A concert this week in Piazza Salvi in Barga Vecchia to celebrate the end of the season for the Da Aristo bar, with the well known band – The Aristodemos BUT with a special surprise guest – a 1956 Landini “testa calda” tractor on the rhythm section.
Franco Motroni drove his treasured and well maintained Landini “testa calda” tractor into Piazza Salvi and set it up behind The Aristodemos and the band played along with the sound of the tractor running in the background.
The Aristodemo’s are: Andrea Gonnella (Vocals), Keane (percussioni / percussion), Alessandro Rizzardi (Mandolino / Mandolin and Sax), Fabio Guazzelli (chitarra / guitar), Leo Gnesi on double–bass, Francesco Massagli (fisarmonica) and super guest – Franco Motroni con il suo storico Landini “testa calda”
The band came together in the winter of 2009 when local musicians Alessandro Rizzardi (mandolino), Keane (Percussioni), Fabio Guazelli (chitarra), Leo Gnesi (contro bass), and Andrea Gonnella (cantante) found each other in Aristo’s enoteca, with instruments in hand, and exciting ideas in mind and of course, passion in heart.
Focusing mainly on forgotten swing Italiano from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, The Aristodemos welcome you to jump back in time and into their salotto. You may also hear something contemporary swung into Aristo gear.
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Additional video reporting on this event by Melanie Keane and images by Caterina Salvi
All articles on barganews featuring the Aristodemo’s can be seen here
The Landini Tractors
In 1924, a single engine, based on a series of diesels, was mounted on the 25/30 HP prototype tractor, with satisfactory results.
In fact, the machine turns out to be robust and inspires confidence.
In 1932 it was put into the 40 HP production model, designed for large farms, as well as a 25/30 HP model, which had a water evaporative cooling system.In 1934 superlandini went into production and soon a new tractor became a great commercial success; with 48 horsepower, it becomes the most powerful national production tractor, and will remain until after the First World War.
Given the complicated procedure to start the first line Landini cycle diesel engine. In 1935 a smaller model called velit was presented, 25 HP and a weight of only 2,300 kg, more flexible to use and less “interesting”.
Velit, so called because it referred to the title given by Mussolini ago, which stood out in the Battaglia del Grano campaign. The model achieved great sales success.
Velit achieves the unexpected success that allowed the Reggio Emilia-based company to become the first tractor manufacturer in Italy.
In the 1950s there is a new range of two-stroke cycle engine production tractors, from the smallest to the largest L25 L55, which was the strongest ever built.
Despite the fact that today the two-stroke internal combustion engine has been replaced by cycle diesel engines with higher performance and better operation, Landini two-stroke engines are still adored by enthusiasts of agricultural machinery.
