Paolo Angeli live

Paulo Angeli, born in 1970, started to play guitar when he was 9. He grew up in Palau, an extremely stimulating musical environment. The guitar and the voice of his father, his first mentor, the autobus with the drums, the chicken, the melons, the ‘diroccati’ rock groups, the experiences with concerts in the squares and carnivals directed him towards musicality without stylistic barriers.

After obtaining his Nautical Diploma, in 1989 Angeli moved to Bologna. It was during the 1990 university occupation that the Laboratorio di Musica & Immagine was born, a colourful ensemble of 14 musicians who recieved much acclaim in European festivals of innovation music.

Suspended between post-rock, like his group Mistress, the duo with Stefano Zorzanello, improvisation with Jon Rose, the Opera Pacifica with Fred Frith, choir at Tasgia, Serbian dances Diamant Brinand Trabant, Angeli then started playing the tube with the Banda Roncati, an extraordinary experience of social music. In the same period he was among the founding members of the popular music school Ivan Illich and the independent label Erosha.

Between extra-cultivated avant-garde and popular tradition came his Sardinian prepared-guitar: an orchestra-instrument with 18 chords; a hybrid between guitar, baritone, violoncello and drums, gifted with hammers, pedals, some propellers at variable speed. With this singular instrument, constructed by the craftsman Francesco Concas, Paolo elaborates, improvises and composes unclassifiable music, suspended between free jazz, folk noise and minimal pop.