La Banda Rossa in parade. Photo credit: Donna DeRossa Close-up of La Banda Rossa members in parade. Photo credit: Donna DeRossa RETURN to ARTIST DIRECTORY

NAME: La Banda Rossa CULTURE: Italian GENRE: Feast/Processional Music REGION: Central Leatherstocking COUNTY: Oneida BIO:: La Banda Rossa is an Italian musical organization which performs at many concerts, church festivals, and parades. They have continued Italian musical traditions and customs for over 100 years. When Italian immigrants came to America, they brought with them a love a music and a devotion to their patron saints. A small group of musicians in Utica, New York, started gathering at the Sons of Italy Hall, just to play and enjoy the music they had brought with them from the old country. Concurrently, various societies, or congregas, were formed to honor the Saints with processions and feasts. In 1905, these Societies approached this group of musicians to ask them to provide the musical prayers for the Processions and perform in concert at the feasts. Legend has it that as these musicians were deciding on a name, one member just happened to have a pair of trousers with a red stripe down the side and a band hat with red bunting around it. This inspired the musicians, and with that “La Banda Rossa” was born. In the early years, the Band’s repertoire consisted of many great classics including overtures, Italian opera selections, marche sinfonicas, and La Banda Rossa’s signature “Marcia Reale” (The Royal Italian March). The band’s reputation grew by leaps and bounds as did the membership. In the 1920s, a group of non-musicians wanting to support and promote La Banda Rossa was formed and came to be known as the Red Band Club and continued until 1999. In the 1940s, the band was sponsored by the Fort Schuyler Post and performed under that name. In the 1960s, after deciding by mutual agreement to go their separate ways, the band once again became known as La Band Rossa. As many of the Italian feasts were no longer being celebrated, the role of La Banda Rossa had to change and look to additional avenues in which to perform. It became a traveling band performing at parades and concerts in the surrounding areas including Albany, Amsterdam, and Lake George, as well as the Mohawk Valley. Today, the Band has expanded its repertoire to include Broadway show tunes, music by American composers, light operettas, music of the eras, and American marches, but all the Italian favorites remain at the core of La Banda Rossa’s repertoire. They continue to play at Feasts and processions regionally and internationally. DISCOGRAPHY: VIVA (2005) LISTEN to “Marcia Reale” and to “Taratella” WEBSITE: www.redbandutica.com CONTACT: Arlene Iagnocco, 315-736-8009, or email redbandutica@aol.com

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