ELIMI
Biographie ELIMI
ELIMI
was formed in 2019 by a group of friends and fellow musicians, all students at the “A. Scontrino” Conservatory in Trapani. Their sound and musical identity lean towards nu-jazz, while their name draws inspiration from the ancient Elymians, a people who inhabited western Sicily. The band consists of Grazia Buffa (vocals), Giovanni Balistreri (tenor sax), Francesco Di Giovanni (guitar), Vito Vulpetti (electric bass), and Roberto Provenzano (drums). In 2019, the group participated in International Jazz Day, the National Conservatory Festival in Frosinone, and the National Arts Prize in Naples.
Their experience in Naples sparked the idea of recording an EP of original tracks titled *NEXT STOP*; released in February 2020, it was launched with a live session at the “Eliodoro Sollima” Theatre in Marsala. Although the EP was entirely instrumental and featured a different lineup than the current one, the summer of 2020 marked a turning point for the band: the members decided to complement their sound with the rich, expressive vocals of Grazia Buffa. In August 2020, they won the Sicily Jazz Academy Contest in Acireale.
In 2021, they performed at the Sicily Jazz Festival at the Church of Lo Spasimo in Palermo and won the “Tomorrow’s Jazz” award (presented by Veneto Jazz) at the Sale Apollinee of the Teatro La Fenice in Venice. In the summer of 2022, they participated in the 16th Bucharest International Jazz Competition (EUROPAfest) at the MNAR Auditorium Hall (Royal Palace) in Bucharest, Romania. In 2023, they won the inaugural edition of “UnoJazz&Blues” at the Sanremo Casino Theatre and the first edition of the “Nu Jazz Festival” at the “Guarasci” Auditorium in Cosenza, securing a recording deal with Emme Record Label in collaboration with Tube Recording Studio. In 2024, “MOON DROP”—the band’s first album with EMME Record Label—was released on all digital platforms.
