I Dischi del Sole

I Dischi del Sole is an Italian record label founded in Milan in 1963 within the publishing house Edizioni Avanti!. It emerged as a militant label, building on the earlier experience of Cantacronache, and until the late 1970s it published folk songbooks and albums of Italian protest and socially engaged music. The label's catalogue features important artists such as Fausto Amodei, Gualtiero Bertelli, Caterina Bueno, Paolo Ciarchi, Giovanna Daffini, Ivan Della Mea, Giovanna Marini, Paolo Pietrangeli, and Michele L. Straniero. In the late 1990s the catalogue was acquired by Ala Bianca, a record company owned by Toni Verona and distributed by EMI Italiana and later the Warner group, which reissued much of the material on CD. The label's history is documented in the 2004 documentary 'I dischi del sole' directed by Luca Pastore. Cover art for early releases was created by designers such as Giancarlo Iliprandi, who in 1964 designed covers for EP collections including 'Canti anarchici', 'Canti della Resistenza italiana', 'Canti repubblicani', 'Canzoni in osteria', 'Canzoni popolari sarde', and 'Canzoni popolari veneziane'. Today I Dischi del Sole operates as an imprint of Ala Bianca Group S.r.l., with its official page hosted on the Ala Bianca website.

I Dischi del Sole was founded in Milan in 1963 within Edizioni Avanti!, the publishing house associated with the Italian Socialist Party. It was established as a militant record label, drawing on the earlier experience of Cantacronache, a group of musicians and intellectuals who set socially and politically engaged lyrics to music. From its inception until the late 1970s, the label focused on publishing folk songbooks and albums of Italian protest and committed music. Its catalogue included works by prominent artists such as Fausto Amodei, Gualtiero Bertelli, Caterina Bueno, Paolo Ciarchi, Giovanna Daffini, Ivan Della Mea, Giovanna Marini, Paolo Pietrangeli, and Michele L. Straniero. The label also released numerous EPs and LPs, including series such as 'L'altra Italia', 'L'Italia nelle canzoni', 'Gli uomini le opere i giorni', and 'Archivi sonori'. Cover art for early releases was designed by Giancarlo Iliprandi, who in 1964 created covers for EP collections including 'Canti anarchici', 'Canti della Resistenza italiana', 'Canti repubblicani', 'Canzoni in osteria', 'Canzoni popolari sarde', and 'Canzoni popolari veneziane'. In the late 1990s, the catalogue was acquired by Ala Bianca, a record company owned by Toni Verona and distributed by EMI Italiana and later by the Warner group. Ala Bianca reissued much of the material on CD, both complete LPs and individual tracks. The label's history is the subject of the 2004 documentary 'I dischi del sole', directed by Luca Pastore. Today, I Dischi del Sole continues as an imprint of Ala Bianca Group S.r.l., with its official page on the Ala Bianca website.

• 2004

  Documentary 'I dischi del sole' directed by Luca Pastore released.

• 1990

  Catalogue acquired by Ala Bianca in the late 1990s.

• 1970

  Label continues publishing folk and protest music until late 1970s.

• 1964

  Giancarlo Iliprandi designs covers for EP collections such as 'Canti anarchici' and 'Canti della Resistenza italiana'.

• 1963

  Founded in Milan within Edizioni Avanti!.

Militant folk and protest music label; historical catalogue reissued on CD.

• 33 giri L'altra Italia

• 33 giri L'Italia nelle canzoni

• 33 giri Gli uomini le opere i giorni

• 33 giri ARCHIVI SONORI

• EP (33 giri in formato 17,5 cm)

• 45 giri

• 45 giri - Serie Linea Rossa

1. 1Wikidata entry for I Dischi del Solewikidata.org
2. 2Italian Wikipedia article on I Dischi del Soleit.wikipedia.org
3. 3Official page on Ala Bianca websitealabianca.it