Somma has been conceived by Petulia Mattioli and Eraldo Bernocchi, founders of the cultural project Verba Corrige. The concept behind Somma is the real interaction among different cultures with the aim to contaminate and explore ancient traditions connecting new electronic music and technology with jazz, dub,and mantric concepts.
Unlike several so called world music issues and experiments Somma aims to real interaction of different worlds, sonically and visually. The approach is refusing the world music and ethnic cliche proposing events every night different, where partecipants are building a sonic and visual ritual using both ancient and modern tools. Ranging from acoustic to electric to electronic Somma aims the creation of new rituals for contemporary age, the interaction of sacred and dub, a digital mantra for a new sacred ground.
Entirely improvised, every event/concert of Somma, ties together two teoretically distant worlds using interaction between eastern and western musicians who look for an every night different concert/event.
Tibetan culture is not at all used as a folkloristic or curious event, as too many times happens in the west, but as living part of the creative process.
Visuals, as well totally improvised and constructed in real time according to what’s musically happening on stage, just close the circle erasing any difference between past and future.
Since 1996 Bernocchi and Mattioli involved well know New York producer/bass legend Bill Laswell and start to work on the first studio recording of the combo together with 7 Tibetan monks.
The album "Hooked Light Rays" came out for Low records, a division of Pete Namlook Fax lavbel, gaining really positive reviews.
In 1998 the album was reprinted by Felmay/New Tone an italian label specialized in traditional/modern musics.
Thanks to the courage of Musica 90, one of the most renowed booking/production agencies in Europe, Somma first public appearance took place on november 26 1996 at Teatro Regio in Torino Italy in front of 1600 people.
The line up was the following:
Eraldo Bernocchi - treated guitars and electronics
Bill Laswell -bass
Petulia Mattioli - stage design and visuals
Oz Fritz - sound enginnering and space dislocations
7 tibetan monks - vocals, horns, bells, drums
In 2001, on occasion of the official visit of H.H. The Dalai lama, Somma performed in Trento at the Centro Santa Chiara teathre gathering 2000 people.
The line up for this appearance was:
Eraldo Bernocchi - treated guitars and electronics
Bill Laswell -bass
Petulia Mattioli - stage design and visuals
7 tibetan monks - vocals, horns, bells, drums
Stefano cecere - visual assistant
Hamid Drake - drums
Gigi - vocals
Toshinori Kondo - trumpet
Raiz - vocals
Oz Fritz - sound enginnering and space dislocations
This year Somma will perform again in Milano, part of Suoni e Visioni festival, on may 28th at Teatro Dal Verme with the following line up:
Eraldo Bernocchi - treated guitars and electronics
Bill Laswell -bass
Petulia Mattioli - stage design and visuals
6 tibetan monks - vocals, horns, bells, drums
Stefano cecere - visual assistant
Hamid Drake - drums
Faraualla- backing vocals
Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari- - vocals
Nils Petter Molvaer - trumpet
Raiz - vocals
Oz Fritz - sound enginnering and space dislocations
Only for this occasion we decided to print a 1000 limited edition live cd with special packaging that will be sold exclusively on the night of the concert as well directly from here. The cd has been recorded on the occasion of the visit of H.H. The XIV Dalai Lama during 2001 concert and it is currently available only through this page. The cd contains also a video track taken from the same show as well a percentage of the incomes will go the Associazione Italia-Tibet.
I was interested to hear this material.. I have listened to Bill Laswell on numerous projects over the years ,and look forward to hearing future work with Nils Petter Molvaer..
Thanks for the myspace friends invitation! Great music! Perhaps you could listen to this song of us: http://www.iivault.com/music/Sonke%20en%20Oosthoek%20-%20Klapstoel.mp3 The songs on the myspace site are mostly dutch language humoristic songs. But I'm a fan of the Nils Petter Molvaer / DJ Strangefruit type of jazz beat combination music which this song is inspired on.
