Qhis, for them, will be «first and last time in Sanremo». Because in the 1970s “they always invited us and we never went there”, explained i Countryside cousinsi.e. the twins Ivano and Silvano Michettithe two historical components of the Roman quartet, now completed by singers and keyboardists Nick Luciani and Tiziano Leonardi.
Country Cousins in Sanremo 2023
«We were at the top of the rankings of the most listened to, and why go to Sanremo? It was a bad evening». But, today, they’re happy to go «and we’d be even happier if it were the last, because it would be a sign of enormous success. A success that would not have to predict a return».
Debut at the age of 75 at the Ariston «it is an incredible emotion: this story is absurd», they explained, adding that they had tried it countless times over the years. “‘We have nothing to lose,’ we said to ourselves.”
For Ivano, leader of the band, there are also some strange coincidences with this event. «It will be the 73rd Festival. And ’73 is the year of My soul. We had already recorded a few singles, like Pepe’s dancethe abbreviation of High approval rating of Arbore”.
But there is another curious coincidence: «The Festival will end on 11 February», concluded Ivano, «on our birthday. Silvano and I will do it 76 years on stage».
The Country Cousins bring the piece Letter 22
The Cousins of Campagna bring the song to Ariston Letter 22, written for them by The List Representative. As Amadeus himself explained, «The List representative entrusted me with a piece saying “give it to whoever you want”. And I gave it to Countryside cousins».
To anyone wondering why they bring a piece from the Lista Representative, Ivano replied that as a kid, when they played him a song by someone his own age, «I didn’t like it. I am objective and I know that I want to go to Sanremo in dialogue with young people. It was there that struck me right away music and harmonieswhich the conductor in me jumped at.”
Antonella Clerici with the Country Cousins at “I leave you a song” in 2010. (Getty Images)
At that point, «I arranged in my own way thinking of the Sistine Chapel, also working on the texts, finding the square, for a song that fits us perfectly».
The meaning of the song? “It’s in the title» explains the band. «The letter 22 is not in our alphabet, which has 21. The letter that is not there is not found, it’s a bit when can’t find the words to say sorry, i love youmany life situations. However, it is also the name of one Olivetti from the 1950sa typewriter called Letter 22».
The song is dedicated to «all those kids who need it». And they add: «We are sorry for the others, but us we have already won. We will come second. Or 22nds?».
Meanwhile, they will duet on the cover night together with Paul Vallesi for a medley between The force of life And My soul.
The origin of the name I cousins of Campagna
But why is the group called “country cousins” since Ivano and Silvano are instead twin brothers? “Because we were twin brothers and two friends. Therefore, by the logical property of proportions, you lower one, you raise the other, in the end you become four cousins». The four… Countryside cousins.
The name was decided by the components of the first formationalready present in the first homonymous album of 1972: the brothers Silvano and Ivano Michetti, Flavio Paulin and Gianni Fiori.
Country Cousins: Silvano and Ivano Michetti, Giorgio Brandi and Flavio Paulin in 1975 (Getty Images)
The beginnings of I Cougini di Campagna
«Everything starts from the Trevi Fountain», explained Ivano al Courier. «I lived nearby, I was 9 years old and I was the classic child who took money in the fountainwith a transparent thread so as not to attract attention and a magnet».
His dad, however, surprised him and got very angry. The punishment was to send the son from 7 in the morning to 7 in the evening between the children’s voices of the Sistine Chapel. “I had the right ear to be a musician and my ears were opened further to the sound of altos and sopranos,” said the founder of the band.
That was the cue to broaden his knowledge of music, so much so that at the age of 19 he became conductor.
The group in 1974: Ivano Michetti, Silvano Michetti, Flavio Paulin and Giorgio Brandi. (Getty Images)
The birth of the group
One day, Ivano and his brother Silvano went to sing in a restaurant where they were at dinner tree And Boncompagnithe producers Bruno Zambrini and Gianni Meccia.
“We began to sing In the old factory a cappella with the little voices, the next day they made us record Pepe’s dance as an abbreviation of High approval rating. We were hoping for something rock, but that was okay. Our group was called The end of the worldbut they made us change it in the Countryside cousins».
The turning point, in 1972
In 1972, the band, which had formed two years earlier, had its first real breakthrough in its career. Back from an evening where they had sung Caroline the cow And Marenco’s donkey, their dad said he was tired: «Either sing or count». Clearer than that.
His father, who extracted blocks of tufa from the quarries around Rome, told him: «If you don’t turn around, come and work on the construction site. My soul sold 50 million copies worldwide». The rest, in fact, is history.
From 1978 onwards, the guitarist and singer Paul G. Manners replaced Paulin: this is the period of successes such as Inside the soul, Only with you, Wonderfully, No you don’t, Metal, Valeria, My man And Cub.
Then, Paul G. Manners resigns – replaced by singer Marco Occhetti – and the band is dedicated to a series of international tourssuccessful.
Below, the tour in America
The look of the Country Cousins
To drive the fan crazy, from the seventies to today, was also the look of the Country Cousins. Complete sequinedfabrics silver or golden, banners americanhigh boots, colorful leather nails and bushy hairstyles and fluffy.
«I thought about the look, the dresses with sequins that our mothers sewed for us; I invented wedges: since my brother is smaller, the other one is taller, I imagined wedges of different sizes so that all four of them are the same height,” explained Ivano. And he also thought of «the children’s voices, our peculiarity must have been this: one must not recognize whether a woman, a man or a child is singing».
I Cugini di Campagna with producers Gianni Meccia and Bruno Zambrini in 1974. (Getty Images)
My soultheir most famous song
My soul is universally considered their biggest hit, with 4 million copies sold of the single. It is the story of a person who awaits the return of her great love, even if the object of desire is engaged in another relationship.
In addition to the Country Cousins, many singers have tried their hand in the performance of this song, including Frank Sinatra, Dalida, Claudio Baglioni And Frida of the Abbas. The total? Well 47 versions!
“One night I went as in trance», explained Ivano on the genesis of the song. «I elaborated the text, got up, took the pen but I no longer remembered anything».
So, the following nights «I went to bed with a pencil and paper. For two days nothing happened, then I went into that psychological moment of creative suffering and the whole song came out. It was there first time I wrote a text».
The artist feared that no one would listen to him, «but I was sure of success and to get everyone to accept it, I said that he had written it Franco Migliacci, the great lyricist. You see, they told me. When it was approved, I revealed that it was actually mine».
The dispute between Cousins of Campagna and Måneskin
In November 2021, the Cugini di Campagna took it out on one of the most loved Italian groups of the moment, the Maneskinaccusing them of opening the Rolling Stones concert in Las Vegas after having copied their look.
Predictably, the web has arisen with a scathing irony towards them, claiming that it was certainly not the group of My soul to be the first to wear, on their own clothes, the stars and stripes pattern (below, an ironic Twitter user)
To take revenge – but in a good-natured way – the Cugini di Campagna made a cover of Shut up and gooda song with which Måneskin they triumphed in Sanremo 2021.
“Måneskin covered our looks,” they explained. “So we have sang their song. Damian a Strip the news he also confessed that he loves us because we are wildof the rebels, of the savages».
For him, however, the Måneskin «are boys from Rome, they remind me of my youththey remind me how much I fought to be successful».
Then, they honestly admitted that the dispute with the group of Beggin’ it also brought them some fame. «Of course, but what are we kidding? Guys we had a great cxxx. Of course we earned it! the I couldn’t believe my eyes when we saw the band dressed like us. I thought it was fate coming our way».
And who knows if that destiny will be on their side also during their performances in Sanremo 2023.
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