Our history begins with this old photo: Athos
Davoli in 1943, at 17 years of age, is working on the radio system of a
Savoia Marchetti fighter aircraft.
He was an apprentice in the electrical department of “Officine Reggiane”.
Athos was fascinated with the new world of electronics
and immediately after the war, he started a small workshop of his own.
Within a few years he was capable of planning and creating the most innovative
tube equipment of the time.
In 1957 he founded his company: Davoli Krundaal in Parma, where he had
moved from his native village, Correggio, near Reggio Emilia.
At the beginning of the 60s Davoli started his production of amplifiers
for instruments and p.a. system for voice, quickly gaining widespread
popularity.
Most of the Italian bands (which we called “complessi”)
as well as many foreign bands touring in Italy were playing and singing
with Davoli amplifiers and voice systems.
During the entire period of the 60s, the demand for his products was booming
as new bands were emerging everywhere in Europe. In the meantime, Davoli
started and developed a new partnership with Antonio Poli “Wandre”
(1926-2004), a pioneer of electric guitars.
Together they created a superb selection of electric instruments which
nowadays are sought by collectors from all over the world.
By the end of 1965, various band contests, organized by
Davoli Krundaal to promote his products, took place with the aim of selecting
the best musical groups and singers which had not yet been brought before
Italian audiences.
The first contest, “Rapallo Davoli” was later followed by
“Italia Beat” and finally by the most celebrated “Eurodavoli”
contest at the beginning of the 70s.
Many of the most well-known Italian bands and solo singers started their
careers with these popular contests.
Davoli’s company reached its peak in the period between 1969 and
1972. In this period he had 220 workers, including technicians, clerks
and a sales force.
His production penetrated a great part of the European territory. Furthermore,
his patented “Davolisint” (mini synthesizer with keyboard)
was successfully distributed in the United States and Australia.
Davoli mixers and p.a. systems became popular not only in
Europe, but as well as some countries in Africa and the mid-east.
An exceptionally big 32 channel mixer was built for a recording studio in
Lagos, Nigeria in 1980.
Athos Davoli has been an indefatigable inventor and designer
for his products which he protected with patents.
He produced countless innovative items for the musical instrument world:
electric pianos, electronic organs, radio-broadcasting mixers, disco units,
electronic light controllers and an automatic limiter for the acoustics
of discotheques.
For these accomplishments, at the end of his career in the industry,
an American university in Rhode Island awarded him an honorary Doctorate
in Electronic Engineering just before he retired.
Everybody who had the opportunity to spend some time with
Athos knows that his wife, Elide, remained at his side, both as the tireless
right-hand chief of the administration department during the whole Davoli
era, as well as ‘mom’, in 1952, to the darling child who years
later would start the business of ‘Wilder SAS’…
Athos Davoli’s elder son, a.k.a. Willy, (but as Eolo
for the general registry office), grew up listening to the music of the
concerts in Italy of the Beatles, the Rolling stones, the Animals and Brian
Auger from backstage…. where he got the fever that a few years later
would lead him to the Isle of Wight festival.
It was there that he heard the legendary Jimi Hendrix and Rory Gallagher
for the first time. Needless to say, he was blown away!
At the age of eighteen he started working in the family company,
later moving to London in 1973 where he followed the first steps of the
brand new English Branch: Davoli UK ltd.
In the following years, after his arrival back in Parma,
he founded his company Wilder: Willy Davoli Equipment Rental with the goal
of renting p.a. systems for live gigs, big and small alike.
The stages that Wilder supplied his amplification systems
for were several: Umbria Jazz, the Avantgarde Festival in Rome, the Meeting
of Licola, Palermo Pop Fest, and furthermore, the jazz festivals in France,
at Nimes and “La Grand Motte” where Charlie Mingus, Max Roach,
Muddy Waters and Dizzy Gillespie all performed.
Next there was a twofold experience in Africa: a tour with
‘Canzoniere del Lazio’ in Somalia, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique
and Zambia, and the tour of Eugenio Bennato in Nigeria.
At the beginning of the 80s Willy Davoli changed the activity of Wilder
in import and whole selling of musical instruments and accessories through
the retail shops which were already in the net of Davoli Krundaal sales
organization.
“The very first products that I imported in Italy
where the effect devices produced by Electro Harmonix and I became friend
of the guru of this company: Mike Matthews. A short time later I got the distribution for
Italy of the acoustic guitars made in Canada by luthier Jean Claude Larrivee
and after 30 years, we are still working together, sometimes laughing
and drinking like old friends do. Since my first “ catalogue “ in
1981 we’ve seen a long line of endless new products, endless new
brands (I’m still longing for the Daion guitars), trade exhibitions
one after the other all over the world (I remember a long drive to do
an exhibit in Wroclaw, Poland)……countless
new friends within the circle of the most famous manufacturers and designers
of guitars and parts (I miss Rene Schaller who passed away too young)…. So many great guitarists…and always that
great love for music, which has been the mainspring for everything. And
still it is…
Our music business has been contagious for
all the family.My sister Simona, who is my partner
in Wilder and also my datum line in life, has travelled world-wide after
getting a degree in art (and she hasn’t finished yet).
She too heard the call of our music jungle, and has been managing the
glorious hi fi music center, Davoli’s first retail shop, which she
inaugurated in 1966 still in her childhood aside the pop singer Little
Tony.It was the first of Davoli’s many
retail shops operating all over Italy till the end of the 90s.
Visiting our site you will see the very nice
instruments and accessories that we are distributing nowadays, as well
as the cheerful faces of my team. With their will and enthusiasm they
support Wilder’s growth every day.One
of us is missing. He came to an untimely end, and I wish to remember him
here: Augusto Ghirarduzzi (1944-1995) “r.i.p.” Our deepest thanks to JACQUELINE PERKINS fine artist and good
friend of us, for revising this text in proper English.
FAQ:
Why the name Wilder ?
Because I always wanna be a cow boy!
