When Without a woman 1987 became a world hit, Zucchero catapulted the Italian song out of its provinciality. Everyone was raging around the bearded, corpulent guy from Emilia, everyone wanted to work with him: Miles Davis, Eric Clapton, Queen, John Lee Hooker. Zucchero met them all. In 1990 he was the first rock musician to appear before the Kremlin, and in 1994 he was in Woodstock. He was almost more popular abroad than at home. The Italian Joe Cocker.
I was only now discovering Zucchero (originally Adelmo Fornaciari, nicknamed his elementary school teacher) – and his version of Follow You, Follow Me. The Genesis song, which was rather embarrassing for many in the 80s, too soft, self-pitying and by Phil Collins. “Turn up the volume,” a colleague recently called from the next office. “Stay with me, my love, I hope, you’ll always be …” Zucchero sings it down, melancholy, grounded. It’s the simplest Genesis song, and possibly the most beautiful. Zucchero does not start here with an opulent keyboard à la Tony Banks, a simple guitar riff is enough for him.
San Remo, Salvini, Gospel
The blues bard has spent most of the time since the 2020 lockdown on his estate in Tuscany. He’s also a farmer, digs in the earth, cultivates wine. He pulled out old records and made a list of 500 songs that he would like to cover. A fraction is left that is now on Discover has appeared. Songs that he could give something “of his own” and songs that he would have liked to have written himself. As Wicked Game by Chris Isaak. The Scientist by Coldplay. Zucchero can rely on his voice to turn the opus into a simple song. The deeply sad one No Time for Love Like Now by Michael Stipe & Big Red Machine becomes a lament for him about the running time that does not go by. Not being able to wait, and yet nothing else to do but wait. “Io ti aspetto, lo sai …” A Michael Stipe song “in italiano”? There is something hopeless about the dark lockdown track, but the more melodious Zucchero version also has a light heartedness, a bit of confidence. L’allegria italiana.
Zucchero comes from the alternative music scene of the 70s / 80s, he founded R’n’B bands, lived in San Francisco. At the San Remo Music Festival, which benefits from its nostalgic aura and celebrates the classic Italian song every year, it came in penultimate place in 1982. How much he is influenced by old school songwriters can be seen in the selection of pieces on the new album. He got from Fabrizio de André, the god of the canzoni (everyone in Italy knows his songs) I saw Nina fly select. The loneliness of the singer contrasts with the authority represented by the father. “Chew and spit …” – a call to rebellion. Zucchero has also given this song those two souls that it carries within: the blues and the canzone.
In 2019, Mahmood, a Milanese with Egyptian roots, surprisingly won in San Remo. Millions watched. Matteo Salvini from the right-wing national Lega tweeted in horror: “Mahmood, well. The most beautiful Italian song? “
Zucchero recently posted on Instagram: “When I heard Mahmood sing for the first time, I was deeply impressed by his soul voice.” They sing together Natural Blues von Moby, turn an electronic song into a sustaining gospel. Oh lord
Discover Sugar Universal 2021
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