on our website www.urbansoul.it, or on MySpace: www.myspace.com/urbansoulband. urbanSoul - Keep Groovin'
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