Live @ Nyc’s Le Poisson Rouge on Oct. 12th and @ L.a.’s El Rey Theatre on Oct. 16th
Roy Paci was born in Augusta (Sicily, Italy) in 1969.
Trumpet player, singer, songwriter, composer and music arranger, Roy Paci starts playing the piano as a little child then turns to trumpet at the age of 10, when he joins his town’s local marching band.
At 13 he’s the band’s first trumpet player and joins some Sicilian traditional jazz bands, performing in the most famous Italian jazz clubs. Starting from 1990 he travels to South America, Canary Islands and Senegal, developing his musical influences even more.
Back to Italy, he begins a long journey through music which leads him to infinite collaborations, different projects and, again, non-stop international tours.
Roy Paci is presently involved in music, cinema, TV and supports humanitarian projects such as the Amnesty International campaign against violence on women, Emergency’s hospitals for war victims and AMREF water supply for the region of Kajiado in Kenya.
HIS MUSIC
Following his early collaborations with many Sicilian jazz bands, Roy Paci’s first project is a 7-piece outfit called As Sikilli with whom he appears at national and international Festivals. In 1990 he moves to South America and plays with the national Argentina Big Band, many cumbia bands and with Musica Popolar Do Brasil together with Selma Reis. In Montevideo he forms a trio called T-Rio Blanco with Jorge Accarez and Angel Vare. In Senegal he plays with the makossa band Papa Matelot Sabow. Back to Italy, he enters the alternative pop scene playing with the popular Italian ska band Persiana Jones. In 1994 his first experimental project Rosariosa Acme Project is the only Italian band performing at the Cracove’s Jazz Junior Festival and finally ranking 4th.
In the same year, Roy founds Qbeta with other Sicilian musicians and meets one of the most important Italian bands of the time, Mau Mau. Their friendship will result in 4 albums together and their participation to the most important European ethnic festivals: BAM (Spain), Paleo (Switzerland), Midem (France), Peter Gabriel’s Womad (Canary Islands).
Roy Paci’s strong interest towards the art of improvisation leads him to the creation of a duo with the double-bass player Fred Casadei. Hajjaj, this is the name of the band, improvises soundtracks of old films and B-movies. A new 4-piece outfit comes to life in the same period, Taranta, a mixture of new jazz-balcanic-kletzmer music.
Roy Paci also works for other artists as trumpet player and music arranger. His enormous talent is showed on the most diverse productions: from reggae (Africa unite) to ska (Fratelli di Soledad) to ethnic (Lou Dalfin) to rock-folk (Parto delle Nuvole Pesanti). He even takes part in a dance project called Radio Trance (Mau Mau).
Together with a member of Mau Mau, Roy Paci gets into one of his most particular projects: Banda Ionica, a fabulous banda reproposing the most notable funeral marches of South Italy. Their second album “Matri Mia”, featuring at the voices some of the best European artists (Vinicio Capossela, Cristina Zavalloni, Arthur H., Dani “Macaco” Carbonell) ranks among the European top 10 world music records.
In 1998 Roy Paci with three guys from Rome forms his first jazz-core band: ZU. The four-piece outfit releases two albums and tours throughout Europe.
In 1999 Roy meets Manu Chao, with whom he records the fortunate “Proxima Estacion… Esperanza” and plays live worldwide, including the Radio Bemba Tour. He also works with Macaco, captained by Dani “El Mono Loco” Carbonell, recording “Rumbo Submarino”.
The following year, he gathers his most famous band: Roy Paci & Aretuska. Roy surrounds himself with young Sicilian musicians. Their first release “Baciamo Le Mani” (joke on typical mafia expression meaning “kissing your hands”) comes out in 2001 and it’s a mighty fusion of rock’ n’steady, ska, soul, funk and Mediterranean melodies enriched with the participations of several artists such as Bunna (Africa Unite), Meg (99 Posse) and Dani from Macaco.
Roy then founds his own record label Etnagigante (huge Etna) and the second album “Tuttapposto” (another joke meaning “All fine”) comes out on Etnagigante/V2. Calypso, rock steady, swing and Caribbean sounds, brand new songs and rearrangements of Sicilian traditional repertoire. Among the collaborations, here is the great Tony Scott. The new album brings Roy Paci & Aretuska touring through the most important European events.
Roy Paci never stops: before winning the prestigious “Carosone” prize in 2003, he has time to cooperate with other bands such as the dutch The Ex Orkestra and the trio Trionacria.
Then again a new adventure with Corleone, a band whose aim is re-discovering the Sicilian tradition renewing its sound. Collaborations include another eclectic character called Mike Patton.
The end of 2004 sees Roy Paci & Aretuska’s third album “Parola d’Onore” (word of honour). Its sound can be summed up in one word, the title of one of the tracks: “superreggaestereomambo!” The album is received with enthusiasm by both the critics and the public, who crowds the numerous gigs throughout clubs, squares and festivals. Roy Paci & Aretuska first appearance in the UK is at Womad Reading Festival.
In summer 2006, two brand-new projects are born: Il Terrone, l’Ebreo, Lo Zingaro and Ananga Ranga. “Il Terrone” (disparaging way of indicating a person coming from the southern part of Italy) is obviously Roy Paci, “l’Ebreo” (the Jewish) is Frank London, eclectic klezmer musician, and “lo Zingaro” (the gipsy) is Boban Markovic with his Orkestar. On this project the Sicilian tradition meets jewish melodies and typical Serbian dances. Ananga Ranga, inspired by the book predecessor of Kama Sutra, is based more on improvisations and visual sand animations.
Meanwhile, Roy Paci & Aretuska tour Italy, Spain (Sevilla Festival), Hungary (Sziget Festival), Belgium (Fiesta Mundial).
Their fourth, fundamental album comes out in 2007: “SUONOGLOBAL”, a pun on “global sound” and “no global”. A whole different approach compared to the “Sicilian trilogy”, the new work is a magic box of sounds, languages, different worlds and musical genres. Very many important artists give their friendship and inspired contribution: Negrita, Caparezza, Bandabardò, Cor Veleno, Raiz, Caparezza e Sud Sound System. And… Manu Chao.
The single “Toda Joia Toda Beleza” becomes the hit of Italian summer 2007, and for Roy and band the doors of great national popularity finally open.
THE BEST OF
BESTiario Siciliano is the collection of all the singles and most important tracks in Roy Paci’s career.
From the beginning to the sensational success of “Toda Joia Toda Beleza”, plus three previously unreleased tracks: “Defendemos la alegria”, “Cambierò” (written by Roy Paci together with Pacifico) and “Slum Shock”.
The product is also enriched by a DVD, which contains all videoclips, a live concert and an interesting and unreleased backstage.
Some of Roy Paci’s collaborations during his quarter-century career include the Italian artists Vinicio Capossela, Piero Pelù, Samuele Bersani, Luca Barbarossa, Teresa De Sio, Giorgio Conte, Nicola Arigliano, Cesare Basile, 99 Posse, Bluebeaters, Mau Mau, Subsonica, plus International acts such as Manu Chao, Eric Mingus, Carlo Actis Dato, Sean Bergin, Ned Rothemberg, John Edwards, Amy Denio, Han Bennink, Walter Weibous, Flying Luttembachers, New York Ska Jazz Ensemble, Zap Mama, Trilok Gurtu, Tony Levin, Macaco, Mike Patton, The Ex, Shellac…
Roy Paci deems he has taken part in more then 400 discographic projects of all genres so far.
THE NEW RELEASE
Three years after his last record, the new album of unpublished tracks by Roy Paci & Aretuska “LATINISTA” (Etnagigante/Universal) is released on May 4th 2010.
Preceded by the single ”Bonjour Bahia”, “LATINISTA” is a new chapter of Roy Paci & Aretuska’s project: after 10 years of intense live activity it confirms the singer and trumpet player’s artistic fulfillment, widening his musical and creative dimension.
“LATINISTA” is, as expressed in his own words “a brilliant and vibrant way of giving birth to every single song in the very place where the creative act has been triggered.” The album embodies “musical flows in the pure form of a synesthesia. The absolute preclearness of all my musical writing. The final and liberating hapax of my music on 360 degrees.”
“LATINISTA” was preproduced in Brazil, in Morro de Sao Paulo, and recorded in Lecce, at Roy Paci’s studios.
The songs for “LATINISTA“ have been written by Roy Paci, with the cooperation of various artists among which Lorenzo “Jovanotti” (Bonjour Bahia) and Caparezza (NoStress). Eugene Hütz from Gogol Bordello features as guest vocal in the track “Il Segreto”. The album also contains two latin versions, “Esa Cosa” (of “Bonjour Bahia”) and Nos TRes (of “NoStress”), written by Roy Paci.
THEATRE
Roy Pacihas also worked for the alternative theatre scene by setting up the “Poesia e Andalusia” (Poetry and Andalusia) performance, which has been on stage on the most important avant-garde theatres.
Theatre and experimental music also mix up in the “Scambi Pressoché Telepatici” (Almost Telepathic Exchanges) project, written by the Italian songwriter Ivano Fossati and later released as audiobook.
TV
On top of his numerous one-off presences at several TV formats, Roy Paci has been fix guest of an Italian TV late-night show called “Markette” but it is mainly through his constant presence with his band Aretuska at the program “Zelig” (most important Italian prime-time comic show) that his face and his music have become familiar to the big public. Roy Paci has been musical director at “Zelig” for three years, also composing the theme song and arranging duets with all the guests of the show.
CINEMA
Roy Paci loves composing and lending his music for the film industry – such as his stunning cover of the song “Besame Mucho” for the movie “Il Paradiso All’Improvviso” (Pieraccioni) and the magic atmosphere of Banda Ionica funeral songs for Patrice Leconte “Girl on The Bridge”, with Vanessa Paradis.
In 2005, thanks to the music composed for the film “La Febbre” (D’Alatri), Roy is awarded with the prestigious “Nastro D’Argento” prize and he’s nominated to best musician for the “Donatello’s David”.
In the same year Roy Paci flies to New York to shoot a cameo for the film about the legendary Tony Vilar. The film takes part in the Rome’s International Cinema Festival.
In 2008 another acknowledgment for his work: the movie “Se chiudi gli occhi” by Sicilian director Lisa Romano, whose original soundtrack was composed by Roy Paci, wins the Grand Prix Cinèma Italien at the Annecy Festival in France.
Roy has just completed the full soundtrack for the feature film “Ristabbanna” (Cardillo – De Plano), to be presented at the next International Film Festival of Venezia.
Roy Paci & Aretuska
Live @ Nyc’s Le Poisson Rouge on Oct. 12th and @ L.a.’s El Rey Theatre on Oct. 16th
Roy Paci was born in Augusta (Sicily, Italy) in 1969.
Trumpet player, singer, songwriter, composer and music arranger, Roy Paci starts playing the piano as a little child then turns to trumpet at the age of 10, when he joins his town’s local marching band.
At 13 he’s the band’s first trumpet player and joins some Sicilian traditional jazz bands, performing in the most famous Italian jazz clubs. Starting from 1990 he travels to South America, Canary Islands and Senegal, developing his musical influences even more.
Back to Italy, he begins a long journey through music which leads him to infinite collaborations, different projects and, again, non-stop international tours.
Roy Paci is presently involved in music, cinema, TV and supports humanitarian projects such as the Amnesty International campaign against violence on women, Emergency’s hospitals for war victims and AMREF water supply for the region of Kajiado in Kenya.
HIS MUSIC
Following his early collaborations with many Sicilian jazz bands, Roy Paci’s first project is a 7-piece outfit called As Sikilli with whom he appears at national and international Festivals. In 1990 he moves to South America and plays with the national Argentina Big Band, many cumbia bands and with Musica Popolar Do Brasil together with Selma Reis. In Montevideo he forms a trio called T-Rio Blanco with Jorge Accarez and Angel Vare. In Senegal he plays with the makossa band Papa Matelot Sabow. Back to Italy, he enters the alternative pop scene playing with the popular Italian ska band Persiana Jones. In 1994 his first experimental project Rosariosa Acme Project is the only Italian band performing at the Cracove’s Jazz Junior Festival and finally ranking 4th.
In the same year, Roy founds Qbeta with other Sicilian musicians and meets one of the most important Italian bands of the time, Mau Mau. Their friendship will result in 4 albums together and their participation to the most important European ethnic festivals: BAM (Spain), Paleo (Switzerland), Midem (France), Peter Gabriel’s Womad (Canary Islands).
Roy Paci’s strong interest towards the art of improvisation leads him to the creation of a duo with the double-bass player Fred Casadei. Hajjaj, this is the name of the band, improvises soundtracks of old films and B-movies. A new 4-piece outfit comes to life in the same period, Taranta, a mixture of new jazz-balcanic-kletzmer music.
Roy Paci also works for other artists as trumpet player and music arranger. His enormous talent is showed on the most diverse productions: from reggae (Africa unite) to ska (Fratelli di Soledad) to ethnic (Lou Dalfin) to rock-folk (Parto delle Nuvole Pesanti). He even takes part in a dance project called Radio Trance (Mau Mau).
Together with a member of Mau Mau, Roy Paci gets into one of his most particular projects: Banda Ionica, a fabulous banda reproposing the most notable funeral marches of South Italy. Their second album “Matri Mia”, featuring at the voices some of the best European artists (Vinicio Capossela, Cristina Zavalloni, Arthur H., Dani “Macaco” Carbonell) ranks among the European top 10 world music records.
In 1998 Roy Paci with three guys from Rome forms his first jazz-core band: ZU. The four-piece outfit releases two albums and tours throughout Europe.
In 1999 Roy meets Manu Chao, with whom he records the fortunate “Proxima Estacion… Esperanza” and plays live worldwide, including the Radio Bemba Tour. He also works with Macaco, captained by Dani “El Mono Loco” Carbonell, recording “Rumbo Submarino”.
The following year, he gathers his most famous band: Roy Paci & Aretuska. Roy surrounds himself with young Sicilian musicians. Their first release “Baciamo Le Mani” (joke on typical mafia expression meaning “kissing your hands”) comes out in 2001 and it’s a mighty fusion of rock’ n’steady, ska, soul, funk and Mediterranean melodies enriched with the participations of several artists such as Bunna (Africa Unite), Meg (99 Posse) and Dani from Macaco.
Roy then founds his own record label Etnagigante (huge Etna) and the second album “Tuttapposto” (another joke meaning “All fine”) comes out on Etnagigante/V2. Calypso, rock steady, swing and Caribbean sounds, brand new songs and rearrangements of Sicilian traditional repertoire. Among the collaborations, here is the great Tony Scott. The new album brings Roy Paci & Aretuska touring through the most important European events.
Roy Paci never stops: before winning the prestigious “Carosone” prize in 2003, he has time to cooperate with other bands such as the dutch The Ex Orkestra and the trio Trionacria.
Then again a new adventure with Corleone, a band whose aim is re-discovering the Sicilian tradition renewing its sound. Collaborations include another eclectic character called Mike Patton.
The end of 2004 sees Roy Paci & Aretuska’s third album “Parola d’Onore” (word of honour). Its sound can be summed up in one word, the title of one of the tracks: “superreggaestereomambo!” The album is received with enthusiasm by both the critics and the public, who crowds the numerous gigs throughout clubs, squares and festivals. Roy Paci & Aretuska first appearance in the UK is at Womad Reading Festival.
In summer 2006, two brand-new projects are born: Il Terrone, l’Ebreo, Lo Zingaro and Ananga Ranga. “Il Terrone” (disparaging way of indicating a person coming from the southern part of Italy) is obviously Roy Paci, “l’Ebreo” (the Jewish) is Frank London, eclectic klezmer musician, and “lo Zingaro” (the gipsy) is Boban Markovic with his Orkestar. On this project the Sicilian tradition meets jewish melodies and typical Serbian dances. Ananga Ranga, inspired by the book predecessor of Kama Sutra, is based more on improvisations and visual sand animations.
Meanwhile, Roy Paci & Aretuska tour Italy, Spain (Sevilla Festival), Hungary (Sziget Festival), Belgium (Fiesta Mundial).
Their fourth, fundamental album comes out in 2007: “SUONOGLOBAL”, a pun on “global sound” and “no global”. A whole different approach compared to the “Sicilian trilogy”, the new work is a magic box of sounds, languages, different worlds and musical genres. Very many important artists give their friendship and inspired contribution: Negrita, Caparezza, Bandabardò, Cor Veleno, Raiz, Caparezza e Sud Sound System. And… Manu Chao.
The single “Toda Joia Toda Beleza” becomes the hit of Italian summer 2007, and for Roy and band the doors of great national popularity finally open.
THE BEST OF
BESTiario Siciliano is the collection of all the singles and most important tracks in Roy Paci’s career.
From the beginning to the sensational success of “Toda Joia Toda Beleza”, plus three previously unreleased tracks: “Defendemos la alegria”, “Cambierò” (written by Roy Paci together with Pacifico) and “Slum Shock”.
The product is also enriched by a DVD, which contains all videoclips, a live concert and an interesting and unreleased backstage.
Some of Roy Paci’s collaborations during his quarter-century career include the Italian artists Vinicio Capossela, Piero Pelù, Samuele Bersani, Luca Barbarossa, Teresa De Sio, Giorgio Conte, Nicola Arigliano, Cesare Basile, 99 Posse, Bluebeaters, Mau Mau, Subsonica, plus International acts such as Manu Chao, Eric Mingus, Carlo Actis Dato, Sean Bergin, Ned Rothemberg, John Edwards, Amy Denio, Han Bennink, Walter Weibous, Flying Luttembachers, New York Ska Jazz Ensemble, Zap Mama, Trilok Gurtu, Tony Levin, Macaco, Mike Patton, The Ex, Shellac…
Roy Paci deems he has taken part in more then 400 discographic projects of all genres so far.
THE NEW RELEASE
Three years after his last record, the new album of unpublished tracks by Roy Paci & Aretuska “LATINISTA” (Etnagigante/Universal) is released on May 4th 2010.
Preceded by the single ”Bonjour Bahia”, “LATINISTA” is a new chapter of Roy Paci & Aretuska’s project: after 10 years of intense live activity it confirms the singer and trumpet player’s artistic fulfillment, widening his musical and creative dimension.
“LATINISTA” is, as expressed in his own words “a brilliant and vibrant way of giving birth to every single song in the very place where the creative act has been triggered.” The album embodies “musical flows in the pure form of a synesthesia. The absolute preclearness of all my musical writing. The final and liberating hapax of my music on 360 degrees.”
“LATINISTA” was preproduced in Brazil, in Morro de Sao Paulo, and recorded in Lecce, at Roy Paci’s studios.
The songs for “LATINISTA“ have been written by Roy Paci, with the cooperation of various artists among which Lorenzo “Jovanotti” (Bonjour Bahia) and Caparezza (NoStress). Eugene Hütz from Gogol Bordello features as guest vocal in the track “Il Segreto”. The album also contains two latin versions, “Esa Cosa” (of “Bonjour Bahia”) and Nos TRes (of “NoStress”), written by Roy Paci.
THEATRE
Roy Paci has also worked for the alternative theatre scene by setting up the “Poesia e Andalusia” (Poetry and Andalusia) performance, which has been on stage on the most important avant-garde theatres.
Theatre and experimental music also mix up in the “Scambi Pressoché Telepatici” (Almost Telepathic Exchanges) project, written by the Italian songwriter Ivano Fossati and later released as audiobook.
TV
On top of his numerous one-off presences at several TV formats, Roy Paci has been fix guest of an Italian TV late-night show called “Markette” but it is mainly through his constant presence with his band Aretuska at the program “Zelig” (most important Italian prime-time comic show) that his face and his music have become familiar to the big public. Roy Paci has been musical director at “Zelig” for three years, also composing the theme song and arranging duets with all the guests of the show.
CINEMA
Roy Paci loves composing and lending his music for the film industry – such as his stunning cover of the song “Besame Mucho” for the movie “Il Paradiso All’Improvviso” (Pieraccioni) and the magic atmosphere of Banda Ionica funeral songs for Patrice Leconte “Girl on The Bridge”, with Vanessa Paradis.
In 2005, thanks to the music composed for the film “La Febbre” (D’Alatri), Roy is awarded with the prestigious “Nastro D’Argento” prize and he’s nominated to best musician for the “Donatello’s David”.
In the same year Roy Paci flies to New York to shoot a cameo for the film about the legendary Tony Vilar. The film takes part in the Rome’s International Cinema Festival.
In 2008 another acknowledgment for his work: the movie “Se chiudi gli occhi” by Sicilian director Lisa Romano, whose original soundtrack was composed by Roy Paci, wins the Grand Prix Cinèma Italien at the Annecy Festival in France.
Roy has just completed the full soundtrack for the feature film “Ristabbanna” (Cardillo – De Plano), to be presented at the next International Film Festival of Venezia.