Basilicata was the scene of numerous clashes both before and after the establishment of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
Banditry following Italian unification can be attributed to a number of causes, including:
the serious deterioration in economic conditions;
the lack of understanding and indifference shown by the new ruling class towards the people they govern;
the rise in taxes and the prices of essential goods;
the worsening of the issue of state-owned land, due to the opportunism of wealthy landowners.
Some describe the phenomenon of brigandage as the first civil war of modern Italy.
And, as is often the case in certain periods of history, the people’s experiences and grievances were also expressed through music.
One of the most popular songs is “Brigante si muore”
A brigand, if he dies
We’ve put away the guitars and tammorre
I reckon this music needs changing
We were bandits and we struck fear into people’s hearts
‘We want to sing this little song‘
eh oh ha ha ha ha
And so we sang this new song
Well, everyone’s got to learn it
We couldn’t care less about a Bourbon king
The land is ours and must not be touched
The whole region of Basilicata
It’s started, and now we’ve got to fight
Even in Calabria, the vote has been recounted
and we Piedmontese want to get rid of
Whoever saw the wolf was frightened
She’ll never know the truth
but a real wolf is one who eats the creature
and let’s make this enemy tremble
Beautiful women who have quietened their hearts
Do you want to save the bandit?
Don’t go looking for him – just forget his name
Those who wage war show no mercy
A man is born a bandit and dies a bandit
but we’ll keep firing right to the very end
and let’s wall ourselves in and pick a flower
‘It’s a curse on this freedom.’.
Translation
We’ve put our guitars and drum aside
Why does this music need to be changed?
We’re bandits and we’re scary
and with our rifles we want to sing
Eh oh ha ha ha ha
And now let’s sing this new song
that everyone must learn
The land is ours and must not be touched
the whole region of Basilicata
He’s got all worked up and now he wants to fight
Calabria, too, has now got back on its feet
Anyone who saw the wolf was frightened
he won’t really know the truth
but a real wolf is one that eats people
Beautiful women, calm your hearts
if you want to save the bandit
Don’t go looking for him – forget his name
You’re born a man, you die a bandit
but we must keep firing right to the very end
and if we die, throw a flower on our graves
and this freedom is blasphemy
