Phil Manzanera, Paul Simonon and Tony Allen are to form a supergroup for an Italian Festival.
A stellar line-up of international artists was announced today for La Notte della Taranta, held in Salento, Italy on Saturday 22 August which this year has Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera as its Maestro Concertatore.
The artists performing with Manzanera and the local pizzica musicans and dancers, are Paul Simonon, best known as bass guitarist for seminal punk rock band, The Clash, Tony Allen, Nigerian drummer and co-founder of Afrobeat music, Ligabue, Italian rock superstar, Andrea Echeverri, guitarist and lead singer with Colombian Los Aterciopelados and Anna Phoebe, London-based violinist of Trans-Siberian Orchestra fame.
Phil Manzanera said: “I’m delighted that La Notte della Taranta has attracted such wonderful artists and it’s a tribute to the fine local muscians and dancers that they want to be part of this incredible concert. I’m hoping that this year, all of us performing can ensure that one of Italy’s best kept secrets, reaches a wider international audience.”
Paul Simonon (www.paulsimonon.com) is a world-renowned musician and founder member of The Clash, the highly influential punk rock band. Recent work includes The Good, The Bad & The Queen with Damon Albarn and the Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach.
Tony Allen, drummer, composer and songwriter, was described by Brian Eno as “perhaps the greatest drummer who ever lived” and Fela Kuti said of him, “without Tony Allen there would be no Afrobeat music”. Tony Allen was Fela Kuti’s Africa ‘70 from 1968 to 1979. Among many of his projects, was joining Paul Simonon in The Good, The Bad & The Queen.
La Notte della Taranta is a free open-air concert and attracts over 150,000 fans. The concert, now in its 17th year, takes place in the small village of Melpignano, in the beautiful Salento area of Southern Italy, the home of pizzica music, which forms the core of the concert repertoire.
Previous Maestro Concertatores of La Notte della Taranta includes, Ludovico Einaudi, Stewart Copeland and Goran Bregovic.
