Renzo Arbore:”a duet with Van De Sfroos? I wish”

It’s almost 20 years that the most popular Italian showman in the world  travels endlessly with his Orchestra from one corner of the world to another, with countless concerts applauded everywhere.

Before there were radio and television, but Renzo Arbore is tireless and he keeps donating to the audience the energy, the quip and the smile that has always characterized him. Always inimitable and fresh, Arbore will be in Varese Wednesday 8 May to lay over with his “musical caravan” at the Teatro Apollonio, and he tells us about his project and not only with a pealing voice.

You gave birth to the Orchestra Italiana in 1991, almost 20 years ago, and it is still popular. What is the secret?
I thought that it would last 2 or 3 years but I kept doing it as my main activity. The idea was to rediscover the classicalal neapolitan song, and I think that is still very important doing so. Our musical culture is great and highly lively creatively speaking, and this is finally acknowledged. I refer to songwriters like De Andrè, Modugno, Battisti that have written true little operas. Artistical, poetical and musically exemplary. We have an important source from which we can glean.

What we will see at the Varese’s night?
The show will be also an homage to Roberto Murolo, who was the most up to date and revolutionary singer of the classic authorial neapolitan music. There will be moments dedicated to the swing as well, one of my passions, and much more.

Davide Van De Sfroos is a songwriter from the lake of Como who brought back the dialect in today’s Italian music. Have you ever thought of making a duet with him?
I do know Van De Sfroos and if I hadn’t the Orchestra I would have already done it. I always loved knowing and transmitting the folk music from all over Italy, beautiful songs that are forgotten. It really is a shame.

Why do you think your show is so loved?
I think is easy to see that is made with passion. Besides, people have this repertoire in their own heritage, and they gladly rediscover it. Even abroad the Italian community is touched when they come to my shows, we have the melody in our DNA.

Regarding Italian orchestras, today many struggled to survive. What do you think?
"I think that music is not encouraged. Music could also be an important vehicle of promotion for this country but it is not used. The promotion is entrusted to restaurants, tailors, architects, cinema fortunately but it is a shame that music, which we have such a rich repertoire, is not encouraged. I think that fortunately we have great tenors like Bocelli, known around the world but there is so much of our music that could be exported. I think of Jazz that we have the best talent in the world "

Do you have memories of Varese, have you already been here?
"In Varese I have already been some twenty years ago. I recall it with great pleasure, I came to shoot a series of carousels with Boncompagni. Memories of beautiful villas, it was a beautiful period of my life. There were many parties, rich food and lots of good memories "

What can you tell me about "The Other". The TV of Renzo Arbore, the transmission of Saturday evening in the second evening?
"I’m very happy. Every episode rediscovers some of my television formats and many remain amazed. Today there is a very different way of doing television, before it was more crafted with some artistic ambitions "

Also has come out the book "life, and (mostly) works wonders" by Gianni on her Garrucciu story …
"Yes, it is a very appreciative book (laughs). You will discover many things, from when I was a journalist at Corriere della Sera in the evening where I decided to sing. I remember that I was at a concert of Jannacci, I envied him immensely. He was brilliant, poetic and I decided that I would start to climb on stage too"

One of the fondest memories of these years between music and television?
"When I won the exam to get into radio with Gianni Boncompagni, who was my class mate. Ours was already at that time an important partnership and we continued to do a lot of things together. I was 24 years old and for me it was like stepping into the world of dreams ".