A cantata for Guccini

Finally, Carlo arrived, and with his guitar he played Eskimo, The Song of the Twelve Months. Auschwitz, God is Dead and many others. It was moving to see that the first singers were his children, to whom he had probably taught these songs, with the spirit we talked about earlier. But many other people sang along loudly, knowing the words by heart. Others helped themselves with their cell phones, which finally showed their usefulness, even in cheerful situations.

In the end, there were about 250 people present, who came because they knew about the event or because they joined the group, as they were passing by and were pleasantly surprised by this initiative. Veronica, the event organizer, admitted the same, and in the end, a local singer intervened, particularly thanking Carlo because he stated that in Padua, there are no longer people who know how to play Guccini on the guitar.

This makes us think about how a politicized city like Padua, with the presence of the university, has changed its face. The same could be observed during the performance of Guccini’s more political songs, where only a few clenched fists were raised. We must also say that Guccini himself has never been a member of a party, despite having repeatedly expressed his political sympathies, along with criticisms of the party’s management.

It has therefore been beautiful to see the deep affection that people have for this singer-songwriter, beyond the controversies arising from the posthumous statements of his first wife, because an artist is an artist. And just as Picasso can be quite criticized in his relationships with women, so Guccini must be “judged” for that something more (I would say a lot) for what he has left us: words to express our most hidden emotions, our anxieties, our fears, our hopes. Thank you “Maestrone” for teaching us to express what we feel without shame in all the times of our existence and for being a companion in our lives.

The affection of the people in the squares of Italy

The spontaneous singing in memory of Francesco Guccini will not take place on September 5 in Bologna. The collective Cantate Bologna, the promoter of the event organized on the anniversary of the singer-songwriter’s passing in front of number 43 on via Paolo Fabbri, where Guccini lived until 2012, has denied the rumor.

In a message posted on social media, the organizers explain that they have consulted with the Municipality of Bologna and have respected the wishes of the singer-songwriter’s family.

In the post, the collective emphasizes the risk that a public call could attract thousands of people from all over Italy, overlapping with the initiatives that the family intends to organize.

Instead, small local initiatives, even in our region, are spreading spontaneously in various squares across Italy. Ordinary people from the generation of the Sixties, but not only, who grew up with Guccini’s songs and feel the need to sing them together, to remember the times of their youth, but above all the ideals and feelings that these songs carry as messages of life, feel the need to come together to sing the soundtrack of an era.

After the tribute to Francesco Guccini that took place in the Cita neighborhood of Mestre, organized by the same Community, on Sunday, August 9, with the spontaneous presence of about 250 people singing his songs with the lyrics projected on a wall, accompanied by guitars brought spontaneously, yesterday in Padua in Piazza del Duomo there was another call at 9 PM.

The first people started singing L’Avvelenata with speakers simply connected to a mobile phone. Then the cavalry arrived, or rather a car that played the most famous songs by Guccini, such as In morte di F.S. and La locomotiva.

Finally, Carlo arrived, and with his guitar he played Eskimo, The Song of the Twelve Months. Auschwitz, God is Dead and many others. It was moving to see that the first singers were his children, to whom he had probably taught these songs, with the spirit we talked about earlier. But many other people sang along loudly, knowing the words by heart. Others helped themselves with their cell phones, which finally showed their usefulness, even in cheerful situations.

In the end, there were about 250 people present, who came because they knew about the event or because they joined the group, as they were passing by and were pleasantly surprised by this initiative. Veronica, the event organizer, admitted the same, and in the end, a local singer intervened, particularly thanking Carlo because he stated that in Padua, there are no longer people who know how to play Guccini on the guitar.

This makes us think about how a politicized city like Padua, with the presence of the university, has changed its face. The same could be observed during the performance of Guccini’s more political songs, where only a few clenched fists were raised. We must also say that Guccini himself has never been a member of a party, despite having repeatedly expressed his political sympathies, along with criticisms of the party’s management.

It has therefore been beautiful to see the deep affection that people have for this singer-songwriter, beyond the controversies arising from the posthumous statements of his first wife, because an artist is an artist. And just as Picasso can be quite criticized in his relationships with women, so Guccini must be “judged” for that something more (I would say a lot) for what he has left us: words to express our most hidden emotions, our anxieties, our fears, our hopes. Thank you “Maestrone” for teaching us to express what we feel without shame in all the times of our existence and for being a companion in our lives.