All the candid moments of traveling and in between the official cameras rolling for "Seea in Italy."
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"Look at this. 15 hours by plane, 14 hours by ferry, 8 hours driving, to surf this mess!" funtemplates 2015 Collection was filmed across different location in Italy, and despite less than perfect surf conditions, our love for the country’s culture and beauty only deepened.
funtemplates in Italy – Behind the Scenes video captures the candid moments of traveling and in between the official cameras rolling.
Click HERE to shop the collection and view the full film!
MORE SEEA IN ITALY:
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Elegance comes naturally to Seea's resident stylist for our Italian photo shoot, Elisabetta Dal Bello. The style maven shares with us her philosophy of self confidence and how she elevates Seea to ready-to-wear status.
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Elegance comes naturally to Seea's resident stylist for our Italian photo shoot, Elisabetta Dal Bello. The style maven shares with us her philosophy of self confidence and how she elevates Seea to ready-to-wear status.
By Johnie Gall
Fashion week in Milan is a big deal. Models, designers, bloggers and the editors of some of the most prestigious magazines in Italy all converge on the city in a flurry of well-tailored pants and effortlessly tousled hair (the kind that actually takes an hour to achieve). Then there’s fashion stylist Elisabetta Dal Bello.
“My editor at Vanity Fair sometimes pokes fun at me because I always look like I’ve arrived straight from the beach,” says the sun-bleached blonde. “Even during fashion week in Milan!”
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| Elisabetta Dal Bello in vintage cut-offs with her signature tanned skin and naturally blonde hair. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Elisabetta, a renowned stylist who’s contributed her innate eye for fashion to magazines like Italian Elle and Vanity Fair Italy, is living proof that style isn’t what you wear, but how what you wear fits who you are. It’s an instinct bred into her through her deep Italian heritage. “It’s hard to explain what Italian style is,” she begins. “It’s much more than the actual clothing. It’s the art of putting things together, of using unusual elements to create something amazing and unique.”
That can mean mixing a classic, well-tailored shirt from a small Italian design studio with something that’s more specific to the season, like a pair of surf leggings and a piece of bohemian jewelry. “Italian style a legacy of knowhow,” she says. “It’s a country with an old and important tradition, but we are also travelers. It is all about mixing something classic with something eccentric and out of the blue.”
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| The bright colors of Mele in the Leucadia bikini in Purple Sail and Jenayl in the Riviera One-Piece in Geogold shine in the Mediterranean's blue waters. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Wearing Seea on the street. Jenayl wears the Balboa Leggings in Geogold and Mele wears the Jalama Top in Geo Gold and Avalon Overalls in Prarie. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Tailored pants are juxtaposed with body-hugging swimwear. Jenayl wears the San-O in Luna. Mele wears the Mundaka Tie Top in Earth Waves. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Mele wears the Zuma Surf Suit in Burgundy with an easy button-up top evoking warm spicy colors. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Natalia Resmini wears the Hermosa Surf Suit in Earth Waves with tailored, cropped pants. We are so all about the cropped pants. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Jenayl wears the Maderas shorts in Prarie. Cleo makes a bold statement with a menswear vest worn over the Palmas Surf Suit in Verde — no pants. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Cleo wears the Palmas Surf Suit in Verde. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Get a closer look at all of the stunning Italian scenery and more outfits for surfing (because we love selecting our surf suits for the day as much as our real clothes) in the full length Seea in Italy film!
MORE ITALIAN FASHION:
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Sure, we came to Italy to surf. But this trip was so much more. Watch the film and fall in love with Italy's culture!
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Starting in Florence, Italy, we plunged into a more than 20-hour journey by ferry and automobile to Sicily in southern Italy. The search for waves, and to experience authentic Italian culture brought us to Syracuse, a historic city in Sicily that was the largest city in the ancient world — even bigger than Athens and Corinth (names that all triggered buried history classes from our memory).
It was a lot of science, instinct and experience to find the right spot for the fickle windswell. We found in our journey with Italian friends that surfing in Italy is serious devotion. In the absence of abundance easy waves, the heart is filled with romantic longing. You wait, obsessed with meteorology, the moon cycle of tides, the methodical calculation of how the energy will crest and break into the coastline’s topography. You have to be ready to drop everything and go when the swell's coming. There's more poor-fair days of surfing than good-epic days, which makes you especially grateful for those special days.
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| Jenayl in the Belmont Romper in Prarie. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Italian scenery. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
We got in a few fun days and in between sessions the scenery never disappointed. We wandered the cobblestone streets in Sicily on foot and slowed down driving through the Viale dei Cipressi in Tuscany; the three-mile drive between 2,000 tall magnificent trees neatly lined up one after another that felt like a fairytale carriage approaching your castle. We wanted to try every local Italian food: wine in Bolgheri, Tuscany, the arancini in Sicily, gelato by the ocean, and the citrus in bloom.
Coming from California where you don't find any buildings older than the 1700s, being surrounded by Italy's ancient churches and artisan traditions — hello, wine making that's the elixer of the gods — made you think longer about the wealth of culture and knowledge the country holds. And yet isn't it funny that surfing is where we met in the middle.
In all of Italy’s centuries of maritime history, the idea of riding upon waves for recreation — and what we know as modern surfing— didn’t arrive to the country until the 1970s. The pioneering surfers of Italy were not that different from the pioneering surfers in other parts of the globe. They were sailors, swimmers, paddlers and waterman addicted to the ride, creating wave craft in their own cultural style, all for the pure love of it.
"Our surf culture is very interesting because it’s quite young and vibrant," explains Luca Merli, the director of "Seea in Italy" film and one of our guides on the trip. "Italians are marine people, the Mediterranean has been the cradle of civilization. We love our sea Our boot shaped country is surrounded by water which as been used since the Romans for trade, for wars, for fun and for living... and now surfing is booming on our coasts like California in the '60s. We're very passionate surfers and I wanted to celebrate this small history."
We'll raise our wine glasses filled with Italian vino to that.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at some of the picturesque location in the "Seea in Italy" film and be inspired to shop the Seea suits that they wore!
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| Jenayl wears the Riviera in Geo Gold on the coast of Sicily. Mele wears the Leucadia in Purple Sail. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Mele in the Tofino in Blue Tide. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Jenayl in the Montara in Vintage and Calafia legging in Prarie. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Jenayl in the Capitola in Geogold (worn in reverse), Windansea shirt in Deco Waves and Marina Neoprene pants. Mele in the Rincon jacket, Chicama Top and Bottom in Porto. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Mele in the Rincon jacket, Chicama Top and Bottom in Porto. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Jenayl in the Capitola in Geogold (worn in reverse), Windansea shirt in Deco Waves and Marina Neoprene pants. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Mele in the Leucadia bikini in Luna. Jenayl in the Tofino in Geo Gold. |
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| Jenayl snacks on local fruit. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Mele in the Mundaka top in Earth Waves. Jenayl in the SanO in Luna. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Driving through the Viale dei Cipressi in Bolgheri, Tuscany. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Driving into the famous town Bolgheri, Tuscany. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| The still waters in Bagni Nettuno, the historical resort in the Castiglioncello region of Tuscany. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Cleo wears the Swamis in Tiles in Bagni Nettuno. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
KEEP TRAVELING THROUGH ITALY:
- Seea in Italy teaser video by Onde Nostre
- Seea on Set in Italy: Still Waters, Iconic Italian Culture in Tuscany
- Seea on Set in Italy: Following the Wind from Florence to Sicily!
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A really amazing life-changing trip never gets stale in your memory — flipping back through the photos takes us there all over again. We've probably watched this first teaser video of our journey through Italy a million times already and hope that you can feel like you're right there with us when you watch it too.
Special thanks to cast and crew: Luca Merli, Natalia Resmini, Jenayl Peters, Mele Saili, Giovanni Sbrokked Barberis, Ale Ponzanelli, Naitsirc Tian, Betta Dal Bello, Enrico Gorrea, Amanda Chinchelli, Chimmy and Grandma.
Filmed in Sicily and Tuscany, with still photos by Onde Nostre.
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| Mele and Jenayl. Photo by Onde Nostre. |
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| Ahoy! Photo by Onde Nostre. |
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| Amanda, Chimmy and Betta. Photo by Onde Nostre. |
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| Taking a break. Photo by Onde Nostre. |
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| Mele and Jenayl in Italy. Photo by Onde Nostre. |
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| Thanks to the crew and our guides! Photo by Onde Nostre. |
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| Mele and Jenayl in Italian style. Photo by Onde Nostre. |
KEEP TRAVELING WITH US THROUGH ITALY
Pretty much any surf trip is going with the flow of the weather, and chasing the windswell to Sicily was the best window of surf we got. Our next destination, Tuscany was about slowing down to breathe in iconic Italian village culture.
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Pretty much any surf trip is going with the flow of the weather, and chasing the windswell to Sicily was the best window of surf we got. Our next destination, Tuscany was about slowing down to breathe in iconic Italian village culture. We hopped back onto the ferry north to Tuscany, a region known for an old world pastoral countryside that yields great food and wine. Our kind of place! We stopped in Bolgheri, a famous town full of food and wine shops, brick houses and charming little village shops.
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| Back on the ferry on the way to Tuscany. Photo by Onde Nostre. |
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| The Viale dei Cipressi that leads to Bolgheri. |
Upon arrival to Bolgheri, we met up with some friends who have businesses in the area. Lorenzo Stefanini from Naïve store came to say hello and brought an awesome red Alfa Romeo for the girls to drive around. The scenery of the streets — be it the people, buildings or walking on the road — had so much character.
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| Thanks Lorenzo for the ride! |
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| Tuscany roads are meant to be driven upon in a car like this. |
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| We enlisted some local models in Bolgheri. |
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| Bolgheri ladies know how to live it up! Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Seea's Belmont Romper, Maderas Shorts and Palmas worn with Italian street style. |
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| These colors! So good. |
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| Welcome to Bolgheripiu! |
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| Inside the store of cool curated goods from local designers. |
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| Dinner in Bolgheri. |
The night we stayed at the beautiful Casale del Mare an agriturismo with horses vineyards and ocean view.
Tuscany's countryside really wowed us. Northern California has vineyards and expansive agricultural landscapes, for sure, but the Seeababes were stunned by the beauty of the land, the character of the people and stone wall buildings.
“My favorite location of the whole trip was driving through the wine vineyards, in Tuscany, with all the girls in the car and everything was golden from the sun setting. It was like a scene from a classic film,” Mele says.
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| View from our room in the Casale Del Mare. |
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| A little bit of rain this time of year. |
There can be waves at this spot that are quite fun, but when we were there it was glassy and completely flat so the girls went for a “pattino” ride in the lifeguard vehicle. Between shots, we cozied up with sweaters and denim jackets wearing the beautiful jewels from Ines Susaeta.
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| The unimitable Andrea Nacci and his quiver like no other. |
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| Even with no waves, the view is worth it. |
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| Calm end of summer. |
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| Jewels by Ines Susaeta. |
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| Thanks to the guys who were awesome tour guides and travel companions. |
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| That's a wrap! |
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Capturing the distinct culture of Italy’s historic cobblestone streets and romantic old world countrysides — gorgeous! No problem. Looking for waves, however, made the trip into a crazy mission full of surprises and serendipitous encounters along the way. Come along on our hunt for waves and all the twists and turns that make traveling an addictive experience.
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| How we roll. Seea in Italy! |
Why did we pick Italy, of all coastlines in the world to take the Seeababes for the 2015 photoshoot? As the homeland of designer Amanda Chinchelli, Italian tile architecture, striped beach umbrellas and colors of red wine were an inspiration, so Sicily and Tuscany felt like the perfect backdrops for the patterns and colors of the new collection.
Capturing the distinct culture of Italy’s historic cobblestone streets and romantic old world countrysides — gorgeous! No problem. Looking for waves, however, made the trip into a crazy mission full of surprises and serendipitous encounters along the way. Come along on our hunt for waves and all the twists and turns that make traveling an addictive experience.
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| Mele and Jenayl at the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. |
First stop: California Seeababes Mele Saili and Jenayl Peters arrive in Florence! We spent the day taking them to see some of the famous places in Florence and then planned our next move.
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| Seeababes in Florence! Jenayl wears the Laguna Pant and Mele wears the Windansea shirt. |
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| Seeababes in Florence! Jenayl wears the Laguna Pant and Mele wears the Windansea shirt. |
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| Seeababes in Florence! Jenayl wears the Laguna Pant and found an admirer. |
The swell in Italy is very dependent on active wind. Supposedly Tuscany had bad weather but waves all summer. When we got there, the weather was finally normal summer loveliness, but no waves.
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| An illustration of the Italian wind directions from Bagni Nettuno. |
We checked with the Onde Nostre crew (stylish insiders of the Italian surf scene and filmmakers) and master wind reader Alessandro Ponzanelli aka Nelly and decided to go south. Alessandro is a Bing team rider, our go-to surf guide, wonderful video and photo assistant, plus a cute babysitter for Annabel!
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| From Florence all the way to Sicily! Map courtesy of rome2rio.com |
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| The long journey to Sicily. Photo by Mele Saili. |
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| Map of Sicily. We headed for the eastern coast. |
After a night ride in the sketchiest ferry directed to Tunisia we arrived to Palermo and then drove to Catania to check the first spot. It was super windy but no waves. What to do? Like true Italians, we had a wonderful seafood lunch and white wine.
“Italy is a very beautiful culture. Everything is so inspiring whether it was the art, architecture, food, or even the people themselves. Each part holds a stoic sense of pride and quality that I haven't found anywhere else I've traveled,” Mele says of her first time in Italy.
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| Lunch in Catania. |
On the way to Siracusa, we stopped at a beautiful beach surrounded by lemon trees. It was made for photos at sunset. Some mini waves were happening and the girls tested the first warm seawater on the Mediterraneo!
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| First sunset in Sicily. |
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| Shooting in the lemon field at sunset. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Shooting in the lemon field at sunset, stylist Betta Dal Bello makes sure the wardrobe looks its best. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| First waves in Sicily! |
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| Filming in Sicily. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Exhausted, we spent the night at the awesome Hotel Gutkowski. and spent the night walking the alleys of Syracusa, a magical experience that felt like stepping back in time.
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| Welcome to the Hotel Gutkowski. Photo by Jenayl Peters. |
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| Inside the Hotel Gutkowski. |
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| Betta does her styling magic in the Hotel Gutkowski. |
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| Master wind reader and cute babysitter, Alessandro Ponzanelli. |
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| Inspiration is all around you. The patterns on the floor of the Hotel Gutkowski. |
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| It doesn't get any better than this. Sunrise in Ortigia. |
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| Sunrise in Ortigia. |
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| Arriving in Noto. The color of the water is unreal! |
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| Stylist Betta Dal Bello organizing the looks in Noto. |
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| Seeababes at the beach of Noto. |
Next stop, Isola delle Correnti. Too bad it was completely flat, but we found this awesome guy who was selling zucchini out of his Fiat Ape and asked him for a ride. How could he say no to us? :)
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| You can't make this up. Style for days. Thanks for the lift! Photo by Ale Ponzanelli. |
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| Hello Isola delle Correnti! |
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| Riding this sweet mobile in Isola delle Correnti. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Just cruising around Isola delle Correnti. |
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| The crew hard at work. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Stuffed with the best rice arancini (typical fried rice balls from Sicily) we made to another beach around the corner with some good size messy waves and the girls showed off with style how its done!
After such a long journey, to finally find waves was a blessing. "In Italy, you wait for a windswell and you hope to get lucky when you arrive at the place where the windswell was supposed to hit," Jenayl says.
"The background of the waves were a stunning sight to see, but even if the waves aren't perfect, everyone is stoked to have something to surf. It was fun to feel that stoke out there with the other Italian surfers, who seemed pretty excited that people came from California to surf in Sicily!"
Mele says, "the Italians appreciation for surfing is what was the most inspiring. Traveling about 20 hours down the entire country to find a wave made me appreciate the consistency and variety of waves we have here in California. Italian surfers have a special driven love for the sea, because it takes dedication to pursue this sport in a country with such fickle surfing conditions."
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| Finally we get some waves! Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
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| Mele in the Tofino. Photo by Onde Nostre. |
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| Filming from the beach. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
The last day we explored around Syracusa, hung out in the terrace of the hotel and indulged in some more arancini. "The thing I tell people most about the trip was how good the food was. Easily the best I've ever had," Mele says.
Stay tuned for Part II of our Italian Adventure. From Sicily, we head to the Tuscany vineyards! And more food and wine, of course. :)
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| Mele in the middle of an Italian lesson on the terrace. |
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| Syracusa style! Jenayl, Betta and Mele in Italian fashion. |
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| The streets of Syracusa. Photo by Onde Nostre. |
KEEP TRAVELING WITH US THROUGH ITALY
Seea is in Italy! Italy was the inspiration for Seea's newest 2015 collection and so we thought there was no better place to shoot our next lookbook than in designer Amanda Chinchelli’s home country and amongst the iconic sights of the Italian Riviera and city of Florence.
Read on to meet the Seeababes and Italian friends that make up our creative crew. ]]>
Italy here we come! Italy was the inspiration for Seea's newest 2015 collection and so we thought there was no better place to shoot our next lookbook than in designer Amanda Chinchelli’s home country and amongst the iconic sights of the Italian Riviera and city of Florence.
“I just had my first child and was unable to go back home for 2 years. I was really homesick, so this season I wanted to celebrate my roots and the beauty of my country,” says Amanda.
Follow along with Amanda and Seeababes Mele Saili and Jenayl Peters in Italy now on Instagram!
Here, we introduce you to the crew that will be taking over the Seea Instagram (#SeeainItaly) with exclusive behind-the-scenes photos on set and the après surf activities from sightseeing to indulging in the best local (and home cooked) Italian food. Watch closely and enter to win a special giveaway at the end!
Designer: Amanda Chinchelli
Get acquainted with Amanda's story about starting Seea and her connections to Italy in Ritratti Di Surf | Girls Girls Girls. The gorgeous landscape of the Italian beaches are not to be missed too!
More of Amanda's Italian inspiration for the 2015 collection: “The December collection has a classic feminine elegance with tones of champagne, burgundy, navy and sunset metallics. For March and April I had fun with a brighter palette, geometric repeats and of course lots of stripes, dreaming of taking my daughter for a “pedalo’ ride” in the warm Mediterranean Sea.”
RITRATTI DI SURF | GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS from funtemplates on Vimeo.
Seeababe: Mele Saili
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Mele Saili wears a preview of The Hermosa from the 2015 collection. Photo by Nick LaVecchia. |
Get to know the stylish and soulful Mele in our interview with her. A third generation family of surfers, she is also a talented artist and beautiful human being whose happiness is contagious when you're around her. This is Mele's first time in Italy, ever!
Wish her luck and follow her surf travel adventures on Instagram at @melesaili
Seeababe: Jenayl Peters
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Jenayl Peters has a killer cross step fade. Photo by Nick LaVecchia. |
Jenayl may have been a later bloomer to surfing, but her natural talent is well beyond her years. In our interview with her she talks more about growing up in a firefighting family and being a passionate student of the world. Travel like Jenayl in her story, "How to Be a Responsible Tourist with Groundswell Travel."
Jenayl has rad vintage-inspired fashion sense too, follow her surf travel adventures on Instagram at @jenaylpeters
Seeababe: Natalia Resmini
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Natalia Resmini. Photo by Filippo Maffei |
Amanda's longtime partner in crime, illustrator Natalia Resmini is living the dream life on a boat off the coast of Sardina island. Catch up on her wanderlust life here and see her most recent illustrations for RedMilk Magazine.
Follow Natalia's life between the Italian coast and big city on Instagram @nataliaresmini
Stylist: Betta Dal Bello
Read the whole profile on Betta chronicling how she went from being a rising fashionista to highly in-demand stylist in Milan, all in her irreverent chic surf style. Brush up your own wardrobe with Betta's tips for wearing Seea from the street to the sidewalk!
Follow all of Betta's epic outfits on Instagram @bettadalbello
Filmmaker: Luca Merli
Italian director Luca Merli will be joining Seea in Italy to document the trip. Luca shares his love for Italy's surf history in his newest film, Peninsula shot entirely on 35mm, 16mm and super 8 film. See the Italian coastline in all its beauty in the trailer below.
Filmmaker: Giovanni Sbrokked Barberis
Giovanni is a filmmaker at Block10 productions, was editor/cinematographer for Peninsula and is world's best secretary.
Photographer: Cristian Corradin
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Photo of sunset in Roca Punta - Pais Vasco by Cristian Corradin. |
Joining us for still photography will be the skilled Cristian Corradin, who is the Editor and PhotoEDITOR since 2007 for DREAMS UP LIFE Surf Journal and DRMSURF Magazine.
Click to start following along with Seea on Set in Italy on Instagram #SeeainItaly now!
At the end we'll have a special prize to win a gift certificate to get the suits you'll be coveting!
KEEP ON TRAVELING THROUGH ITALY:
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More photos on Part one of Girls, Girls, Girls in Italy
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Girls, Girls, Girls Part 2 in Italy
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Seea debuts Spring 2015 in the RedMilk Room at the White Trade Show in Milan
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Red Milk Waves styled by Elisabetta Dal Bello
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If there is any event to slip our typically dirty beach feet into heels, it’s Milan Fashion Week. Seea was honored to be invited to the Redmilk Magazine Room at the White Tradeshow in Milan, held Sept 20-22 during Milan Fashion Week, and we had fun dressing up for the occasion to meet with top editors, buyers and beautiful people styled to the max.
Read on for all the coolest street style in Milan, catching up with friends artist Natalia Resmini, stylist Elisabetta Dal Bello and the Onde Nostre surf filming team as we prepare for our Spring 2015 collection shoot in the Italian Riviera!
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| Seea in the RedMilk Room at the White Tradeshow in Milan, Italy. |
If there is any event to slip our typically dirty beach feet into heels, it’s Milan Fashion Week. Seea was honored to be invited to the Redmilk Magazine Room at the White Tradeshow in Milan, held Sept 20-22 during Milan Fashion Week, and we had fun dressing up for the occasion to meet with top editors, buyers and beautiful people styled to the max.
The weather in Milan was perfect and vibe of the trade show had great energy being in the company of the brands: Saline Reliques, Andy Lifschutz Jewelry, Sunettes Sunglasses and Stine Goya in the RedMilk Room. It was a blast catching up with friends like Seeababe artist Natalia Resmini and stylist Elisabetta Dal Bello. Special thanks to our mom who helped out with baby Annabel between Amanda’s interviews and line showings!
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| From left, Seea designer Amanda Chinchelli, RedMilk founder and creative director Fabiola Di Virgilio and stylist Elisabetta Dal Bello. |
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| Welcome to White in Milan! |
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| Inside the RedMilk room at White in Milan. |
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| Baby Annabel (daughter of designer Amanda Chinchelli) with grandma and Mauro from Saline Reliques handbags. |
Thanks to the friends that stopped by and all the news ones we met along the way! Some of our favorite personalities were Mauro and Gennaro Capasso, who make the cool limited edition bags named Saline Reliques. Gennaro is the most charismatic, kind and wild Italian surfer that also imports Gato Heroi surfboards and many more other hats. Our Italy sales rep Tommaso Ortolina and his wife Daniela (who modeled the Seea Laguna Pant) are dear friends in the surf community and introduced us to stores that will be selling Seea in Italy. It was a pleasure to meet Alessandra, the owner of our first Italy account, Eight Ball of Bassano Del Grappa.
The film crew from Onde Nostre, Luca Merli and Giovanni Sbrokked Barberis swung by to say hello and we talked about the upcoming Seea Spring 2015 video and photoshoot in Italy. The weather has been amazing these days — a great change since rained all summer — but that also means no waves. We are praying for waves! Send us some!
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| Seea Italy rep Tommaso Ortolina with Gennaro Capasso (partner in the bag line Saline Reliques) models the SanO in coral. |
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| The guys behind Saline Reliques limited edition bags. |
The energy from Milan Fashion Week was always present and the latest trends and street fashion was a hot topic to discuss.
For Milan Fashion Week, Seeababe and social butterfly Natalia Resmini did a special collaboration for RedMilk in which her street style illustrations accompanied Candela Novembre's top picks seen on the catwalks during Milan Fashion Week.
Between running around like crazy attending to fashion shows, Betta Dal Bello also styled a shoot inside the RedMilk room that will be on the White Show website in the next few weeks. Keep an eye on our Instagram and Facebook to see the photos posted!
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| Candela Meets for RedMilk Magazine. Illustrations by Natalia Resmini. |
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| Candela Meets for RedMilk Magazine. Illustrations by Natalia Resmini. |
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| Candela Meets for RedMilk Magazine. Illustrations by Natalia Resmini. |
At the end of a great trade show on Sunday night, Redmilk had a party to celebrate their second print issue at the beautiful hotel Maison Borella. The awesome Larry Gus was playing and we had the best time because we LOVE to dance! Dance along with us to the amazeballs music video below!
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| Congrats to the second print issue of RedMilk! |
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| Beautiful Hotel Maison Borella, site of the RedMilk party. |
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| Fabiola Di Virgilio, founder and creative director of Redmilk dances to Larry Gus! |
Be ahead of the curve by checking out our top favorite street outfits seen in Women's Wear Daily, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and New York Magazine.
Seea fans know Amanda's discerning eye for color and print — next Spring it's all about bright primary colors and vintage-esque geometric prints in fresh color combos. Not all Italian women were in dangerously high heels. Many proved to be experts at balancing effortless comfort and style, as seen in the new "it" outfit: structured skirts worn with a T-shirt and sneakers, and all the yummy slouchy sweaters and crazy Birkenstocks. Feast your eyes on out all the looks below.
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| Seea loved the saturated primary colors in Milan street style. Photos by Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. |
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| You know how much we love prints on prints! Our favorite vintage-esque renditions here in geometric, polka dots and fresh color combo. Photos by New York Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, WWD and Vogue. |
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| Slouchy knit sweaters, sneakers and Birkenstocks don't sacrifice style for comfort. Photos by WWD and New York Magazine. |
MORE ITALIAN STYLE:
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Meet Amanda, Natalia and Betta in Girls, Girls, Girls in Italy
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Girls, Girls, Girls Part 2 in Italy
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Red Milk Waves styled by Elisabetta Dal Bello
Natalia’s wanderlust lifestyle is even truer now that her...]]>
Natalia with her longboard. Photo by Filippo Maffei.
For as long as we have known our dear friend, surfer, fashion illustrator and Seeababe Natalia Resmini, she is always traveling. From her hometown in Italy, to chasing the swells to Morocco, France and Spain, her life is full of adventure hanging out with stylish surfers around the world.
Natalia’s wanderlust lifestyle is even truer now that her newest home—a boat in Sardinia, Italy—is frequently in motion, gliding through water. From her “office” on the boat or wherever she can find a place to paint, she makes illustrations for the Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera and Elle Italy. Look out for Natalia in "Peninsula, a film by Onde Nostre" coming out next spring that documents the history of the Italian surf scene shot completely on 35mm, 16mm and super8 film.
It's been a while since we last surfed with Natalia in Italy while filming "Girls, Girls, Girls, a film by Onde Nostre" so we thought it was time to catch up with her again and hear what it’s like to live on a boat.
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Natalia's home, "Fiore di Maggio." |
When did you start surfing?
I've start surfing during a trip in Hawaii, around 1998. I was just a "big girl," my parents allowed me to go there and I was super stoked. I remember myself dreaming with this airplane ticket in my hands,"Milano-Honolulu."I just couldn't believe it. I've learned pretty much watching the others and just go. The main ingredient? Determination, on and on. Back to Italy, I've never stopped even if it was not an easy road. The Mediterranean Sea does not have consistent waves. At that time I also started my art studies. I began playing with "the elements," studying shapes on paper and new forms on my board.
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Life on the sea. Photo by Filippo Maffei. |
What do you love about living on a boat and that every day is different?
I love so much to wake up in the harbor. I'm such a dreamer and my spirit gets big nourishment every morning. My boyfriend is a sailor, a surfer and a fisherman, he's such a great waterman. Everyday is a small adventure. We live in South Sardinia, and it’s always warm and sunny. The boat is old school, very comfortable, and there is a lot of space for chilling and creating. My main activities are: surfing, painting, swimming, reading, thinking, and fishing. The worst thing that could happen to me would be go back living in a normal house!
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Natalia's office in the boat. |
Where are some of the favorite places you have traveled to that are inspiring for your art?
Morocco is one of my fav places—close to Italy, cheap flights. In the few last years I've been there so many times! It has a magic vibe. There is a sort of "light Islamic" culture which is interesting to discover. Essaouira is one of the best cities I've seen in my life. The architecture is very ancient and sophisticated. Brazil is also very inspiring. I loved the perfect mix of relaxed atmosphere, samba and healthy lifestyle. Fruits are so tasty over there! Impossible not to mention Basque country, the European surfing mecca, with so many interesting people to meet.
What do you always pack with you when you travel?
Sunscreen 50+, white papers and watercolors, my "fatima hands" necklace (it brings a good luck while traveling), some book and a black Balenciaga Bag.
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Illustration by Natalia Resmini |
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Illustration by Natalia Resmini. |
Why is it important to have good surfing girl friends?
Me and my girlfriends we support each other—this is the main thing. We share beauty tips and laugh. They are all very ironic, I admit. When the line-up becomes "pink" its always a great fun. Especially if the crew is wearing Seea! I love Amanda because she spread the Italian glamour in the world. She is always positive and she works like crazy, but never complains. She is not just a surfer sista: she is a strong and determinate businesswoman, always a good example for me.
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Elisabetta Del Ballo, Natalia Resmini and Amanda Chinchelli in Italy filming with Onde Nostre. |
Why do you love about being apart of the surfer community and that we are all connected around the world?
It's a great question. I've met a lot talented people around the world. I can say that all the surfers are creative and very idealistic. Beside the hippie allure, which is the first impression, I noticed a true consciousness towards the "real problems." With my surfer friends we often speak about pollution, health, religion. Instead, the people that I've met in the fashion business are quite unaware. I believe the surfing community is a kind of big family! Longboarders in particular are peaceful and laid-back. There is a big link among all of us. Internet helps a lot.
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Natalia in Morocco. Photo by Mohamed Rob. |
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Natalia in the Onde Nostre film, "Girls, Girls, Girls." |
What projects are you working on now?
At the moment I'm painting a lot on t-shirts. My capsule collection is called "fishing for religion." It's handmade in Italy with love! They are all unique pieces: I design the graphics, I use a lot of pastels and sometime I add some golden pigment as well. The result is very different! I've started to sell them in some selected shop. My favorite is Swell Surf Shop and Cafè in Sinnai, (Sardegna Island) they sell a lot of different brands.
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Fishing for Religion t-shirt. |
What other advice do you have to share?
My philosophy at the moment is quite simple:
1) Don't compare yourself with the others people go straight for your road.
2) Try to be grateful and smile.
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Basking in the sun. |
Thank you Natalia for spreading the Seea love in Europe and your friendship!
See more of Natalia's work on her website, blog and Instagram.
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Ode to Seea styles. Illustrations by Natalia Resmini. |
We are pleased to introduce surfer, fashion illustrator, and Seeababe: Natalia Resmini. Hailing from Ventimiglia, Italy, Natalia has been happy to be Amanda's "partner in crime". Sharing sessions together around the world, from San Onofre to her hometown beach, just twenty miles from the French-Italian border.
"I spend my time travelling and surfing, creating illustrations for the Italian and international press. My art tends to be dreamy, sexy, and colorful. When I paint or draw, I like to imagine others enjoying what I create. I’ve painted nearly everyday for almost 15 years now - It hasn't always been easy to make a career out of art, but for me painting is truly a primal need."
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"Surfing is a dream. It's an exploration of ideal and beauty. It helps me to concentrate and to be determined. There is a link between tracing lines on paper, and on the sea. Both are amazing sources of inspiration for me."
"The Hermosa suit is my favorite suit. When I surf with it, I feel like the Queen of the peak! What other suit can make you feel this way? Amanda is one of my favorite women in the world. She is beautiful, glamorous, generous, creative and very positive. We met at the beach one summer about 9 years ago - the start of a great friendship! Since she moved to the states, I miss her a lot, so I come visit whenever I can!!"
"I love to do sketches and watercolors, with inspiration drawn from everyday life. I particularly like portraits - when the paintings come out well, I feel like a magician! It’s an “Alchemy” of sorts, a mysterious process of extracting the quintessential nature of the subject, which leaves me very connected to the both the portrait, and to the interesting people I meet."
"My home spot is amazing - the swell there is not consistent, but when we have waves, they are full of poetry. When there are no waves in sight, I like to fly to Morocco – it’s close to Italy, and the flights are cheap and fast. Arabian culture is fascinating and Morocco is truly a place of dreams. Spending time there has given me new tools to work with artistically as well, the food is amazing, and the waves, too!"
"I believe everyone is the architect of his or her own life! Mine is not yet as balanced as I would like, but I cannot complain. Travelling to less affluent countries has given me the chance to compare and understand my life. I feel very lucky and grateful for what I have been given, and for what I have chosen to build with it so far."]]>
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| Pretty cool to get the... |
This week I had the pleasure of being back in my native country, Italy. Besides visiting family, eating lots of pasta, and shopping (of course!!), I finally got back to "business" this weekend, which meant hanging out with Margaret & Matt from Bing at the Single Fin Festival held at Nimbus of Marina di Pietrasanta, just a few hours away from Florence on the Tuscan coast.
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Pretty cool to get the chance to hang with Margaret in my own country!! |
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The Bing crew graciously let me display my suits at their booth while I chased a few Mediterranean ankle slappers. |
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Le surfiste italiane! These girls were stoked and already knew about Seea - it made me so happy!! |
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Matt and Margaret check out the premier of another great episode of Onde Nostre |
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Luca and Giovanni from Onde Nostre screened their logo on the back of my Seea Tank. Thanks guys! |
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Showing off some Seea suits in the Mediterranean miniswell :) |
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"Work" continues this week, as it's off to Sardinia to surf and film with my lovely italian ladies and the crew from Block10 . So excited!! Stay tuned for more trip photos and hijinx from the road. You gotta love Italy!!XXOO SHAKAMUCHACHAS! |
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| Original Baden Powell double LP -... |
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| Original Baden Powell double LP - One of my favorites! |
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| Custom cover made for the turntable from an old wool hospital quilt. |
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| Jazz Samba series on Verve, circa 62'-63' |
As you can see, the collection is still growing! Seems like albums are harder to find these days, but every once in a while, a good one will pop up at a thrift store or garage sale.
This week's mix is an hour of incredible historical Brazilian sound, smoothly mixed by sound master Biga. During my college years, his mixes fueled many parties in Florence and late night summer dance sessions.
"Som Barato" means "cool sound". If you like this mix, then you can tune int to Biga during his weekly show on the online radio station Ragnampiza.
Download the SOM BARATO mix here.
01- intro
02. mpb4 - palhaços e reis
03. marcos resende & index - vidigal
04. arthur verocai - caboclo
05. pedro santos - desengano da vista
06. wilson das neves - jornada
07. waltel branco - luar do sertao
08. marku ribas - orange lady
09. ed kennedy - angra
10. erlon chaves - carly & carole
11. doris monteiro - se questao de adeus ate logo
12. abilio manoel - luiza manequim
13. paulinho boca de cantor - vestido da prata
14. wilson simonal - coisa de louco
15. s samba - eu bebo sim
16. elizeth cardoso - eu bebo sim
17. os incriveis - vendedor de bananas
18. amado maita - samba de amigo
19. erasmo carlos - preciso dar um jeito, meu amigo
20. gal costa - pontos de luz
21. angela valle paulo sergio valle - o cafona
22. osmar milito & quarteto forma - corpo sano em mente sa
23. osmar milito - mais cedo ou mais tarde
24. silvio cesar - agarre seu homem
25. som nosso - levante a cabeça
26. edson frederico - bobeira
27. helio matheus - eu reu me condeno
28. burnier & cartier - mirandolina
29. ed lincoln - se voce quiser
30. orlandivo - bolinha de sabao
31. azambuja & cia - tema de azambuja
32. marilia medalha - xaxado de espantar tristeza
33. cravo & canela - iboru iboya
34. secos e molhados - assim assado
35. antonio adolfo e a brazuca - caminhada
36. emilio santiago - bananeira
37. erasmo carlos - mane joao
38. ivan lins - hei voce
39. gal costa - vou recomençar
40. trio esperança - nao aguento voce
41. sivuca - ponteio
42. conjunto roberto menescal - influençia do jazz
43. agostinho do santos - ?
44. gilberto gil - futurivel
45. orquestra afro-brasileira - india
46. outro