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05 March 2021This evening a tribute to Franco Battiato with the duo, Colapesce and Di Martino, who interpret the song "Povera patria" in the evening dedicated to the covers.

In the song a participation of the teacher has been inserted with an "unedited" voice inserted in the finale.



Povera patria is a song by Franco Battiato present in the album "Like a camel in a gutter", published in 1991 and also present in the homonymous collection published in 2010.



Povera patria was awarded in 1992 the Targa Tenco as "Best Song of the Year ".



In the song emerges the gaze of distance that Battiato sees from his concept of government.

Before his eyes, the governed watch, with indifference, what surrounds them, from the dead killed for the Mafia to the brawls in the stadiums.

A world, a people who feel deprived of any right, at the mercy of an increasingly necessary order of things.

The country is expected to flourish again, a balance that is increasingly distant and with a theme that is still very topical, decades after its publication.



Poor homeland


Crushed by the abuses of power


Of infamous people, who do not know what modesty is


They believe themselves powerful and what they do is fine with them


And everything belongs to them


Among the rulers


How many perfect and useless fools


This country devastated by pain


But they don't give you a little bit of sorrow


Those bodies on the ground with no more heat?


It will not change, it will not change


No it will change, perhaps it will change


But how to excuse


The hyenas in the stadiums and those in the newspapers?


Pigs' boots sink into the mud


I'm a little ashamed and it hurts


Seeing a man as an animal


It won't change, it won't change


Yes it will change, you will see it will change


One can hope


that the world will return to more normal altitudes


That can contemplate the sky and the flowers


Let there be no more talk of dictatorships


If we still have a little bit to live


Spring meanwhile is slow to arrive



Battiato in Sanremo


Franco Battiato's recording career begins with a Sanremo song.

It was 1965 and the magazine "Nuova Enigmistica Tascabile" attached to the issue of February 20 a single containing 2 songs: in the A side the newcomer Francesco Battiato interpreted, accompanied by the ensemble of "The Enigmisti", "L'amore è parte" , a song coming directly from the 15th San Remo festival where it was presented by Beppe Cardile & Anita Harris.



The piece has not gone down in history for either of the two interpretations.

Instead, Battiato's first real participation in the festival had a completely different fate.

It was 1981 when Alice brought “Per Elisa” to the Ariston stage.

The song wins the festival.



Two years later Battiato tries again with a newcomer.

It is the South African Sibilla (aka Sibilla Mostert) who plays "Opium".

Unfortunately, technical problems prevent Sibilla from singing at her best and the performance is a half disaster.



Back in 1999 when, as a special guest out of competition, he presented with the help of wushu teacher Li Rong Mei a live mini-set built on some songs extracted from his album "Shellac" and precisely "Shock in my town" , “The mantle and the ear” and “Parallel lives”.



When Battiato returns to compete, he wins again.

It is 2003 and Giuni Russo participates in the festival who magnificently interprets “Morirò d'amore” and Battiato takes care of its production and arrangement.



Tonight


“It won't change, it won't change / No it will change, maybe it will change”.

The question of the refrain of Povera patria, the famous piece that Franco Battiato published exactly thirty years ago, will echo in the Ariston theater.

To propose it again will be two disciples of the master of Milo, the Syracusan Colapesce and the Palermo Dimartino.



"To leave the sacredness of the song intact, we will not have any guests next to us", underlines Lorenzo Urciullo, alias Colapesce.

"We didn't want to add superstructures that could have warped the song."

A tribute to the Maestro, whose silence weighs like the absence of applause and spectators in this Festival of the Covid era.