Avincola - My tribute to the genius of Carella

It was about time! Someone has finally decided to stir the waters and pay a proper tribute to one of the greatest hidden treasures of Italian music: Enzo Carella. Forgotten in life, and forgotten again after his sad passing, the Roman singer-songwriter deserves a serious rediscovery that would bring to the wider public's attention a way of making music that, already in 1977, was fully projected into the future. Proof of this is the esteem he commands among many artists on today's music scene (and beyond), whose music often echoes that of Carella (Colapesce/Di Martino, to name a couple at random, know a thing or two about that).

With the help of Pasquale Panella's linguistic wordplay, Carella's albums are among the most refined and, even today, most modern works Italian music has ever produced. A sort of blend between the Battisti of the second half of the 70s (the very same Battisti who would go on to meet Panella precisely through Carella's records), prog-funk atmospheres in the vein of Steely Dan, songs performed with dizzying skill, and would-be smash hits ("Fosse vero", "Malamore" and many others...) that still leave you wondering what went wrong. There was no way Carella shouldn't have achieved massive success, and yet that's exactly what happened.

Taking on the task of bringing his music back to the stage is Avincola, a singer-songwriter with a solid career behind him, who counts among other things an appearance at Sanremo, praise from Morgan (who called him one of the finest singer-songwriters on the contemporary scene), and a collaboration with Panella himself on a lyric for his latest album. So the threads come back together, and Avincola is ready to give both those who already know it, and the many who still don't, a taste of Enzo Carella's music.

While we wait for the live debut in Rome on March 1st, we let Avincola tell us about this enchanting adventure.

How did you first come across the music of Enzo Carella?

I've always been drawn to artists who remained trapped in the shadows. I'm the kind of person who loves digging into research like this. So I already knew who he was, but I have to say the curiosity to really dig deep into his work came about during my participation in the 2021 Sanremo Festival, when a lot of people wrote that there was a certain resemblance between me and him, which amused me quite a bit.

Have you ever met him in person?

Unfortunately not, but I have the pleasure of meeting him every time I listen to his songs. The beauty of songwriting - or of making art in general - is that you can live on and meet anyone, every time someone looks at or listens to your work.

How did the idea for this tribute come about?

Years ago I made the first and only documentary film dedicated to Stefano Rosso, and that's when my passion (almost an obsession) for forgotten artists began. When I discovered Enzo Carella, I felt a kind of anger build up inside me at the fact that people still talk about him far too little; a feeling very similar to what I felt about Stefano Rosso, which I wanted to turn into something positive.

How do you and your band feel about playing Carella's music?

It's more complicated than people think. Much the same thing happens with Battisti. The songs seem very catchy, but when you actually play them, especially when it comes to the arrangements, you realize the pleasant complexity moving beneath the surface. We try to stick to the original parts out of respect for the compositions, but each of us colors and reinterprets the songs in our own way.

How does the show unfold? Just music, or stories too?

It's a full-fledged concert with my band, but depending on where we play, there are different guests who share their passion for, or their personal story with, Carella. In Rome, for instance: Maccio Capatonda, Maurizio Guarini of Goblin and Ivan Talarico, with audiovisual inserts curated by Timisoara Pinto and Gino Castaldo. In the future I'd love for it to become a proper show in its own right.

What is it, in your view, that makes Carella's music still so modern?

That's a great question, but a very hard one. Everyone has their own personal idea of modernity and contemporaneity. Carella was objectively the first to bring funk into the Italian song form, so he was a genuine trailblazer in every respect. You can feel that urge to push past a boundary — when I listen to him, I get the sense I'm hearing a song that was written tomorrow.

How does Panella view the period he spent with Carella today?

The only artist Pasquale Panella collaborated with from beginning to end is Enzo Carella. Between them, Pasquale told me, there was a strong, deep bond. They started out together in the world of music. Carella called on Panella to propose he write the lyrics for "a young man who writes beautiful music but without any words." I don't think Pasquale is particularly fond of diving back into the past — he's a fire that keeps burning, always driven to create new ideas in the present — but the times he has revisited memories of Carella, he's done so with the utmost tenderness.

What is your favorite Carella album?

I really love them all — every one of his records has a high level of musical experimentation that explodes alongside Panella's wonderful words. Speaking of words, I think the first album, "Vocation," is the most inspired.

Have you met his musicians, acquaintances and so on? Have they told you interesting anecdotes about him?

I'm meeting quite a few of them. Maurizio Guarini, for instance, the keyboardist of Goblin, told me about the time Carella went to his house to demo what would become "Barbara," the song he took to Sanremo in 1979.

Many artists on the current Italian scene hold him in high regard

Of course! For instance Riccardo Sinigallia, Colapesce, Calcutta, Dente. There are a lot of us, and that's a really beautiful thing.

Among his admirers there's even someone as unexpected as Maccio Capatonda.

Yes, Maccio has a real passion for Carella. He was trying to reach him to use one of his songs in a film, but Enzo was already unwell and unfortunately passed away shortly after. I'm also very intrigued by the artistic connection that probably could have come from this shared, surreal way of looking at the world.

Avincola and Carella - what links your music to his?

My songwriting is quite different, though there is a connection, and I find it in his sincere approach to music. Then in the song "Barrì" - which gives the title to my new album - the words are actually by Pasquale Panella.

What are the upcoming dates and projects tied to this tribute?

The upcoming dates are:

Rome - March 1st: L'Asino Che Vola

Pesaro - April 10th: Spazio Webo

Milan - April 11th: Apollo

Turin - April 12th: Cap10100

I'd suggest keeping an eye on my social media though, since more dates will be announced soon. As for future projects, I'm open to anything that can sincerely contribute to rediscovering this great artist and his incredible body of work. Maybe I already have an idea or two...

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google