Music you absolutely need to listen to before your trip to Piemonte
Paola
Paola is the one that always knows where you should go on holiday next.
1. Subsonica
Subsonica, electronic rock band from the 90s, is one of my favourites. Other great songs are Tutti i miei sbagli, Dormi, Incantevole, Disco Labirinto.
2. Paolo Conte
Yes, he's from Asti, and he's ours! Paolo Conte is incredible, expressive, strong and elegant. Too many great songs from him, impossible to choose. So here I decided to put this live version of Via con me. but before your trip to Piemonte you should also listen at least to Diavolo Rosso, a song about the legendary cyclist from Asti from the beginning of last century. Remember that, because we will introduce the grandson of the Diavolo Rosso to you during our Minibus Tours in Monferrato.
3. Gipo Farassino
Unforgettable poet of the 'barriera' (this is how we call the suburbs), Farassino is part of our tradition. He wrote both in italian and in our dialect. French music lovers should listen to Porta Pila, they will certainly undestand why after the first 30 seconds. My favourite one is Serenata ciucaluna, where a drunk guy mourns over the marriage of the girl he loves with a dumb guy, but here you are Sangon Blues, a song about a nifty dancing club next to the river Sangone, that my father always sang to us.
4. Fred Buscaglione
5. Africa Unite
Yes, still some more stuff from the 90s, I told you this was my personal top ten, and I was 17 in 1995, when this song, Scegli, came out from this piemontese reggae group, and I love it. You should also listen to Il Partigiano John, about the Italian resistance movement agains fascism, that reminds us the famous book from Beppe Fenoglio, il Partigiano Johhny.
6. Ludovico Einaudi
Pianist and composer, known all around the world, Ludovico Einaudi comes from a very important family from Torino. His grandfather was the first official president of the Italia Republic in 1948.
His music is pure poetry. Here you will find him playing in the Arctic for Greenpeace.
7. Gianmaria Testa
Born in Cuneo, self taught guitarist, this great author had an ordinary job at the Italian Railways while he had already performed at the Olympia in Paris. Simple, quiet, poetic and sweet, he died in 2016 in Castiglione Falletto, in the Langhe region.
My suggestion is to go to his website to discover his life and his work. This is really a voice from Piemonte.
8. Eugenio in via Di Gioia
I just discovered them, thanks to their incredible video, and I love them:
9. Lou Dalfin
Coming from the Occitan part of Piemonte, the alpine valleys between France and Italy, Lou Dalfin keeps alive ancient traditions playing unusual instruments like the ghironda. They sing in their peculiar language, Languedoc, and their music is engaging and strong. Here you are a sample:
10. Some more random stuff