When the fascist movement seized power in Italy in the 1920s and continued under the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini during WWII, Italian music and culture suffered. During these years, much of the music, art and culture were primarily of a propagandistic or escapist nature, or a combination of both. Lyrics were simplistic or nonsensical – about dead cats or penguins in love or trite love stories or odes to the fatherland designed to inculcate obedience and docility. One such example is “Giovanezza,” the “Fascist Hymn,” sung by Beniamino Gigli, and its various versions praising fascism and Mussolini. Many Italians who were desperately looking for a way to escape the heavy atmosphere of the time functioned that way.
Individual art, music and culture were permitted if they confirmed the government’s ideals, therefore many artists tempered their lyrics and music for fear of governmental censure. But there were some songs that reached more to the core of the Italian spirit and transcended politics and partisanship. This is how I discovered one of them.
I returned to Cleveland this past summer to help my sisters take care of our aging, nearly blind mother. After serving her coffee con un dolci o pane for breakfast, I read to her from Le Voci di Civitanova, un periodico annuale di carattere religioso, storico e sociale, an annual periodical of a religious, historical, and social nature. This activity benefited us both; it kept her abreast of what was happening in and around her birthplace, Civitanova del Sannio in Molise, and it helped me with reading, writing and speaking Italian.
The stories from Le Voci di Civitanova stirred my mom’s childhood memories and one day in particular, a song she remembered singing as a young girl in the early 1940’s, “La Molisana,” (as she and her friends called it.) She began singing it but had forgotten most of the words. A quick online search revealed it as a light, happy folk song about Rosabella del Molise, composed in 1941 by Eldo Di Lazzaro, a Molisano from Trivento, and E. Gianipa. The original was made famous by the performance of Ernesto Bonino and Silvana Fioresi accompanied by the Orchestra Barzizza. Since then, numerous upbeat folksy versions have been sung by various artists.
Compare this lively, optimistic, classic love story about Rosabella’s suitor singing how he and Rosabella were made for each other and would marry and chissà, get a house and have children and live happily ever after, with “La Giovanezza,” the official hymn of the Italian National Fascist Party, a staid and bombastic national anthem created by Mussolini’s propaganda machine that “exalted the national spirit,” and it is easy to see why it survived while “La Giovanezza” (and fascism) did not.
Rosabella del Molise embodied the hopes of many young Italians in the 1940s. During a time of war, it brought hope that they would survive and go on to a better life; which, in fact, became a reality for my mother here in the U.S.
Rosabella del MoliseDiscende dal Matese La molisana, la molisana. Ha negli occhi l'ardor, Sulla bocca l'amor. Fremente un pastorello Innamorato, innamorato Nel vederla ogni dì, Le sussurra così: Rosabella dimmi sì, sì sì sì sì Io per sposa voglio te, she she she she Don Giacinto già lo sa, sa sa sa sa Che sposarci dovrà. Le comari notti e dì sì, sì sì sì Si preparano perché, she she she she Rosabella sposerà, sa sa sa sa Sposerà solo me. Ci sposeremo a Maggio Con tante rose, con tante rose. Sull'altare quel dì Noi diremo un bel "sì." Avremo una casetta Sulla montagna, sulla montagna Forse un giorno, chissà, Un bel bimbo verrà. Rosabella dimmi sì, sì sì sì sì Io per sposa voglio te, she she she she Don Giacinto già lo sa, sa sa sa sa Che sposarci dovrà. Le comari notti e dì sì, sì sì sì Si preparano perché, she she she she Rosabella sposerà, sa sa sa sa Sposerà solo me. Rosabella dimmi sì (sì sì sì sì) Io per sposa voglio te (she she she she) Don Giacinto già lo sa (sa sa sa sa) Che sposarci dovrà. |
Rosabella from Molise She is from Matese molisian, molisian, In her eyes fervor on her mouth love.
Trembling a shepherd enamored, enamored, When he sees her every day he whispers to her like this:
Rosabella, say to me yes yes yes yes yes as a wife I want you you you you you Don Giacinto already knows knows knows that he has to marry us. Women heights and days days days days days are getting prepared because because because Rosabella will marry marry marry marry marry will marry only me. Let's marry in May with so many roses, with so many roses At the altar that day let's say a nice "yes." We will have a small house on the mountain, on the mountain Maybe one day, who knows a beautiful baby comes.
Rosabella, say to me yes yes yes yes yes as a wife I want you you you you you Don Giacinto already knows knows knows that he has to marry us. Women heights and days days days days days are getting prepared because because because Rosabella will marry marry marry marry marry will marry only me.
Rosabella, say to me yes as a wife I want you. Don Giacinto already knows that we must marry. |
