I cugini di campagna
Anima mia

Many see the Cugini Di Campagna as the flagship of the Italian light music movement of the 70s. I tend to refute such rumors, as the style and musicality of these former Roman boys differ in a not-so-trivial way from most of the groups that invaded the Italian peninsula in the golden decade of light songs. If anyone was truly the father of such a movement in terms of bands, it would be the Camaleonti, and certainly not the cousins.

What made the four Roman boys famous—let’s remember them as Ivano Michetti and Flavio Paulin, both on vocals, Silvano Michetti (Ivano’s brother), and Gianni Fiori (who would soon give way to Giorgio Brandi)—was undoubtedly their almost glam style of dressing and a gaudy and extremely kitsch way of singing and presenting music, through deliberately misplaced and exaggerated choral harmonies and universally accessible themes. The all-around success they achieved with the overly famous 'Anima Mia' brought the band to levels of fame I would dare to say were exaggerated and very likely undeserved. Many probably have had enough of this song, and they would be right, but the harmonic 'power' that this track releases is truly incredible; it is really a case to be studied. From the very beginning (Andava a piedi nudi per la strada), you realize that your mind will struggle quite a bit to erase it. But as many believe, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but the Cugini are not only 'Anima Mia', but also something more.

They originated in 1970, and some clever manager wanted them as a group with rustic characteristics to differentiate them from the masses and give them that particular air of a rural ensemble. In 1972, their self-titled debut was released, containing some successful songs that would be featured in their next album, 'Anima Mia' of 1973. Obviously, the album opens with the eponymous track, the famous title track, written by Antonello De Sanctis (whom we recently discussed regarding Mia Martini), previously released as a single along with 'Te Lo Dico'. This song, covered worldwide, even by the ABBA (under the title 'Ett liv i solen'), is one of those songs known by everyone in Italy, perhaps on par with 'Nel blu dipinto di blu' or 'Io che non vivo (senza te)' by Donaggio. The lyrics are nothing but the call for the beloved to return home, the same home left untouched by the man in memory of her.

Anima mia, torna a casa tua, ti aspetterò dovessi odiare queste mura, anima mia, nella stanza tua, c'è ancora il letto come l'hai lasciato tu, indelible words in the mind of any self-respecting Italian. 'Un Letto e una Coperta' is truly a beautiful track, a ballad accompanied by the piano, in which a man's loneliness after losing his woman is compared to that of a child in his mother's absence. Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in the cousins' repertoire. 'Brividi d'amore', another beautiful song, is a desperate attempt to reassure the woman who cries because she was betrayed by someone 'who had something of her in the manner'. A great song featuring an extraordinary Flavio Paulin on vocals, who always adds that extra touch with his falsettos. A final note of merit to the beautiful and lively 'L'uva è nera', where vocal harmonies and instrumental accelerations make the cousins capable not only of beautiful ballads but also of stronger pieces. More than sufficient, worth listening to. A final note must be made about 'Il Ballo di Peppe', which is not included on the album in question but is on the previous one, one of the cousins' first tracks, which draws on the rural tradition that distinguished the band in the early stages of their career; it’s a track bordering on the absurd but I recommend it to anyone who wants to have a healthy laugh, because let’s not forget that the Cugini are also that.

Nicki Luciani took over vocals, years later, more than honorably, becoming a symbol of the group himself, though due to disagreements with his companions he has left the band in recent years. The Cugini still tour around Italy, are active for the pleasure of some and the displeasure of many, but like it or not, they have become part of mass musical culture with a track that calling famous would be an understatement. Long live the cousins!