In other instances, phonic considerations pervade the
lyrics to the point of contributing with their musical-evocative function
as much, if not more, to the context as the meanings themselves, as is
plainly the case of La negra (1987): "Ti cerca una negra…/al telefono
un attimo…/ma l'ombra e` ambra…" and "… l'anima e` magra…/in questa giostra
pigra" (There's a black girl looking for you…on the
phone a moment…but the shadow is amber…and the soul is thin…in this lazy
ride) or Gratis (1981): "Via da questa mischia,/ c'e` qualcuno
che cincischia…/ma la storia se ne infischia…" (Outside
of this milling crowd, there's someone muttering/pottering about, but
history doesn't give a damn).
2.3 evocative idioms and instrumentation
Music overflows still further onto the lyrics as a continuous presence
in the subject matter. There are countless references to dances, dancers
and musicians with orchestras and instruments also figuring quite heavily.
It is when such references go hand in hand with precise elements in the
arrangement, that the input of the "regista" is most apparent, as carefully
chosen musical idioms and instrumentation are employed to create very
precise theatrical effects.
The late eighties concert version of the song Dancing (as can be
heard on the 1988 album Live) is certainly a case in point where
not only the use of the brass section but also the very phrasing of its
fanfare motif create precise echoes of a particular kind of swing as stylised
for film and theatre. This gives the dance not just its historical context
and flavour but invests it with a particular kind of drama. Interestingly,
the original studio version (from Appunti Di Viaggio, 1982) contains
rather different allusions: for example there is no use of the brushes
in the percussion and the brass is toned down in favour of a smooth understated
electronic medium. The overall effect is closer to that of a classy 70's
European discotheque with its soft disco-latin sounds. The same lyrics,
therefore, are given a rather different context.
But there is also a third version that was performed on the artist's 1993
tour, and this updates the dance further through the use of a salsa percussion,
a typical funky guitar riff and a modern jazz break, turning it into a
kind of historical summary of all the dance's possible adaptations. The
old dance hall and big band suggestions are retained throughout all the
reincarnations of the song, with a varying degree of emphasis, because
they are actually built into the musical content. What Conte sometimes
enjoys playing with afterwards, is the way in which different arrangements
can affect the possible allusions of the original composition.
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