Gianna Nannini: soul music is in the soul

Gianna Nannini: soul music is in the soul

It is titled “Sei nell'anima”, like his 2006 song, one of the best known in the repertoire. But it's an album of unreleased songs: the first in 5 years, since “The Difference”.
Gianna Nannini is back: in May a bio-pic about her life will also arrive on Netflix, which bears the same title, based on “Cazzi mie”, an autobiography from 2016 which will be republished shortly with the title “Sei nell'anima (Cazzi my)”.

Everything aligns with the soul, in the world of the Sienese singer: the disco inspiration is, literally, soul, everything comes from the adaptation of a song by Etta James, “I'd rather go blind”, translated into Italian together with Peaceful as “The Darkness in My Eyes”,. Then there will also be a tour, which starts on November 24th from the Geneva Arena, to arrive in Italy in December.

Your new album of unreleased songs is titled like one of your classic songs. How come?

Precisely because he could collect twelve new songs with a soulful spirit in this title.
How do you say it in Italian? Soul. “You are in the soul”.

What relationship does this album have with the film, which will be released in May and with the re-release of “Cazzi mie”, your biography and with the live show? Does “You are in the soul” include all of this?

It is a title that is chased through this project which will then end with the live tour, which I have been doing since November in Europe. It is a bit of an event that was born due to circumstances that were not immediate but the projects met so it has the title in common with all the projects. Let's say it's a way to improve the human race.

You've called this album a “soul novel.” Can you explain what you mean?

African-American music is a type of music that has always fascinated me: I am aware of many pieces that I initially wanted to translate into Italian. I practiced a bit doing the lyrics in Italian on songs by Janis Joplin, on one by Etta James which is also on the album, to see how captivating the Italian language is in this sound. It was beautiful, so I jumped in. Working with authors more suited to this style of music I created this album.

How did you choose the cover of the Etta James song and how did you and Pacifico approach the translation?

It was born from an experiment that worked so well for me that it led me to write new songs in this style, always with the rock spirit that accompanies me. Everything is much more minimalist, a sound designed around the strings, the orchestra and the voice. Contamination must always come because folk music must be contaminated. I feel like a contaminator of music.

You work with artists and authors of the new scene, but the current landscape has changed compared to the one in which you started. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this streaming era for an artist like you?

I like. One downloads something like once upon a time there was a juke box, now do it first. The digital age has changed the perception of sound, yes. Those born with digital music cannot hear what music was like before. My daughter also immediately started using earphones, I have never heard music like this.

Your cover of “Amandoti” was instrumental in popularizing that song: what do you think of CCCP's return?

Handsome! They too come from popular tradition, these songs come from folk, they are like country ditties. sometimes. It is important to recover this path made with oral tradition and transport it into pop and rock music. Call it what you like…

What kind of show do you have in mind for this album when you go to Europe?

I'm not for shows with frills: for me music is being with music. This record is with the music, so live we will be with the music and we will be in the soul.