A year after Franco Battiato’s death, Sky celebrates the great legacy of the Catania singer-songwriter through the voice and music of the artists who knew and loved him. From Wednesday 18 May it arrives on Sky Arte at 9.15 pm, also available on demand and streaming on NOW, Franco Battiato – The Tribute, documentary in 4 episodes, edited by Stefano Senardi and Edoardo Rossi, directed by Pepsy Romanoff. The work gives voice to the protagonists of Invito al Viaggio, the tribute concert in the Arena of Verona on September 21, 2021, exactly forty years after the release of the famous album The voice of the master
On that occasion, more than 40 artists paid tribute to Battiato by singing the most important songs of his repertoire, respecting his original arrangements. In the documentary, the same artists tell the story of the Catania singer-songwriter, both from an artistic and human point of view: the bond with Sicily, the relationship with spirituality, the cultivated and surprising poetics, the musical intuitions of the experimental period, to the relationship with success and many curious anecdotes.
The testimonies of the artists are interrupted by the voice of his friend Francesco Messina, who reads some short passages from his book The Dawn in the Twilight, and by the voice of Battiato himself, who is part of several interviews released during his career. and broadcast by radio from a darkroom where the development of 4 iconic portraits of the singer-songwriter takes place, one for each episode.
The artists involved are many: Alice, Arisa, Baustelle, Sonia Bergamasco, Bluvertigo, Vasco Brondi, Gianni Morandi, Enzo Avitabile, Juri Camisasca, Giovanni Caccamo, Roberto Cacciapaglia, Cristina Scabbia, Colapesce-Dimartino Carmen Consoli Simone Cristicchi, Diodato, Emma Marrone Eugenio Finardi, Max Gazzé, Mario Incudine, Angelo Branduardi, Luca Madonia, Fiorella Mannoia, Mahmood, Gianni Maroccolo, Morgan, Nabil Salameh, Subsonica, Paola Turci, Francesco Messina, Stefano Senardi, Carlo Guaitoli, Pino Pinaxa Pischetola.
The first episode (aired May 18) explores Battiato’s connection to Sicily, celebrated by the performances of a group of Sicilian artists, including Carmen Consoli, who with her intimate voice (All the universe hears love) transports the viewer to the theme of spirituality , omnipresent in the songwriter’s discography. Room is given for interpretations of his more reflective pieces, such as… and I come to look for you or The ocean of silence. The episode is marked by the statements of the concert organizers, Franz Cattini and Stefano Senardi, along with the interventions of the art director and friend Francesco Messina.
The intervention of Cattini and Senardi continues in the second episode (May 25): the two explain their casting choices for the concert and, together with some colleagues, go into more technical details. The performances continue, dedicated to the hit album La voce del padrone, before focusing on more energetic records and finally experimental music. Battiato’s recorded voice tells how certain parts sometimes even sounded hostile to himself.
The third episode (June 1) leads from experimentation to classical music, fundamental in Battiato’s writing and honored by various artists. Paola Turci intensely interprets Povera Patria, much loved by the participants in the tribute.
A reflection opens on the many faces of Battiato, a musician, singer, composer, painter and even director, remembered in his thousand shades by his colleagues, underlining his fundamental influence in the world of art.
The fourth and final episode (aired June 8) opens with Alice on the notes of Who am I?, a simple yet existential question Battiato has always asked himself and ideally responded to by the performances of his friends and colleagues. Who was Franco Battiato? From the anecdotes told in the interviews, a small portrait emerges, sometimes busy and sometimes ironic and surprising. The performances continue, in an ocean that, unlike Battiato’s, is overflowing with sounds and emotions.
Source: Lega Nerd
