Pino Daniele
Pino Daniele

THE REVIEW

In Naples during the late '70s and early '80s, an artistic movement known as "Napolitan Power" emerged and developed, led by artists such as Enzo Avitabile, Tullio De Piscopo, Tony Esposito, and especially James Senese and Pino Daniele. It was not a break from the past, but rather a fusion between the classic, melancholic, melodic Neapolitan tradition and Anglo-American rock-blues-jazz-soul, accompanied by a desire for cultural and social renewal, which also led to the artistic partnership between Pino Daniele and the much-missed Massimo Troisi.

"Pino called me" -said Troisi once to Minà- "He told me: Listen Massimo, I've made a song, please, would you like to make a movie?!". And so he did!

It's 1979, two years after the debut LP "Terra Mia" (a result of the meeting with Jermano and Zurzolo), Pino is in Mestre today, yesterday he was at the Pistoia Blues, tomorrow he will be in Milan to open for Bob Marley, meanwhile, "Je so Pazz'" is a hit at Festivalbar, in the city people are humming "Putesse essere allero", new idols are appearing on the balcony of fame, much to the contentment of Sergio Bruni, Aurelio Fierro, and "compagnia bella", the protagonists of Naples that was.

With his second album, Pino is already at a turning point, he abandons the popular rhythm to dedicate himself to the blues of "Ue Man!", or the rock of "Il mare", or the "percussive" "Chillo è nu buono guaglione", thus opens a path of experimentation that will make him great, only to eventually strip him of his original essence. It's the first tear!

In relation to this, Troisi, in "No grazie, il caffè mi rende nervoso", when, talking to the maniac Funiculì hidden behind a curtain, accuses him of being one of those who want to change Naples, says: "Nun è overo, io nun vogl' cagnà Napule, a me me piac' a pizz', 'o mannulin... e ppoi cagnat' Mantova, Rovigo...io so' gghiut' a Rovigo co' mio padre riec' ann' fa... so' turnat' è semp' 'a stess'... cagnat' Rovigo!!".

In fact, the "trait d'union" with the past remains: It's O' Sentimiento! Pino plays a lot on the coordinates between the new and old Naples, on the alleys, the superstitions, and the traditions, for this reason, anyone who has been to Naples even once recognizes in "Chi tene 'o mare" the melancholic sunsets in Mergellina, in "Je sto vicino a te" the overwhelming and unavoidable presence of Vesuvius, in "E cerca e me capì" the disillusioned anger of a people who are "c'o' cazone rutt' a parlà' 'e Rivoluzione..." like the impetuous and futile blowing of the "Viento".

And now a piece of advice from one de-baser to another! When you wake up and have a weight on your stomach, an unexpressed vitality, or when it's drizzling and the sky is grey as cement, don't get up, stay in bed, "sient'a me", play Pinuccio, let the melancholy, "A'ppucundria", be free, do it now!, after all "basta na jurnata 'e sole
e coccheduno ca te vene a piglià...".