Behind the scenes of the theme song for "Sandokan", with Calibro 35

Behind the scenes of the theme song for “Sandokan”, with Calibro 35

ByJohn

A classic of Italian music and the history of TV: it is the theme song for “Sandokan”, written by the De Angelis brothers in ’76 for the original version of “Sandokan” (then we spoke of “dramas”). This evening and tomorrow evening the last two episodes of the series will be broadcast, with the original soundtrack by Calibro 35, who have also reinterpreted that iconic theme song (a truly appropriate adjective) with the voice of Giovanni Succi (Bachi di Pietra) interpreting the new version.
Calibro 35 (Massimo Martellotta, Enrico Gabrielli, Fabio Rondanini and Tommaso Colliva) have transformed the classic motif of the song into a sort of sound tag played with dozens of different instruments, which underpins the story of the entire series: the soundtrack will be released on vinyl on 27 February 2026 for Woodworm (with pre-orders active from today), while from tomorrow 16 December the making of the soundtrack will be available on YouTube, which Rockol shows you today in preview.

“In making the soundtrack of Sandokan there was a certain pressure. Taking over something so important, so rooted in the collective imagination, we felt it as a great responsibility”, says Tommaso Colliva. “The Sandokan theme song is the common thread that links the old and the new, the original version of the drama and the new Sandokan TV series and it is the only musical element that we have kept and it is also perhaps the most important element. If we talk about Sandokan perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is the Sandokan theme”, explains Fabio Rondanini.
The voice was called Giovanni Succi dei Bachi di Pietra: “One day I find myself in an attic putting away stuff from a past life and I come across an elementary school notebook and on the cover there is Sandokan. I open the notebook and there was the date December 1976, my elementary school term. And nothing I close the notebook moved by this character on the cover with the pearl of Labuan, Kabir Bedi. The same week I call Tommaso Colliva to tell me: we are looking for someone with an epic voice to sing Sandokan’s song… Approaching the text as an adult has brought to light some aspects that I would never have imagined being able to grasp. The text in these three verses seems to allude with images to the three ages of a man and it is incredible how an apparently so simple text actually has nuances that upon second sight reveal themselves to be complex, profound”.

The remake of Sandokan is an international production by Lux Vide, a Fremantle Group company in collaboration with Rai Fiction, broadcast on Rai 1 from 1 December 2025. The soundtrack is distributed by Believe Digital, with the music written ad hoc by Calibro 35: “When they asked us to make the soundtrack of Sandokan we immediately had to deal with our sound”, says Enrico Gabrielli. “Instead we realized that by working with this group, because we are now a group with quite a lot of experience behind us, we tried to ensure that the Caliber 35 adhered to the overall plot in these two and a half years of work which have been intense, interesting and very formative”. “Working on the Sandokan soundtrack was absolutely challenging, especially for a group like Calibro which pertains to an imagery that has nothing to do with South-East Asia,” says Max Martellotta. “We are used to detective stories, thrillers and detective stories and instead Sandokan gave us the opportunity to imagine dreaming of a completely invented universe but with obviously exotic features”.

This is the tracklist of the vinyl, in pre-order from today, December 15th. The music composed, orchestrated and performed by Calibro 35: Tommaso Colliva, Enrico Gabrielli, Massimo Martellotta, Fabio Rondanini – Except: “Sandokan” Music by: G. De Angelis, M. De Angelis, C. De Natale, SD Smith, S. Sollima, Text by: C. De Natale, SD Smith, S. Sollima). Elisa Zoot: Vocals on “Sandokan” and “Sabang River” Giovanni Succi: Vocals on “Sandokan”. Produced and mixed by Tommaso Colliva Recorded by Massimo Martellotta, Tommaso Colliva and Simone Bertorello
SIDE A
Sandokan
When in Singapore
Pirates of Malaysia
Brooke’s Theme
Sabang River
Sentimental Theme
Shadows in the Alleys
Sacred and Profane
Nur’s Theme

SIDE B
Party at the British Consulate in Labuan
Once Upon a Time in Sarawak
Agony and Passion
Yanez’s Delirium
Fog in the Jungle
Messiah
Dayak Nostalgia
Beyond the Horizon

John
John

With an untamed passion and deep, eclectic knowledge of music, John is the soul of RadioWise UK. Having worked in the music industry for over two decades, his vision was to create a platform that embodies the love and respect for music. John is known for his great attention to detail and insatiable thirst for discovering new talents and music genres.