ENZO AVITABILE & BOTTARI

For more than twenty years saxophonist and flutist ENZO AVITABILE has been a star on the Italian jazz scene. His questing nature has seen him play with international stars as diverse as JAMES BROWN, AFRIKA BAMBAATAA, and MORY KANTÉ, while he's made music around the globe, from Central Africa to the United States and from Palestine to his native Naples in search of new sounds.

Born in 1955, he began playing saxophone when he was seven, and as a teenager he was making money igging in the American clubs that dotted Naples. After attending the Conservatory of San Pietro a Maiella, where he earned his diploma as a flutist, he emerged full-blown onto the nascent Italian jazz scene, recording his first album in 1982. Since then he's become one of Italy's best-known and most respected composer, singer, and musician. He recorded numerous albums over the next sixteen years inclcuding Meglio soul with Richie Havens, Street Happiness featuring Africa Bamabaataa 1988, Easy featuring Randy Crawford on the major hit "Love Me Or Love Me" , Addo in 1996 a rap, jungle and neapolitan language featuring the Agricantus and finally in 1999 O-Issa featuring Mory Kante on “Mane e Mane". By 2000, Avitabile had won numerous awards, and sold millions of CD toured world wide including performing on the same stage with his music hero James Brown.

In 2001, when he could easily have rested on his artistic laurels, he began to chart a new course. Hearing BOTTARI, from the Campania region of Southern Italy, he was struck by their sound. Striking barrels and vats, or hitting scythes with steel sticks, they seemed primitive at first. But there was a beauty to their traditional rhythms of pastellesa and tarantella. Avitabile began working with them, exploring the possibilities of their collaboration. He wrote songs whose lyrics, sung in a Neopolitan dialect, depicted the lives and sufferings of a people through war and anger. What Avitabile and Bottari created built on history and delivered something new and exciting.

In 2004, after three years of collaborating, they began recording their debut album, Salvamm'o Mummo (Save the World). As word spread about the project, an international array of stars asked to be part of it. The legendary names &150; MANU DIBANGO, HUGH MASEKELA, AMINA, SIMON SHAHEEN, BAKHIT MIZMARK BRASS BAND, and Algerian superstar KHALED &150; gave a pan-Mediterranean (and beyond) feel to the disc.

Salvammo'o Mummo exploded onto a jaded world music scene. CDRoots.com called it ‘the most original world music album of the year,' while Songlines classed it as ‘a remarkable album, unlike any other.'

A dynamic performance at WOMAD 2004 followed the release, increasing their profile, which was sealed by a nomination in the BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards. ENZO AVITABILE & BOTTARI are now a certified world music sensation, uniting past and present in a unique fashion. Avitabile and Bottari have taken part in the most important festivals in the world.

This past summer of 2007 ENZO AVITABILE & BOTTARI brought their vivacious musical style to North America where they received rave reviews at some of the most prestigious venues and festivals in Chicago , Los Angeles and Montreal Canada .  They thrilled audiences and critics alike with their music, performances and incredible charismatic style.   Now having just completed their second album in Fiesta Farina E Forca set to release world wide in 2008 they are ready share their style, music and traditions with the rest of of the world.