Valentina Giovagnini
Creatura Nuda

I know, there's already a review. But in this one, I want to be as objective as possible. As much as possible. It's known that in Italy we have this peculiar tradition of recognizing an artist's value only when they pass away. But this time, it's different. Let's go in order.

Sanremo Festival 2002. On the Ariston stage, a 21-year-old girl appears. She comes from the province of Arezzo, her name is Valentina Giovagnini. She sings: "Il passo silenzioso della neve". She enchants everyone with her distinctive voice, with the arrangement (which wins the Volare award) and a song that seems like something new in the Italian music scene. She comes in second place, amid several controversies, among the young artists, behind a certain Anna Tatangelo. However, the song is awarded by the radio stations, where it's played quite frequently, and the album sells rather well.
"Creatura Nuda" is a very intimate, personal work. Something that stands out from the productions of that time, dominated by vulgar pop. It’s a work of considerably higher quality, where Giovagnini's full value is appreciated.

We dive with her into the heart of the Celtic world, but without falling into the obvious. The Sanremo single is accompanied by truly valid tracks. There isn’t a track that disappoints; all the pieces are truly beautiful and interesting. From "Accarezzando a piedi nudi l'erba delle colline di Donegal", an instrumental track where Giovagnini herself plays the bagpipes, appearing as if from a prog album, to "Senza Origine", an anthem to the earth, dance, and unity with it, the album flows smoothly, gifting us various emotions. It’s a well-rounded album that, while staying within the Celtic sphere, transports us to different worlds, thanks in part to arrangements that often incorporate electronic elements which fit in without any awkwardness. The best track is undoubtedly the title track, a sort of introduction to Giovagnini where her intimate dimension becomes even stronger. It’s a truly interesting album, a hidden gem of Italian music that was forgotten too soon. If you love high-quality pop, it’s recommended for those seeking something different from the usual sounds, and for those wanting to enter a peculiar and, in its own way, unique world.

After this album, she disappeared. She became a music teacher for children, escaping from a musical world not meant for her. In various interviews, she said she didn’t recognize herself in this musical world, having lost all hope. Then, last year, she decided to browse the forums discussing her. Reading all those demonstrations of affection, all those people who hadn’t forgotten her, she decided to get back to work. On November 15, 2008, she reappeared on TV to present a song dedicated to Arezzo, and announced that her album was finished and would be released in 2009. On January 2, 2009, she was returning home. A cursed curve, and she lost control of the car. She would die the next day. At the funeral, there were 2000 people. No "famous" person remembered her, the crowd was made up of friends and fans from all over Italy. No one remembers her, she falls into oblivion, except for the record labels, which fight over a corpse to grab the rights of the finished album and release it posthumously. From her, we are left with a wonderful voice, an artist who had to DIE to receive the recognition she had been waiting for 7 years, which she amply deserved. I had the honor of speaking to her a few months before her disappearance. I had rediscovered her album, and, not without some difficulty, obtained an email to contact her and ask what had happened. From there, a deep exchange of emails was born in which I discovered a truly humble, simple, even shy person. When I told her that many people still hadn’t forgotten her, she replied that she didn’t know this and was glad, and did some research on the Internet. 

With her death, we lost a person who perhaps, with today’s music world, had very little to do.

Goodbye Giovanna.