SHORT BIO LA ZAG

La Zag from Northern Italy, a very happy and gifted family of Renaissance musicians interweave in their music elements of folk-pop-rock with historical-courtly roots of middle-European past. In concerts La Zag communicate their positive approach to life and music which is quickly imparted into their very receptive audiences.

A family band is a rare commodity these days, and La Zag feature: Father, mother, two daughters and a future son-in-law!

Franco, the father, songwriter and arranger, plays rhythm guitar, lute, bagpipe and other traditional wind instruments

Elfriede, his wife, plays hurdy-gurdy, recorder, diatonic button accordion and percussion

Anna Florina, the eldest daughter (24 years) plays ethnic percussion and occasional recorder, sometimes two at the same time!

Anna Viola, the youngest daughter (21 years), is the bands violinist as well as additional percussion.

Luca Agostini, bassman and future son-in-law, feels at home with Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Heavy Metal - and now with La Zag as well!

Vocal duties are shared between all five members of the band, often in amazing harmony! Although La Zag mainly play as a four-piece, with great harmony, enthusiasm and precision, on some occasions they play supported by a rhythm-group (guitar, percussion).

Although La Zag are a well established and very popular band within Northern Italy, this popularity extends to other European countries including the UK and recent highlights have included concerts at the EXPO 2000 Hanover,
2001 tour in Poland with concerts in Warsaw, Krakow and Katovice
2002/2003 concerts and workshops in the region of Fribourg, Switzerland
besides lots of appearances on Italian, Austrian and German TV!

The name La Zag has become more well known in the last few years thanks to RITCHIE BLACKMORE, the legendary ex-guitarist of Deep Purple, who with his band formed in 1996, Blackmore¹s Night has also found great inspiration in Early music. After witnessing a La Zag concert he was impressed to the point of making them his opening act for tours in Italy and Europe. Since the year 2000 La Zag have supported Ritchie’s band on his Italian tours and in the summer 2003 they guested on the German tour, as well as shows in Italy, Switzerland and Austria. In November La Zag played four concerts in the UK where with their natural and positive music they were a great success with the enthused English audience.

2004 sees the band further enhancing their growing reputation with a number of exclusive much anticipated theatre shows and the recording of their long awaited and much overdue new studio album. It is likely that by the dawn of 2005 La Zag will be a name familiar to many in the exciting world of Renaissance music.

Discography:
• 1997: CD “Volpone” (Soundtrack/incidental music for the play by Ben Jonson)
• 1998: CD “Ancient tunes for new times” (a review of La Zag's musical activity)
• 2000: CD “Il Cavaliere delle Dolomiti” (12 ballads on the legends of Fanes)
• 2004-2005: CD “HIC SUNT LEONES - The Age of Historical Folk”
• winter/spring 2006/2007 in recording studio working on a new album.