Giuni Russo, the tribute concert in Rome last night. The story
The concert “Voci parallele” dedicated to Giuni Russo, a high-level, multifaceted artist, “other” than the recording game of the time, let alone today, could only be held inside a cloud. Exactly twenty years after her death, yesterday evening in Rome, Auditorium della Nuvola, a group of artists reinterpreted part of her repertoire, accompanied by an ensemble of ten musicians, including the the string quartet of the ForliMusica Orchestra. And that it was a serious tribute could be understood from the choice of guests: not the most streamed, not the trendiest, but those who knew Giuni, who have truly traveled a stretch of the road with her, who have cited her on several occasions as a source of inspiration or who are similar to her.
Even Tiziano Ferro, present with a video contribution, was not there for promotional reinforcement, as happens in celebratory crowds. He had already defined Giuni as a “goddess of music”, “to be celebrated every day, and instead”. Instead, one has the feeling that if Maria Antonietta Sisini (together with Giuni in art and life for over thirty years) and some artist interested in the beauty that Italian music has produced were not there to stir the waters of memory, these songs would struggle to reach the public, they would be “hydrogens in the sea of oblivion”, just to quote. After all, it was also like this when Russo was there and fought to make them known. Excerpts from her biography, including tribulations, are recited from the actress Pamela Villoresi, who Battiato wanted for his film “Nothing is as it seems”.
Ferro sings “I will die of love”, he has it in his strings, he inserted it in “I Accept Miracles: The Experience of Others” from 2020. The video shows him in the recording studio, probably American, every now and then he lowers his eyes so as not to miss a word of the lyrics: «It was important for me to be there, everyone knows how much Giuni inspired me. She knew how to look ahead» he says «I am far away, but you don’t know how close I feel her voice». It is Giuni’s last song, rejected at least twice before going to the Sanremo Festival in 2003. It was a touching performance, and this regardless of the rereadings, when it was discovered that we would not hear that voice again, and the lyrics became a testament. Giuni was so original, that seeing her bald in front of the microphone, with henna tattoos on her smooth head, could have seemed like a new look. And instead. With decorum and a thousand-toothed smile, she transcended the disease through a song.
The piano part of “Morirò d’amore” was by Roberto Cacciapaglia, and he also played that song last night. In 1983, he had taken care of the mixes and arrangements of the album “Vox”, which contained “Sere d’agosto”, re-proposed by the talented Filippo Graziani, who makes it sound like a song by his father Ivan. Irene Grandi is entrusted with “Alghero” and a twisting “Mediterranea”, Amara with “Limonata cha cha cha”, “Un’estate al mare” and “Illusione” and Arisa, who is vocally impeccable and has always had the myth of Giuni. Perhaps there is no Italian artist who has mentioned summer more often than her. Here, let’s take this opportunity to dispel this: often hers is not the carefree summer of the beach umbrellas-oni-oni, but a poetic and melancholic time.
Then, it is repeated until it is boring that Giuni Russo is much more than “Un’estate al mare” and the whole seaside genre. True up to a certain point, because, of frivolity, those songs have only the appearance. They are frivolous if you do not hear the lyrics and the intention: “on the mercenary streets of sex”, “moral breakdown”, “you will spend your energy only on symbols”. But who puts similar phrases in the seasonal disengagements? Apart from Colapesce-Dimartino, and we are still in the orbit of Battiato.
Franco Battiato adored Giuni Russo. He produced her, wrote for her and with her. He considered her vocals a miracle, and he was keen to point out that the technical aspect was not the most relevant. You can have a great voice and not know how to put anything into it. Giuni was one of his female companions, with Milva and Alice, who sings “A’ cchiù bella” for the occasion and enchants with “L’addio”. Applause. The first dates back to the phase in which Russo encountered Neapolitan song (with lyrics by Totò), the second is an ascending romance, which last year appeared on X Factor like a Martian object.
What does Rita Pavone have to do with the cast? She had known Giuni since she was called Giusy Romeo, at the time of Rita & l’Anonima Ragazzi, 1979, and to her, with similar energy, are assigned with “Con Te” and “Adrenalina”, which was originally a duet with Rettore (and we would have expected Donatella to call her up: wasn’t she at home?). Pavone loses a few words and apologizes, but at 79 years old she remains unleashed and on point. She recalls: “Giuni, an extraordinary person, a rare thing in this field, where many have their noses in the air. She was incredibly modest and simple. Modest and simple, that’s how the greats are.”
Ron plays “Le contrade di Madrid”, Laura Catrani “Una serata molto strana” and “La Zingara”. Paolo Fresu, due to a setback, was unable to arrive. His trumpet was supposed to accompany “Malinconia, ninfa gentile” by Vincenzo Bellini, but the piece, which opens the evening, is left to Giuni, who appears like a Chinese shadow. She can be recognized by her tuft. Fresu had already entered the jazz reinterpretation of “A casa di Ida Rubinstein”, that 1988 album in which Giuni tried her hand at chamber arias, going “off the road” as she said. Which was her road. She wanted to explore, research.
Listening to her, you understand how much she knew how to range: ironic pop songs, operatic, jazz, and with an ethnic flavor, tied to the land. She was born in Palermo and Sardinian by choice. A convinced islander. Convinced of her solitude. “Strade parallele (aria siciliana)” is taken on by Mario Incudine (flute and voice) and Antonio Vasta (piano); the Tenores di Neoneli translate “La sposa” into Sardinian, text inspired by the Praise of Wisdom, contained in Sirach. Because Giuni also did this. At a certain point, he began reading sacred and mystical texts.
The most spiritual repertoire is entrusted to the Portuguese Dulce Pontes, «soul sister», who proposes the lamentation “O Vos Omnes” and “Nada te turbe”, with the words of Teresa D’Avila. She had performed it for the first time at the Church of the Discalced Carmelites, and barefoot she appears on stage. With her voice she builds a magical space: not a cough flies. Being buried among the Discalced Carmelites, in their at the Major Cemetery in Milan, was Giuni Russo’s last wish. Who also put Santa Teresa in the chorus of “Moro perchè non moro”, here sung by Antonella Ruggiero (in addition to “Para Siempre”), one of the few able to effortlessly reach such heights. The audience stands up. Simone Cristicchi and Amara are equally suited to this segment of the live. They have been bringing the “Mystical Concert for Battiato” on stage for a long time, they frequent hermitages, they do not follow the logic of numbers. Here they unite in an Arabian “Come”, which has a quatrain by the Persian mystic Rumi. “La sua figura” would have also been a perfect fit for them, which quotes John of the Cross, and was a thrilling duet between Giuni and Battiato. It is the song that, rightly, closes the evening. Giuni sings it and that’s it.
The setlist is missing songs like “Good good-bye”, “Se fossi più simpatica vorrei meno antipatica”, “Una vipera sarà” (but maybe, who could climb up there?), “Post-moderno”: synth-pop, protorap, mash ups with English that would be perfect to fish out for the newcomers to pop music, those hunting for covers and sampling ideas. Rachele Bastreghi has just thought of remaking “Crisi metropolitana” on her own. Perhaps Giuni has not reached others, due to a lack of curiosity, musical culture, or because the algorithm’s paths have ended and only send you in the vicinity of where you want to go.
On September 17th at 3.30 pm the ceremony to name the Gardens of Corso Garibaldi in Brera after Giuni Russo will be held, in the heart of Milan, while Alghero already has its own view of the sea, the Mirador Giuni Russo. Important recognitions, but more knowledge is needed, initiatives to discover a treasure, like yesterday’s evening, whose proceeds, among other things, go to the Vidas Foundation, which provides free assistance to the incurably ill. Is it difficult to understand someone who can sing Japanese phonemes and Mongolian triphonies? Not if she has a truth to tell. Her words: “When the truth comes out of an artist, it meets the public. And this is what the record industry should learn.” Teverything was recorded live, Sony will release the concert album. And will it be on TV? Mysteries of Faith. It should, instead.
