Daniele Silvestri, Levante, Malika Ayane, Raiz, Paolo Fresu, Donatella Rettore, Arisa, Simona Molinari, Anna Castiglia, Cristiano Godano or Marlene Kuntz, these are some of the names involved for the second edition of A Nome Loro – Music and voices for mafia victims, the long musical marathon which, on May 25 in the Archaeological Park of Selinunte, Municipality of Castelvetrano, in the province of Trapani, will attract attention with the irrepressible power of the songs and will forcefully reaffirm the need to remain on guard with regard to the mafia phenomenon. Actresses and actors such as Dajana Roncione, Donatella Finocchiaro, Luigi Lo Cascio, Paolo Briguglia, Fabrizio Ferracane and I Sansoni will also take the stage to bear witness to their commitment and memory. Born last year from an idea of the jazz pianist Sade Mangiaracina, a few weeks after the capture of the super fugitive Matteo Messina Denaro – who was born in this same territory and for decades asphyxiated its political, economic and social fabric through its criminal domination – the The first edition of the event was organized in February 2023 in an improvised manner, on the emotional wave of the success reported by the police. Sade Magiaracina is the cousin of Dario Mangiaracina, member of the duo La Representative di Lista, who will naturally participate in the event and who Open interviewed.
What did you think when Sade Mangiaracina, artistic director of the Festival, first explained to you last year the idea of an event of this type in this specific neighborhood?
“Every time I went to visit my grandmother in Castel Vetrano, off the highway, I realized how heavy and oppressive the hand the mafia had on these territories was. What immediately caught the eye was a Sicilian town like many others with the baroque church in the center of the square, the villa with the fountain, the brass band and the concrete all around, the shopping centers which had grown like mushrooms, for me another expression of the oppression of Messina Denaro in these territories. When he was arrested and I received Sade's proposal to begin a process of reappropriation, re-elaboration and transformation of these territories, I obviously could not help but agree. The idea of cultural centers has always been part of my way of thinking about art which, through words and language, can certainly change the perception of things, but at the same time you have to get your hands dirty and stay in places. . I personally decided to stay in Sicily, in Palermo, a choice obviously partly linked to my biography, but not so immediate.”
The first edition of A Nome Loro – Music and voices for mafia victims was organized following the arrest of Mattia Messina Denaro, how do you perceive that this event changed the region?
“Unfortunately, I believe that we cannot completely change a territory by offering an event, an evening or a series of concerts. But they certainly contribute to giving a perspective, giving the possibility to those who live in these territories to visualize an alternative, a different possibility of living there.
Many important guests agreed to participate in the event, in what spirit did they accept? And to what extent do you see the theme of fighting the mafia for non-Sicilian artists?
“Our generation experienced the mafia massacres of the 1990s in an important way, which is why many of our colleagues were attentive to this episode, even if the mafia is still considered by many as a purely local issue and not as a scourge that concerns our entire country. “.
We know that La Representative di Lista is a project born in Sicily, what relationship do you have with this land today that your scope is more national?
“Representative Lista was born in Sicily and we have always tried to talk about an aspect of it that somehow contrasts with the brutalization of the mafia, an aspect that concerns plurality, musical production and having invested in this territory, a project that focuses on a new language, a new lexicon that excludes violence in all its terms. So, in a way, the list rep is trying to explain an alternative. As I said before, music can exist in the territories, it is beautiful that it can be disseminated through channels such as digital platforms, it can spread throughout the world, it is beautiful that Italian music can fly to the top of the world charts, but at the same time it is essential that artists take care of their territories. This is something that we have always tried to achieve, with specific projects that we bring to Palermo, as well as others that concern Tuscany, the land where Veronica feels at home.
In your opinion, can a song still distract the minds of those who listen to it today?
“I don’t believe that music can provide a direct impetus for change, but it can certainly offer perspectives and alternatives. I think a song can lead more than entertain, and be part of a sentimental education. Art and music have always allowed us to visualize thoughts, they turn a fear into a song, a cry into an anthem and that, in my opinion, is how music transforms society.”
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