Artist
MARIO BARBAJA
Mario Barbaja (real name Barbaglia) is a little known artist based in Milan, whose early works have much in common with another singer-songwriter that released his main albums on Ariston, Claudio Rocchi.
Like Rocchi's first album, Barbaja's debut, Argento, is a mainly acoustic work, based on guitar with some flute, sitar and percussion, in a sort of eastern-influenced psych/folk style.
Second album, Megh, has more intense arrangements closer to rock, and is usually considered his best LP. It featured many well-known session musicians, among which guitarist Ricky Belloni from Nuova Idea and his brother Gigi on bass, Eugenio Finardi, Alberto Camerini and Lucio Fabbri (both also with Finardi, the latter was then in PFM), drummers Tullio De Piscopo (with New Trolls Atomic System and later one of the most important Italian session drummers) and Pasquale Venditto from Forum Livii and Ibis, and even a guest appearance by Stormy Six leader Franco Fabbri. With the latest group Barbaja had also collaborated writing Sotto il bambł, released on single in the same year.
Later albums from 1975 and 1978 were on a lower level
and more commercial-styled.
After the retirement from his musical career Barbaglia dedicated to his work as architect and designer
| LP | |||
| Argento (...quando il nostro amore diventa libertą...) | Ariston (AR/LP 12062) | 1971 | textured gatefold cover - black label |
| Megh | Ariston (AR/LP 12076) | 1972 | single cover - Ariston Gnomo label |
| New York bazar | Ariston (AR/LP 12273) | 1975 | gatefold cover |
| Made in Hong Kong | Ariston (AR/LP 12341) | 1978 | single cover with lyric inner and poster |
SINGLES (with picture sleeve) |
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| Argento Il cammino |
Ariston (AR/0522) | 1971 | both tracks from Argento |
| Sono stato Non dire mai |
Ariston (AR/0550) | 1972 | both tracks from Megh |
| Super supermarket Lady drive in |
Ariston (AR/0705) | 1975 | both tracks from New York bazar |
PROMOTIONAL AND JUKE BOX SINGLES(with blank cover) |
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| Il mondo di Giulietta Il vento dell'estate |
Ariston (AR/0521) | 1971 | promotional single - both tracks from Argento |
| Super-supermarket | Ariston (JB 038) | 1975 | credited to Pamela & Mario Barbaja - jukebox single - backed with Equipe 84/Vai amore vai |
| Il momento dell'addio | Ariston (AR 00862) | 1979 | jukebox single - backed with Luciano Rossi/Chissà |
First two albums, usually considered his best ones, are
rather rare.
Argento came with a textured gatefold cover and still had the old design Ariston
black/silver label, while Megh had a poor single cover and came on the
recently introduced beige Gnomo label.
No counterfeit exists, nor foreign issues.
There are surely three official singles by Barbaja, while the existence of a commercial release of Il mondo di Giulietta, issued in 1971 at least in promotional form, is not confirmed.
Some excerpts from his songs are included in the Disco Refrain promotional singles, produced by Ariston, which contained some short extracts from their current production.
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Argento - front cover |
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Megh - front cover |
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New York bazaar - front cover |
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Made in Hong Kong - front cover |
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Argento - 7" single |
Sono stato - 7" single |
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Super supermarket - 7" single |
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Thanks to Carmine Musella and Corrado Magnano for pictures and info
