Eugenio Bennato
Grande Sud

THE REVIEW

Eugenio Bennato, brother of the more famous Edoardo, is a singer-songwriter and versatile musician who is part of, so to speak, the musicians of the modern "Neapolitan school." He is not particularly well-known to the general public, but he has excellent creative qualities and staunchly defends the "motifs" of his land. He founded the movement Taranta Power to ensure that the "tarantella," a typical southern motif, remains preserved in music and theater.

And now let's move on to the song presented by the artist, author of lyrics and music, at the Sanremo festival in February 2008.

"I Terroni sono proprio dappertutto." Joking aside, the concept encapsulated in Eugenio Bennato's song, "Grande Sud," tells the story of the southerners' migrations across the planet. From "Terza classe in partenza per Milano" which speaks of minor migrations driven by poverty, social discomfort, or distant travels in search of fortune, perhaps without return "per le Americhe lontane e chi parte oggi pe' turnare crai e chi è partuto ajere pe' un turnaremai."

The author, however, does not forget to emphasize that traditions and identity remain, and those who leave do not lose the piece of the south they carried with them: "Grande sud che sarà quella musica del ghetto di chi va per il mondo e si porta il suo dialetto" and reconstructs their territorial sense in what can be defined as Italian neighborhoods scattered across the planet.

The song includes an African effect with curious inserts of afrikaans choirs that give the text an international flavor. The music is structured on the brilliance of the percussion, for which Bennato is particularly attentive. Overall, the piece is truly captivating because it enjoys sought-after sound and aesthetic contaminations. It has a nursery rhyme quality, but behind the chords lies a melody that is only apparently simple. A great showing at the decadent Sanremo festival 2008, where it is well-positioned, but it does not matter much, especially in light of the final results.