Mimmo Cavallo
Quando saremo fratelli uniti

It's time to review the good Mimmo Cavallo from Lizzano with a truly unconventional album. It is "Quando saremo fratelli uniti" from the theatrical show "Terroni" by Pino Aprile and Roberto D'Alessandro. The album aims to rewrite the history of Italian Unification, as seen by Aprile, starting from the premise that, for once, it is not written by the victors. It is an album that explains how things really went with the Italian Unification with facts that, unfortunately, are not found in any history book. It's an album that should perhaps be studied and played for students (and also some teachers).

The LP begins with a beautiful ballad "Quando saremo fratelli uniti" which reaffirms how the Unification of Italy has contributed to splitting the north and south ("to live in peace and glory, we should rewrite history," sings Mimmo). The concept album continues with two well-paced invectives "Fora i Savoia" and "Garibardo" that narrate how the Savoy invaded the south, robbing it of everything, and how the hero of two worlds ("one meter and sixty of a god") was also a thief, a slaver, and even Anita's assassin. "Siamo briganti" is another poignant ballad about being a brigand because those who live on the road "if they hunt, they are also prey"; it makes the album a pleasant and undisputed vehicle of truth that should be listened to carefully. Besides the aforementioned tracks, the album contains other small masterpieces like "L'albero dei patriarchi" in which all the pain of southerners forced to emigrate to survive is encapsulated, with Corsican pines and olive trees that became trunks and suitcases to hold the few things to take with them, or "Ezechia da Verona" about Cesare Lombroso who claimed that southerners were born criminals by genetic heritage. The album also contains "SA-RC la mulopedonale," about how that road was built with narrower lanes and lower-quality materials to save costs.

It is not easy to take account of the unwritten history of Italy and attempt to rewrite it differently from what we’ve studied for years in the books imposed on us in schools. Mimmo gave it a try.

Thank you.