Squallor Explained

Squallor (also spelled as Gli Squallor) were an Italian comedy music group, active between 1973 and 1994.

Career

The group formed in 1973 as a ribald side project of four established musicians: composer and producer Giancarlo Bigazzi, producer Alfredo Cerruti, lyricist Daniele Pace and songwriter Totò Savio.^[1] Producer Elio Gariboldi left the band after the first album in 1973. Characterized by adult themes, references to sex, political incorrectness, and vulgarity, in spite of no live activity and radio ostracism, they got an immediate commercial success.^[2] In 1984 they wrote and starred in the low budget comedy Arrapaho, loosely inspired by their album with the same name, which was a surprise hit at the box office and achieved some cult status.^[3] The group disbanded in 1994, following their last album Cambiamento.^[4] 2012 saw the release of Gli Squallor, a documentary about the group.^[5]

The Squallor reached the crest of their popularity at the end of the 1980s. Federation of the Greens, Gianni De Michelis (in the song Demiculis) and Umberto Bossi (in Berta II) were some of their political and satyrical targets.^[6]

Discography

Albums

• 1973 – Troia
• 1974 – Palle
• 1977 – Vacca
• 1977 – Pompa
• 1978 – Cappelle
• 1980 – Tromba
• 1981 – Mutando
• 1982 – Scoraggiando
• 1983 – Arrapaho
• 1984 – Uccelli d'Italia
• 1985 – Tocca l'albicocca
• 1986 – Manzo
• 1988 – Cielo duro
• 1994 – Cambiamento

Notes and References

1. Book: Enrico Deregibus. Dizionario completo della Canzone Italiana. 8 October 2010. Giunti Editore, 2010. 978-8809756250.
2. Book: Enrico Deregibus. Dizionario completo della Canzone Italiana. 8 October 2010. Giunti Editore, 2010. 978-8809756250.
3. Book: Marco Giusti. Dizionario dei film italiani stracult. 1999. Sperling & Kupfer,1999. 8820029197.
4. Book: Enrico Deregibus. Dizionario completo della Canzone Italiana. 8 October 2010. Giunti Editore, 2010. 978-8809756250.
5. News: Francesco Prisco. Chiedi chi erano gli Squallor. In un documentario rivivono i padri del rock demenziale. 16 August 2015. Il Sole 24 Ore. 26 September 2012.
6. Nicolino. Applauso. The Squallor phenomenon: Social and political satire in Italian music during the First Republic. 10.18352/incontri.9876. Incontri: Rivista Europea di Studi Italiani. 29. 2. English. 0169-3379. 30–42. December 1, 2014. June 19, 2021. Utrecht University Library Open Access Journals (Publishing Services). 7180214511. paperity.org. https://archive.today/MwX4g. July 21, 2018. live. free.