Rita Pavone, back to Ascoli: "Happy to have left my mark"

Rita Pavone returns to Ascoli for the first time since the 1960s and opens the Milanesiana tomorrow, conceived and directed by Elisabetta Sgarbi, with Un piede nel passato e lo sguardo dritto e aperto nel futuro. "A line from A muso duro by Pierangelo Bertoli – explains the icon of Italian rock about the title –. I find myself in it completely. Without my past I wouldn't be here, but I don't like living on memories, you'll see".

She will also present her book 'Gemma e le altre', inspired by the concept album of the same name. What is it about?

"It was born in '89, in a hard period, in which the singer-songwriters overshadowed the performers. I met Laura Trenta Carlini, an Italian-American originally from Ancona. A special understanding was created and the idea of ​​telling the story of the female universe was born. Among the characters is Gemma: a woman in love with another who doesn't understand her. It was a taboo subject, the song was never played on the radio: a forward-looking album, already in the future".

How did the book come about?

"Thanks to Elisabetta Sgarbi who, after reading the lyrics of the songs, called me: 'We have to make a book out of it'. I was in a panic, but I said to myself: 'If she's asking for it, don't be silly, girl!'. It was a success, even at the Salone del Libro: we made 'the wrath of God'".

What should the Ascoli public expect?

"A great concert. I like to surprise and I will bring songs from the past, but also surprises. There will be Gemma and all the women who walk, those who have the courage to raise the middle finger, if necessary. I have not been to Ascoli for a long time, a fantastic city... I was there on the first tours in the 60s".

Is there a song that you hear differently today?

"Very strong. I see an inner and outer maturity in it, it was a turning point."

Do you find a connection between your music and the new generations?

"My audience is mostly boomers, like me, but that's okay. I wish young people a long artistic life. Many are good, but autotune is all the rage these days: I don't like it. If you sing, you have to know how to sing. With AI, I'll soon be dancing with Fracci's legs!"

What does participating in the Milanesiana mean to you?

"It's a festival that intertwines the arts and releases a powerful energy. The credit goes to Elisabetta Sgarbi: an intelligent and visionary woman. I'm lucky: I met many people who believed in me."

Its success has been strong abroad too. How do you explain it?

"From the desire to never disappoint. I was very much loved: I entered the international charts... even Morrissey, the historic voice of the Smiths, says he listened to me as a child and always quotes me in his concerts. It's nice to know I left such a mark".