Capitolo 6 -

Capitolo 6 was an Italian symphonic-rock band that released three singles and the 1972 album Frutti per Kagua on it/RCA Italiana.

Members: Riccardo Bartolotti (vocals, guitar, flute), Jimmy Santerini (keyboards, vocals), Mauro Romani (bass), Lorenzo Donati (drums, vocals), Luciano Casa (drums, acoustic guitar, vocals, 1969-71), Loriano “Fischio” Berti (saxophone, flute, 1971-72)

Background

Capitolo 6 formed in 1969 in Viareggio, Tuscany, through the merger of two regional 1960s beat bands: Gli Eremiti, from Viareggio, and I Rangers, based in Livorno. Multi-instrumentalist Luciano Casa (drums, acoustic guitar, vocals) and keyboardist–vocalist Jimmy Santerini had played in Gli Eremiti, while bassist Mauro Romani and drummer–vocalist Lorenzo Donati came from I Rangers. Singer–guitarist–flutist Riccardo Bartolotti joined the lineup to form the namesake six-piece.

The group debuted as Capitolo 6 with a dual-percussion format, though Casa increasingly played 12-string acoustic guitar and supported on vocals. After establishing themselves locally, they relocated to Rome in 1970. RCA Italiana producer Franco Tessandori, a fellow Viareggio native, signed them to It, a label typically focused on cantautori.

Capitolo 6 issued their debut single “M’innamoro di te” [“I Fall in Love With You] (b/w “L’amavamo in tre” [Three of Us Loved Her]) in 1971 on It.

In 1971, multi-instrumentalist Loriano “Fischio” Berti (saxophone, flute) replaced Casa, marking a shift in the group’s instrumentation. During this period, the band appeared as a quartet on Yugoslavian broadcaster Tele Capodistria, featuring Donati on lead vocals, Santerini on bass, Berti on winds, and guest guitarist Roberto Ghiozzi — formerly of Livorno’s I Satelliti — standing in for Bartolotti, who was unable to travel abroad. This lineup remained active through 1972.

Frutti per Kagua

Capitolo 6 released their singular album, Frutti per Kagua, in 1972 on It.

The album contrasts a single 18-minute suite on Side A with three shorter tracks on Side B. Reedist Loriano Berti and drummer Lorenzo Donati co-wrote the title track with lyricist Francesco De Gregori and collaborator E. De Angelis. Guitarist Riccardo Bartolotti wrote the remaining three songs on side B.

The title suite unfolds in staged sections: it opens with a mid-tempo unison riff for flute and guitar, interrupted by vocal passages and resets into denser segments with staggered dynamics. After a rhythmic collapse, a slow atmospheric buildup centers on acoustic guitar and ascending vocal layers before shifting to overlapping wind and string figures. The second crescendo, marked by organ arpeggios and sax interjections, culminates in a reprise of earlier vocal material.

“Il Tramonto di un Popolo” cycles between rapid, distorted breaks and sparse acoustic interludes, capped by a sharp vocal escalation. “L’Ultima Notte” extends through contrasting modules with ensemble singing, tempo pivots, and drawn-out instrumental surges that climax in a solo-voice dénouement. “Grande Spirito” remains the most compact piece, alternating chordal verses with decorative accents but avoiding extended form.

A1. “Frutti per Kagua” [Fruit for Kagua] (18:40) — multi-part suite with alternating tempos and sectional contrasts; includes wordless ensemble vocals, extended instrumental passages, and interwoven flute, guitar, and saxophone motifs

B1. “Grande Spirito” [Great Spirit] (3:32) — acoustic ballad with shared vocals and dynamic vocal phrasing
B2. “Il Tramonto di un Popolo” [The Sunset of a People] (5:28) — mixes strophic vocals with alternating high-energy and pastoral segments
B3. “L’Ultima Notte” [The Last Night] (12:24) — long-form sequence with vocal reentries, sectional shifts, instrumental themes, and coda resolution

Sessions occurred in 1972 at RCA Studios in Rome with producer Franco Tessandori. Claudio Russo engineered the original recordings, and G. Loviscek handled re-recording. MP Records and PeterPan Studio supervised editing and restoration.

Frutti per Kagua appeared in a white vertical gatefold with a line drawing of a slouched Apache with a cherry-sprouting totem leg.

It promoted Kagua with the single “Il grande spirito,” backed with the non-album “Sole di notte” [Night Sun]. The band disbanded in October 1972 shortly after the album’s release.

Discography: