SAVANA FUNK - Behind The Eyes

Funk and desert blues: these are the main coordinates of the project born from the meeting of Aldo Betto (guitars, sound design), Blake Franchetto (bass) and Youssef Ait Bouazza (drums, vocals) in Bologna in 2015, which has so far yielded six albums increasingly appreciated by audiences and critics alike. "Behind The Eyes" arrives four years after the previous "Ghibli", a period during which the band nonetheless released an Ep, a remix album, and played extensively both in Italy and abroad.

Now boasting a well-defined and recognizable artistic identity, Savana Funk bring more introspective, meditative shades into their sonic palette, while keeping intact the mix of groove and melody that brings together afrobeat, funk, blues and psych-rock under one roof, pairing desert dunes with the back-alleys of any multicultural metropolis in a thoroughly personal way. A shifting sound, influenced by the Tuareg world, carrying hints of Tinariwen and of many an adventure penned by Adriano Viterbini. A record that thrives on contrasts, one that smells of sand and asphalt: the dust of Africa and the explorations of modern jazz, the edginess of rock and the fluidity of world music.

Largely instrumental, "Behind The Eyes" also features three sung tracks, in French and Arabic, adding a further dose of exoticism, somewhere between banlieue and unforgettable orange-hued sunsets. A musical journey through sub-Saharan vistas, echoes of western imagery, and lounge and funky refractions with a vintage flavour. Artistic production and mixing are handled by Tommaso Colliva, a choice that reinforces a certain kinship with Calibro 35, all stylistic differences notwithstanding.

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18/05/2026