Transcription of the episode #S1E11
Opening: CCCP
GoOooOOoOOooOOOoOOOoOod Morning Vietnam and Welcome back to the last episode of the first season of MU-SI-TA-LY.
I know it’s super sad BUT don’t worry. Many exciting surprises are on the way. Just follow Musitaly.com otherwise follow Musitaly through our official social accounts such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The topics of this episode are Dissing & Cages.
Let me explain… in this case, the Cages represent our convictions, beliefs, our opinion or positions. So, everything that keeps us in a cage. What people expect from us, from society and so on.
And you know what? We really don’t care. Like the next song “Io Sto Bene” which we can translate as “I Feel Good”.
They are an historical punk rock band formed in 1982, guess where? In Berlin, Germany.
Exactly. And do you know what the funny story is? The two co-founders Giovanni Lindo Ferretti and Massimo Zamboni both come from the Emilia-Romagna region, in the North of Italy, but they met in Berlin in 1981.
It’s incredible, then, as they achieved a good level of success in Germany singing in Italian. This is another proof that music doesn’t have barriers.
So, what this song says
“It’s a matter of quality,
Or a formality I don’t remember well
Like the decision to cut the hair
To quit with coffee or cigarettes
To finish with someone or something
A formality.
I feel fine, I feel bad, I don’t know where to stand
I feel fine, I feel bad, I don’t know what to do”.
So, there are many meanings of this song. What I really like to think about this song is something like: I don’t care. We are all just trying to get out alive.
Lyrics: CCCP – Io Sto Bene
Part 2: Francesco Guccini
Sooooo … did you enjoy the CCCP Music Band? If so, don’t forget to let me know through the hashtag #cocoyoutheking. If not, feel free to use the hashtag #cocochosebetter.
And now let’s move on to the second artist of this episode. His name is Francesco Guccini and as CCCP he also comes from the Emilia-Romagna region. And more exactly from the city of Modena.
He is considered one of the most representative Italian songwriters.
But do you know how he began his career? Well, as he reported in his autobiography “Non so che viso avesse. Quasi una autobiografia” published in 2020, Guccini says that between 1959 and 1960 he worked as a journalist for a local newspaper called Gazzetta di Modena.
Thanks to this job he had the opportunity to interview one of the biggest Italian artists Domenico Modugno and for Guccini this one was like a boost for him.
The song I chose for you to talk about Dissing is “L’Avvelenata”, The Poisoned.
So, what’s the story behind this song?
In 1975 the young journalist Riccardo Bertoncelli wrote a review on Guccini’s sixth record called “Stanze di vita quotidiana”, quashing it.
Guccini, then, started dissing the journalist from the stage singing this song.
BTW, this story has a happy ending. Guccini and Bertoncelli in fact clarified their opinion that they had between each other, but thanks to this kind of dissing, very popular in the Rap scene, we have earned a beautiful song.
Lyrics: Francesco Guccini – L’Avvelenata
Part 3: Federico Salvatore
So let’s continue with the dissing mood with the next song “Se io fossi San Gennaro”, “If I was Saint Januarius”.
The singer of this song, Federico Salvatore, started his career as a stand-up comedy and singer in his city. The famous and beautiful Naples.
The song we are going to listen to is a sort of complaint against everyone who has contributed to ruining the amazing city of Napoli.
AND
When I say everyone, I mean everyone: starting from the builder of the business centre in Naples downtown also known as Centro Direzionale, considered a sort of public restroom for the author of the song, to the “hidden politicians. Because -Salvatore says -” they are the only real criminals.
Then the singer also wonders why all the artists from Naples who apparently have forgotten their city like Pino Daniele. Or Sofia who today speaks the American language. BTW the Sofia mentioned is Sofia Loren.
Another direct accusation is directed to a person who was born in the city of Foggia, in the region of Apulia, who sings Neapolitan Songs around the world supported by all journalists. The name of this person is Renzo Arbore.
Well, Guys, I suggest you read the lyrics of this song on musitaly.com to read the whole list of people mentioned by Federico Salvatore considered guilty for the type of decline of the historical city of Naples.
A city known around the world more because of bad things than for the history, the culture and all the beautiful things of Napoli.
Basically, the singer sings if I were San Gennaro, I would fix everything and I would know how to do it.
Lyrics: Federico Salvatore – Se io Fossi San Gennaro
Part 4: Morgan
Here we go. How was the last song? Please, let me know and don’t forget to follow Musitaly on Social accounts @Musitaly and, of course, if you want to follow me as well, @cocopraise.
The next artist is one of the most controversial and talented people in Italy.
In fact, if you ask someone about him in Italy, you will only receive two types of answers: I love him, but OR I don’t like him, but.
His name is Marco Castoldi but he is well known by his stage name, Morgan.
He started his career by co-founding the Italian band named Bluvertigo in 1992 and despite the group having split three times so far, Morgan has been singing as a solo since 2003.
The same year as the release of the song I chose for you today, Altrove, Somewhere else otherwise Elsewhere.
The record that contains this song, Canzoni dell’appartamento, has received several awards such as Targa Tenco.
So, what about the song? This song is amazing and I always compare it to a journey into ourselves.
A sort of journey for people who have decided to get lost in the experience offered by the world.
A sort of journey for people who need to wear an old blazer to recognize themselves.
So, how to reach happiness. Perhaps Morgan says craziness is the only way to reach happiness.
However, as the song says at the end of the lyric, we should get rid of the convictions of poses and positions.
Lyrics: Morgan – Altrove
Part 5: Franco Battiato
I let things take me elsewhere.
I have a question. Have you ever let things take you elsewhere? Any regrets? Then I assume you have taken the right path.
So … Rullo di tamburi … this is the last song of this season and I chose one of the best Italian songwriters ever.
I’ve mentioned him a couple of times in previous episodes and I was waiting for the right moment to bring him back. And here we are.
I’ve called him in many ways such as Maestro, Mostro Sacro, One of the Best … but today just let’s call him Franco Battiato.
Maybe you already know him for one or more of his famous songs such as Bandiera Bianca, Cuccuruccucu, La Cura, Up Patriots to Arm, Voglio vederti danzare, Povera Patria and many, many, many others
The distinct sound of his voice, his songwriting and especially his lyrics, which often include mystical, philosophical, and culturally exotic references, as well as comparison or drawing universal concepts about the human experience, have earned him a unique position in the Italian music scene.
He has been in activity since 1967 and, apparently, for health reasons his manager announced Battiato’s retirement in 2019 with a total of 44 records released to date.
To rank the next song if we are in a book shop, we should visit the sci-fi (fiction) department otherwise mystic.
Indeed, the meaning of this song is a kind of journey that cannot be compared to either time nor space, but to another kind of vibration.
Like something we have as an inner nature but no less walkable than spacetime.
Lyrics: Franco Battiato – No Time No Space
Closing
“No time, no space
Another race of vibrations
The sea of the simulation
Keep your feelings in memory
I love you, especially tonight”
Guys with this lovely song I would like to say Good-Bye to the next season.
Before I tell you one last time for this season Ciao, let me say thank my lovely sister for her precious support and my close friend, a kind of brother, Chicco Allotta for his help.
Love You, Guys.
As I already said, many surprises will come and I wish you not to miss what will come.
Musitaly will be back soon with a special edition. I will tell you everything through the website musitaly.com and Musitaly social accounts. So keep in Touch!
I would like to say Thank You to each one of you for listening to me until the end of this episode and I really hope you enjoyed this crazy idea to introduce all the best Italian music abroad with this formula. Musitaly Formula.
Always remember you are Terrific.
Love You …
Don’t Forget Me.
Ciao!
