Nino D'Angelo
Il Ragù con la Guerra

Forget the boy with the blonde bob. That boy from Curva B, protagonist of those tear-jerker cinematic masterpieces, heirs of the Musicarelli, a reference point for the entire emerging neomelodic movement born in the shadow of Vesuvius and blessed by "His Majesty The Sceneggiata" Mario Merola, which was so successful in the popular neighborhoods of the entire South of Italy. Blasting that boy’s songs in the heart of the popular Palermo of the '80s was the ultimate status symbol. The soundtrack of that life of crime skillfully described by Aurelio Grimaldi.

That boy is gone.

Truth be told, he has been gone for a few years, since the moments when he began to breathe life into some human and consequently artistic reflections; with an introspective flavor, precisely because he found himself at a crossroads. Human changes and artistic changes inextricably linked: a thread of melancholy began to mark his path, a bitter and elegant nod began to temper his voice; gifting him with depth, dark, warm colors. That boy has become a middle-aged man, and through this journey has ennobled his art.

Anyone wanting to simplify this would venture into: "yesterday idol of the criminal South, today artist with chic rhetoric". Nothing could be further from the truth. He sought his own path, found a season of life with complicated questions that everyone asks themselves, especially those endowed with a keen sensitivity. Borrowing the title of a famous comedy by Eduardo Scarpetta, from which they also made a famous film with Totò, he began to speak of the misery of his lands - because the South of Italy is one big family, in joy and in sorrow. "'Omm' se nasce e Brigante se more" -, with the nobility of humanity that has always accompanied its fate. A musical exploration that embraces the melting pot of the Mediterranean tribe, which does not bring new elements in terms of musical research - characters like Cannavacciuolo and Barra, just to name two, have splendidly taken care of that for a lifetime -, but embarks on a journey of its own with surprising twists.

That boy, with that healthy and conscious naivety that accompanies him, tries to give voice to the voiceless, in an attempt to redeem the humble souls of Southern Italy forced to live in a perpetual limbo; paths that find their natural end in songs like "Brava Gente", musical slaps arriving from North Africa. Like "Bella", a poignant piano ballad dedicated to his beloved Naples. A heartfelt and deep love letter, where the line between not giving up and resignation is a sigh. The ethnic and New Age winds of "Suonno", winds humanly conflicted, out of love for music. Small flashes of romantic poetry in "Fatt' Stregnere", enriched by a reflective melody. These are some examples of this dual path: him and those who listen to him.

Forget that boy, but listen to this man...