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For Guido Schiraldi music is a form of meditation, a vehicle of positive energy conducive to a greater comprehension of nature and spirituality. His music is instilled with influences and fusions drawn from numerous cultures and musical genres: first and foremost Indian music (the Hindustani tradition from the north of India) which Guido started to study in 1977 both in India and in Italy, learning to play the sitar and the tabla and practising yoga, a fundamental medium for introspection and spiritual awareness. At the same time there is the presence of an “undergrowth” of numerous other musical genres: classical, jazz, pop, country, Celtic, Arabian, African and ethnic, all fliltered by a Mediterranean matrix which owes its existence to the Neapolitan origins of the artist. It is through these diverse cultures and musical traditions that Guido effectuates his “search for the truth” in the music and the musician with a vibration that brings well-being, energy, positivity and depth. While Guido’s music flows easily between emotional, introspective tracks and playful compositions of fun and dance, the central thread is always the universality of the sonic experience of man – nature – spirituality.

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ENGLISH
Restlessness and an overwhelming urge to communicate are the only spurs that incite certain artists to take action. Max Maffia is without doubt one of these artists. While many artists, before acting, think about their sales potential and the chances of meeting with general approval, Maffia, like few others, acts because he has no choice. His lifestyle and artistic production are living proof. Born in Salerno, a fiery electric guitarist with a strong Hendrix stamp and influenced by the sound of 4AD, Max has also demonstrated with the acoustic guitar his ability to reach extraordinary states of grace. His first release was the cd “Sky and Misery”, produced by Paul Chain in 1995, with the rock group the “Peanuts”. For a year or two he was a member of the ska group “Appesi Aun Filo” and also played with “Il Pozzo di San Patrizio”, recording with them the album “Altri Tempi” (Other Times) – a mix of Irish folk, dub and space rock – and taking part in their international tour. In the meantime Max moved ahead with his own self-produced projects such as “Stagioni” (Seasons) and “Anywhere in the World”, the soundtrack to a video entitled “Picasso, sulle impronte del mito” (Picasso, on the artist’s trail). From 2005-2006 he collaborated with Nicodemo, a group of electronica songsters, on the albums “Boulevard Du Sud” (Southern Boulevard) and “Il Treno per Bologna” (The train for Bologna) while dedicating himself at the same time to the cultural association “Anima Mundi” of which he is both founder and president. In the spring of 2007 he successfully completed the difficult musical and hunanitarian project “The Right Compilation” supported by the FAO for the Telefood programme. The album is the result of a meeting of artists from various cultural and stylistic backgrounds such as the Scambio, the Israelian singer Talya G. A. Solan, the Argentinian singer Florencia Ruiz and the Neapolitan sitar player Guido Schiraldi. The cd can be purchased from the site www.therightcompilation.com at the cost of 10 euros with all the proceeds going entirely to Telefood. At the moment Max Maffia is recording a cd with the Peanuts and is preparing the next edition of “The Right Compilation”.

ITALIANO
L’irrequietezza e la smania di comunicazione sono gli unici stimoli che spingono all’azione alcuni musicisti. Di questa schiera fa parte senza dubbio Max Maffia. Mentre tanti artisti, prima di fare, pensano alla vendibilità e alle probabilità di trovare consensi, Max, come pochi altri, fa perché non ha scelta. Le sue vicende di vita e artistiche lo dimostrano. Salernitano, chitarrista elettrico infuocato con una forte impronta hendrixiana e influenze del suono della 4AD, Max ha anche dimostrato con l’acustica di saper raggiungere inconsueti stati di grazia. La sua prima produzione è il cd “Sky And Misery”, prodotto da Paul Chain nel 1995, col gruppo rock dei “Peanuts”. Milita per qualche anno nel gruppo ska “Appesi Aun Filo” ed entra ne “Il Pozzo Di San Patrizio”, registrando l’album “Altri Tempi” - un ibrido tra folk irlandese, dub e space rock - e prendendo parte al rispettivo tour internazionale. Intanto porta avanti progetti personali autoprodotti come “Stagioni” e “Anywhere In The World”, colonna sonora di un video intitolato “Picasso, sulle impronte del mito”. Dal 2005 al 2006 collabora col gruppo di cantautorato elettronico Nicodemo a “Boulverd Du Sud” e “Il Treno Per Bologna” dedicandosi intanto all’associazione culturale “Anima Mundi” della quale è fondatore e presidente. Nella primavera del 2007 riesce a realizzare il non facile progetto musicale e umanitario di “The Right Compilation” sostenuto dalla Fao per il programma Telefood, risultato dell’incontro di musicisti provenienti da culture e formazioni stilistiche differenti come gli Scambio, la cantante israeliana Talya G. A. Solan, la cantautrice argentina Florencia Ruiz e il sitarista napoletano Guido Schiraldi. Il cd è acquistabile dal sito www.therightcompilation.com al prezzo di 10 euro, che verranno devoluti interamente a Telefood. Al momento Max Maffia sta registrando un cd con i Peanuts e sta progettando la prossima edizione di “The Right Compilation”.

(artist profile by Gianmaria Consiglio)

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