De Gregori and Giovanna Marini and the work of the storyteller

Almost surprisingly on November 15, 2002 Francesco De Gregori published, together with folksinger Giovanna Marinithe album “The steam whistle”. An album composed of 14 songs linked to the Italian popular tradition. To commemorate the anniversary of the album’s release and also Giovanna Marini, passed away on May 8th at the age of 87we report the interview in the lines below Alfredo Marziano he did at the time with De Gregori.

Francesco De Gregori talks to Rockol about the new album “Il whistle del vapore”, recorded in collaboration with the folk singer Giovanna Marini. And it clears away the conspiracy theories that attribute to the record release, a collection of famous popular songs such as “Bella ciao” and “The attack on Togliatti”, the sense of a militant stance taken in a historical moment characterized by poisons and tensions local and international level. “If we had wanted to make a political record, we would have chosen songs like ‘Contessa’, ‘I morti di Reggio Emilia’ or ‘La ballata di Pinelli’. Instead we just tried to bring out songs from the museum that are still alive and current, beautiful melodies that are a great pleasure to sing. Of course – adds the Roman singer-songwriter – the songs of the people are by their very nature left-wing: even Mussolini, like Togliatti, was the victim of attacks during the Twenty Years, but I don’t know that anyone has ever sung those episodes in a song”.

If there is a common thread among the thirteen tracks on the album, De Gregori identifies it rather in the theme of innocence: “Pasolini, lemondine, Sacco and Vanzetti are all innocent characters. This is what makes the songs relevant, perhaps: the innocent people, and the victims, are still there today.” For the rest, he is keen to underline the absolute spontaneity of the operation. “We took the repertoire and adapted it to my style and that of my group, which is basically a garage band. And it was Giovanna herself who often suggested the less orthodox and more innovative arrangements, like the one we chose for a piece like ‘Il ferocious monarchico Bava’”.

Possible about his future artistic choices (“I don’t plan anything: the experience of ‘The Steam Whistle’ is closed for me, but this experience is certainly destined to surface in my next works”), De Gregori is willing to expend efforts and words to promote “a record so far from commercial logic: Giovanna and I will also go on TV, at Morandi’s. It is a coherent choice, for a work that recovers the storyteller’s approach: television, today, is the place par excellence”.

Meanwhile, the collaboration with Marini is destined to continue. “At least I hope: I would like to produce his next album”, confesses the author of “Viva l’Italia”. “Meanwhile I’m also working on my brother’s new album, Luigi Grechi. And I want to continue playing live, in theaters, in clubs, and in sports halls. I’m really having fun with my band.” But beware if you talk to him about “Neverending tour” and suggest a parallel with Bob Dylan: the only feeling of annoyance in the long and pleasant chat comes spontaneously to him.