In the courtyard of the Visconti-Sforza Castle, a tribute to ‘Anime Salve’, thirty years on, blending remembrance, poetry and social commitment
On 15 July, Fiorella Mannoia arrived in the courtyard of the Visconti-Sforza Castle in Vigevano with “Fiorella sings Fabrizio and Ivano – Anime Salve”, the tour organised to mark the thirtieth anniversary of Anime Salve, Fabrizio De André’s final album, co-written with Ivano Fossati. These two artists have been pivotal for the Roman singer, having left their mark on both her professional career and her private life.
“I was born twice”
Fiorella Mannoia describes this project as “a journey of the soul”. She says she was “born twice”: after her biological birth, her second birth came at the age of 14, when she heard De André’s Tutti morimmo a stento. From that moment on, she began to see the world through Fabrizio’s eyes, drawing lessons from it that shaped her into the artist she is today.
Ivano Fossati also holds a special place in her story: the singer describes him as “a close friend”, one of the songwriters who has had the greatest influence on her artistic journey.
Not a concert, but a narrative
The event staged in Vigevano was not simply a concert but a genuine narrative woven from memory, poetry and social commitment.
As she presented the two singer-songwriters’ unforgettable songs, Fiorella Mannoia highlighted their relevance today, speaking of inclusion, humanity, loneliness and freedom, and even taking a direct stand on what is happening in Palestine and the conflicts that are causing bloodshed around the world.
A musical journey that weaves together emotion and reflection, capable of bringing the value of stories and great Italian singer-songwriter music back to the fore.
The set list
The first part of the concert focused on tracks from Anime Salve, rearranged by Carlo Di Francesco, the percussionist and artistic director of the show. From this acclaimed album came Dolcenera (which opened the evening), Smisurata preghiera, Princesa, Khorakhanè, and finally the title track Anime Salve to close the show.
These were joined by other iconic tracks by the two songwriters, including: La guerra di Piero, La canzone di Marinella, Amore che vieni, amore che vai, Mio fratello che guardi il mondo, Bocca di rosa, La mia banda suona il rock, …
A journey that paid tribute, song by song, to the greatness of two pivotal figures in Italian music.
The concert concluded with an enthusiastic encore: Sally, Mariposa and Quello che le donne non dicono.
The musicians on stage
In addition to the skill, elegance and empathy that Fiorella Mannoia always shows towards the audience, a close-knit group of talented musicians contributed to the success of the evening:
Carmelo Colaianni (wind instruments), Teresa Corrado and Denise Di Maria (percussion and vocals), Carlo Di Francesco (percussion, arrangements and artistic direction), Paolo Guercio (keyboards and accordion), Pierpaolo Ranieri (bass), Diego Corradin (drums), Max Rosati (guitars), Fabrizio De Melis (first violin).
Joining them was the Saverio Mercadante Orchestra of Altamura, comprising six very young musicians: Cesare Triscuzzi (flute/piccolo), Chiara Diretto (flute), Chiara Ronco (cello), Chiu Liu (violin), Gabriele Mazzalla (clarinet) and Maddalena Olivieri (violin).
The audience was swept away
Just as has been the case in the other venues on the tour, the audience in Vigevano – braving the mosquitoes – was swept away by the energy that Fiorella Mannoia and her musicians brought to the foot of Bramante’s tower, demonstrating once again their affection for this great artist and for the unforgettable works of Faber and Fossati.
The tour continues
The tour kicked off on 27 June in Genoa, the very city where the two singer-songwriters were born, and will continue across town squares and summer arenas until early September, before moving into theatres on 1 October and concluding on 30 November.
For further information: friendsandpartners.it
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