NON SULI E NO' LUNA
Madau Dischi, 1984, K 016
Re Niliu was formed in december 1979 by Ettore Castagna, Sergio Di Giorgio, Francesco Forgione, Gino Parise, Goffredo Plastino and Emilio Rinaldo in Catanzaro, Calabria. They became one of the most famous bands in the Italian revival. They were also probably one of the first revival band south of Rome.
What was called the ''folk movement''started in northern Italy in cities among young people looking for lost roots. This was typical of highly developped areas like Milan, Rome or Bergame. I believe that this revival started much later in poorer southern Italy but widespread among young people especially students.
The name of the band was found by F. Forgione after the legend about King Niliu who suffers from a curse : he can't stay in the sun or he will melt like wax.
This is their first tape/lp. Here is a copy of a tape but the cover and back cover are those of the dics version.
The band is still in activity but has recorded four records only plus one which was never released. The band is of course different now
Calabria is at the tip of the Italian boot and has a rich and somewhat eventful history; the Greek cities and colonies were quite developped before Rome conquered them; then Normands, Muslims, Albanians settled there at different periods. Griko is a dialect which is still in use among the Greek communities which are the offspring of Greek refugees after the Ottoman conquest in Greece.
One trace of this Greek presence is the lira calabrese related to the ''lira bizantina'' a stringed instrument played with a bow and held between the legs or on top of the knee. The lira was almost extinct when the revival discovered it and saved it.
Re Niliu uses the lira a lot along with the zampogna, the double-flute, guitar etc...
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