Ornella Vanoni: “It’s time to dance to my music”

90 years and not hearing them, 90 years and still having the desire to address a new audience, 90 years and hoping to leave an artistic legacy that can also interest young people. 90 years old and wanting to dance (or rather, make people dance).

With these premises Ornella Vanoni he takes a handful of his historical songs, and entrusts them to young producers who reinterpret them in a dance and electro pop key, with a sensitivity completely different from the originals. “It’s a record to dance to – says the singer – because you listen to other music, more relaxing, as it was before”.

“The world has changed and so have the sounds” writes Ornella on the notes of the physical CD; and this is also the case for these 12 songs that come from the Milanese singer’s repertoire, published between 1968 (the cover of “Io che amo solo te” written in ’62 by Sergio Endrigo) and 2021 (“Arcobaleno” from the album “ Unica”), all re-proposed on a new musical base, with modern sounds but which stylistically also look to the past. And with this objective Ornella gets involved, enters modernity (or rather the present). A dive into 70s disco from which we emerge in a somewhat timeless electro pop. On the other hand, Vanoni says “We live surrounded by electronics and consequently music has also evolved”.

This whole operation goes under the title of “Different”, because the songs that emerge from these revisitations are different. They are certainly so from a stylistic point of view but they are also so for the approach, for the intention of the song which nevertheless maintains its melodic essence. And it is precisely on this aspect that Ornella Vanoni is in “full control”, because all the songs (with the exception of “Saint Allegria”) were re-sung for the occasion this year. So vocally there is today’s Ornella.

The new album was anticipated by the singles “Lost” (with the production of heysimo – born Simone Sproccati) and “I want you” (with Elodie and Ditonellapiaga)the first originally released in 1992 and the second in 1977. In the end “Diverse” keeps what it promises in the title and creates an interesting experiment. Ornella’s more “traditional” audience is unlikely to fully appreciate this project, but at the same time the singer’s repertoire will reach the ears of a much younger audience who, in these reinterpretations more in tune with their own tastes, can still rediscover the essence of the song. It is an interesting work of “rejuvenation” or rather of updating a heritage of Italian music. Different versions (not all perfectly successful) but which, despite having new sounds, maintain the beauty and strength of the originals, demonstrating that they are part of a “timeless” music, suitable for every outfit.

Thirteen songs that well represent Vanoni’s journey, songs signed by prestigious authors entrusted to the hands of young producers, DJs and musicians who use electronics as a choral instrument, not all famous but all respectful and enthusiastic about what they have done.

In addition to the already mentioned heysimo (who worked with Salmo on “Playlist” and who animates the Magnolia in Milan with his DJ sets) we find “I know I will love you” (cover of “Eu sei que vou te amar” signed Jobim / De Moraes), from the 1976 album “La lust la follia l’incoscienza l’allegria” produced by Giordano Colomboformer drummer for Battiato, Ligabue and others, as well as producer for Ultimo, Gazzelle, Ligabue, Ermal Meta and who also wrote “Una vita on holiday” for Lo Stato Sociale. The next one “Rainbow”, the most recent, from the 2021 album “Unica”, is revived in the new version by the DJs Protopope & Dumar. While “Music Music” (originally on “Duemilatrecentouno parole”, 1981 album) is produced by Brail (born Iacopo Senigallia), who worked among others on the songs of Madame (“Il bene nel male” presented in Sanremo), Aiello, ditonellapiaga, Coma_Cose, Ariete, Psicologi and Mannarino.

The Italian Canadian DJ Bruno Belissimo proposes his version of “Eyes in eyes”, from 1977 featured in the album “Iointerno”. Hey Cabrera! (born Gianluca Servetti and who has already remixed Ricchi & Poveri) instead puts his hand to the classic “I love only you”. Continues “For a friend” (still from “Duemilatrecentouno parole”, album from 1981) produced by Emanuele Novaro, aka Sol Novaro. For “Woman’s recipe” (from the 1980 album of the same name) Giordano Colombo returns to the field. Marco Maiole “puts his hand” to “A beautiful girl” (from the 2007 album of the same title). Lorenzo Morresi is the producer of this new version of “Go Valentina”, a song that in terms of modernity had nothing to complain about already in 1981 when it was released on the album “Duemilatrecentouno parole”. The name of okgiorgio appears as the signature of the new version of “Details” originally on the 1973 album of the same name (this is the “oldest” song of the lot). okgiorgio has already “produced” for Fulminacci, Giovanni Truppi, appears in the latest Tananai, collaborated with Pinguini Tattici Nucleari, Loredana Berté, Carl Brave, Tancredi, Rose Villain.

We dance great instead with “Saint Allegria” (from the 1997 album “Argilla”) remixed by Jack Sani who says: “When I posted it on TikTok I had very low expectations because it wasn’t a very well-known track, but that was probably one of its strong points.” The vocal trio closes the album Vanoni, Elodie e Toe in the sore. A sort of handover that takes place to the tune of “I love you” from the album “Io Fuori”, released in 1977.

“Diverse” is essentially a record that looks at the past, takes it and dresses it in new clothes. On the other hand, Ornella Vanoni no longer has anything to prove, her greatness is recognized and there for all to see. Nor is his attention to the present surprising, he has always been one step ahead. The great thing is that she continues to be curious and full of stimuli even with nine decades behind her.