Prisencolin ... The genesis of the song told by Celentano
RIVALUTATION OF sprung - A PROFESSOR CANADIAN LISTEN "PRISENCOLINENSINANCIUSOL" ON YOUTUBE AND POST ON THE BLOG: "THAT SOUNDS PERFECT FAKE ENGLISH"
Ernesto Assante
It was 1972, when Adriano Celentano decided to give the prints a curious 45 laps, with a title very long and incomprehensible, Prisencolinensinanciusol. The song, from the atmosphere "black" and with a rhythm that was particularly in vogue at the time, seemed perfectly in line with the "madness" of Celentano. A madness that simulated a perfect English in a text that did not understand a single word. On the cover was a prediction: "Ranked # 1 worldwide in 1978, data from the electronic center of the future." And on the back of a further explanation: "This song is sung in a new language that nobody understands, will have only one meaning: universal love."
Celentano was going through a period of great success, with songs that systematically climbed the Hit Parade. In the same year he also made a song and committed environmentalist as "A tree of thirty stories," in which he attacked the speculation Celentano, protested against the pollution and he took it especially with the Pirelli skyscraper in Milan, a structure that, the note was made of 30 floors. Song that was part of an album devoted entirely to the burning issues, programmatically entitled "The evils of the century".
It was a surprise, then, listen to 3 November 1972, a song that meant nothing, that he had a text in any language, which apparently had no message. But that song was a huge success and became one of the classics of the repertoire of Celentano.
It's been thirty-seven and a few days ago a Canadian writer, Cory Doctorow, who is accidentally came across the video of the song on YouTube, has decided to propose it in his blog, pointing out how the fake language English Cocker sounded almost perfect in his ears, sparking the interest of other readers.
Celentano, remembers exactly when he had the idea for the song?
"That day I was in the recording studio, we were recording the foundation of a song composed by me titled" Disk Jockey ". And as always, personally took care of the colors of the instruments. One on which I dwelt more, was that of the battery. The drummer was a German, very good. I made him loosen the skin of the drum so that the shot on the turn out to snare a lower tone and more sconquassante, almost as if the blow was broken.
The same thing I did with the guitar and the rest of the instruments. Finally, when everything worked perfectly and the blow of the German was perfect as a real fighting machine, (because this was the impression I suggested the song) overlapping the voice. As usual my records never end with a definite end, and even then I left the battery on the task of finishing the piece.
It was then that I told the technical talented and likeable, Walter Berlinghini, give me a ring that final that lasted about four minutes and put it aside because I wanted to do with that end a new piece. Everything was ready. I told Walter to send the headphones that ring that was repeated for four minutes.
Then I started improvising with the voice the sound of something that obviously had inside since birth. A rhythm that somehow I felt that I had to pull out. Thus was born Prisenconilnensinainciusol. "
The song has never had a real text in Italian?
"No. Why has long cultivated the idea of a text that said nothing. And when finally, with the ring succeeded in building the right obsession with what I had in mind, I decided it was time to express, not saying anything, what I thought was the highest level corresponding to the world of poetry of that time and how seems valid in the course of today ... ".
Tell us the truth: he never learned English?
"For years I try to learn it, but I always put off due to commitments, and the fact of not speaking English is a real pain for me. Because as the Americans say my pronunciation would be that the United States have been waiting for ... ".
There was someone who said that the idea of a song with a text was incomprehensible madness?
"All but Claudia. Perhaps because she has a good dose of insanity. All who heard him remained baffled. "I think a folly," said "a piece that does not mean anything, what makes you think that someone would go to buy," "Just the fact that it says nothing" answer. "
Over the years Prisencolinensineciusol is one of the songs has remained current in his repertoire. On the text or the music?
"When something goes well, the credit is never just one thing. It 'clear that the engine of all is the idea, and when an idea you believe in yourself you give off the right forces to the correct implementation. "
Have you ever thought about doing a "translation" of the text?
"No need. I have the translation. The emphasis of how to sing. On the cover it says Prisencolinensinainciusol means universal love. In fact if you look at the video, what the school will notice with how much love I sing that song. "
With this piece thought to be one of the fathers of rap?
"The facts are the dates. Prisencolin was born in 1972. And Americans themselves in these days say that rap in the United States began ten years later. And actually I remember that. '
23/12/2009 - The Republic
