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Rating: A car accident, a seriously injured motorcyclist. And a man in a wheelchair witnessing the scene. He wishes to ask for help, to call an ambulance. However, his wheelchair cannot fit into a regular phone booth, and his hand remains tragically far from the telephone receiver.
I will never forget when, as a child, I saw this commercial on television. First, because it distressed me, and second, because I discovered that man was Pierangelo Bertoli. A great songwriter and a man who had no qualms about using his image as a disabled person for the benefit of those who "could" be helped.
I came across him again in elementary school when my teacher had us "study" the lyrics of "Eppur Soffia," a song about pollution and the great strength of nature. And again, as a child, while watching the Sanremo Festival, there he was again on the Ariston stage with Tazenda, a Sardinian band that was a one-hit wonder in the '90s. And this connected me to him once more because my origins are Sardinian. I became fond of this man, a sort of grumpy yet sweet uncle, and I always listened to him with emotion every Christmas, in his song "Biglietto d'auguri," from a cassette from 1984, rediscovered from who knows where on the occasion of every Christmas holiday. The last image I have of him is in the middle of the Stadio Delle Alpi in Turin, during the celebrations of Juventus' 100th anniversary. He had written the anthem, and I, being a Juventus fan, could only be proud. But it was because he was there, once again, more than the team. I remember him singing in front of thousands of people, so small amidst fireworks and the fans' cheers, yet great, enormous, immense, beyond that stadium, beyond television, in life.
Pierangelo left us three years ago, and almost no one remembers him anymore. Now, this tribute album with many guests has been released without much fanfare, just as he would have liked. Do not buy it. Instead, buy his records, all of them, and listen to them. Follow his example and take a stand to help those in need, to do what is right.
I miss him dearly. I know he will no longer unexpectedly cross my life as he loved to do for so many years when I stumbled upon one of his songs, his smile, his words. And I knew that sooner or later, I would meet him again, and each time it was like recognizing an old friend.
This is my tribute to Pierangelo Bertoli. Maybe someone will remember him and discover a beautiful memory.
"Eppure il vento soffia ancora.
spruzza l'acqua alle navi sulla prora
e sussurra canzoni tra le foglie
bacia i fiori li bacia e non li coglie"
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