interview
ments; I started as a young girl from blues
and soul, then along the road of time I related
to genres such as jazz and swing but not only;
music, as the history of art collecting not only
genres but lives, lives and songs of artists; my
interest is focused on a swing artists group
between Italy and America lost between wars,
dreams and incredible stories; listening to the
songs of people like Rabagliati, Carosone, Natalino Otto... Noir and very “romantic” movie
scenes in the strict sense of the word “romantic”, or the great ideals and great feelings.
Why did you choose to do a cover of “Abbassa la radio” of Rabagliati?
This is a story to which I am very fond; I was
lucky enough to grow up with a great best
friend who was my grandmother. I enjoyed
until recently; this woman of 1917 has sent
me an Italian world that no longer exists
except in souvenir photos. One of her favorite
singers was always Rabagliati, swing-man of
the 50’s; she send me this retro world of Trio
Lescano, Quartetto Cetra... Over time, going
to snoop who was really Rabagliati I knew his
story; a story of big dreams of migrant: from
the
assignment by the Century Fox
look-alike of the newly deceased
Rudolph Valentino, the misery
of the fake African singer with
the black painted face, to return to Italy to export the
swing with all the restrictions now at the end of a
fascist regime. Rabagliati’s,
like so many other characters, are stories that I have
tried and keep trying. The chorus is
a quote of his song Silenzioso Slow. It’s not a
cover, melodies and lyrics are unpublished, I
have taken a few words to pay homage to one
of his most famous tunes.
OTTAVIA BROWN
Great romances
great feelings
It’s called Infondo the first lp of Ottavia Bruno, aka Ottavia Brown, to be released on
September 23: swing, vintage, nostalgia and
a lot of passion for songwriting. We put a few
questions to the singer.
Can you tell your story?
I have always been “suspended” between music and illustration; I have always worked as
an illustrator and singer with the same research and energy. Only after all these years I realized that combining these two worlds I was
living separately could be the turning point
to make something of my own, that would
tell my stories and turning in music my images. The musical research between blues and
swing has always been, as the visual illustra-
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tion, based on stories of past and
noir atmosphere by graphic novel;
the meeting point were the characters,
let them talk and dance!
Where does comes the passion for the
swing?
The passion for the swing was born after a
long search of music lasting several experi-
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