In 2001 Askatasuna group was born out of the shared passion and the love for the upbeat music. Originally four members, they are now a group of eight people who count a complete winds session (trumpet, trombone and saxophone). Askatasuna means “freedom” in Basque…a priority good that many people.. too many… want to steal from us! Besides the music and philosophical passion for the whole Jamaican world, what really identifies this group is the association of an added value to the music through the lyrics characterized by a political and social commitment. Nevertheless, besides the most engaged lyrics about the controversial aspects of the globalization, they’ve never quit that sane happiness and lightheartedness, which have always been in Askatasuna DNA. For this reason and many others they identify themselves with the expression “Funny&Social Ska”. All over their six years of life up to now, the band has always been positively noticed by the critic and the public and from 2001 and 2004 they played around a hundred of concerts on the stages of many cities in Italy as well as in Switzerland (from the Ticino area to the Emilia Romagna throught Piemonte, Veneto and Lombardia). They shared the stage with other groups such as Banda Bassotti, Betagarri, Statuto, The Orobians, Arpioni etc… They were also guests at Radio Popolare where they recorded a mini-live four pieces ( not available any more) at the Demetrio Stratos auditorium. After recording their 1st CD at the studio, which was meant to be instrumental in a tour in the Basque Countries, the group got split up. From this rupture, four “veteran” members emerged, the ones who had never given up believing in their project and never quit it.. not even in the most difficult times showing a strong passion for their music. After some pretty difficult years where the group couldn’t find the chance to plan a proper program and a common work due to the quite many members’ changes, Askatasuna were finally re-born in 2006. They started writing completely new pieces in order for them to fully express the potential of the new group and they temporally left behind the pieces of the past few years and created such a great variety of genres, from reggae to blues, from ska to folk-rock and from swing to rocksteady…always using original and fanciful arranging for their lyrics. In 2008 and 2009 Askatasuna has made two tours in Belgium playing in city as Gent and Liegi. Such a lively boost characterizes all their performances, where each member of the group expresses this amazing and contagious energy on the stage….. …so get ready to bend your knees and skanking in Askatasuna rhythm!