Osanna are the great band of the Neapolitan progressive scene, and one of the most important in all of Italian prog — set alongside PFM, Banco, Le Orme and Area among the genre’s defining names. Theatrical, fierce and rooted in the culture of Naples, with the wild flute and sax of Elio D’Anna at their heart, they reached their peak with the masterpiece “Palepoli” (1973).

The short version

Formed in Naples in 1971, Osanna fused hard rock, folk, jazz and psychedelia into a theatrical, sax-and-flute-driven prog all their own — and were among the first bands anywhere to take the stage in costumes and face paint. Across a remarkable early run, from the prize-winning debut “L’Uomo” (1971) through the Bacalov film score “Milano Calibro 9” to the masterpiece “Palepoli”, they became the flagship of Neapolitan prog and one of the most important Italian bands of their time.

Naples, 1971: theatre and rock

Osanna came together in Naples around 1971, from the first line-up of the band Città Frontale — singer Lino Vairetti, guitarist Danilo Rustici, drummer Massimo Guarino and bassist Lello Brandi — joined by the gifted flautist and saxophonist Elio D’Anna, formerly of the Showmen. They were replacing keyboardist Gianni Leone, who had left for Il Balletto di Bronzo. From the start they set themselves apart, taking the stage in long robes and painted faces, their concerts staged with the theatricality of Mediterranean tradition and the commedia dell’arte. Their 1971 debut, “L’Uomo”, won the Italian critics’ prize — the first time an Italian band had taken that honour — and they were quickly on their way.

Sax, flute and Neapolitan theatre

Osanna’s music was vivid, aggressive and deeply theatrical. At its centre were the powerful flute and saxophones of Elio D’Anna, often recalling Jethro Tull, set against the Hendrix-inspired guitar of Danilo Rustici and the commanding voice of Lino Vairetti — who sang in Italian, Neapolitan dialect and English. Around this core the band fused hard rock, blues, folk, jazz and psychedelia, threaded through with the sounds and spirit of Naples and brought to life on stage with mimes, dancers and elaborate costumes. Few Italian bands were as adventurous, as visually striking, or as rooted in a place.

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L’Uomo, Milano Calibro 9, Palepoli

Osanna’s debut, “L’Uomo” (1971), in its memorable triple-gatefold sleeve, announced a band of real power and ambition, and won the national critics’ award. The following year brought an unexpected turn: after the success of New Trolls’ “Concerto Grosso”, composer Luis Bacalov invited Osanna to record the soundtrack to the cult crime film “Milano Calibro 9”, released as “Preludio, Tema, Variazioni, Canzona” (1972) — a fascinating, mostly instrumental meeting of rock and orchestra. Then came their masterpiece: “Palepoli” (1973), a dark, dramatic tribute to the ancient soul of Naples, set against the cold modern city, sung in Italian and dialect and staged as a pioneering rock opera with mimes and dancers. Widely regarded as one of the greatest of all Italian prog albums — and idolised in Japan — it is their crowning achievement. The troubled “Landscape of Life” (1974), made amid internal conflict and aimed at foreign markets, closed the classic era before the band split; a reunion produced “Suddance” (1978), jazzier and sung in dialect, but never quite the Osanna of old.

Album by album

Five albums from one of Italian prog’s defining bands. Tap any title for its guide.

The players and afterwards

Osanna at their height were Lino Vairetti, Danilo Rustici, Elio D’Anna, Lello Brandi and Massimo Guarino — several of them trained at the Naples Academy of Arts, and as striking visually as they were musically. After the mid-1970s split, the members scattered into bands like Uno and a revived Città Frontale, before Osanna reunited more than once over the decades, with Vairetti leading later incarnations alongside guests such as David Jackson of Van der Graaf Generator. Guitarist and co-founder Danilo Rustici died in 2021; his music, and the band’s, lives on in performances and re-recordings, including a return to “Palepoli” on stage in Naples. But it is the early run that defines them.

Where to start

Begin with “Palepoli” (1973), their masterpiece and one of the high points of all Italian prog — theatrical, dark and utterly distinctive. From there, the debut “L’Uomo” (1971) shows the band in their first, prize-winning flush, while the Bacalov-scored “Milano Calibro 9” (1972) offers their fascinating brush with film music. Together they reveal one of the most original bands Italy produced.

Why they still matter

Osanna matter as the great band of Neapolitan prog and one of the most important in the whole Italian scene — a group who fused rock with the theatre, the folk and the very identity of their city, and who pioneered a visual, costumed stage show years ahead of their time. In “Palepoli” they made a record that still stands among the genre’s finest, admired around the world. For anyone exploring Italian prog beyond the famous trio of PFM, Banco and Le Orme, Osanna are absolutely essential.

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