Greetings! I am excited to welcome you to another aspect of Napoli: its outstanding music scene. Some Napulitan artists classify the music they create as “contaminazione”. Why? Because, much like their city, founded by Greeks and subsequently ruled by almost every empire, ruler or king under the sun, they are naturally drawn to creating music that is outward looking and diverse. A sound that borrows from different genres and showcases multiplicity; it is the Napulitan way.
A few years ago, in a bid to further layer my understanding of what makes this city tick, I decided to start watching Napoli’s soccer games. From attending games shown in my city’s cafés where I’d have to ask the barista, several times, to ensure he played the Napoli game, I am now subscribed to Fubo and DAZN. Listening to The Forza Napoli Podcast, as is watching the game, is a weekend must. Tuning into Spalletti’s pre- and post-game pressers, picking apart his carefully crafted statements, including moments where he goes after reporters, has me in stitches. In short, it has become my way to travel to Napoli, each weekend, from the comfort of my living room.
Please note, I am not a Rolling Stone music writer nor the authority on Napoli’s music scene. What I am is a fan of music, in this case the music that comes from Napoli. Well, some of Napoli’s music as I do not follow every genre. Above all, I enjoy delving deeper, understanding lyrics and seeking the whys and whats of an artist/band’s inspiration since this is where the story lies.
Without further ado, I present you the top 3 songs that, circa 2018, turned my head (my ear – no actually, my heart!) and have had me hooked (addicted?) ever since. Have the artists listed below made new songs since then? You bet! Stay tuned for more!
1. Gente do Sud by Terroni Uniti (2017)
These guys had me at their name: Terroni Uniti. The name of this ensemble effort is in itself a statement. It is, in my eyes, an attempt to reappropriate the very words, rather insult, that is regularly bandied about when disparaging all things South, even during soccer games (sound familiar?). Terrone literally means “from the earth” but implies one is uncouth, uneducated and therefore lesser. The song, while making explicit reference to the migrants at sea, is also a nod to the history of ‘o sud as there is no better a people than “terroni” to understand hardship.
What is this song about?
It is a tersely-stated, in-your-face reply to the then La Lega Nord and Matteo Salvini’s bid to keep migrants rescued by NGO ships in the Mediterranean Sea from disembarking on Italian shores. The song is an invite to stay in touch with our humanity and not descend into an ‘us vs them’ rhetoric, making it easier to dehumanize people who, in a bid to escape war-torn corrupt countries, drown at sea. As the chorus states:
Gente d”o sud – (we are) people of the south
Gente d”o mare – people of the sea
Gente capace ‘e credere ancora dint’all’ammore – people who are still able to believe in love
E chisto è ‘o mood – and this is the mood
Vene d”o mare – it comes from the sea
Dint”e culure nc’ammiscammo e simmo tale e quale – in colours (meaning diversity), we mix and we are the same
Do watch the video (over 4 million already have), and you will not only see a tiny spit of the Posillipo shoreline, (close to Palazzo Donn’Anna where Ciro Mertens still has his home), but, a lot of the who’s who of Napoli’s music scene. From still active “old timer” legends like James Senese (Showmen/Napoli Centrale) and Eugenio Bennato (NCCP) to “mid-old timers” ‘O Zulù & Massimo Jovine (99Posse) to the younger generation Andrea Tartaglia (Tartaglia Aneuro) and Roberto Colella (La Maschera).
This song is a true gem. From its socio-political statement to its star power; from the fratellanza on display to its upbeat mandolin infused, reggae-ish sound mixed in with rap (contaminazione!); from its somber topic to embracing those in need as the antidote; from old timers mingling with the next generation; from the video being shot in the heart of the city to using the evocative setting that is the golf, it encompasses the essence of Napoletanità: welcome to all, don’t be a divisive dolt & above all, honour the beauty of life for one and all. This is one of my go-to songs and video when I need faith restored.
Don’t miss:
Terroni Uniti’s single Simmo tutte Sioux (We Are All Sioux) was their bid to support the #NoDAPL (No Dakota Access Pipeline) indigenous demonstrations in the USA in 2016. That video is subtitled in English and has a half million views; its screen play is a collaborative effort between Massimo Jovine (99Posse) and local playwright and High School English teacher, Luca Delgado. Luca also authored the screen play for the video Gente do Sud.
2. Pullecenella by La Maschera (2014)
There is SO MUCH to say about this band! Since its creation in 2013 by trumpeter Vincenzo Capasso and singer/songwriter/musician Roberto Colella, they now easily sell out concerts within hours. Singing mostly in Napulitan, their music is a collection of flavours drawing from folk and world music. Never one to sit still, Roberto and La Maschera regularly collaborate with many local artists and songwriters but this song and this album is a good starting point.
What is this song about?
The song Pullecenella, whose video captures only half of the tsunami of energy this band exudes on stage, is a challenge to the manner in which this famous masked character, often associated with Napoli, is seen. The song attempts to unmask the masked. Is Pullecenella forever condemned to portray this caricature of levity? Does he ever tire? Does anyone care to see him differently? Here is an excerpt:
È cos’ ’e niente je me ne vaco p’ ’a strada mia – Think nothing of it, I’ll be on my way
Vieni cu mmé te port’ ’int’ ’o vicolo ’e l’Allerìa – Come with me, I’ll you take to where there is merriment
Tanto cchiù nnera d’ ’a mezanotte nun po’ venì – In any case, it can’t get “darker than midnight”- meaning it can’t get worse than this
When presenting this song at the 2014 edition of the yearly Musicultura Music Festival held in Macerata, Roberto spoke to how it reveals the dualistic nature of Pullecenella, exposing both vices and virtue. Likewise, he adds, one can also draw similar parallels when speaking of the city, Napoli. Ultimately, I believe it is also a statement as to the duality that exists in each and every one of us- as the end of the video suggests. This track, the entire album ‘O vicolo ‘e l’allerìa, the band’s name: La Maschera, is all about contrast; what we see and take as obvious versus the complexity of what lies below.
Don’t miss:
N’ata musica (about the need for creating a sound/song while it elusively escapes), Amarcord (nostalgia and connection versus departure), La confessione (the stunning and dramatic inner thoughts of a priest turned sinner – the video is equally dramatic) and lastly, ‘O marenaro (a fisherman who feels trapped by the vastness of the sea).
3. Oltre by Tartaglia Aneuro (2017)
In brackets, next to this band’s name under my iTunes Napulitan Music section, I’ve added “Napule’s Rebel Peace Warriors For the Soul”. I know, it’s wordy – can’t be helped. I’ll explain why below.
Hailing from the western part of Napoli, Campi Flegrei (a region consisting of 24 craters and underwater volcanic edifices), it is no surprise then that their lyrics speak to the power of movement, rebirth, invention and creativity. The music they produce is life-affirming, holding nature & the environment in high regard while placing importance on introspection and being aligned with one’s raison d’être. All measures that would very definitely keep one’s soul at peace, right? For good measure, they also throw in critical commentary toward those, usually in power, who are not living for the greater good of the planet; the warrior part. Lastly, because their music is quite singular, I dare not label it; the rebel part. All I will say: it is a journey into a bazaar of sounds that sink deep into your psyche. Take a listen, perhaps you’ll hear what I hear?
What is this song about?
Oltre (Beyond), says Andrea in an interview with Specttacolo News (2018), is the assertion that life is a series of moments that require piloting. The destination? An area that lies beyond; an area where we overcome struggle to broaden self-perception and grow. However, one cannot see this path if one does not believe it to be possible: Nunn’o vir, si nun ce crire. Andrea says he chooses to rap since it lends itself to many musical styles. He also feels he can more easily and emphatically express himself this way.
Shot in what I believe to be Campi Flegrei, the video features band members engaged in struggle. Its final scene features a bare chested Andrea looking onto his clothed self-the yin and the yang? Birth via struggle? I will let you draw your own conclusions. Sung both in Napulitan and standard Italian, below is an excerpt:
Superi il possesso, condivisione – overcome possession, share
Oltre l’ignoto, rivelazione – beyond the unknown, revelation
Non è lontano, ma oltre lo vedi – it is not far, but beyond, it can be seen
Sei molto di più di quello che credi – you are far greater than what you think
Don’t miss:
Respira cummè and Vero– quite possibly the best track to place at the end of an album to ensure one hits replay, starting the whole musical journey again! (If people still listen to an album from start to finish that is).
