ilpanes

Iside, what spite! As I said, Alice is very talented, I know! She has contributed to writing the lyrics of her songs, but always, or almost always, collaborating with others. Bertè has written some of her more recent songs, and I love her too. But it’s always about characters more focused on interpretation than on writing. Anyway, my point wasn’t to downplay artists I greatly appreciate; it was just to say that Carmen Consoli has written both music and lyrics throughout her career, which is, for better or worse, very different from what Alice, Bertè, or Nannini have done (I specified that my comment was a joke, not a criticism... it was a cliché, but I'm not Woody Allen!). I remembered that before Carmen, even Gerardina Trovato tried her hand at being a full-fledged singer-songwriter, but the results, after her debut, kept declining, and she wasn't able to leave her mark on Italian music. @under: I know that Carmen can be liked or not, like all singers with a particular voice. I’m just trying to think about the importance she has had, regardless of personal tastes. Anyway, ISIDE don't be inka with me... I don't want to offend anyone...

Of course, I was joking about Gianna, right! She’s very talented, don’t get me wrong... I mean, I honestly can't recall any women who played instruments and wrote their own music and lyrics! Maybe Turci, but "baila baila vamos adelante" is not really a lyric!!!

Alice and Bertè, while incredibly talented, are not singer-songwriters, but interpreters... like most female singers of the eighties. Nannini also sang many songs that were not her own, and calling her a female seems excessive to me ;-) let's say that if there was a female singer-songwriter movement in Italy, Carmen gave it a nice refreshing boost!

So... difficult list to make, because I believe it wasn't about a specific influence, but more, how can I say... an attitude! Carmen managed to bring young and very young people to listen at festivalber (!!!!) to songs like 'l'ultimo bacio' or 'signor tentenna', not exactly Paola e Chiara or 'this is the rhythm of the night', just to be clear. Nonetheless, Carmen's influence, huge on a myriad of small groups that maybe have never even recorded (but it's not that they don't exist), can be seen especially in terms of lyrics, lexical refinement, and rediscovery of traditional Italian roots, long snubbed by radio stations in search of U.S.A. sounds. I assure you that from this point of view, something, not much, but something has changed! Then, well... I can always mention a couple of shameless clones of Miss Consoli: Marina Rei pre-Consoli sang 'la primavera', and at a certain point she recorded an album called 'inaspettatamente' which contained lines like: 'the lie that you have skillfully hidden and never mentioned' (not bad coming from someone who once sang 'respiriamo l'ariaaaaaa, è la primaveraaaaaaaaaa'). Paola Turci pre-Consoli sang 'la felicità è baila baila vamos adelante' and, after a couple of collaborations with Carmen, she became practically a copy of her (remember 'mani giunte'? It contains lines like: 'I will eat composed at the table with hands joined, I will cry discreetly without drawing attention')... you say these are unserious examples? Half commercial musicians? Then what about Moltheni? The guy is far from commercial and is very appreciated in alternative circuits. In his first record, the guy had the same vocal style as Carmen and (sob!) even held the guitar in the same way...

PRAISE TO NADA ;-)

And Carmen Consoli is not getting any less interesting... she had a big moment with 'l'eccezione', but the latest album 'eva contro eva' is truly amazing, very intriguing in terms of music, and especially regarding the lyrics. @trickykid: useless? I can understand that her voice might be unbearable for some of the audience, but one must also be objective! Before Carmen Consoli, there was no female rock songwriting in Italy! She is one of the few truly important personalities to emerge from the nineties of our music scene (I also include, for their significant influence on music, Manuel Agnelli and Cristiano Godano). There are very few musicians who can claim to have influenced a wave of bands and singers... she is among them.

not fundamental?! If she’s not fundamental, then who is in Italy? In my opinion, she’s not overrated at all; she’s one of the most talented singer-songwriters in Italy, capable of original and never repetitive lyrics and very intense performances. For those who don’t know her (too many), I recommend seeing her live because that’s where she reveals herself in all her intensity. Not only that... live, Cristina proves to be a great artist but also a wonderful person. Friendly, welcoming, and engaging (once she made us sing a choir of the alpine troops!!!). She doesn’t act like a diva (even though her fame abroad might allow her to), and she makes music because it’s her life, not to make a living! Proof? Her concerts don’t exceed 15 euros for a ticket, as well as her albums for sale. Honesty and great music... I would never dream of downloading an album by one of the few who tries to be considerate of the audience’s budget! LEGENDARY.