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JJ's Bizarre Blog #37 - Bellissimo Beats from the Big Boot
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Bon giorno, friends! Hope you are all doing swell. If the rainy weather has you feeling down, fear not, for The Bizzarro One comes to you with a new blog filled with a fresh dose of Mediterranean sunshine. We’re closing up on the one year anniversary of the first country focused blog, so it feels appropriate to make another one. This time, I take you to one of my favourite countries in the world and one of the most culturally significant lands there is. Their cuisine has changed the palette of the world forever, their history has influence permeating everywhere you look and of course, topically for this blog, their music is a global sensation. You probably figured out which one it is by now so come sit by the sea with some pasta and red wine as we explore the magnificent music of the one and only Italy!
Italy is a country that truly needs no introduction. I don’t know who you are, where you’re from or where you live now, I can say with certainty that the environment around you is in some way influenced by something that happened on the boot-shaped Apennine Peninsula. All roads lead to Rome as the Roman Empire owned most of the known world outside of East Asia at one point, the Latin language is the root of not just Italian, but all Romance languages like Spanish, French, Portuguese and even Romanian, not to mention the letters you’re looking at right now and the countless Latin words in popular vernacular today. There’s a whole list to be said about cuisine, culture, religion, architecture, cars, fashion, technology, literature and more, but that’s a story for another time. What matters for this blog is music and Italian music has been a global phenomenon for centuries and has been one of the most foundational movements on the development of music as we know it today. Why do you think so many musical terms come from Italian – vibrato, tremolo, arpeggio, legato, staccato and many many more. Hey, even one of the most popular instruments in existence, the piano, derives its name from Italian. There is vast history and boundless variety to find, so let’s explore it together! Forza!
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Ever since the advent of classical music, Italy has been one of the biggest powerhouses of both producing the greatest composers and musicians to ever live, but also providing the academies and stages for the biggest musical prodigies from all over Europe to hone their skills and achieve greatness. Italy was one of the birthplaces of opera as we know it, which is why so many operas by composers from all kinds of countries have lyrics in Italian to this day. Symphonies here developed a distinctly melodic Romantic sound (Rome, Romantic, get it?). Not to mention that virtuosos (another Italian term) like Antonio Vivaldi and Niccolo Paganini played the violin in ways previously thought impossible and elevated the level of technical ability across all of music for centuries to come. To this day, they are the high bar that self-respecting young musicians need to clear to reach the high echelons of music.
Being ground zero for opera, Italy naturally also brought us some of the most world renowned opera singers ever, arguably the biggest name among them being the sky-shattering tenor of the one and only Luciano Pavarotti. He and his many countrymen within the sphere operated at such soul touching skill that they elevated opera from an elite artform mostly reserved for the upper crust of society to a pure emotional experience that can be appreciated by the biggest layman who doesn’t even know what a violin looks like. And being able to touch a listener’s heart is the greatest thing any musician can do, right?
Opera and theater have of course always been the groundwork for the birth of cinema and since the advent of the technology, Italian actors and directors have cemented themselves as some of the most influential to ever live. Besides that, even outside of their home grown films, Italian composers have carried on the legacy of their nation’s long standing traditions of classical music and opera and legends such as the iconic Ennio Morricone have blessed us with some of the most unforgettable film scores of all time.
As we enter the modern era, Italian music never stopped being a massive success and a big part of that was the rise of Italian pop during the 60s, 70s and 80s. Easily becoming a sensation within their homeland but then quickly making a massive splash abroad, it seems Italy is a magical land forever destined to give us some the best music on Earth. As the decades rolled on, legends like Toto Cutugno, Adriano Celentano, Al Bano and his wife Romina Power, as well as countless others became superstars and developed a very distinct flavour of music that is just as characteristically Italian as the land’s iconic dishes. I can’t say for sure how it was elsewhere across the world, but all the artists of this era were huge over here in Eastern Europe and I like many others have grown up with their iconic songs and have very fond memories associated with them. They defined the so called estrada sound that would go on to inspire Bulgarian music as well. My childhood would never be the same without all of this.
The train never stopped though and more and more artists kept making global splashes. Legends like Eros Ramazzotti and Zucchero sought to bring a rock sensibility while the bling visionary Andrea Bocelli combined opera with a more pop-oriented sound to create a truly magical experience that cannot compare to anything else.
The various styles continued to evolve and as the disco movement took force, a new breed was born, aptly titled italo disco. With a catchy and upbeat sound that is very melodic and danceable, taking obvious heavy inspirations from the classic Italian pop singers, italo disco became one of the most recognizable sub-movements of the greater disco craze, so much so that other artists all over the world started trying to emulate the Italian sound. If you remember the Eurobeat movement I spoke about two blogs ago, well that came from here too. From from Torino to Tokyo, to Toronto and everywhere else in between, everyone wanted to dance to italo disco!
And since it’s become some sort of tradition, it’s time to discover which meme songs each country has blessed the world with. Let’s see, Sweden gave us Caramelldansen and the “Butterfly” song, Finland gave us Freestyler and Sandstorm, Germany gave us What is Love, Italy is coming out swinging with the iconic Blue (Da Ba Dee) by iconic Eurodance project Eiffel 65. Say what you want, the song is an undisputed banger and it’s legendary status is deserved. Definitely better than any plagiarized versions by any French DJs or anything. Also the rest of Eiffel 65’s discography is littered with hidden gems, so have a look, they aren’t just some one hit wonder!
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This really is the perfect transition to talk about the impressive electronic scene of Italy. While they aren’t the powerhouse that places like Germany or the Netherlands are and they also didn’t get lucky with massive venues for the scene like Spain’s Ibiza, Italy nevertheless remain a strong producer of quality electronic music across a multitude of genres, contributing to the creation and evolution of many of them too! Particularly within the house and EDM spheres, the Italians remain strong and the party on the Mediterranean coast is always raging hot.
When rock started taking the world by storm, Italy were a bit late to the party, but they did manage to make a strong impact when they finally did. Early Italian rock is characterized by a heavily European sound, taking influence from traditional songs and folk music, as well as a heaping dose of classical music legacy. The result is a progressive, avant-garde and experimental sound that never really soared for the mainstream heights that the big rock bands of the world achieved, but instead sought to create something truly unique and unheard of. All throughout, free spirited experimentation, unlimited creativity and great respect for classical music are what define the sound of Italian rock. They may not be the loudest of the bunch, but you will always know the Italian band when you see it and they continue to leave a strong impression to this day.
Naturally, when you have a rock scene, heavy metal is not far behind. While, again, not as huge a scene as other European nations, the descendants of Rome are still one of the most important hotbeds for heavy metal on the old continent. The aforementioned spirit of experimentation and love for classical and folk music transcended here too, leading to the birth of many unique bands that cannot be compared to anything in existence. Regardless if heavy, soft, progressive or humorous, Italian metal has something for everyone.
An example of a band that has left a massive impression and one that encapsulates this multifaceted sound are the Gothic metal mystique that is Lacuna Coil. Led by their charismatic dual singers Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro, this amazing band are equal parts melancholic and uplifting, heavy and gentle. With a strong riffing style, dense atmosphere, varied vocals and intensely emotional lyrics (not to mention their bombastic live shows) Lacuna Coil have become of the emblems of Italian metal and proudly carry the torch forward through their self-imposed darkness.
The Apenine Peninsula is typically a sunny and joyous place dotted with olive trees and wineries, but even here darkness dwells and Italian extreme metal is as powerful as the eruption that buried Pompeii. Across vast varieties of black, death and doom metal, as well as many more avant-garde offshoots, there’s no shortage of brutality out here!
To nobody’s surprise though, Italy’s biggest exports are in the power metal sphere. With such a strong legacy of classical music to pull from, some of the richest history on the planet and the desire to translate the virtuoso work of Paganini and Vivaldi from violin to guitar, it’s no shocker that anthems of heroism, layered with neoclassical symphonic epicness are the favourite pastime of the Italian metal sphere.
By far the biggest of these are the masters of Rhapsody (of Fire)! They encapsulate everything I mentioned up till now – epic and melodic metal about grand adventure and boundless fantastical imagination, carried on the backs of phenomenal music. Fabio Lione’s Dio-esque tenor voice carries the power and emotion of authentic opera, Luca Turilli is a reincarnated Vivaldi on his trusty guitar, not to mention a brilliant composer, and the classically trained keyboard aficionado Alex Staropoli added heaps of symphonic grandiosity that fully carries the spirit of Italian classical music that started all those centuries ago. By every metric, they are the definitive Italian band, taking everything that their nation has contributed to the world, from classics of yore to the rock of the 60s, and bringing it to the modern day. Yet, despite this elevated nature, they are still undeniably fun with their fast-paced melodic songs about fighting dragons.
If Rhapsody are a bit too soft for you, then consider another of Italy’s prime exports – the maelstrom of elegant violence called Fleshgod Apocalypse. Taking that ever-present symphonic legacy and combining it with skull-shattering death metal played at blistering speeds, these dapper lads will lull you into serenity right before they tear the house down with their unfiltered intensity. Powerful, heavy, sophisticated, super fun and undeniably Italian. That is Fleshgod Apocalypse!
In more recent times, the young valiants from Wind Rose have taken up the mantel and become a global sensation. Playing an epic and melodic, folk-infused style of power metal focused on the writing of J.R.R. Tolkien, particularly his iconic dwarves, Wind Rose fully embrace the nerdy fun aspect of power metal. Their infectious energy has quickly earned them legions of followers and they have become the new standard bearers, not just for Italian metal but the entire power metal sphere! Plus, come on, they cosplay as dwarves and all dwarves are automatically cool. Rock and Stone!
Italians know how to have fun! If you do too and you just wanna let loose and have a good time, enjoy the comedic power metal genius that is Nanowar of Steel. Built on countless layers of irony and incredibly catchy tunes, Nanowar remind us all to take it easy and enjoy ourselves. Humour is the best medicine and these guys can cure hearts like nobody else!
Right, there you go, a little bit of a taste test of the exquisiteness of Italian music. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but I still hope I gave this nation justice. Also, side note, I only focused on music from the nation itself. I have not included any music from people of Italian descent from nations all over the world like the US, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, etc. that have become massive superstars and redefined music in their own right. Honestly, people of Italian descent have had such a huge influence on so many things that that can be a blog on its own. For now though, here is a small sample just to give you a taste of that world as well.
For now, we have reached the end of the road and arrived at Rome. I hope that with my work, you are now as enamoured with Italian music as I am. In general, I personally love everything about this country. The nature, the architecture, the history, the folklore, the language, the food, the people, the cars, the sports teams, the films, I could go on and on! Italy was one of the first places I visited abroad and I have gone back there many times, each adventure leaving a massive impression on me. Their amazing music that has been with me since childhood is just another facet of this grand Romantic tale. So I hope you can share this love with me over a glass of wine now too. Take care and see you again soon! Grazie!
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