Cesare began to play and study the drums during his adolescence, subsequently developing an interest in ethnic percussion instruments. He studied percussion at the Conservatory of Bari, and began to learn the rhythms of Mediterranean Africa with the Algerian Moussa Belkacemi.

He discovered Afro-Cuban culture with Giovanni Imparato with whom he continued his studies of this traditional music. He broadened his skills at La Habana with Antonio Urcaneta of Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba, and in New York with John Amira. He is interested in many different forms of musical expression, ranging from traditional and popular Cuban music, traditional and modern Arab music, west and central African music, Brazilian music, jazz, funk, ethnic and songs by Italian authors.

He's been drummer and percussionist of the world music group Tavernanova, with which he recorded the CD "Taverna Nova" and "Matengue", both of which were very positively received by national music critics. The latter disc won second place in the category "Frontiera" in "PIM '97" (Italian Music Prize), a contest held by La Repubblica, Radio DeeJay and MTV.
A song from "Matengue" is featured on the sound track of a film by the French director Catherine Breillat entitled "A ma soeur", which was presented at the Berlin Film Festival of 2001.

He collaborated with: Orchestra Utopia conducted by Bruno Tommaso, Pino Minafra, Paolo Fresu Sextet, Gianluigi Trovesi, Evan Parker, Pierre Favre, Javier Girotto, Roberto Ottaviano, Puglia Jazz Big Band conducted by Paolo Lepore, Radiodervish, Funambolici Vargas, Antonio Marangolo, Ensemble Terræ, Antonello Salis, Quartethno, Quintetto X, Abbes Boufrioua, Giovanni Imparato, Nicola Conte, Farafina, Toups Bebey & Le Spirit Pan-African Brass Company, Miguel Enriquez, Francisco Ulloa Pachito, Andrea Parodi, Maria Pia De Vito and the vocal ensemble Faraualla.

Has participated in numerous international festivals, among which Time in Jazz (Berchidda), Rumori Meditterranei (Roccella Jonica), Europa Jazz Festival (Noci), Premio Tenco (Sanremo), Sconfini (Rome), Notti di Stelle (Bari), Biennale dei Giovani Artisti dell'Europa e del Mediterraneo (Rome), Settembre Musica (Turin), Il Violino e la Selce (San Benedetto del Tronto), Disma Music Show (Rimini), Roma incontra il mondo, Pesaro Spring Festival, Concerti al Palazzo del Quirinale (Rome), Villa Celimontana (Rome), Etnofestival (Republic of Sanmarino), Dubrovnik Jazz Festival (Dubrovnik, Croatia), International Babylon Festival (Babylon, Iraq), Frammenti and SR2 Kulturpicknick (Saarbrücken, Germany), Voicemania (Vienna, Austria).

He also recorded the sound track of the film directed by Giulio Base entitled "La bomba", composed by Leo Gadaleta for RTI Music label.
Besides his concert and recording activities, Cesare also collaborates as percussionist to workshops and courses of Caribbean dance and teaches Afro-Cuban and Arab rhythms and instruments.
He is specialized in conga, bongò, timbales and darbouka techniques, his percussion set includes a broad array of instruments from Africa, South-America, Caribbean, East, Mediterranean area and Middle East making use sometimes of also electronic and sampled sounds.
Cesare is searching for a musical style that merges those traditional musical cultures into modern European and Afro-American sounds and grooves.


Cesare Pastanella - feb. 2003

DISCOGRAPHY

Bruno Tommaso, Vittorino Curci e Orchestra Utopia Nux Erat (Cmc 1994)
Taverna Nova Taverna Nova (Cni 1994)
Orchestra e Coro Civico di Corato Canto di Natale nel mondo (Edizioni Paoline 1994)
Tempo 5 The way I had (Right tempo 1995)
Tavernanova (compilation) Canti Sudati (il Manifesto 1995)
Virgin 08:15 All'alba di un giorno nuovo (Vrg 1996)
Orchestra Utopia e Paolo Fresu Sextet 6x30 (Onyx 1996)
Tavernanova Matengue (Cni-Bmg 1996)
Paolo Achenza Trio Ombre (Schema 1997)
Intensive Jazz Sextet Today's Sound (Schema 1997)
Edmondo Dominio elementare (Schema 1997)
Finisterræ Finisterræ (Equipe 1998)
Radiodervish Lingua contro Lingua (Dischi del Mulo-Polygram 1998)
Funambolici Vargas (compilation) festival nazionale Cant'autori (Arci 1998)
Funambolici Vargas Canzoniere copernicano (Dfv-Emi 2000)
Nicola Conte (compilation) Feeling good - Lounge (Bmg 2001)
Davide Penta Venus Mandala (III Millennio 2002)
Faraualla Sind' (Amiata Records 2002)