L'UOMO DELLE GENTI

Hora Prima are a young band from Bari that came to life in 2015, inspired by vintage sounds and artists such as Genesis, PFM, New Trolls, EL&P, Area, Yes, King Crimson or Rush. After a long, hard work, in 2020 they digitally self-released an excellent debut album entitled "L'uomo delle genti" (The man of people) with a line up featuring Francesco Bux (drums, vocals), Domenico De Zio (guitar), Roberto Gomes (keyboards, vocals), Gianluca De Bene (guitar) and Valeria Tritto (bass). During the recording sessions they were helped by the guests Rossella Bifulco (flute, backing vocals) and Gabriella Altomare (violin) while Giovanni Boccuzzi, historic member of bands such as Festa Mobile and Baricentro, contributed to the lyrics for this conceptual work inspired by the life and deeds of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of Bari. In 2021 the CD edition was released on the independent label Ma.Ra.Cash Records with a colourful booklet including the illustrations by Francesco Bux...

The short instrumental opener "1087" sets the atmosphere with its solemn and dramatic pace taking you back in time. In 1087 Italian sailors stole the remains of Saint Nicholas from Myra, a city fallen into the hands of the Saracens, and took them to Bari... The following "Il folle miraggio" (The crazy mirage) begins by the sound of the waves and a delicate acoustic guitar arpeggio... The music and words conjure up the image of a ship sailing across the Mediterranean sea, in the middle of the night, and evokes the prayers of the sailors, their hopes and the vibrant notes of their songs. Eventually the sun rises... The description of the rest of the story is up to the music and to your imagination! Anyway, the bold expedition was successful and increased the saint's popularity...

Nicholas was known for his generosity and kindness. He was reputed to have given marriage dowries to three girls whom poverty would otherwise have forced them to become prostitutes... "Le mie figlie" (My daughters) depicts this good deed of the saint through the eyes of the girls' father. The piece starts softly, with a melancholic mood. We can hear the father complaining about his sad fate and about the dreams of his little daughters that are going to turn into a life shame and pain because of poverty, then the rhythm rises and the middle section conjure up the image of Saint Nicholas coming out of the blue, riding his horse in a night of prayer under the moonlight. The saint gives to the unfortunate father three bags of gold and then melts back into the darkness... On the last part the rhythm calms down but the atmosphere is more relaxed. The dreams of the little girls and the hopes of their father can bloom again...

"La locanda nella notte" (The inn in the night) tells about another miracle of Saint Nicholas. The saint is reputed to have brought back to life three children who had been chopped up by an evil innkeeper who wanted to serve them as hot food for his customers... The piece starts by a dark, almost Gothic atmosphere as the music and lyrics conjure up the image of a gloomy inn in a rainy night. The saint enters and sees the vicious smile of the innkeeper, then theatrical vocals describe the attitude of the evil man. A woman enters carrying a plate and in the room a vivid feeling of horror falls down. When the saint makes the sign of the cross in a vortex of new sap three hearts begin to beat again. The three unfortunate children come back to life with the purest smile on their faces...

"La nostra festa" (Our celebration) starts by a lively pace and a cheerful atmosphere, then the rhythm slackens as the music and words describe the spirit of a heartfelt celebration with its rites and miracles. In fact, a great religious folk festival is held every year in Bari to commemorate the arrival of Saint Nicholas' relics on May 9, 1087. Many thousands of people from all over the world come every year for the festivities which begin on the morning of May 7th. There's a procession on the sea and a parade in 11th century costume... Nowadays as in the past faithful tears fall on the flowers of may when the statue of the saint passes by carried on the shoulders of the faithfuls. The last track, "U Sand nèste" (Our Saint), is sung in the dialect of Bari and takes over the festive atmosphere of the previous piece. It's a kind of hymn dedicated to the saint and closes the album with a touch of colour and a strong Mediterranean flavour.

On the whole, an excellent debut work in the best tradition of Italian progressive rock.

Debut recording from a Young Italian band from Bari that keeps the RPI flame burning ever so brightly, maintaining not only the sonic tradition of immense melodic envelope, as well as vibrant instrumental prowess that is unafraid to delve into the past glories and of course, a theatrical voice that tell stories like few other nationalities can, deeply engrained in the soul (or in this case, the sole) of the boot. The source of inspiration is the life of St-Nicholas, who happens to be the patron saint of Bari, as depicted in the cinematographic intro "1087", recalling the year when local sailors astutely hid the relics from their favored saint in Bari, just before the arrival of pillaging conquerors.

"Il Folle Miraggio" has the classic RPI introduction, acoustic guitar and magical flute interspersed with splashings waves to really set the tone, as the rhythm section enters ceremoniously and the lead vocalist begins his tale, insanely melodic and attractive, as the orchestrations fill out the background. The energy picks up when the organ, synthesizer and edgy guitars leap in on the action, a smooth as silk transition that seems effortless. The dual guitar set up weaves a complex web that also features a rapturous organ flurry and a final massive splash that threatens the crazy mirage illusion.

Definitely a spirited track, "Le Mie Figlie" (my two daughters) rekindling Saint Nicholas' reputation for helping the poor as well as rescuing girls from the evils of prostitution. The music is both sensibly tumultuous and heroic in its presentation, a heady combination of chaos and resolution. The singing is spotless and highly melancholic with massive moments of sighing "ahs" that culminate with a fiery electric guitar splurge that supress the need to worry further. A delicate piano section suggests a situation that has been resolved successfully.

The lengthiest piece is the nearly 9 minute "La Locanda Nella Notte" (The Night Inn), the spectral atmosphere suitably ghostly, with frightening organ swaths and grumbled vocals that come straight from the theater. When the soft voice enters to soothe the anxiety, the expressive words in between the melancholy violin accentuate the imminent salvation, another good deed from Saint Nick to the rescue of the unfortunate! A luminescent axe solo lights the petrol lamps that fight off the evil darkness.

As befits a typical celebration with Italians, it is always a banquet (Re: PFM's classic "E Festa" and "Il Banchetto") as "La Nostra Festa" ideally puts into music the carefree and jovial attitude made famous by the people, who constantly strive to enjoy the traditions of food, family, friends, and laughter, in copious amounts! All the delicacies are plated here, from the romantic flute musings, luscious keyboard entrees, chomping bass and kitchen sink drums to the hyper theatrical vocals that range from the bittersweet to the ragingly expressive. All the guests get their moment in the sun, displaying a "joie de vivre" that needs a Barese translation. A volcanic guitar eruption seals the deal, as the explosion simply rocks, melting the gelato in a jiffy! Absolutely fun track!

The highlight the strong Italian folk influence that makes RPI so intrinsically unique, "U Sand Nestè" has the intonations of the local dialect (Barese) spoken in Apuglia, that has all kinds of various influences from Old French, Spanish, Greek, Provencal, Oscan, and Messapian. Fascinating both melodically, lexically, and phonetically, a lovely little tribute to their proud city and region.

Definitely a band deserving of an even brighter future, as all the ingredients are first rate. Looking very much forward to a Hora Seconda!

4.5 Santa Clauses