Franco Battiato takes on a new adventure, becoming the Councillor for culture in his home region Sicily in the new elected government. "I renounce the compensation and I will try to organize events that expose the island Sicily with the rest of the world " he declares and underlines he's not there to make politics and politics he can do without. He does not want to be called councillor, he
prefers to be called Franco only and feel free to
work for free as one of the conditions to accept the position of Councillor for Culture of the
board of the newly elected governor of Sicily, Crocetta, a former mayor of troubled southern Sicilian town of Gela (where this blogger has spent some fun times many, many moons ago!). Another condition for accepting the job was that he could quit at any time as he "can't and won't change jobs".
He is ready to work for Sicily, although "it is still early to talk about programs and initiatives.The
only worthwhile project I can do", he says, "is to find a space where
you can do without difficulties and where there is freedom to
organize special events that connect Sicily with the rest of the world, from China to America to Germany. " Battiato announces that its going to be "an ambitious project that you can do with little money, as we have shown in the past. "I take this very seriously" he says "and remember that culture and
entertainment are two different things: the culture does not need the
show, while the show needs to culture."
Franco Battiato lives on foot of the volcano Etna in Miló and besides songwriter and singer is known also as painter and writer, director and has also composed operas, film music and worked with documentaries and many other things so he's widely cultured figure. And of course an Eurovision veteran :-)
His latest album Apriti sesamo came out this fall and it's lead single is Passacaglia, and Eri con me, a new song he wrote to Alice's Samsara album.
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