Biography
Giuliano Palma balances multiple artistic identities, functioning as an experimental sound explorer alongside Casino Royale while delivering ska-infused entertainment through his own group the Bluebeaters. Critics and audiences alike have consistently recognized his abilities. Serving as a vocalist for the Milan-based Casino Royale between 1987 and 1996, the performer known as “The King” progressed from the ska-oriented approach of the band’s early releases toward the innovative fusions found on Sempre Più Vicini and CRX, where dub, pop, electronics, and trip-hop converged. During a 1993 visit to Turin for a recording session with Fratelli di Soledad, Palma assembled musician colleagues drawn from Africa Unite, Reggae National Tickets, and New York Ska Jazz Ensemble to launch the parallel outfit Giuliano Palma & the Bluebeaters, a name chosen in tribute to the bluebeat genre that emerged in 1960s Jamaica. Their concerts featured ska and reggae standards alongside pop numbers reinterpreted in ska and rocksteady arrangements. Following Casino Royale’s dissolution in 1997, the Bluebeaters increased their activity, which led to the 1999 appearance of their debut release, simply called The Album. Distributed at first exclusively via the band’s website, the record moved more than 12,000 units, aided by extensive radio exposure for the cover of Black’s “Wonderful Life.” After securing a deal with V2 Italy, the group issued an expanded edition containing two bonus tracks in 2000, placing it in retail outlets as well. The following year brought The Wonderful Live, a document of the ensemble’s stage energy captured on analog tape to retain the immediacy and unpolished character of their performances. Palma’s inaugural solo project, Gran Premio, arrived in 2002 and adopted a sonic palette close to that of the Bluebeaters yet consisted solely of newly written material. The second studio album from Giuliano Palma & the Bluebeaters, Long Playing, emerged in 2005 and presented twenty-two fresh interpretations of songs by artists including Paolo Conte, the Pretenders, and Van Halen. Sales surpassed 30,000 copies, a figure further validated in 2006 when the previously excluded single “Come le Viole” achieved notable success. Their third studio effort, Boogaloo, appeared in 2007 and was propelled by a version of Equipe 84’s “Tutta Mia la Città,” itself the Italian rendering of the Move’s “Blackberry Way,” which ranked among the most frequently broadcast tracks on Italian radio throughout the latter half of that year.
Albums
Singles
