In obstinate and contrary direction

by Paolo Finzi photos by Reinhold Kohl

Two days in mid-July 2000 in the medieval village of Garessio to remind Fabrizio De André including exhibitions, speeches, music and memories. With so much anarchy.

Imagine a medieval village, with its narrow streets, old buildings preserved, the flowers in the windows, the mountains all around, the inevitable river and bridges to climb over. The town is Garessio in the province of Cuneo, near the border with Liguria: it is precisely in the medieval village of Garessio on Friday 14 and Saturday, July 15, 2000 were held a series of initiatives all focused on Fabrizio De André.
"To sea, to heaven, for earth, with Fabrizio, in search of Man" was the official title of the study days, sponsored by several local authorities (City of Garessio, Cuneo Province, Comunità Montana Alta Val Tanaro, Regione Piemonte ) with some sponsorship, and the Research Center Garexium - a handful of people drawn from that which is panzer Joan Alimonti, lawyer, real creator of this was that - so far - the most complex and significant cultural event dedicated to the Genoese singer-songwriter, who died in January 1999. 'A little crazy this Alimonti "whispered someone is certain that no reasonable person (of those who" give good advice because they can not give more than the bad example ") never, ever would have conceived to organize Garessio (which De André Vidigulfo got to do with how the canal) a similar event.
We found that hundreds of people, of all types, ages, backgrounds, to walk up and down the little streets of the village, leaping between the Brotherhood of St. John - a great church is not desecrated, within which the afternoon of Friday and all day on Saturday was held - very much followed - Meeting of the studies, the Town Hall where she was an exhibition of objects, paintings, records, etc..; the front porch, under which they were exposed children's work in the country, in the weeks before they were encouraged to jot down drawings inspired by the songs of Fabrizio, an art gallery where they were exposed to photographs and books by and about Fabrizio (and a shrine was given to his anarchist reading , with books of Bakunin, Kropotkin, Malatesta and our magazine on display) and another gallery in which they were exposed works of art by various artists, also inspired by his poems.
Posters of the village De André Pavese, showing particularly significant quotes from his songs.

The rom, the priest and...

The Conference of studies has been, overall, very interesting. Among the interventions that have hit the most attentive audience, that of Georgio Bezzecchi, Roma Harvati, with whom Fabrizio had collaborated in the translation of the Gypsy song in "saved souls": an intervention, its full of information on the situation of the Roma dignified and proud. Don Luigi Ciotti, the soul of Gruppo Abele, addressed acutely the question of "religion" by Fabrizio, inviting - as is his habit - not a concrete commitment to solidarity (which explains the frequent pretext) but for the Justice. Overwhelmingly anarchist intervention Mauro Macario, a poet, who emphatically presented his text published in the latest issue of Libertarian. Much also applauded the report by Romano Giuffrida (one of two directors of the movie Faber) commitment entitled "Towards obstinate and contrary: Fabrizio De André between Tolstoy, Stirner and Pasolini: an acute analysis of the role of the intellectual coming from 'Genoese upper class, who became the world champion of the damned.
Interesting, full of humanity, the testimonies of many who - at different times (and there have been, therefore, the roughness of controversy) - worked with Fabrizio: Gian Piero Reverberi (arranger of some of the early successes of De André), Vittorio De Scalzi (who recalled a tour with the New Trolls), Mauro Pagani ("Creuza ma" the center of their exceptional partnership), the great Franz Di Cioccio (of the unforgettable PFM), Andrea Parodi (who explored the relationship Fabrizio had with the land and culture of Sardinia), Piero Milesi (arranger of "saved souls", which talks to Franco Fabbri has retraced the nights working with Faber) and then Gian Luigi Beccaria (unconvincing attempt his "crusade" to separate the poetry and non-poetry work of de Andre), Lorenzo Coveri (enjoyable his analysis of the use of dialects), Luigi Pestalozza (Marxist historical figure of music criticism in Italy), Luciano Basso (who recalled the time of his attendance youth with Fabrizio, Tenco, Paoli, etc..), Provencal Sergio Arneodo (Fabrizio was also interested in the culture of Provence) and myself analized the relationship with De André anarchism.
Compared to the planned schedule, only two absences: Cesar Roman, a journalist and writer, who was sick, but he sent a beautifully written introduction: he was to coordinate the work of the Congress, he was replaced by the author of these notes. And Gianni Vattimo, who was to speak of "Fabrizio De André: anarchist, libertarian." This was not seen, in contrast to its (hypothetical) presence has been challenged by an anarchist Cuneo, critical of his political stance in the "Ulivo" party.
To remember then the screening of the movie in a cinema city Faber. And the presence, unobtrusive but very significant, of Dori Ghezzi.
The highlight of the day was had on Saturday night, when a thousand people attended a concert very suggestive of the emotional impact caused by the songs of Fabrizio performed by Mauro Pagani, Andrea Parodi, Vittorio de Scalzi, Li Troubaires de Coumboscuro ( Provencal group), Francesco Baccini. Between a musician and the other, the poems rebels Fabrizio Leo Ferré and interpreted by our Mauro Macario. Really beautiful environment and also the director of the valid Morgia, which began with the screening of a giant "A" circled the church, which formed the backdrop of the stage. In the pictures (of Reinhold "Denny" Kohl) reproduced in these pages a glimpse of those two days.
Before leaving Garessio, Sunday morning, I jumped to take the newspaper kiosk in the one of the Village: the newsagent (wife of the local police commander) recognized me as the coordinator of the conference and she wanted to express, sincerity, her appreciation for the smooth running of the days. "You know - she said - there were many in the country against, or at least skeptical: we were afraid of an invasion of people who we do not like, we knew that there were also half of them anarchists. Know how it is. But then we have seen that you are all civilized people. " We chatted a bit '. And before we say goodbye, I left in the account-filing ten copies of our special issue on Fabrizio. The "A" circled he had seen projected on the church the night before finds it way on the counter next to the usual newspapers and magazines.

Paolo Finzi

rivista anarchica
       anno 30 n.266
       ottobre 2000