The Sound of Genoa.

LivItaly. Bringing Italian Culture to Yorkshire
th
8 November 2013
Italian@Leeds, LivItaly and Live Lounge Music
present:
The Sound of Genoa.
A Talk and a Concert by Genoese Band
‘Palconudo’
The Faversham, University of Leeds
8th November 2013
6.15-7.15pm: talk
7.45-9.15pm: concert
in collaboration with Live Lounge Music
With special thanks to the Italian Society (Leeds University Union)
Translations into English by Emilia Caccamo, Luca Gunby, David Shuttle
(students of Italian at the University of Leeds)
Contacts: [email protected]; www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/livitaly; Facebook: Livitaly_leeds
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8 November 2013
Voices of Genoa: Fabrizio De André, Ivano Fossati, and ‘Palconudo’
1. Fabrizio De André (1940-1999)
Fabrizio De André, Geordie (1966)
Listen to two versions of this song, the first and the last one in De André’s career.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwqX1LuRg0E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oolJ5G5Njxc
Mentre attraversavo London Bridge,
un giorno senza sole,
vidi una donna pianger d'amore,
piangeva per il suo Geordie.
– Impiccheranno Geordie con una corda d'oro,
è un privilegio raro;
rubò sei cervi nel parco del Re,
vendendoli per denaro.
Sellate il suo cavallo dalla bianca criniera,
sellatele il suo pony;
cavalcherà fino a Londra stasera,
ad implorare per Geordie.
– Geordie non rubò mai neppure per me
un frutto o un fiore raro;
rubò sei cervi nel parco del Re,
vendendoli per denaro.
Salvate le sue labbra,
salvate il suo sorriso,
non ha vent'anni ancora;
cadrà l'inverno anche sopra il suo viso,
potrete impiccarlo allora.
Né il cuore degli inglesi, né lo scettro del Re
Geordie potran salvare:
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8 November 2013
anche se piangeranno con te,
la legge non può cambiare
– Così lo impiccheranno con una corda d'oro;
è un privilegio raro;
rubò sei cervi nel parco del Re,
vendendoli per denaro.
Geordie is the rewriting of an ancient British ballad, dating back to the 16th
Century (number 209 in the Child Ballads). http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geordie
Before De André, Joan Baez sang it in English, in 1962:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LJ7Z7a3UbM
Geordie, by Joan Baez (1962)
As I walked out over London bridge
One misty morning early,
I overheard a fair pretty maid
Was lamenting for her Geordie.
– Ah, my Geordie will be hanged in a golden chain,
'Tis not the chain of many
He was born of king's royal breed
And lost to a virtuous lady.
Go bridle me my milk white steed,
Go bridle me my pony,
I will ride to London court
To plead for the life of Geordie.
– Ah, my Geordie never stole nor cow nor calf,
He never hurted any,
Stole sixteen of the king's royal deer,
And he sold them in Bohenny.
Two pretty babies have I born,
The third lies in my body,
I'd freely part with them every one
If you'd spare the life of Geordie.
The judge looked over his left shoulder,
He said fair maid I'm sorry
He said fair maid you must be gone
For I cannot pardon Geordie.
– Ah, my Geordie will be hanged in a golden chain,
'Tis not the chain of many,
Stole sixteen of the king's royal deer
And he sold them in Bohenny.
Contacts: [email protected]; www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/livitaly; Facebook: Livitaly_leeds
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LivItaly. Bringing Italian Culture to Yorkshire
8 November 2013
Fabrizio De André, Amore che vieni, amore che vai (1966)
[Love you come, Love you depart]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKj2rz5mNHg
Quei giorni perduti a rincorrere il vento
a chiederci un bacio e volerne altri cento
Those days lost chasing after the wind
Asking for a kiss and wanting a hundred more
un giorno qualunque li ricorderai
amore che fuggi da me tornerai
un giorno qualunque ti ricorderai
amore che fuggi da me tornerai
One day you will remember them
Love you escape me, you shall return
One day you will remember
Love you escape me, you shall return
e tu che con gli occhi di un altro colore
mi dici le stesse parole d'amore
And you, whose eyes are a different shade,
You tell me the same words of love
fra un mese fra un anno scordate le avrai
amore che vieni da me fuggirai
fra un mese fra un anno scordate le avrai
amore che vieni da me fuggirai
In one month or a year you will have forgotten
Love you come to me, you will escape
In one month or a year you will have forgotten
Love you come to me, you will escape
venuto dal sole o da spiagge gelate
venuto in novembre o col vento d'estate
You came from the sun or from frozen shores
You came in November or with the summer breeze
io t'ho amato sempre, non t'ho amato mai
amore che vieni, amore che vai
io t'ho amato sempre, non t'ho amato mai
amore che vieni, amore che vai
I have always loved you, I have never loved you
Love you come, Love you depart
I have always loved you, I have never loved you
Love you come, Love you depart
(Transl. by David Shuttle)
*****
Contacts: [email protected]; www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/livitaly; Facebook: Livitaly_leeds
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8 November 2013
2. Ivano Fossati (1951 –)
L’amore fa (2006) [Love Does]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozv5qqe9w8c (live, with Zucchero)
L'amore fa l'acqua buona,
fa passare la malinconia
crescere i capelli l'amore fa.
L'amore accarezza i figli,
l'amore parla con i vecchi.
Qualcuno vuole bene ai più lontani,
anche per telefono.
L'amore fa guerra agli idioti,
agli arroganti pericolosi;
fa bellissima la stanchezza,
avvicina la fortuna, quando può.
Fa buona la cucina;
l'amore è una puttana,
che onora la bellezza
di un bacio per regalo.
Love makes water good,
it makes melancholy pass,
love makes hair grow.
Love caresses children,
love talks to the elderly.
Somebody cares about those further away,
even by telephone.
Love makes war against the idiots,
against those who are dangerously arrogant;
it makes tiredness beautiful,
it brings fortune closer, when it can.
Contacts: [email protected]; www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/livitaly; Facebook: Livitaly_leeds
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It makes cooking good;
love is a whore,
that honours the beauty
of a kiss as a present.
Cose che fanno ridere,
l'amore fa.
Cose che fanno piangere
Things that make you laugh,
love does.
Things that make you cry.
L'amore fa begli gli uomini,
sagge le donne
l'amore fa.
Cantare le allodole;
dolce la pioggia d'autunno.
E vi dico che fa viaggiare, sì,
illumina le strade,
fa grandi le occasioni
di credere e di imparare.
Love makes men beautiful,
women wise,
love makes.
Singing larks;
sweet is the autumn rain.
And I tell you that it makes you travel, yes,
it illuminates the streets,
it makes opportunities big,
of believing and of learning.
Cose che fanno ridere,
l'amore fa.
Cose che fanno piangere
Things that make you laugh,
love does.
Things that make you cry.
Fa crescere i gerani e le rose,
aprire i balconi
l'amore fa.
Confondere le città,
ma riconoscere i padroni
l'amore lo fa.
Aprire bene gli occhi.
Amare più se stessi.
L'amore fa bene alla gente;
comprendere il perdono
Contacts: [email protected]; www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/livitaly; Facebook: Livitaly_leeds
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8 November 2013
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LivItaly. Bringing Italian Culture to Yorkshire
8 November 2013
l'amore fa.
It makes geraniums and roses grow,
balconies open,
love makes.
Confuse the city,
But recognise the masters
Love does this.
Open properly the eyes.
Love yourselves more.
Loves does good to the people;
understand forgiveness
love makes.
(Transl. by Emilia Caccamo)
*******
Contacts: [email protected]; www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/livitaly; Facebook: Livitaly_leeds
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8 November 2013
3. ‘Palconudo’ (2001 –)
Palconudo, Ninnananna (2005)
[Lullaby]
https://myspace.com/palconudo/music/song/ninnananna-23202090-23003275
Dormi bambina,
a intermittenza, luce
bagnata e nervosa sei
seduta sotto la lampadina
il buio ad un
ladro assomiglierà
Leggi lo spazio, in cui mi muovo
Occhi già pieni di tentativi
nascondo rime sotto le cose sempre lontano da dove arrivi
Sleep little girl
Intermittently, there is light
Wet and nervous you are
Sitting underneath the bulb
The dark will look like a thief
You read the space, in which I move
Eyes already full of attempts
Rhymes hide under the things that are always far away from where
they come from
Due nodi stretti a legare gli amanti
Sette le note che sposano il canto
Cento sentieri impigliati nel pianto
e quattro passioni che chiamo stagioni
Two knots to tie the lovers close together
Contacts: [email protected]; www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/livitaly; Facebook: Livitaly_leeds
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8 November 2013
Seven notes that marry the song
One hundred paths entangled with tears
And four passions that we call seasons
È un corridoio, passi contati
Poi sono curve senza rimedio
seguo il tuo amore, sa di rapina,
a volte corre, a volte cammina
Sei le scommesse nel dado che gira
Quattro le mura che fanno prigione
Due le regine sulla scacchiera, Una la rotta che trova il timone
Sette le note che sposano il canto
Tre le monete del mendicante
Due i nodi stretti a legare gli amanti
Uno li scioglie, un solo istante
It is a corridor, steps counted
Then there are curves without remedy
I follow your love, it knows it’s a robbery
At times it runs, at times it walks
Six bets of the spinning dice
Four walls that make a prison
Two queens on the chessboard, one who follows that’s been steered
Six notes that marry the song
Three coins of the beggar
Two knots that tie the lovers close together
Soffio nel vetro una cantilena
come un sospetto ti sfiora appena
Soffia la notte, quasi vicina,
se sai dormire, dormi bambina
A chant blows through the window
Like a suspect it just skims past you
The night blows, almost here
If you know how to sleep, little girl
(Transl. Luca Gunby)
Palconudo are:
Elisa ‘Ela’ Castelli (voice)
Andrea Rinaldi (guitar)
Marco Pantella (guitar)
Alessio Fistarol (drums)
Lorenzo Pigozzo (bass)
Lorenzo Marmorato (piano and harmonica)
Contacts: [email protected]; www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/livitaly; Facebook: Livitaly_leeds
LivItaly. Bringing Italian Culture to Yorkshire
Contacts: [email protected]; www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/livitaly; Facebook: Livitaly_leeds
th
8 November 2013