Peppe Consolmagno

Peppe Consolmagno, born in Rimini in 1958, brought up in Italy, mainly plays instruments built on his own with materials which he collects during his travels, such as gourds, bamboo, wood and metal. His music is played on instruments belonging to extra-european cultures, for example that of Brazil (his main inspiration), Africa and Asia which, nevertheless, share in common.

The Burman gong, the Shell, the Meditation cups, the African pots, the Pygmies' one-note flutes, the Water gourds, the Berimbau together with his voice and a strong intimist relationship with them, create a unique dimension where natural sound, silence, timbre and rhythm predominate.
Consolmagno played at international festivals such as: "Umbria Jazz", "Festival International de Jazz" in Montreal-Canada, "Jazz o Brazil" in Paris, "Kunstamt Steglitz" in Berlin, "Drum 2000" percussion festival in Bologna, "Festival di Musica da Camera" in Tolentino, "Centro Studi Brasiliani C.E.B." in Rome, "World Music Festival" in Lanciano, "Percussion World and Sound PWS7" in Asti, RAI "Radiotre Suite", "Jaco Pastorius Music Festival" in Coriano, "5th World Music Festival" in Rome, "Musica dei Popoli" in Florence, and played at the festival "Sete Sóis, Sete Luas" in Portugal, Percussionistica" World Rhythm Festival in Umbertide, Istituto Musicale P.Mascagni in Livorno, Liceo Musicale in Catania, Festival Womad, Fandango Jazz Festival - La Palma in Roma, I Suoni delle Dolomiti Festival in Trentino, Festival International de Sousse in Tunisia, Festival Banlieues Bleues Festival in Paris.
His activity in ethno-musicological research leads him to teach at seminars and workshops focusing on extra-european music and building of percussion instruments which, a.o., he builds for Nanà Vasconcelos, Cyro Baptista, Trilok Gurtu, Glen Velez, Flora Purim, Duduka da Fonseca and Paolo Vinaccia on their request.
Consolmagno also writes for Italian specialized magazines such as "World Music", "Percussioni", "Strumenti Musicali", "Jazz", "DrumClub", "Il Manifesto", "Jazzitalia", "CiaoJazz", "CupaCupa", "Musicando", and others. He was invited to Salvador-Bahia (Brazil) at "III and IV PercPan" (world percussion festival). Through his work as a journalist and his interviews to famous musicians, he intends to give a voice to the style and way of thinking which unites him to them.
He collaborated with other art forms (theatre, painting, sculpture, poetry, dance), structures (University, schools), and media (radio and TV: Rai, Canale 5, VideoMusic).
He was among the winners of Arezzo Wave '95 festival. He has been member of Sisma, and he gives lectures as musical critic.