Modena City Ramblers

Modena City Ramblers (also known as M.C.R.) is an Italian folk band founded in 1991. Their music is heavily influenced by Celtic themes, and can be compared to folk rock music. The band has sold over 500,000 albums. Known for their left-wing politics, their lyrics often speak out against the Mafia and fascism.

Biography
Abbiamo cominciato per hobby, per divertimento puro e semplice. Avevamo un’impronta punk, andavamo a suonare senza neanche provare, a volte eravamo in 6, a volte in 7, anche in 11.
—Franco D’Aniello

The Modena City Ramblers were formed in 1991 by a group of friends that wanted to play traditional Irish music. The first to join were Alberto Morselli, Giovanni Rubbiani and Alberto Cottica (still in Lontano da dove), Chris Dennis (formerly a member of Nomadi), Filippo Chieli, Franco D’Aniello and Luciano Gaetani from ‘Abazia dei folli. On Saint Patrick’s Day in 1991, during a concert in a pub in Modena, they chose the name Modena City Ramblers. The name was an homage to Dublin City Ramblers, an Irish band.

In 1992, they were joined by bassist Massimo Ghiacci (formerly in the band Plutonium 99). During the evening of 1 March they recorded their first demo. During a concert at a pub in Carpi, Stefano «Cisco» Bellotti sang The Wild Rover for the first time. At this time the Modena City Ramblers became an open company, and have remained so during throughout their history, with almost all members who have left the band returning sporadically to play with the group. Their most famous concert was performed as the opening act for the Pogues in Modena. Their repertoire has since expanded considerably, including traditional Italian songs as Bella ciao, Fischia il vento, and Contessa.

The singer of the group Cisco along with producer Kaba Cavazzuti who also became «a new member of the Modena City Ramblers after changes in the original line-up», released the album of the ‘brother band’ Casa del Vento, titled «900» which came out in February 2001.