Antonio Testa
Producer, musician, percussionist,
music propaedeutic teacher, music therapist.
Antonio Testa is a musician and researcher specializing in the identification and study of natural sounds and the creation of evocative musical atmospheres. His work is characterized by an innovative and coherent use of extensive research and a profound knowledge of a wide range of musical instruments from indigenous and traditional cultures, complemented by original instruments that he designs and builds himself using natural and recycled materials.
Antonio is a percussionist specializing in tribal and Afro-Caribbean rhythms. A pioneering figure in the ethnic ambient and world music scene, he has been professionally active in contemporary music since the 1980s. His artistic vision is rooted in a deep understanding of ethnomusicology and music therapy, earning him international recognition. His extensive experience, together with his sensitivity to the therapeutic qualities and potential of sound, enables him to integrate his music into innovative music therapy sessions.
Antonio’s sound is also conceived, produced, and employed as a soundtrack for documentaries, communication and fashion events, live performances, television, cinema, and theatre. Thanks to his versatility and unique expertise, collaboration with Antonio Testa is continually sought after by artists working across a wide range of musical fields. The musical synergies developed throughout a lifetime devoted to research, experimentation, and teaching have led him to innovative and acclaimed artistic achievements, inspiring original and profound forms of musical exploration that have enabled him to create a distinctive sonic language and deeply evocative atmospheres.
Antonio Testa has produced eight solo albums, a CD produced exclusively for RAITrade, a CD produced for Michel Moglia, three albums in collaboration with Alio Die, the album “Continuum”with artist Gaudi on the British record label Em:t Records, (it reached number 3 on the UK iTunes chart in 2005). From 1991 the W.DX band collaborate with Gaudi for the next four years, touring and sharing the stage with international Reggae artists such as : Ziggy Marley, The Wailers, Yellowman, Maxi Priest, Mutabaruka, Jimmy Cliff and others. Between 1986-1993 Antonio’s career had an intense continuity with the W.D.X. Band, the original reggae band of which he was the founder. Over the course of his 35 years long career Antonio Testa has had an extensive number of solo live concerts on international stages; among them we remember in Italy: the Olympic Stadium in Rome, the Colosseum in Rome, Sonica in Sonica Reloaded, Trontano; in Europe: The National Portrait Gallery in London, Glade Festival, Waveform, Cosmo and Sunrise Festivalsin the United Kingdom, Electric Picnic in Ireland, Reggae Sunsplash in Italy and Spain, Ozora in Hungary, Boom Festival in Portugal, Somuna in Switzerland and many others.
Complete discography: https://www.antoniotestamusic.com/antonio-testa-discography/
Since the 1980’s he has had active artistic projects in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, universities, theatres, museums, artistic companies, psychiatric hospitals and prisons. Since 1984 Antonio has been teaching drums-percussion, recording, music therapy, overall music, construction of musical instruments with recycled materials as well as producing soundtracks for fairy tales using his original method described in the book “Playing with sounds”, published by Alpha Centauri/BMG Ricordi in 1999 and reprinted in 2020 by Nomos Edizioni. He has been interviewed and published by magazines specialized in the music, percussion, drum club and teaching sector; in addition, his musical research and didactic-therapeutic experiences have also published in university textbooks. The artist offers a wide spectrum of musical activities, he writes fairy tales for children, creates exhibitions and installations, composes music for films, naturalistic documentaries and theatre productions, he performs as a session musician in recording studios and live both in Italy and internationally. His artistic collaborations have marked moments of great growth for him as a musician, as well as having been the session man for renowned artists such as John McLaughlin, Little Steven, Miriam Makeba, Gaudì, Alio Die, Claudio Rocchi, Walter Maioli and Art Primitive Sound “Prehistoric Music”, Massimo Priviero, Marco Ferradini, Cordatesa, Quartiere Latino and others. Antonio has worked as a professor at Goldsmith University in London UK with Phil Mullen, at the University of Palermo in the Department of Psychology with Giovanna Perricone and Alberto Argenton, (professor of art psychology at the University of Padua); he has carried out music therapy projects with psychiatrists such as Giordano Bianchi, Filippo Massara, Gaetano Roy. He has been a regular guest at the Simposium of Art and Prehistory organized by the prestigious Camuno Center for Prehistoric Studies conducted by Emmanuel Anati.
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