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ZINGALE Jessica Attene & Alberto Nucci
 

Their only album, published in 1977, has been for years considered the pearl of Israeli Prog: first itr was simply a collector item and later, thanks to a couple of CD reissues, also appreciated by a wider group of listeners. We are talking of Zingalè, band that, after their unique work "Peace", is now preparing to a comeback with a brand new album. It was precisely the band to contact us and we took the chance to ask them some questions.


Why did you decide to reform the group after all this time?

We met again after almost 30 years. We started playing together again and it was as if our musical connection was never severed. The level of our creativity was ascending to new heights.

"Peace" was printed in a few copies, even though it was a good album, and immediately became rare and sought after. What difficulties have you encountered to publish your album?

Unfortunately in 1974 there was not much awareness for this kind of music in the Middle East and that explains any difficulty that a band can have, no doubt that Zingale changed this situation forever, and people began to open themselves to prog slowly slowly.

It is said that shortly before your dissolution you were recording an album in Hebrew.

Those songs in Hebrew where not exactly what we wanted to do, you have to understand, the time was different in the 70s there was no prog music in Hebrew we where 5 musicians in the band, the music that we always played was prog, instrumental, and songs in the English, that's what we did. Two other guys in the band they had songs in Hebrew, and they always tried to take the band to this direction.

Why did you disband finally?

Do you know the story of John and Yoko and the Beatles? That's more or less why we disbanded; women, that's why we disbanded.

It is also said that there was some interest around the group to launch internationally. Why this did not happen?

I don't know, Zingale has been exposed to many people around the world, but disappeared, even though, magic Zingale survived in the net, the opposite happened Zingale became alive in the web, I did not notice that till couple of years ago, I met my friend from the band and we started working together and I hit the name Zingale in Google search and hundreds of sites about Zingale. Amazing, many prog sites through out the world in many different languages played the music.
After almost 30 years we are back with14 new tracks, about 60 minutes of new prog.

A word that recurs often in your album, which is also the title, is the word "peace". What kind of feelings inspired you? I think that the meaning of the album is in a way related to the difficult political situation in your country. Isn't it? Moreover I generally noticed that Israeli bands dislike to talk about this topic, while your message of peace seems clear. How do you explain this attitude?

God will help us all.
The feelings that inspired us came from a deep consciousness that music can bring peace and it is written on the cover of the album "soon the war is over on a star where music is playing": those words are from a song in the album. I think that musicians don't like wars, some one causes those wars, and we pay for it, why? There is much about that in our new cd.

Can you give us some anticipations on the new album? What musical direction you have taken?

"Progressus in infinitum" -in order to complete the musical idea, to use any musical instrument, any music software, or computers of any kind- Infinity, any source of sound if it serves the music, and try not to tie ourselves only to bass, drums, guitars and key boards (that's where we are most of the time ain't it true?), prog is to progress into the infinite.

Can you clarify the meaning of the name of the group: I heard that it may have two different meanings…

I know at least 3 meanings: one it is a name; if you change the first letter into TS it means a joint in the street language, does it sound Italian, or Spanish ? There are also people named Zingale in the Hebrew language it has mystical kabbalistic meanings that are hard for me to explain in English.

In Israel there has been a movement inspired by Western prog groups which produced excellent albums. Why hasn't it never developed over time, in your opinion?

I don't know if it hasn't develop, it is the same like in the rest of the world, prog is not mainstream music, and it is heard only by a small community in comparison to other music communities that exists. Israel has people from all over the world, each one likes different kind of music. I like prog, and other kinds of music, most of the people in the world don't listen to prog, or when they listen they can't tell the difference from rock to prog.

What were your main sources of inspiration?

We grew up on all this music back from the 60s and 70s, and classical music training, playing classical instruments.

Do you know any present-day prog bands in your country?

Really I don't know, the only one that I am familiar with is my son's band he is the drummer, the band name is ODRADEK they also play prog.

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