Biography

Statuto were born in 1983. They take their name from the public square where Turin Mods, then as now, meet. The band quickly became a mod musical expression to a national level. After several concerts at Mod Runs all over Italy, the publication of two demotapes (TORINO BEAT in 1984 and IN CITTA' 1985), independent label DTK releases their first two singles: IO DIO (1986) and GHETTO (1987). Through these records the group acquired greater popolarity in the Italian underground scene and they toured all around Italy.

They were the first group in Italy to play ska and with Italian lyrics, the first two albums are released on Toast Rec: VACANZE in 1988 and in 1990 LP SENZA DI LEI, where the Hammond player JAMES TAYLOR of the JamesTaylorQuartet is a special guest.

In 1991, Statuto signs with major label EMI with which they release the single QUI NON C’E’ IL MARE, and in the 1992 through the participation of the Festival of S.Remo they reach the peak of the national success with the hit ABBIAMO VINTO IL FESTIVAL DI SANREMO; this ska song immediately reached the top five singles chart, where it remained for more than two months.

In March of the same year the album ZIGHIDA’ was released selling approximately 40.000 copies, thanks also to summer hit PIERA played in the Festivalbar national Tv programme. In june 1993 the single SALUTI DAL MARE was released, another summer hit followed by the album E' TORNATO GARIBALDI.

Live work schedule was very tight (about 100 gigs per year) and only in 1996 a new album was published via Audiar/Sony, called CANZONISSIME, where all the songs have the same titles of famous classical Italian songs, but with different lyrics and music.

1997 brought the collaboration with Epic/Sony. On this label they release the album TEMPI MODERNI produced by Carlo U.Rossi; in the same year they are invited by the Cuban authorities to play in occasion of a friendship meeting between the Italian and Cuban people to the Habana de Cuba, where they held a concert in plaza de the Revoluciòn in front of 200.000 persons, a concert which was live transmitted on national TV.

In 1998 the single UN POSTO AL SOLE was released, supported by a video in which the band plays against the Torino Football Club Team.

In 1999 the album RI-SKATTO produced by Carl U.Rossi was released, based on Italian cover versions of English ska bands hits by the likes of Madness, Specials and BadManners. In the same album the song GRANDE is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Great Torino football team involved in the tragedy of Superga, with lyrics written by Giampaolo Ormezzano, a very estimate writer and journalist in Italy.

In 2001 the book IL MIGLIORE DEI MONDI POSSIBILI was released, written by band singer Oskar Giammarinaro, where metropolitan histories and real events about Turin and Italian Mods, and Statuto themself, from 1980 to today are narrated. The interest for the book pushes the group to work on a concept album, with 13 songs based on the book. The album has the same title of Oskar’s book and contains the summer hit SOLE MARE, where the famous Italian duo RIGHEIRA (of "Vamos to the playa" fame ) are featured.

STATUTO celebrates a twenty year career in 2003, with their distinguished coherence, credibility, aggressiveness, style, and about 100 concerts per year with the release of the anthology I CAMPIONI SIAMO NOI, containg the title song where the dramatical occupational situation of Turin Fiat workers are expressed.

With their 2005 tour The Statuto present their new album titled SEMPRE, containing 14 ska-soul-beat tracks perfectly in touch with the historical trademark-sound of the band. With up-to-date sounds and well- finished orchestral arrangements made by their producer Carlo U. Rossi, the tracks guarantee a strong emotional involvement during live performances. The lyrics cover current social issues, at times in a very direct way whilst at other time with irony but always with spontaneity. The sentimental issues are not missing from this album as metropolitan tales and emotional “parenthesis”. Not to miss is IN FABBRICA,a song specifically composed by the legendary band GANG, with a pop-ska sound perfectly in line with both Gang and Statuto’s styles. The song is also sang by the Gang themselves along with the Turin band Statuto, a powerful protest song with strong but never rhetorical lyric.

June 2007 sees the release of the book "Il Migliore dei Mondi Possibili" new edition, with additional chapters and images together with the story of how Oskar (Statuto lead singer) lost and eventually recovered his voice.

In October 2007 is released "Come un Pugno Chiuso" The new album with 15 songs from Northern Soul the repertoire all entirely rearranged according to the "Statuto" style and with lyrics translated into Italian. The following tour was a big success and Statuto, always attent to social issues and following the Thyssen Krupp of Turin’s tragedy, decide to give their support to the victims’ families by giving for free the single In Fabbrica in exchange for an offer.

IN 2008, the band celebrates 25 years in music, they sign a new contract with SONY BMG that leads to the release of a double digital anthology, also published in vinyls, titled “Elegantemente Rudi”. They also released a video for the song “Se Tu Se Lei” which obtained numerous plays on national tv allowing them to participate to a large number of TV Shows. In Autumn 2008 they appeared on the historic show "Lo Zecchino d’Oro" aired by RAI on National Italian Television.

In May 2009 the Statuto published their personalized cover of the summer song “Vamos al la Playa” by Righeira which immediately gains a good deal of airplays on national radios. During Spring 2010 Sony releases their new album "E’ già domenica". Produced by Marco Calliari ( already sound engineer for Subsonica, Giuliano Plama, Baustelle), the album contains 14 tracks ( 12 original and 2 covers ) that spread through different music genres (soul, ska, Italian pop, r&b) and which credits important collaborations with artists such as Enrico Ruggeri, Ron, Paolo Belli and Rudy Zebri. In February 2011, after 7 years without playing in their hometown, The Statuto make their return to Turin at the HMA a were they are presented by Paolo Pulici, their football idol. The concert saw the participation of Nikki from Radio Deejay (one of the most popular Italian National radios), Ron, Righeira and Gang. The whole concert was recorded and published with the new album “11:Statuto & Friends In Concerto” released by Sony on June the 14th 2011 and containing 24 original live performances plus the original song “Troppo Lontana” in both its live and studio versions.

On April the 30th 2013 to celebrate their 30 years of music career, was released the new album "Un giorno di festa" by Sony Music under the belt of Ron’s label (Le Foglie e il Vento) containing 11 original songs and 1 cover. The album had been produced by Marco Cipo Calliari and had guests such as Ezio Bosso and the singer Alessandra Contini ( Il Genio).

Statuto embobies a very unique reality in the Italian music scene, because despite maintaining their “mod” style over the years they always managed to keep a fresh outlook in their lyrics often ironic and sarcastic yet aggressive and modest at the same time. With a music that became a trend and that is not stuck with the ska genre but that moves from soul and beat. Humbles like few they never acted as “Stars”of any sort. They stayed close to Statuto Square, were everything started, the cultural and ideological staring point of their career. They manage to arrive were many other bands would like to be. On the stage at the prestigious Ariston of Sanremo, at the big concert for the workers of Lancia/Fiat in Chaivasso, Festivalbar, Leonkavallo, from Cantagiro to Plaza De La Revolucion all’Habana de Cuba invited by the local authorities. All of this with their unpretentious attitude that distinguish them since their debut.