Paola Turci and Gino Castaldo: “So women made the revolution in music”

DNothing is born to diamonds, from frustration instead … “From the beginning we had a worry: to tell a period that had only males protagonists, from Fabrizio De André to Lucio Dalla” he said Gino Castaldo – Maximum critical authority, popularizer and well -known voice of Rai Radio 2 – which in 2024 brought to the stages with Paola Turci The time of the giants. 1979-1981: the three magical years of Italian music, show of words and songs. And that now – always with Paola (team that wins, you don’t change) – runs for cover with The women’s revolution (produced by Elastica with the Festival The legacy of women)around Italy until December.

Folgirati by Mina

«We were on tour and, one evening, I was electrocuted by listening to listening You broke out in my heart Mina. I played it for Gino and, from there, we began to think about the idea of ​​proposing the same female formula “intervenes the singer -songwriter.

Emancipated, almost blurred

But why wasn’t there a lady among the “giants”?
Gino Castaldo. The environment of music, from which one would expect a greater opening than others, unfortunately it was – and it is – male. It is no coincidence that women emerged in history as voices. “We can only sing? Well, but singing we revolutionize the world!”. In the narrative we start from Mina and Ornella Vanoni, two personalities incredibly ahead of the times. They were strong, emancipated, even chopped in an era in which it was not admitted: in the 1960s free manifestation – including love choices – was something incredible and made them a model for those who felt close in their role. Mina was driven out by Rai after wanting a son with an already married man (Corrado Pani, editor’s note), communicating it in addition with pride and happiness in a press conference. Vanoni established himself with the repertoire of the Mala, conceived by Giorgio Strehler …

Paola Turci. I can speak from personal experience: I started with an independent label where there were exclusively men, apart from secrets and assistants. I wanted to write songs, but no, it was forbidden to me: “We have the authors”.

And we are not talking about prehistory …
Pt no, in the mid -80s. singers

Paola Turci, Gino Castaldo and the Big Bang

When can we set the turning point?
GC The Big Bang is roughly between 1959 and 1960. Milva also established himself in that two years, winning a competition. It was a moment of global ferment: Modugno modernized the Italian song with Fly. Then the interpreters-adolescents came (Gigliola Cinquetti, Rita Pavone), Caterina Caselli with his Nobody can judge me and Patty Pravo with that transgressive charge that he has not lost: he has just engraved I tried everythingin which he speaks of orgies and LSD.
Pt A clarification. We cannot enter each name that it would be right to enter: there are really many! Nada, for example. Or – later – Anna Oxa, with her navel outside and its power.

Mia Martini Infamata

Who could not be missing?
GC. The immense Mia Martini, victim of what we call “men who hate women”. The infamy according to which she was an iettatrice was scattered as males: it is not known who triggered the rumor chain, but certainly nobody stopped it … her doors were closed in her face for five years, she cost her career and probably life.

Pt Sing At least you in the universe (The song with which Martini returned to Sanremo in 1989, after the long absence, editor’s note) is one of the overflow peaks of the evening: the pathos, the emotionality, the intensity that women know how to instill in the texts has no equal.

GC Even her sister, Loredana Bertè, did not joke as for personality.

And the key songs of the path towards the Empowerment?
Pt Gorgeous thought by Patty Pravo, from 1978, on the sexual fantasy of a triangle.

GC Let’s not forget his first success, The dollwhich in 1968 sprang the male a little. As well Words words in which, in 1972, Mina duetted with Alberto Lupo making him appear a piocchio imbecille. And, always by Mina, I would add The sky in a room: his version, left at the top of the ranking for six months in 1960, launched Gino Paoli. It was the first time that a woman played the song of a songwriter, transforming him in mass “product”.

Then came Gianna Nannini

Any man who loves women?
GC Franco Battiato. As the written songs are demonstrated by thinking of Milva and Alice.

The subsequent stages, for a desirable The women’s revolution 2?
GC We move on to the 80s, with Gianna Nannini.

Today at what point are we?
Pt The proportions remain busted: two out of 10, 15.
GC There is some signal: for example, the rap and trap sector, male and male chauvinist, has opened. The largest talent recently released, not surprisingly, is Madame.

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