Just Today (me gulty) I discovered for chance Poalo Tofani new music here:

http://www.myspace.com/tofanipaolo



This great artist now play a sort of indian music with (home?)-made strange guitar-like instruments... that could remind what I listen plyed by Pandit Debasish Bhattacharya (www.debashishbhattacharya.com ).

http://www.krsnavision.com/Personal/Personal-TKV.html

BTW, there is someone here know him ?

In '70s He have been part of the myth Italian progressive rock named AREA ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_In..._Popular_Group ); an incredible group, probably the most important "rock era" times band in Italy immo. Area have been important because lirics (with strong political "revolutionary" message) and because music experimentations contents mainly (immo) because the powerful lead (singer) late lamented Demetrio Stratos ( http://www.demetriostratos.it ). BTW, I loved so much Demetrio: he was at the same time revolutionary and a meditative person: Last year I watched on Italian TV a documentary about him: really moving: he have been so unique! and sweet, so sincere in his research (not only exploring possibilities of human voice)... the awful irony of sort was the cancer on his throat ... that gave hime death (If I well remember).

Anyway, After Demetrio death, Area continued to live with a jazz-oriented drift but just the guitarist, Paolo Tofani absolutely disappeared fro many year from "show" scenes ...

I read few years ago i somewhere that he became a Hare Krsna (the Induist spiritual practice) convinced devote (personally I prefer Jiddu Krishnamurti view ... I'm joking).

So, apparently the musical story of Paolo Tofani ended with Area experience. I was wrong. I now become aware he continued his musical path ( http://www.krsnavision.com/Personal/Personal-PT.html ).
Simply he disappeared from pop-rock show business...!

A part mentioned Bhattacharya, I feel Paolo Tofani, along john McLaughlin with his Shakti ( http://www.johnmclaughlin.com ), Laraaji ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laraaji ), late lamented harpist Alice Coltrane ( http://www.myspace.com/alicemcleod ), belong to that set of western muscian that realize mystical fusion with the Oriental feeelings in a pure personal journey.

Very glad to find you Paolo!

giorgio

As a huge fan of Area, I'm very glad that you posted this.

yes almost twenty years ago I watched twice Area live concert in my city ... the group was composed by great Capiozzo on drums, Tavolazzi on Bass, loved and hated Fariselli on piano,

the music there was that of "jazz-drift" period, without the geniality of Stratos (died many years before) and without just Tofani ...

giorgio

You're lucky to have seem them at all, but I would have definitely loved to see them with Demetrio, unfortunately he died before I was born.

He is my favorite progressive vocalist.

Demetrios died in the Summer 1979
In his memory was organized one of biggest concert-happening I never saw in Italy ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demetrio_Stratos ); I was a teen-ager at that times and I was absolutely anaware of AREA!
I discovered their music some year after...

Demetrio Stratos specifically, have been a real genious, as usual not really understood in rock music realms, neither in academic drawing rooms ...
not undesrtood indeep at that times ...
completely forgotten now ...

Nowadays in Italy, a country in decadence (as all in Europe and USA) his "teaching" (as human being) is obfuscated by a sort of tempt to mix-up the old times of "rebellion" ... The analysis is indeed not simple because what AREA lirics stated ... could be confused with some different terroristic derivations ... a complex story...

giorgio

Not so. You and I are talking about him right now and there are still many fans of his work throughout the world.