Biba Band | en

The Biba Band was born as a bit of a joke, but also a bit because of these musicians' common love for the songs of Weather Report, the band who, throughout the Seventies, experimented a contamination of jazz with ethno-black influences by incorporating a mix of sounds that today we would probably call World Music, or Acid Jazz, or perhaps even Electronic Music.

It was the summer of 1992 when Picosta, Faso, Maxx Furian and Alex Baroni emerged from Elba Island's sea like modern-day mermaids but male and with extremely refined musical tastes, and proceeded to sing and play (beating their hands on the water) some of Weather Report's songs which they had previously memorized just out of listening to them so, so much. That was when the idea of Biba Band was born: to get some other musicians, choose their favourite songs, and play a couple of nights at the Tangram, a classic Milan music-club, possibly with non-liquid instruments. And with their clothes on. That last idea didn't convince them much at first, but eventually caught on.

They quickly contacted some friends, just for the fun of playing some of WR's songs, but the enthusiasm from colleagues was so great that it was eventually over 20 musicians who played on stage those nights, and such was the fun they had that they kept on playing together as the Biba Band, when and where possible, for over a decade.

As time went by, the Biba Band became more of a "musical laboratory": new arrangements were attempted, new and original musical parts were included and the repertoire was extended although always keeping within the "Weather" soul of things: Melody, Groove, Interplay.

Then one day Foffo Bianchi, their sound engineer, told them: "If the Biba Band doesn't publish an album we are all tuning pegs of stringed musical instruments, which in the tuscan vernacular indicates persons of little or no intellect". And truer words could not have been spoken. This is why they recorded two concerts at "La Dopa" in Cassano D'Adda on 18 and 19 february 2001, then Foffo mixed the best tunes... and at last the long-awaited long-playing sound-reproducing circular object was born.

The Biba Band's album is dedicated to three of our dearest friends who were with us at heart during all stages of production, but aren't with us now that it is finally published.

To Feiez, Naco and Alex.


Official website: bibaband.com .