L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano I f we think of Italian music and cinema, thoughts go immedi- ately to two names: Ennio Morricone and Nino Rota, who com- p o s e d s o m e o f t h e m o s t incredible and world-known soundtracks in the history of the Seventh Art. It is right t o s a y , t h e n , t h a t I t a l i a n music has long had a signifi- cant role in international c i n e m a , b u t n o t o n l y through the works of such immense artists, specialized i n d e v e l o p i n g m u s i c f o r movies. In fact, Italian pop- ular music, from traditional classics to more contempo- rary tracks, have been pro- t a g o n i s t s o n t h e S i l v e r S c r e e n , o f t e n a s m u c h a s some of the greatest Holly- wood stars. One of the most iconic I t a l i a n s o n g s f e a t u r e d i n i n t e r n a t i o n a l f i l m s i s Domenico Modugno's Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu, popu- l a r l y k n o w n a s V o l a r e : released in 1958, it became a global sensation, winning t h e i n a u g u r a l G r a m m y A w a r d s f o r R e c o r d a n d Song of the Year. Its uplift- ing melody and catchy cho- r u s e v e n t u a l l y m a d e i t a favorite choice for filmmak- ers. For instance, it was fea- tured in the 1999 film The T a l e n t e d M r . R i p l e y , d i r e c t e d b y A n t h o n y Minghella, where the song c o m p l e m e n t e d t h e f i l m ' s Italian setting and the care- free lifestyle of its charac- ters. Another classic associ- ated to the same movie is Tu Vuò Fà l'Americano by Renato Carosone, origi- nally released in 1956. Born as a satirical comment on Italians adopting American lifestyles post-World War I I , i t s l i v e l y r h y t h m a n d humorous lyrics took center stage in Minghella's movie, when it was performed in a jazz club scene by popular Italian entertainer Rosario Fiorello. The song was also p a r t o f t h e 1 9 6 0 f i l m I t Started in Naples, star- r i n g o u r b e l o v e d S o p h i a Loren. Paolo Conte's Via con M e , a l s o k n o w n a s I t ' s Wonderful, is another Ital- ian song made internation- a l l y p o p u l a r b y c i n e m a . Released in 1981, its jazzy rhythm and playful lyrics led to its inclusion into the s o u n d t r a c k o f f i l m s l i k e French Kiss (1995) and No Reservations (2007). In more recent years, the traditional Italian folk song Bella Ciao, an anthem of the Italian Resistance dur- ing World War II, became a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l h i t i n movies and TV series, most notably in Spanish über- popular cult series Money Heist (La Casa de Papel). Umberto Tozzi's Gloria is another Italian hit that crossed international bor- ders also thanks to cinema. Rel eased in 1979, Tozzi's song gained renewed atten- tion when it was featured in M a r t i n S c o r s e s e ' s T h e W o l f o f W a l l S t r e e t (2013), where it was played during a yacht scene that wanted to portray the opu- lent and chaotic lifestyle of t h e p r o t a g o n i s t , J o r d a n Belfort. While the song had been, in its heyday, quite famous in Italy and France, its presence in the movie introduced it to a new gen- eration, and added a layer of "coolness" to it, which actu- ally never quite had before. B u t d o n ' t b e f o o l e d ! I t isn't only old classics that make it into famous movies' soundtracks. Contemporary I t a l i a n s o n g s a l s o m a d e their mark in international f i l m s , a s i n t h e c a s e o f A n n a ' s 2 0 2 0 r a p h i t Bando, which was featured in the 2023 film Fast X, the tenth installment of the Fast & Furious franchise. Gianna Nannini's Mer- a v i g l i o s a C r e a t u r a , released in 1995, is another example of the popularity of contemporary Italian music in international cinema: the s o n g w a s f e a t u r e d i n t h e 2 0 1 3 f i l m T h e K r e n e s Case, a dramatic movie that won the prestigious Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Fes- tival. Gianni Morandi's In G i n o c c h i o d a T e , a h i t from 1964, found its way into the South Korean film Parasite (2019), directed by Bong Joon-ho, where it a d d e d s o m e i r o n y t o t h e film's deeper themes of class disparity and aspiration. C a t e r i n a V a l e n t e ' s Bongo Cha Cha Cha, a Advancing our Legacy: Italian Community Services CASA FUGAZI If you know of any senior of Italian descent in San Francisco needing assistance, please contact: ItalianCS.org | (415) 362-6423 | info@italiancs.com Italian Community Services continues to assist Bay Area Italian-American seniors and their families navigate and manage the resources needed to live healthy, independent and productive lives. Since Shelter-in-Place began in San Francisco, Italian Community Services has delivered over 240 meals, over 900 care packages and made over 2000 phone wellness checks for our seniors. lively track from 1959, was featured in Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), with the aim of creating a m o r e a u t h e n t i c I t a l i a n ambiance to scenes set in Italy. With its upbeat tempo a n d c a t c h y r h y t h m , Valente's song also painted a somehow nostalgic back- drop for them, leading view- ers down a dreamy memory lane, filled with highly ide- alized — but much loved! — images of dolce vita. L a s t b u t n o t l e a s t , w e should mention Piero Pic- cioni's T r a f f i c B o o m , a jazzy instrumental piece, featured in the cult classic The Big Lebowski (1998). Piccioni's tune was perfect for the quirky and eclectic atmosphere of the film, and well aligned with its uncon- v e n t i o n a l n a r r a t i v e a n d characters. Each of these examples s h o w s h o w I t a l i a n m u s i c has been an integrant part of world cinema, not only t h a n k s t o I t a l y ' s m a e s t r i like Morricone and Rota, but also thanks to its pop and rock tunes. Their inclu- sion into international cine- m a t i c m a s t e r p i e c e s h a s been a give and take experi- ence, with music pinning a n d e n h a n c i n g s p e c i f i c moments in movies' narra- tives, and movies offering to often unknown songs access to an immense audience. Italian music and cinema have long shared a deep and m e a n i n g f u l c o n n e c t i o n , shaping each other in unex- p e c t e d w a y s . T h e y a d d depth and emotion, layer ideas, counterpoint key nar- rative moments, and bring a t o u c h o f I t a l y i n t o y e t a n o t h e r w o r k o f a r t — a relationship that is bound to last! L i g h t s , c a m e r a , c a n z o n e ! I t a l i a n m u s i c i n international movies FRANCESCA BEZZONE LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE TRADITIONS Paolo Conte, whose song Via Con Me was part of the soundtrack of French Kiss and No Reservations (Photo: Salih Kuelcue/Dreamstime)

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