Filippo Zucchetti is an Italian singer-songwriter who prioritizes the substance of the song over the image of the artist, and his latest song, “Anita must not cry”is an example of this philosophy. In the song, Zucchetti explores the relationship between nature, soul and life, using the symbolic figure of Anita to represent the inner purity often forgotten in contemporary society. Through a poetic language and an arrangement curated together with the producer Marta Venturinithe song offers a reflective journey on the roots and human essence, inviting the listener to rediscover authentic contact with nature and with oneself.
The song “Anita must not cry” seems to carry with it a strong message of returning to the purest essence of ourselves. How did the idea of talking about these issues through the symbolic figure of Anita come about?
I wanted to talk about the existence and importance of an almost forgotten being of ours, the purest and most natural part of us, suffocated by too many artificial superstructures that we have implanted in our daily lives. Social roles, ideologies, beliefs, and all those inherited collective mental patterns that prevent us from knowing our true self, or, as I say in the song: “our best part”.
Everything revolves around three main concepts such as Soul, Nature and Life, and it is from the fusion of these three words that the name ANITA was born. The intent was therefore to describe all this through a precious and delicate symbolic figure, very pure and shiny, in continuous transformation and fusion with nature as nature itself.
You stated that this song was born in a few hours during a train journey, but it contains years of observations and introspection. Was there a specific moment when you realized that this was the right text to express your thoughts?
In fact, that's how it went. The writing took only a few hours, but the development of the idea took years. I had written dozens of pages of notes which I then condensed into the text during that trip. I remember that I didn't immediately realize the quality of what I had written. A few days later, rereading the various verses, I understood that it was what I wanted; a personal language capable of giving a sense of fusion.
In your artistic journey, the song itself has always been at the center, with particular attention to the relationship between words and music. How did you work with Marta Venturini to produce and arrange this song while maintaining this balance?
In the case of this song I gave Marta a pre-arranged version of the song that we had developed in a recording studio in Perugia asking her to remain as faithful as possible to that arrangement.
When I talk about the relationship between words and music I mean more than anything a work that is carried out before the production of the song, i.e. during the creation phase. My writing method involves first composing the melody on which to then “place” the text. When I talk about balance I am referring to this union between melody and text.
The lyrics of “Anita must not cry” transform like a river, evoking profound and touching images. What was the biggest challenge in finding a personal language that could summarize your reflections on life and society?
There are the concepts and the way in which they are expressed. I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted to talk about, but I needed the right language to express it. I looked for a linguistic form capable of giving the sense of “fusion” with nature, with everything. I imagined natural scenes and tried to describe them in a simple but not banal, poetic but not corny way. This is how phrases like:
“The banks of your cheeks” and the related surreal image of crying which then transforms and returns in the form of rain and hail. Or: “In the shadow of your cheekbones I will fall asleep,” in which the tree and the human form are one. “Seeing you rise and illuminate”, the union between human awakening and dawn. The style had to be recognizable and as unique as possible. The structure of the piece is also particular in that it does not follow the classic Strofa-Inciso-strofa-inciso scheme but is composed of an almost spoken Intro and then proceeds with a series of “cluster” verses in crescendo of intensity.
You cited the influence of books, films and your search for a personal language in the writing process of this song. Are there any works in particular that inspired you during the composition of “Anita must not cry”?
In the case of this piece I don't believe that the inspiration can be traced back to one or more works in particular, I rather believe it comes from a combination of what I have seen, read, experienced and finally reworked. Certainly the inspiration can be traced back to the philosophical current of Renaissance Naturalism and in particular the philosopher Giordano Bruno.
Looking to the future, are you already working on new musical projects? Is there a message or theme you would like to explore in your next work?
A new single entitled “L'Uomo che non cera” will be released soon. A dreamlike text, full of powerful images that removes all the reassuring grips of the known, leaving our mind free to go further with the curiosity to see what happens.
I am currently writing other songs exploring concepts such as time and space, or how much our thoughts can create reality and how much this can influence our thoughts. The message of reconnecting with nature, of being part of it and not above it, remains in the foreground. To stop the wicked exploitation of animals and the planet to produce too much food that we don't eat (or eat in an exaggerated way) and too many useless things that we don't use and then throw it all away, generating the problem of waste disposal. I think all this is madness!
Protecting nature means protecting our own lives, because after all “In this desperate crazy race of ours Anita is all we have left”.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
