Giorgio Vanni: “Metalheads are crazy about cartoon theme songs”

“This album is an important recognition. It means that the recording environment, even the most traditional one, has finally understood that theme songs such as those of ‘One Piece’, ‘Dragonball’, ‘Detective Conan’ and ‘Pokémon’ have now become cult and have crossed the border, becoming songs pop. Streamed a lot on platforms. And I have unsuspecting fans.” Speaking on the other end of the phone is Giorgio Vanni, who raised at least three generations with his unforgettable hits – the result of collaborations with the author Alessandra Valeri Manera, who passed away last June at the age of 67, and the arranger Max Longhi – linked to the most loved anime and cartoons. From “What’s my destiny Dragon Ball” to “Beyblade”, from “Maledetti cockroaches” to “All’arrembaggio!”, passing through “Pokémon”: those songs have now been collected by Sony Music in one album, “Uno di noi” , which sounds like a time machine.

Who are these unsuspecting fans?

“Lazza, just to mention a rap artist apparently light years away from this imagery, revealed to me that he approached music by playing the melodies of ‘Pokémon’ and ‘Dragon Ball’ on the keyboard. In the rock world, however, almost all metalheads.”

Metalheads?

“Yes, I know, it may seem strange: I didn’t even think they were such fans of cartoon theme songs. Instead, there are always so many of them, under the stages of my concerts.”

And how do you explain it?

“Perhaps they are intrigued by the complexity of the writing, composition and arrangements: due to their harmonic structures, certain songs are reminiscent of metal and rock in general”.

What example?

“I think of ‘My Hero Academia’ or ‘He Man’, which is inspired by bands like Linkin Park.”

After all, you come from rock: before discovering the world of theme songs, when you signed “Superman” in 1998, you sang in Tomato. You collaborated with Eugenio Finardi, Tazenda, Cristiano De André. In 1992 you also took part in the Sanremo Festival with “Sai cosa senti per te”. What didn’t work?

“As long as we sang in English, inspired by funk rock and reggae, with a nod to the Police, everything was fine. It started to work less when we met some producers who suggested we switch to Italian. I was no longer at ease: I felt distorted.”

The first single, “Tam tam,” featured former Simple Minds drummer Mike Ogletree. How did you meet him?

“He came with Simple Minds to Italy, then found love here and decided to stay in our country. We met him backstage at an event, I don’t remember which one, and asked him to join us. He accepted.”

How did you get to the acronyms?

“Thanks to my friend Max Longhi: he found himself arranging two theme songs composed by the great Piero Cassano, keyboardist of Matia Bazar and hitmaker for Eros Ramazzotti. The author, who was Alessandra Valeri Manera, asked him if by any chance he knew a good singer and he told her my name. I began to enjoy singing in Italian only thanks to the theme songs.”

How did you bring Tomato influences into those songs?

“In the sounds. The first theme song written for Cristina D’Avena, that of ‘Embark on a great journey’, was a reggae piece. Instead ‘Damned cockroaches’ looked to ska”.

Have you encountered any forms of snobbery towards you during your career?

“Several. Being considered ‘the one with the cartoon theme songs’ precluded me from many possibilities. This is my revenge. The most beautiful thing is to go on stage and receive the affection of the audience: it sweeps away all the bitterness.”