Band ´30´40´50´60

BIOGRAPHY

Mauro Fontana was born in Milan on 21st May 1961 and spent his teenage practising sport, first football (ASD Calvairate and S.S.D. Ausonia) and then Athletics (Riccardi Milan). Later he has devoted himself to his real passion, pop music, since 1981, when he records  with M° Danilo Minotti (guitarist of Anna Oxa, Eros Ramazzotti, Claudio Baglioni, and director in the San Remo Festival).

In 1982 he took part of the Castrocaro Festival together with M° Fabio Masini (composer, orchestra director and cultural promoter) and in 1983 he created this band brand, with his friend, guitarist Claudio Bozzatello (Today a popular director of Mediaset, La7, Fox, Discovery Channel).

An year later he knew Bruno Barbareschi and on 15th March 1985 he played with The band in Morciano di Romagna (RN) as a supporter in Zuzzurro and Gaspare’s tournèes together with Stefano Bertolina (sax and clarinet) and Marcello Avento (drums).

Then some changes occured. At first Claudio Perissinotti (drums), Franco Frassinetti (guitars) and Paola Orecchia (choir) and at last Giulio De Marco (drums) and Stefano Elli (guitars).

Later, Ivo Moroni (drums and sequencer) and Stefano Bertolina entered the group and they took part to the National and European Festivals and Prizes, winning “Protagonista cercasi”, “Rock Day” and “Scorribande”.

They recorded their first single, ‘Gina ( by Fontana and Barbareschi), winning song of the prize, put into the first compilation produced by Milano - Ed. Polystar, with a preface by Jo Squillo, and took part to the National song prize of “Touch Down - Prize of Rino Gaetano” and “Chianciano Rock”, with the third position at the prize of Milan, “Il Gioco delle arti”.

The promotional activity moves then to stages in Milan, Grillo Parlante, Zelig , Rolling Stones and of the brilliant Smeraldo Theatre, now Eataly Milano Smeraldo, going on to Radio Italia Solo Musica Italiana and Studio 105, to arrive to tv programmes, Odeon Tv and Rai2, with Rita Pavone, on occasion of the XII and XIII Festival of Ariccia, and of the Festival & Festival of Rimini, with Mia Martini, Pierangelo Bertoli and Ivan Graziani.

In ’92 they record the album “Se cerchi un angelo” (Fontana e Barbareschi) with the entry of Mauro Della Zoppa, and the partecipation of Maurizio Glielmo “Gnola” (famous guitarist and singer of Italian Blues, for years near Fabio Treves and now  of Davide Van De Sfroos) and of Riccardo Rolli (guitarist  and singer of Franco Battiato) who arranges  and does the Mix & Digital Editing of the twelve songs of the Album.

For the presentation of the album the group collaborates with the dancers of Bendy dance Studio of Milan, directed  by Wendy Lynton and Ben Johnson and the participation of the songwriter Marco Bruni (now author for Mina and Celentano of the song “Come un diamante nascosto nella neve”) and of the composer and producer Paolo Diotti (sax).

 In ’93 the band get Stefano Elli again, followed by piano player Daniele Gamba (dead in ’96) whom they dedicated the album “Eroi del Rock and Roll” (M. Fontana) with the collaboration of Gaetano Puzzutiello (now in tournèes with Paolo Belli) and Valerio De Vittorio and Gospel Choir Incontrocanto, directed by Paola Marcotulli.

The activity of Mauro goes on till 2005, in which he records his “album 20” (with his hits) alive with Bruno Barbareschi, Stefano Elli and the drummer Enrico Ferraresi (session man of Ivano Fossati, Alice, G. Grignani, Novecento, Papa Winnie and others).

Then there is a stop for music, when Mauro begins Martial Arts and becomes father for the second time (Andrea 1997 - Alice 2008), he gets married to Barbara and on 12th October 2013 he introduces a new musical project NOTE BLU, composed by several projects, the first of which has the name of the song that on 31st January 1958 changed  the history of pop music : NEL BLU DIPINTO DI BLUES.

Planned to be enjoyed by three generations, the performance shows the years of Italian economical boom, revisiting according to a blues style, Swing and Rock & roll the songs of the main figures of 30s-40s-50s and 60s: from Natalino Otto to Lucio Battisti, passing by Caterina Valente, Fred Buscaglione, Mr. Volare, Lelio Luttazzi, Mina, Adriano Celentano, Enzo Jannacci, Giorgio Gaber, Gianni Morandi, Little Tony, Caterina Caselli, Ranieri and others.

It is the beginning of a new period, in which Mauro becomes an interpreter. Together with Bruno Barbareschi (bass), Silvano De Vittorio (drums), Marco Punzi (guitars), Valerio De Vittorio (keyboards), Mauro Della Zoppa (sound engineer) and Edoardo Totino (keyboards), Ettore Beltramme (guitars) and Lorenzo Trentin (guitars). Finally, special guest, the singer Francesca Garatti.

In 2017, together with other artists, there is the birth of the Musical Cultural Association.