The Rag dollsthe first all-female band to arrive on the Ariston stage in 76 editions of the Sanremo Festival, were guests of SPOT – The Podcastthe program that Michele Monina And Massimiliano Longo they record live at the Spot Music Fest in Bareggio. To represent the group, in front of the microphone, Dani And Kayfor a conversation that starts from the profession and arrives at a broader theme: what it means to be recognized as musicians, and not just as performers.
Rag Dolls: “So it's true, you're a musician”
Having arrived at SanremoAbove all, they say, it changed the perception of their work. When you crown such an important event for Italy, you finally feel recognized in the profession of musician, something that is not to be taken for granted in a country where those who make music are often asked what the “real job” is. Kay he tells it with irony through his family: he comes from a family of scientists, he tried to follow other paths, from architecture to musicology studies, before dedicating himself to bass and production. It was thanks to a live broadcast from Sanremo that her relatives understood that being a musician was truly her profession.
The point, they both underline, is that in Italy Sanremo it remains almost the only vehicle to make money making pop music with an original writing project. Hence also the reflection on the absence of a real musicians' union: an attempt was born during the Covid period, to also protect the live workers, but it did not last long, precisely as long as the stages remained turned off.
The origins and choice of an all-female band
Daniin the band since the beginning, tells how the formation was born and transformed over time, up to Dolls Of Pezza current, choosing musicians with precise paths. The choice of an entirely female lineup comes from the imagination of the Riot Grrrl of the nineties, the bands parallel to the grunge trend that brought to the stage an idea of music made of redemption and freedom, against the system. An imaginary to which the very name of the group refers, and to which the Bambole have always remained faithful.
The value, they explain, is that of sisterhood, of a group of friends and companions with common objectives, capable of withstanding even difficulties and characters that sometimes catch fire. A journey made in stages, from opening concerts for iconic bands to the Ariston stage, because in music no one gives anything away and every achievement is the result of personal and band work.
The imbalance of the industry and the numbers
The heart of the conversation is the gender imbalance in music. In Italian discography, women have historically been the interpreter, the singer of songs written by others, mainly men. Anyone who holds another role, author or musician, is often not taken seriously. A female band, they observe, still has an almost circus-like attraction value, it sounds exotic, while a male band does not arouse any amazement.
The data weighs heavily: we never reach even 20 percent female presence in top roles, in the rankings and in mainstream publications, and in 76 editions of the Festival we have yet to see a female artistic director. A trend that goes against the trend of the rest of the world, where international rankings show a much higher female presence. To the thesis of the “few proposals” repeated several times by those who lead the Festival, the Bambole respond that there are many female projects, and that the real issue is how many of these are sought and published.
Rag dolls: Sanremo and the fear of “having sold out”
Going to Sanremo, for a band with a punk aesthetic, was a choice that some saw as a surrender to the mainstream. Le Bambole instead claim to have gone there with their heads held high, with a song that is more moderate in sound, but without betraying themselves. Their hard core, they say, is made up of outsiders, of those who do not feel represented by a market based on rigid models, and recognize themselves in a solid aesthetic, to the point that the audience still moshes at their concerts. Diversity thus becomes a value, and the band a sort of family.
However, the passage on the Ariston stage remains a precious memory, especially for the experience of playing for the first time with a complete orchestra, with a rock arrangement written especially for them.
Advice to those who want to start
To girls who want to try making music, Dani and Kai leave an invitation that comes from punk culture: the most difficult step is the one from zero to one, the beginning. You can play without knowing how to play and learn while you do it, accepting that at the beginning the results may not be up to par. Kai adds the value of autonomy, even technical, from bass to production with tools like Ableton Live, to not depend on anyone and impose his own vision. Because, they remember, the imagery must be changed from school onwards: the one where the girl tends to be given the microphone and the boy the guitar or drums.
