Alice celebrates Franco Battiato: «My voice, to keep his art alive»

It was the beginning of 2012 when Carla Bissi’s cell phone, alias Alicesuddenly lit up: on the other end of the receiver, the friend and colleague Franco Battiatoready to make them listen a song. It was she, a few days before, who had asked him – without half measures – if he could write her a piece to be included on his disc in preparation: he, smiling, had replied that certain things are not programmable, that inspiration comes when it wants. “That’s why, that day, I never expected to hear an audition, so similar to what would later be there original version», recalls the artist from Romagna. «I was moved on the phone and immediately told him what he had done a masterpiece».

Today, about ten years after theemotion of the first listeningAlice has chosen precisely that song, you were with me, to give the title to his new album, in which he plays sixteen gems written by the late Master: «They are the result of a journey that began in the 1980s, when Franco and I began our collaboration», says the protagonist presenting the disc, recorded in the studio with Charles Guaitoli (piano, conducting) e The Italian Philharmonic Soloistspublished by BMG extension and released on November 25 in CD and double vinyl versions. «It was born from the desire to be a tool of what Franco has transmitted and left behind: his art is a precious commodity and I think it should be watered for keep her alive”.

«On the cover there is me who I take care of the plants: it’s a wonderful photo that he took of me Francis Messina (the mate, ed) without me realizing it. Inside, then, she wanders in thehuge repertoire of Battiato: from Praise to the inviolate to And I’ll come looking for youfrom Poor country to The season of loveup to the famous ones The trains of Tozeur And We will be back again, included in his latest album. «They are songs to which I feel of fully adhere. At first they were supposed to be fourteen, but I recorded sixteen and I couldn’t cut a single one of them», reveals Alice. “The more complex to sing? On the gardens of the pre-existence. What I have to deal with more emotionally, however, is Who am I?».

“I’m sorry I left it off the tacklist beautiful pieces of Franco, like The shadow of light, but many I had already recorded in the past». But it could not be missing The cure, iconic song and love poster. “It speaks of the highest love that human beings can feel, the one with a capital A, related to the vertical plane. We are crushed by a society that drains us, that feeds the good for itself by forgetting the good for the other: that’s why humanity needs to be nurtured on another level», underlines Alice, who together with the Maestro made a tour of over ninety dates. “I could seize nuances which I didn’t know. We were in the same wave, vocally it didn’t me never said anything».

“Except for one version a little progressive from For Elisa which I made in ’96: when I played it to him, I don’t think it even arrived at the fourth beat». A nice anecdote, testimony of a unique bond: «In all honesty, if I hadn’t met Franco Battiato, I would have stopped singing».

Alice, now that’s living
Franco Battiato, the documentary clip The master’s voice
Franco Battiato: music, love and the idea of ​​death

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