Interview with ELISA DIXAN, from the Italian band Los Fastidios: from number one fan to vocalist.

On April 23, 2026, the Italian Ska/Street Punk band Los Fastidios came to Curitiba for the fourth time to perform at the Belvedere Casa de Cultura, bringing a danceable show full of energy and interaction between its members and the audience. The band presented a varied setlist, playing both newer and classic songs, as well as multilingual speeches, mixing phrases in Italian, English, and even venturing into Portuguese. One of the speeches that caught the audience's attention and could even be considered controversial was the feminist speech given by Enrico de Angelis, the band's leader and only remaining member of the original lineup. The vocalist delivered a crucial speech about sexism in the scene, and women were invited to join him on stage, an event even discussed by Elisa in the following interview. Many of us expected this speech and initiative from the only woman on stage, but on the other hand, it's possible to understand that her presence on stage was an important factor in this speech happening, especially because it's quite noticeable that she has been gaining more and more space within the band: she started sharing vocals with Enrico on a few songs and currently sings lead vocals on several songs and participates as a backing vocalist and chorus in others. Shortly before the show, I spoke with Elisa Dixan about how her journey in music began, what her influences are, and how she went from being the band's number one fan to its vocalist.

Note: As English is not the first language of either of us, I decided to conduct the interview in Italian; therefore, the following interview is a free translation with minor edits. The video with the original audio and subtitles will be available soon on the program's Instagram. Enjoy!

Elisa Dixan em Curitiba

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About the interviewee:

Elisa Dixan

Born in Verona (Italy)

In addition to being the vocalist for the band Los Fastidios,

works at the Kob Records label.

She started playing guitar at age 10 along with his father.

She has been working with music for 14 years.

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[Gabe] I heard in an interview with you and Enrico that, if I'm not mistaken, your first band was when you were 15 years old, right?

[Elisa] Exactly! It was called The Dixan Girls. [The last name] Dixan came from that band. We were 5 friends, very young, and we didn't know how to play very well, but even so, we decided to form a band. As we were missing a drummer, we called a friend of ours to join.

[Gabe] And can we listen to this band somewhere?

[Elisa] No, it's not available anywhere. We did a lot of shows, but only in rehearsal rooms. Which was really cool! I played guitar and we were five girls with different musical influences. The result was an amazing mix.

[Gabe] Did you sing too?

[Elisa] No, I only played guitar.

"We work 100% with music: band, Kob Records label and store."

[Gabe] Do you have a second job today, in addition to the band?

[Elisa] Yes, I work with Enrico. We work 100% with music. We've had a music store since 2012 and we only work online selling records and music-related clothing. And we also have a record label. Actually, this label, Kob Records, has been around since 1996, and this year it celebrates 30 years of activity. I started working with Enrico on the label in 2012.

[Gabe] Was this before you joined the band?

[Elisa] That was before I joined Los Fastidios. And a few years later I opened a concert production company, always connected to Kob Records, and I started dedicating myself to booking shows for various bands, both Italian and foreign. All of them, however, related to Punk and Ska music.

[Gabe] So your musical journey began a long time ago.

[Elisa] We can say that I started working with music in 2012, before that I worked for many years in a bar, in addition to studying, and I was also a photographer.

"I started playing guitar when I was 10 years old, at my father's insistence. We used to go to music school together."

[Gabe] And when you told your parents: look, now I have a band, I'm going to be famous... what did they say? Or was it not quite like that?

[Elisa] Actually, my parents knew Los Fastidios well because they were my favorite band. I was their number one fan. I started playing guitar because my dad wanted me to play at all costs. I started guitar lessons with him when I was ten years old; we went to music school together. So, regarding the musical aspect, my parents always supported me in playing a musical instrument.

[Gabe] And how did you go from being a fan to being part of the band?

[Elisa] I ended up meeting Enrico outside of the band Los Fastidios, and I started working with him. At first, I started working with Los Fastidios as a photographer, and then with Kob Records, Enrico's record label, and from there I gradually progressed, step by step, until in 2018 I went on stage for the first time to sing some songs.

[Gabe] Because you already knew all the songs!

[Elisa] Yes! I knew the entire discography. I was ready for the job interview.

"Pauline Black is my hero"

[Gabe] And about the women who influenced you in music. I was listening to the interview and I thought you were going to talk about your influences as the classics, like The Specials, I thought maybe there wouldn't be any women on the list but then you mentioned a woman and I thought: oh great!

[Elisa] Yes, that's Pauline Black. She's my hero. I believe she was a symbol as a woman, a female singer in a Ska band (2 Tone), during some very difficult years. Oh, and also a Black woman, doubly difficult. I believe she's an example of how a woman can be part of a band, be part of a music scene, which unfortunately is still full of sexism today.

"Sexism exists in our music scene, and we need to fight it, speak out about it, and stand united..."

[Gabe] Yes, it's a very sexist environment.

[Elisa] Exactly, it's a very sexist scene, even the skinhead, punk scene…

[Gabe] When it shouldn't be like that, in theory.

[Elisa] Yes, absolutely not. It shouldn't be like that anywhere. Unfortunately, it is, and Pauline Black proved to be strong, a woman who made herself seen and heard as a leader in such a difficult environment, even more so in those years. Not that much has changed now, but in those years it was perhaps worse. We try to find a moment in every show to talk about this because, I repeat: sexism exists in our music scene, and we need to fight it, talk about it, be united, and try to solve this huge problem. During our shows, we talk about it and dedicate a song to all the Rude Girls who are at our shows, and all those people who fight daily against any kind of discrimination. And we do this in a way that allows women to get on stage, above all to show that we exist, and that we can be on stage, and that the stage is not just for men.

[Gabe] And that we have a voice.

[Elisa] And this moment is one of my favorites because I'm with other women, other sisters, and I don't feel alone.

[Gabe] I'm very happy to hear all of this because that's what I've been experiencing for the last 20, almost 30 years that I've been in this scene, which changes very little. But let's continue talking about other women who inspire you: Pauline Black is one. Do you have other women who inspire you?

[Elisa] Pauline Black, for me, is the one who inspires me.

[Gabe] Okay! Another question would be: about your solo career. Can we expect more music?

[Elisa] Actually, that project of Elisa Dixan sings Los Fastidios started as a joke. I had never sung in my life, but Enrico wanted me to sing something. And one day he booked a recording studio without telling me anything because he knew I didn't want to and would have said no. And we went in there and he said, "Okay Elisa, now try singing these two songs." And I said, "What do you mean? I've never tried to sing them, I don't know what to do." But he insisted, "Don't worry, if you don't like them, it'll stay between us, to listen to at home, we'll do karaoke…"

[Gabe] But he composed the melody, what about the rest of the song?

[Elisa] Actually, the first songs I sang were old Los Fastidios songs that had taken Enrico's voice out and replaced it with mine. And so, I ended up liking it and having a lot of fun, and I agreed to release them. We made a 7'' (a seven-inch record ) and from there I made a second and then a third. Four years have passed since I made the third one, then I didn't do anything else because I became 100% involved with Los Fastidios and didn't have time anymore. However, I want to release a full album this year. I need to find the time, but I really want to!

[Gabe] So when you do your tour in South America, Bravonas will be the opening band!

[Elisa] I think I'm going to be the opening act!

[Gabe] Awesome! I'm eagerly awaiting this moment. I'm sure it will be beautiful!

Thank you so much for the interview, I think now you need to get ready for the show, right?

[Elisa] That's it! The preparation is minimal, but it's the bare minimum.

[Gabe] But it takes time to get into the action mindset.

[Elisa] Yes! Thank you so much for the space.

[Gabe] I'll see you next year.

[Elisa] Who knows what the future holds for me!

Follow Elisa Dixan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisadixan/

The band Los Fastidios: https://www.instagram.com/losfastidios_official/

The Kob Records label: https://www.instagram.com/kobrecords/