Political Song of Italy | |
Lyrics | Carlo Tuzzi, 1889 |
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Audio sample | |
Bandiera Rossa performed by Corale Verdi Milano between 1900 and 1959 |
Part of a series on |
Communism in Italy |
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Communismportal |
Bandiera Rossa (Italian, 'Red Flag'), often also called Avanti Popolo after its opening words (also to avoid any confusion with Le tre bandiere, another socialist song), is one of the most famous songs of the Italian labour movement. It glorifies the red flag, symbol of the socialist and communist movements. The text was written by Carlo Tuzzi in 1908; the melody is taken from two Lombard folk songs.
Apart from the first Italian text, there are several variants which are identified with certain socialist or communist parties. The last two lines "Evviva il comunismo e la libertà" were put in the text after the rise of Benito Mussolini; at the same time the original beginning "Compagni avanti alla riscossa" was changed to "Avanti o popolo, alla riscossa". Also, the word "comunismo" at the end of the chorus is often replaced with "socialismo", especially in more recent renderings of the song.
Bandiera Rossa was notably quoted in Frederic Rzewski's piano works The People United Will Never Be Defeated! and No Place to Go but Around .
Notable covers of the song were made by the Slovenian punk-rock band Pankrti in 1984 on the Rdeči album (Red album), [1] [2] as well as the Croatian punk-rock band KUD Idijoti in 1990, on their album Mi smo ovdje samo zbog para (We are only here for the money). Scottish band, Tarneybackle released a version of the song as part of a medley of Spanish Civil War music. [3] The song also appears on UK punk band Angelic Upstarts' 2002 album Sons of Sparticus.
The title of the 1986 Israeli film Avanti Popolo is taken from the song. The film's protagonists – Israeli and Egyptian soldiers, particularly unheroic in their attitudes and actions, wander the Sinai Desert in the aftermath of the 1967 War. In one notable scene, the soldiers facetiously sing the song.
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This version was translated for marxists.org by Clara Statello and Mitchell Abidor. [4]
One of the most widely known Italian songs, Bandiera Rossa has been rendered in several languages including: English, [5] Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian, German, [6] French, [7] Swedish, [8] Norwegian, Danish, [9] Turkish, [10] Kurdish, [10] Finnish, [11] Icelandic, Maltese, [12] Russian, [11] Esperanto, [13] Japanese, [14] Arabic, [15] Hindi, [16] Punjabi, [16] Vietnamese [17] and Filipino. [18]
The flag of Vatican City, also referred to as the flag of the Holy See, was adopted in 1929, the year Pope Pius XI signed the Lateran Treaty with Italy, creating the new independent state of Vatican City. The Holy See, which governs Vatican City, has ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the worldwide Catholic Church. As a result, the flag is also a symbol of Catholic faith or identity, and is often displayed at Catholic churches.
"Bella ciao" is an Italian song dedicated to the partisans of the Italian resistance, which fought against the occupying troops of Nazi Germany and the collaborationist Fascist forces during the liberation of Italy. It was based on a folk song of the late 19th century, sung by female workers of the paddy fields in Northern Italy (mondine) in protest against harsh working conditions. Versions of "Bella ciao" continue to be sung worldwide as a hymn of resistance.
"54-46 " is a song by Fred "Toots" Hibbert, recorded by Toots and the Maytals, originally released on the Beverley's label in Jamaica and the Pyramid label in the UK. A follow-up version released a year later, "54-46 Was My Number", was one of the first reggae songs to receive widespread popularity outside Jamaica, and is seen as being one of the defining songs of the genre. It has been anthologised repeatedly and the titles of several reggae anthologies include "54-46" in their title.
Propagandhi is a Canadian punk rock band formed in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba in 1986 by guitarist Chris Hannah and drummer Jord Samolesky. The band is currently located in Winnipeg, Manitoba and completed by bassist Todd Kowalski and guitarist Sulynn Hago.
Atheist Rap is a Serbian punk rock band from Novi Sad, formed in 1989, which has released six studio albums, one compilation album and one live DVD. Their music is often characterized as "fun punk" due to its cheerful music and vocals. Their lyrics are usually critical of society and politics and are often humorous accounts of everyday events.
Pankrti are a punk rock band from Ljubljana, Slovenia, active in the late 1970s and 1980s. They were known for provocative and political songs. They billed themselves as The First Punk Band Behind The Iron Curtain. They are one of the most important former Yugoslav punk groups and one of the first punk rock bands ever formed in a communist country.
KUD Idijoti was a punk rock band from Pula, Croatia. The name of the band translates to Cultural Artistic Society "Idiots" The word Idijoti is deliberately spelled wrong, the correct Croatian form of the word being idioti. The prefix 'KUD' is a common designation for amateur folklore dance and music groups in the ex-Yugoslav countries.
Šarlo Akrobata were a seminal Serbian new wave/post-punk band from Belgrade. Short-lived but extremely influential, in addition to being one of the most important acts of the Yugoslav new wave scene, the three piece left an indelible mark on the entire music scene of former Yugoslavia.
"Fischia il vento" is an Italian popular song whose text was written in late 1943, at the inception of the Resistance. The tune is based on the Russian song Katyusha. Along with Bella ciao it is one of the most famous songs celebrating the Italian resistance, the anti-fascist movement that fought the forces that occupied Italy during World War II.
Punk rock in Yugoslavia was the punk subculture of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The most developed scenes across the federation existed in the Socialist Republic of Slovenia, the Adriatic coast of the Socialist Republic of Croatia, the Socialist Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and Belgrade, the capital of both Yugoslavia and the Socialist Republic of Serbia. Some notable acts included: Pankrti, Paraf, Pekinška patka, KUD Idijoti, Niet, Patareni and KBO!.
The Italian Marxist–Leninist Party is a political party in Italy. Founded in Florence on 9 April 1977 as an anti-revisionist Communist party, the leading core of the PMLI began their political activity as they joined the Communist Party of Italy (Marxist–Leninist) in 1967. The group broke away from the PCd'I (ml) in 1969 and formed the Marxist–Leninist Italian Bolshevik Communist Organization. In 1977, the OCBIml was transformed into the PMLI. The party's general secretary is Giovanni Scuderi. Its official newspaper is called Il Bolscevico. During its history, the PMLI did not take part to any national, European, or local election.
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"The Red Flag" is a socialist song, emphasising the sacrifices and solidarity of the international labour movement. It is the anthem of the British Labour Party, the Northern Irish Social Democratic and Labour Party and the Irish Labour Party. It was formerly used by the New Zealand Labour Party until the late 1940s. The song is traditionally sung at the close of each party's national conference.
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