Giulia Mei is not just that of 'flag'

To make it immediately understand who he is, Giulia Mei showed up on the stage of the last edition of X Factor sang Hey You of Pink Floyd. A devastating piece, which in the original version exudes despair from every note, but in its arrangement it finds a softness that divides. Flag Instead it is the manifest piece with which it bounced on all social networks, one of those capable of winking in the general public without distorting a popular songwriting that recalls Rosa Balistreri, but also Mannarino, with all the irony of a twenty year old who grew up in the language of the Internet.

We wanted to meet her on the occasion of the exit of the second album I did not understand anything about music. «With this provocative title I wanted to tell the need to deconstruct the song form and the way of thinking about music a little, I wanted to create more spontaneously. I studied all my life music in the Conservatory, but sometimes all this study has a little caged me within structures that led me from what I really wanted to say ». He is often associated with great Italian songwriters such as Gaber and Rino Gaetano, but among his inspirations he cites Joan Baez, Carmen Consoli and Tori Amos. «In the way of playing the plan I owe a lot to Tori Amos. I see the piano as a filter between me and the outside world, a sort of protection and she surely inspired me in this. By Rosa Balistreri I love the desperate way of singing, full of pain and bitterness, her songs were truly motions of huge rebellion. I also like Carmen Consoli and Cristina Donà ».

His songs seem to be noted notes on the pages of a diary, thoughts of the belly written. «This album is just thought like a diary. There is a song that I wrote on the plane even though I'm afraid to fly because when there is that need there, it doesn't matter where you are. It is a diary where I tell my inner, my family, my childhood, my relationship with this city, with the place where I come from that I am Palermo, in short, all my world ».

I did not understand anything about music It is also a job that displaces: between a piece in Sicilian and a folk ballad, they suddenly appear a couple of club tracks, which Giulia wanted to insert almost for fun. “I approached in particular to Drum & Bass and Dubstep, but also to Techno, which I live with a childish curiosity”.

In Giulia, all the character of the city from which it comes from. «Palermo first of all influenced my existential formation, has shaped my way of living, walking, speaking, the way of using words. If I had been born in another city, my music would not be the same. There is a part of me that speaks only in Palermo and I would not really know how to translate it into Italian ».

However, the texts are far from written under the Palermo sun: they always start from strong feelings, of anger, disappointment, rebellion, which Giulia sootes by writing. His music is part of a pop scene contaminated more and more by the rediscovery of folk by a new generation of artists that draws from its roots, from its dialects, from its regions to return a contemporary version of popular music. La Niña, but also Daniela Pes or Massimo Silverio who sing in ancient and now unknown languages ​​by mixing them with experimental electronics are just some of the artists who fall into this category.

«Daniela Pes is an incredible singer -songwriter, I found myself listening to her and remaining ecstatic by what she does. The songwriter created by women is very strong today, in my opinion there is a lot of beautiful stuff. I also listened to Niña's album and I really found the anger, despair and revenge of all the women who have been silent for years. I also actually have an alternative folk project, in addition to this, I have a project in which I sing de André in Sicilian ».

I did not understand anything about music It is above all a hymn to expressive freedom, which does not necessarily have to lead to first place in the standings, but sometimes it is simply the choice that allows us to feel good in what we do. «At this moment when everyone makes trap and bring a certain message, music always seems the same. I feel that there is a littleness at the harmonious level and of themes, probably given by more commercial, radio pressure. The music I do is deaf music, but I feel that there is a great awakening around me, a great rebirth, a positive agitation so, those who choose to carry on their own figure, in the end wins. I think of Lucio Corsi, I think of all those people who said no when there was to say no, he said yes when he felt that yes it was the right thing to do ».

I greet you asking her what the piece is most tied to, in a disc that the song after song reveals the biographical story of her life: «I love all the pieces of the disc, but there is a song that breaks me, which I feel really close to me right now and is My father who does not exist. It is not my favorite piece, but it is one of the most cathartic, the one I managed to put all the pain I had at that moment. The text tells the pain of my father's disease who changed it, made it another person and tells it in the best way I could tell him why talking about pain is not easy. Whenever listening I can find that pain, and it is beautiful, it is not a bad thing, the pain must be welcomed, especially that text reminds me of the love I feel for him ».

Giulia's work is also a choral work. With the arches of Rodrigo d'Erasmo, the voice of Anna Castiglia and the collaboration with Mille, I did not understand anything about music It is a multi -hands album. «It is a collective job, you don't do the disc and you must always be grateful to the people who accompany you in these things because they are very precious. As long as I have life I thank all the people who worked on it ».