Last night the huge tribute event took place in the Arena di Verona with 50 artists to honor and commemorate late Franco Battiato. Originally the plan was to tribute his La Voce del padrone album, released 40 years ago and one of the most sold albums ever in Italy. Twist of fate and everyone was there but the maestro himself. His closest collaborators had created his songs in their original arrangements played live and the singers who worked with him like Alice and Juri Camisasca, and singers who wished to work with him but didn't make it in time like Diodato and Mahmood along with singers who had covered his songs or simply considered him a real idol. The four hour long event was a celebration of life and his art that goes well beyond music rather than a mourning. When his latest song Torneremo ancora (We will be back) was played at the end of the show with a lonely spotlight on stage indicating where he would have been one could only think "He is still here". Indeed, his music lives on.
For all those who couldn't be there live Rai will broadcast the show before the end of the year, and there will be also a CD and DVD release, and Sky Arte will also use the material for its future programming.
Besides the songs performed (see the list below) his long time lyricist Manlio Sgalambro gave a speech to open the evening followed by Umberto Broccoli who did the story telling for the evening. His sadly late muses Giuni Russo and Milva were remembered while the third one, Alice, was the clear star of the evening. Arisa with actress Sonia Bergamasco and opera singer Cristina Baggio did a medley of his film music.
The night went on smoothly until Al Bano with critic Vittoria Sgarbi entered the stage unannounced and soon left with whistling and booing without being able to do whatever they planned to do......
The most touching moments were when Alice was on stage, Visibly touched and emotional, hand on her heart she belted out some of greatest songs Franco had written to perfection. After all, she is his alter ego and last remaining muse.
Mahmood covered his No time, no space that is supposed to be his Plan B for Eurovision 1984. I treni di Tozeur was covered by Baustelle instead.
“Suite cinematografica” -
Arisa
“Come un cammello in una grondaia” - Morgan
“L'animale”
- Emma
“Lode all'inviolato” – Simone Cristicchi
“Luna
indiana” – Manet Raghunath
“Povera Patria” – Paola Turci
e Danilo Rossi
“Che cosa resterà” – Gianni Morandi
“No
time no space” - Mahmood
“Il Re del Mondo” – Angelo
Branduardi
“Un'altra vita” – Max Gazzé
“Tutto
l'universo obbedisce all’amore” – Carmen Consoli
“L'era
del cinghiale bianco” – Jovanotti e Saturnino
“Strani
giorni” - Cristina Scabbia con Davide Ferrario, Chicco Gussoni e
Saturnino
“Io chi sono?” - Alice
“Prospettiva Nevski” –
Alice
“La Cura” - Alice
“Nomadi” – Alice e Juri
Camisasca
“Segnali di vita” - Morgan con Fabio Cinti
“Shock
in my town” - Bluvertigo
“Aria di rivoluzione” e “Da
oriente a occidente”
– Gianni Maroccolo, Antonio Aiazzi, Beppe
Brotto, Andrea Chimenti
“La Torre” - Vinicio Capossela
“Voglio
vederti danzare” - Extraliscio
“Attende Domine” – Juri
Camisasca
“L'ombra della luce” – Juri Camisasca e Nabil
Bey
“Oceano di silenzio” - Roberto Cacciapaglia
“Oceano
di silenzio” - Eugenio Finardi con Cristina Baggio
“La
stagione dell'amore” – Fiorella Mannoia
“Summer on a
solitary beach” – Luca Madonia
“I treni di Tozeur” -
Baustelle
“Gli uccelli” – Giovanni Caccamo
“Bandiera
bianca” e “Sentimiento nuevo”
– Colapesce e Dimartino
“Cuccurucucu” – Gianna Nannini
“Magic shop” – Vasco
Brondi
“Stranizza d'amuri” – Mario Incudine e Enzo
Avitabile
“E ti vengo a cercare” - Diodato
“Centro di
gravità permanente”
– Colapesce, Dimartino, Luca Madonia,
Giovanni Caccamo,
Carmen Consoli e Mario Incudine
“Up Patriots
to arms” - Subsonica
“Torneremo ancora” – Franco Battiato
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