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Rating: That Enrico Ruggeri has always presented himself as a reserved personality, outside the Italian star system, has always been a well-known fact and public knowledge. This great artist, perhaps the most underrated of our times, has survived twenty years of Italian music unscathed, which, aside from sporadic examples, has always offered low-grade pop music, neither moving huge masses nor going on Bruno Vespa to promote his records, nor prostituting his music on MTV, but simply making music, and in the best possible way. Furthermore, the recent collaboration with Andrea Mirò has allowed Enrico Ruggeri to elevate his music to unexpected, almost surprising levels.
La Vie en Rouge presents itself as a musical journey through the Ruggeri world, from Contessa and Polvere, from the beginnings with Decibel, with Malcom McLaren like a saint in his wallet, to the most committed recent music - “Nessuno tocchi Caino” - for Amnesty International and “Primavera a Sarajevo”, a protest against war and violence in the Balkans.
The record is a live recorded compilation, the second after “Vai Rouge” from 1987, and contains his most beautiful songs, which are, besides the aforementioned hits, “Quelle che le donne non dicono”
better known with Fiorella Mannoia as the performer, "Il mare d’inverno" a dark and cold piece, and "Peter Pan", perhaps our hero's most famous piece, an eternal homage to the polyphony and theatrical vocals of Queen (Bohemian Rhapsody). The second track, which gives the album its title, is a nostalgic ballad, a walk down memory lane, where time flows but does not fundamentally change our way of being, all refined by an accompaniment of accordions.
“Il Portiere di notte” is born from Ruggeri's never-forgotten love for jazz. A double bass marks the protagonist's actions, a grueling witness to the lives of residents, their vices, and their virtues. “Peter Pan”, a delicate reflection on the lost innocence of the adult man, a thought regarding that man who, instead, remained a child and is incapable of growing up.
In conclusion, the album is very well curated. The choice of pairing songs was thoughtful, interspersing famous successes with lesser-known songs, an essential album to get closer to an artist outside all norms, outside the Italian star system, and all conventions.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Primavera a Sarajevo (03:46)
La balalajka, la balalajka
dentro alle case mutilate dalla faida.
Ancora suona la balalajka,
lungo i giardini tra le croci e le moschee.
Il fiume va più nero della sera,
oltre la torre e l'universita.
C'è sopra il ponte una bandiera
che sta sventolando ancora.
Qui c'è ancora la città,
qui c'è la gente dentro ai bar.
Il cielo è sopra la città
e ci nasconde, ci confonde e cambia.
Qui c'è tutta la città:
la mia.
E' primavera, è primavera,
amore aspettami che c'è una vita intera.
C'è ancora sole a primavera,
ti porto sopra la collina e tu verrai.
Sopra Dobrinja, dopo Nedzarici,
ci sono fiori dedicati a noi.
Ho l'indirizzo degli amici;
li potrai vedere ancora.
Qui c'è ancora la città,
qui c'è la gente dentro ai bar.
Il cielo è sopra la città
e ci difende e sempre ci accompagna.
Qui c'è tutta la città:
la mia.
Oh balalajka, oh balalajka,
non c'è più neve e brilla tutta la Bascarija.
Ancora suona la balalajka,
il mio futuro voglio regalare a te.
A te che sei la vita che volevo,
perchè la vita è il sogno che farai.
Sale la luna a Sarajevo,
che ci sta aspettando ancora.
Qui c'è ancora la città,
qui c'è la gente dentro ai bar.
Il cielo è sopra la città
e ci difende e sempre ci accompagna.
Qui c'è ancora la città,
qui c'è la gente dentro ai bar.
Il cielo è sopra la città:
la mia
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Other reviews
By little angel
La vie en rouge is pleasantly sophisticated, eager to evoke emotions and gives all the space to the chansonnier compared to the Ruggeri who was punk before me.
The twenty-four songs of La vie en rouge are all very well played and interpreted with great passion.
