Liina Rätsep: vocals
Fabrizio Fontanelli: acoustic guitar
Alessandro Matilli: piano & keyboards
Carlo Di Tore Tosti: bass
Valerio Giovanardi: drums
Fabrizio Del Marchesato: electric guitar
“Lia’s theme” is the first single released from their fourth studio album “Sandcastle”.
“Sandcastle” is an intense and very deep album based on an original treatment written by Sante Sabbatini, Francesco Braida and Filippo Novelli, out now as a Graphic Musical
Mardi Gras takes us on a introspective journey full of emotional tensions that highlight man’s fragility and insecurities, but at the same time enhances his strength and beauty.
SANDCASTLE : When a good boy turns bad, everything and everyone who put him down will burn..
Nicholas and Cecilia are brother and sister who lead a hard life in Jersey City following the loss of their parents to the occupants of a black car when they were children. Nicholas, a child prodigy, is often bullied by his classmates, while Cecilia works two jobs to keep them afloat, as well as watching over his brother, helping him try to get by against the odds. Everything changes when Don “Nate” Caruso, boss of the local mob, offers his help in exchange for Nicholas insight into his businesses, an offer the siblings reluctantly accept. Over the next few months, business gets better, and Nicholas is offered a place in the Strand, a school for children of the global elite, though he is required to adopt a new identity as “Julian”. Don Nate then gets Cecilia a job in an upmarket fashion boutique, where she encounters the charming and charismatic Sebastian, the son of a news magnate and student of the Strand, who drags her into a whirlwind romance. During a weekend getaway with him and his friends in the country, however, his dark side is revealed to her when he and his friends attempt to assault her.
Escaping into the dark, Cecilia reaches the road, but is struck by a mysterious black car, resulting in her ending up in a coma. When he hears the news, Nicholas/Julian, now alone in the world, flies into a rage and swears vengeance. With help from junior members of the Strand, he begins to uncover the dark truths about the School and its unapologetic and hedonistic inhabitants who deal in extortion, drugs, sex and everything in between.
Nicholas’ investigation lead him to Sebastian, who runs the school newspaper, and during a confrontation and struggle, Sebastian is killed after being stabbed. Nicholas then assumes control of the school paper and some of Sebastian’s other interests.
Eventually Cecilia wakes up from a coma, but are all they safe from the black car?
When a good boy turns bad, everything and everyone who put him down will burn..
It was back in 2006 that Mardi Gras released their first full lenght album “drops made”. Being often reviewed by irish Hot Press, the band toured extensively even through Ireland, first as an acoustic duo, then as a full electric band. One of Italy’s premier live acts, and one of the italian acts most listened to on the Myspace Platform they shared stages with Glen Hansard and the Frames, Billy Bragg, Mundy, Noah and the Whale, Micah P HInson to name but a few, while also playing big festivals and independent showcase all throughout their country with rave reviews and radio interviews. Neil Young chose two Mardi Gras songs for his special section of his Website, called “Songs of the times” anti war, peace and protests songs from artists all over the world;
With two more records (“Among the Streams” recorded and mastered in Rome and Nashville, and “Playground” recorded and mastered in Rome and Abbey Road) and few singles that charted in the Italian charts, the band also played Sziget Festival and toured Ireland extensively.
In the past few years the band has released more singles, a benefit single for Parkinson Research (a Willie Nile rendition titled “One Guitar”) and a collaboration with one of the finest Irish Troubadour Mark Geary.
On May 2021 the band is listed amongst the 7 European Acts to watch for for the Readers Digest the most read magazine in the world: An intriguing blend of pop, rock, soul, with something reminiscent of irish country and grunge. Does it confuse you? It doesn’t have to, also because everything is presented in an inviting way, with catchy riffs and powerful messages in their lyrics that go straight to the soul”
