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Sa Razza — E.Y.A.A. (2001)
1. tu no me agguanta (intro)
2. sardos veteranos
3. eyaa
4. stiamo giù
5. mariedda isposa
6. hey gringo
7. sa die mala
8. la mina (scratchversion)
9. risorti
10. noi partimos unu ballu
11. trip (che te pasia)
12. che serata
13. no porto problema
14. c'è buoi
15. sgamati i sardi
16. es velenoso
17. ciaoo
18. sa razza 'nde calada (outro)
Review
by N. D. Schäfer ID: 359
Courtesy gezetera onlineIf you look at the cover of Sa Razza's new CD E.Y.A.A. (Cinenova), you'll first see an archaic looking sculpture (a warrior?). You'll probably think it's a world music CD, Sardinians looking for their roots. In a way, Sa Razza are looking for their Hispano-Sardinian roots, using traditional Sardinian and Mediterranean music and their native language, but at the same time, they're influenced by Chicano rappers such as Kid Frost, Delinquent Habits and last, but not least, Cypress Hill.
Sardos Postmodernistas?
And if you look closer at the cover, you'll probably discern a Gothic (i.e. Black Letter) "S" in the background (no doubt standing for the S in Sa Razza, "the race" in Sardinian, probably translated from Kid Frost's "La Raza") and many tiny digital-looking numbers and other symbols in the background plus some less modern looking letters ("s, a") and symbols.
In a way, this is very fitting, because what Sa Razza (formerly also known as SR Raza) aren't the makers of folkloristic sounds, but of a postmodernist musical and linguistic puzzle composed of rather different influences.
The messages of their songs may be more conventional (although their irony and the way they rapped about Sardinian gangster Graziano Mesina on "Vero Sardo G" may also be characterized as typically postmodernist), but their mix of Sardinian (actually, different Sardinian idioms) and Italian; hip hop and traditional music is in a way similar to the music of Transglobal Underground ("ever-eclectic") and Almamegretta ("dub napoletano").
WESSISLA vs E.Y.A.A.
Sa Razza's debut full length CD was titled Wesssisla and was (partly) a bit like the Sardinian version of Chicano pioneer Frost's G Funk tracks, yet often very original. Sa Razza are still inspired by Chicano rappers, but E.Y.A.A. ("eja" means "yes" in Sardinian) sounds more like a Sardinian version of Delinquent Habits and Cypress Hill. Their new album is probably a must for both world music aficionados and hip hop fans.
Hey Gringo
There's a feud going on between Sa Razza (Sardinia) and Varese's Sottotono. Sottotono's Italian brand of G Funk , sometimes ragga hip hop and party rap is often brilliant, but they don't have much respect for both journalists and regional cultures of Italy. Lines like "Sono piu' tamarro di Romano in TJ Hooker" (I'm more "tamarro" [pejorative term for Southern Italian] than Romano in TJ Hooker) seem to imply that Sottotono are also down with the Italian South, but at least in Sardinia they dissed Sa Razza, Sardinia's arguably best and most original hip hop cru. "Custa è terra nostra" (This is our land), they're saying on "Hey Gringo", and as Quilo ("leader storico", original member of Sa Razza) said in an interview: "Sei ospite della mia terra e quindi devi comportarti bene." (You're a guest in Sardinia, so you have to act properly).
The Message
But Sa Razza's lyrics aren't always ironic.
Dietro ogni nostra rima c'è sempre un messaggio, una descrizione della realtà che ci circonda, dei nostri piccoli grandi problemi quotidiani.Every rhyme we say contains a message, a description of the reality that surrounds us, our small and not so small daily problems,
Quilo reported in that interview. He spent two years in Torino; he experienced the life of an immigrant and he also talks about that on the new CD. "Non chiamatelo né east né west coast, è solo hip hop e Sa Razza" (Don't call it East or West, it's hip hop by Sa Razza), the MC sums up their musically and lyrically unique new "opera.
For more on Sa Razza, check out www.arziadas.com and www.blackmagazine.it.
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