Raiz

by Aurelio PasiniBorn in Naples on April 22, 1967, Gennaro "Raiz" Della Volpe (his artistic aka often changing to Rais, Reeno, or Raiss) debuted in the early '90s as the lead singer of Almamegretta. Blending dub, trip-hop, Mediterranean rhythms, and Asian and Neapolitan melodies in an extremely original and personal way, Almamegretta soon became one of the most important and influent Italian indie bands, gaining the attention of critics throughout Europe thanks to albums such as Animamigrante (1993), Sanacore (1995), and Lingo (1998) -- and also to a friendship with Massive Attack, for whom they remixed the title track of the Karmacoma EP. In the meantime, thanks to his unique voice, Raiz collaborated with artists as diverse as Pino Daniele, Leftfield, Asian Dub Foundation, and Mauro Pagani. Together with Bill Laswell and producer Eraldo Bernocchi he started a project called Ashes, whose first album, Corpus, was released in 1995. He also acted in Gianluca Sodaro's Sicilian Western Cuore Scatenato (2000) and guested on the soundtrack of Antonio Capuano's Luna Rossa (2001). In 2002, after the release the live album Venite! Venite!, Raiz left Almamegretta in order to pursue a solo career. His first record, Wop, followed two years after, co-produced by Roberto Vernetti and former Almamegretta member Pier Paolo Polcari. Mixing together modern electronics and pop melodies with his typical cosmopolitan attitude and a strong Neapolitan sensibility, it confirmed his status as one of the most original personalities of his generation. In 2006 Ashes returned with Unisono, and in 2007 Raiz released his sophomore album, Uno, poppier and more polished than his previous effort.