Tag Archives: roots

Jessica’s album is BRILLIANT!

Lady Jessica was here yesterday to meet a few people together with us. She brought us an anticipation of her album, a “remix” of field recordings (collected in the 60s) of folksongs in the Arezzo area. It’s called “In dote”(roughly “My dowry”), and is SO BEAUTIFUL, full of love and respect for the tradition of music, language and culture that consotutes the dowry of our Tuscan Lady, and of us all, really. It will be released in a matter of days by Suoni e Armonie, and I think it is one of the best Italian folk music albums ever made. I am so happy!

Lady J

Il ritorno di Melchiade

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E’ andata a finire che Lady Jessica è andata al MEI per ritirare il premio Imola in musica, ed è stata gentilmente accolta da un funzionario del Comune che si chiama Franco Benni. Ma guarda, pensa Lady J, si chiama come Melchiade Benni. Per forza, è il figlio! Emozione generale. Quante volte sul palco abbiamo evocato Melchiade da Monghidoro, nume tutelare del folk emiliano, soprattutto quello che si balla! Gli abbiamo anche dedicato un set di brani tradizionali, “Il ritorno di Melchiade” (cosa che Franco non sapeva). Sarà bello, a giugno, andare a suonare nella terra di Melchiade, alla presenza di suo figlio: il folk dei FF, dopo tanto viaggiare, torna a casa.

Melchiade Benni

The return of Melchoade

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It all ended up with Lady Jessica going over to MEI for the Imola in musica award ceremony, and being welcomed by a kind man working for the festival direction called Franco Benni. Funny, thinks Lady J, he has the same last name as Melchiade Benni. And no surprise: it is his son! General commotion. Many times, on stage, we have evoked Melchiade from Monghidoro, saint protector of Emilian folk music, especially when you can dance to it! We even dedicated to him a set of traditional tunes, “The return of Melchiade” (Franco did not know about this). It will be beautiful, next June, to perform in Melchiade’s homeland, before his son: FF’s folk, after much travelling, is going home.
Melchiade Benni