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The stories of the Lake, its characters, the little joys and sorrows of the people of Lario are an endless source of inspiration for those who have a passion for telling them, whether through books or with a guitar in hand. But this time, Davide Van De Sfroos leaves behind Mario Musca and Orzowey for a moment and uses the Lake Como dialect of his Tremezzo (I'll use the translation from the booklet for quotations, anyway) for a work on a completely different theme: the first chapters of the Old Testament. No religious melodrama, however. Quite the opposite…
Published by "Tarantanius" in 1999, the result is a delightfully humorous revisitation of three moments after creation. To clear up any doubts, it's a mini album (forgive me if I still use the word album, it sounds wholesome and good, at least for those who deserve it): three tracks, yet 21 minutes of good music, enough to justify the expense (not exactly mini, to be honest).
The first act, "La poma", tells the well-known story of Adam and Eve from the serpent's temptations to the expulsion from Paradise after the bite of the apple. An intro of guitar accompanies the first sarcastically prophetic verses ("Adam under the tree wanted to pee, damn what a scare, a snake jumps out") and the dialogue between a more cautious Eve who, out of curiosity, yields to the serpent's temptations ("Eat it both of you, nothing will happen because [the Lord] is messing with you") follows a musical opening, where the rhythm set by the drum (perhaps slightly monotonous) frames the unfolding events, until the tragicomic tasting ("It tastes awful, there's even a worm inside, and Adam and Eve start hitting each other…"); it's time for the serpent's laughter, for the angel's anger, and for the Lord's despair, who relegates the two "dimwits" to Earth, a place for wars and thieves: "And Adam and Eve, both she and he, leave Paradise with kicks in the…" with the whistle of pity closing this first track.
On Earth, the two give birth to two quite different brothers, and "Caino e Abele" is the representation of this duality. Linked by the beautiful accordion of Billa The Kid, which often opens in pastoral pieces with a vaguely Celtic scent, the song highlights the differences between the two brothers in every aspect of their lives, from basic habits (Abel lives healthily on grapes and a piece of bread, Cain "ate like a wolf… and hell, did he drink!!") to very unbiblical football skills ("Abel dribbled like Ronaldo, Cain looked like Braccobaldo's brother!" - I realize the translation does not do justice to the beautiful lyrics, but so it is). The discord grows ("We're the only two in the world, and one of us gets on my nerves!") and culminates in a painless interpretation of the murder, with Cain's departure leaving the brother with what he deems unjustified shame.
But it’s already raining, just the time to warn Noah in what is the most amusing track of the three, "Il diluvio universale". Poor Noah, incredulous ("maybe the world was dirty and he wanted to clean it… or maybe, like everyone, one day he just got pissed"), runs to the construction site to prepare the boat, amid many protests from the animals that begin to gather: and while the mosquito thinks of stanching the bat, the hen starts kissing the lavarello. While the Celtic theme once again in the intro, then acoustic, spreads in an instrumental crescendo that reminds me of jazz/blues, Noah's faith, already afflicted with rheumatism even before departure, falters ("And I've also realized who the biggest fool is: […] among a thousand beasts without even a shadow of women!") but holds firm, despite the difficult conditions ("I told you I don't want the baboon behind me!"). And finally, the arrival of the dove with the olive branch (but truth be told, it's the crew that wants an appetizer…) marks the end of this… biblical endeavor.
It's an ironic work, so in no way does Bernasconi want to be disrespectful, it just needs to be taken for what it is. And, in my opinion, it's a remarkable work for these times… Let's be clear, Davide's worth is demonstrated in his books and in his beautiful albums (among the best, "Manicomi" and "Brèva e Tivan"), but this is undoubtedly a very pleasant diversion that, as a good native of Como, I felt compelled to comment on. That's all.
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