Gianna Nannini is amongst the most well known Italian artists abroad, especially in Germany. What are your memories of her aside from her musical personality?   

The first time I met her I felt that there was a fragile, and at the same time extremely determined, girl in front of me. These two so contrasting souls drew an interesting personality from the human and artistic point of view. An indelible memory of that period was a day in the studio, rehearsing ‘America’, it came time to record. I felt like I was next to a lioness, and it was then I felt the true, powerful potential of Gianna.

You have worked with the core of Italian musical greats, like Patty Pravo, Roberto Vecchioni, Antonello Venditti, Loredana Bertè, Anna Oxa, Mina, Mia Martini. What is your take away from working with these artists?

Everyone gave me something different that enriched my experience. For example, Roberto Vecchioni has given me imagination and culture, Patty Pravo magic and madness, Mango the compositional irreverence of his pure talent, Loredana Bertè the unconscious ability to convey feelings, Bennato the ability to tell life through fairytales, Gianna Nannini the scream of rage and the need for love, Fabio Concato the fear of loving. Morgan dei Bluvertigo, aka Marco Castoldi, represented the arrogance of a generous teacher, while Andy, Andrea Fumagalli, gave me back the band’s pinnacle philosophy.

A singer you wish you could have worked with?

Adriano Celentano. Without a doubt. A singer who manages to be popular, to touch hearts, but is not national pop-chart popular. Bright even in his contradictions. I have great esteem for Paolo Conte, as I’ve said many times — an artist whose flexibility makes him an ideal song interpreter.

 Have you written any songs that are just waiting in the drawer for a new artist?

No, at the moment not. Some of the songs I have on hold are in Arianna Antinori (Hostaria Cohen), last album, released October 2017.

How has music changed? What do you miss about the past?

Music hasn’t changed, there is still good and bad, but obviously I miss the beautiful songs of the era. I do miss the times when an artist was judged for their ability to communicate with their fans and audience, not simply applauded or discarded for a handful of television station managers.