SAMSARA

Samsara biography
The SAMSARA that's under consideration here shouldn't be confused with the band of the same name that formed in 2006. This band was active during the late-nineties around Villorba in the northeast of Italy but they seem to have sprung out of nowhere so little is known of them. Their line-up consisted of Adolfo Zilli (bass, vocals), Alex Manfre (piano, organ), Mauro Cenedese (guitars) and Giovanni Juen Manti (drums), although by all accounts Zilli and Manfre were the main creative forces behind the project. In addition to dominating the soundscape with his crazed fairground organ, Manfre appears to have been the main composer in the band. And for his part, Zilli fronted the band and also produced the illustrations for the lavish CD booklet and the short animation that accompanies the YouTube video below on this page. Zilli remains active in music and is currently a member of LA GHENGA FUORIPOSTO, a band that portrays itself as a bunch of gangsters who play a mix of reggae, folk and swing.

SAMSARA released their debut album ''Imaginaria'' (recorded and mixed at the Blue Train studio in Mira, Venice) in 1997. The album is populated by songs that combine psychedelic bohemianism with the vivacity of punk, and Zilli's bold extroverted vocals add a touch of raucous cabaret. Their madcap nature certainly fits well into the context of modern RPI, alongside newer bands like BAROQUE, although they also have something of NUOVA IDEA about them. By the way, Zilli is also a freelance artist who specialises in multimedia production and communication but a look at his website only fosters confusion about SAMSARA. The website displays a picture of an album cover for ''Samsara 2.0'' but it's unclear whether the band ever released a follow-up album.

The RPI Team has so far been unable to connect with any of the band members for further information; perhaps they prefer to remain in obscurity. ''Imaginaria'' contains some interesting music but can really only be recommended to serious fans of RPI. There don't seem to be many copies of the CD around so it might be worth getting if you see one.

- seventhsojourn