Tribute to
Fabrizio De Andre'
by Angelo Mazza 

It came as quite a shock to learn that Fabrizio De Andre' died January 11th of stomach cancer.  His music and words touched many people in a subtle, understated way which will be missed.  His songs educated us about the injustices of the big against the small, the self-appointed righteous against the common man and the horror of war and strife.
I have to say a few words about Fabrizio De Andre' and his influence over the years.  There are certain events in our lives which we recall with overwhelming clarity.  I remember almost 20 years ago walking into Pentagramma Italiano on Mulberry Street and purchasing my first Italian long play, Fabrizio De Andre''s self titled album with the American Indian on horseback on the cover.  I must have listened to that album several thousand times to the point of fusing the record to the turntable as I listened with wonder as De Andre' recounted the trials of the American Indian and his own experience as a kidnap victim in Sardegna.  I went out and bought more of his works; which are not the easiest to find in the United States.

Before I knew it, I was devouring his music and developing my musical taste based on those early experiences.  To this day, I still favor the cantautori with a passion.  I find solace in the simplest expression of words and music that capture the essence of life and our own experiences in ways that bring a smile or simply make us reflect for those few precious moments.  I learned this from one of the best cantautori of our time.

De Andre' was not for everybody.  His delving into poetry and french authors as sources for his works could prove disconcerting at times.  Yet, it also showed the depth of his search for inspiration and interpretation.  The entertainers who can do this are few and far between.  The beauty of the complexity was its simplicity that brought universal themes to a universal audience of young and old.

But remembering De Andre' does not stop at his music.  He was enamored of Sardegna and owned an agriturismo ranch there.  It was in reading about his love for and inspiration gained from Sardegna that I began to explore the island first in books and now in visits.  It is truly an awe-inspiring place and I can see why it captures ones heart and mind as it did his.  I will never forget listening to the 1979 live album  with versions of Andrea (my personal favorite), Il Pescatore, Bocca di Rosa and Zirichiltaggia imbued with the energy of a live performance. Although Fabrizio De Andre' was shy about performing before a live audience, the live albums were always a special treat.  I remember trying to understand Zirichiltaggia as it set Sardinian dialect to a frenzied beat that captured the nature of the song.

Fabrizio De Andre' authored so many songs, it would be impossible to list them all here.  However, I would like to mention just a few of my favorites:  Quello che non ho, Canto del servo pastore, Fiume Sand Creek, Hotel Supramonte, Verdi pascoli, Creuza de ma, Jamin-a, Sidun, Sinan capudan pascia, Via del campo, Canzone di Marinella, La cattiva strada, Amico Fragile and Avventura a Durango just to name a few.  And to think I have not even touched upon some of his  earlier works which can best be described as exquisite.
 
A cantautore of Fabrizio De Andre''s caliber will likely not be seen in quite a long time.  His influence cannot be measured in leaps and bounds  but in the dignified, quiet manner his works touched lives and made a difference in those lives, including my own.  I am grateful for the opportunity to have discovered his music and his great capacity to understand the human condition.  Visits to the record store will be sadder with his passing.


photo courtesy of the Fabrizio DeAndre' fan page
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