The best Italian outside of Italy.

«I am the best Italian chef outside of Italy,» a voice emanates from the TV set loudly. «Kitchen Impossible» time. Once again, TV chef and ruffian of a nation Tim Mälzer has come up with his eternal slogan, grinning maliciously, and now it is time for the challenge.
«May the exercise succeed», I think to myself, and close my eyes. This little sentence was enough to make my mind wander into the distance. I leave the noisy confines of the city and cross the San Bernadino. Gradually, the landscape opens up and gives way to flatter scenery – I find myself flying towards the sea.
Everything here is lush, almost outside the norm. «Profumo! Amore!» These scents, these flavours of sun, sea, fish, espresso and love are in the air. Hustle and bustle everywhere, chatting, children shouting, a signora strides across the piazza with a bouquet of flowers in her arms. «Ragazzi» lounging on their Vespas. The boys fool around and are carefree and young. There is no one else who can stub out a cigarette as contemptuously as an Italian in unbearably tight jeans and designer sunglasses in front of the «Bar Centrale».

Drrrrrrrr!!!! The doorbell!
And so, I am rudely torn from my dream. A wine delivery from Tuscany. Just what I need.
Believe it or not – Italian blood flows in my veins! One might just as well consider me an Italian! «Certo!» And I am proud of every tiny molecule of it. I spent such wonderful hours in Italy – «meraviglioso». I am the best Italian outside of Italy. Once again, I am overcome with longing for the land of Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni.
I better get Adam to realise that we need to treat ourselves to an Italian evening to get rid of the homesickness. With homemade pasta, with Prosecco, a nice bottle of «Antinori» from Tuscany, tiramisu or canoli with pistachio cream filling.

… and that is all I need for my mind to drive in my convertible with a baby-bluish hue on a little road through the beautiful, hilly Tuscan countryside. Vines as far as the eye can see, bales of straw, cypresses, bougainvillea, small picturesque villages with tiny stone houses and a bar. A castle-like building on the horizon. Somewhere a dog is barking.

Drrrrrrrr!!!! The doorbell!
Once more, I am rudely torn from my dreams. A delivery of salumi from Calabria and an order of extra virgin olive oil from a small «Fattoria» in Basilicata.
The parcel gives off a wonderful scent of «Prosciutto, Soppressata, Capocollo» and «Salsiccia, fatto in casa», homemade. Oh, you «macellai» of Italy, I idolise your craft. I tear open the parcel, greedily soak up its scent and instantly find myself in the little country inn with the water wheel. The entrance is barely visible because of all the flowers and terracotta pots and a pretty striped awning protects the terrace from the relentless sun. It’s far too hot to grab a bite, but an antipasti platter is served nonetheless. The waitress smiles mischievously as we comment in horror on the quantities of «Primo». The crystal-clear water of the stream flowing through the restaurant garden tirelessly makes a splashing sound as we fight our way through the truffle pasta and the «Tagliata di Manzo» with grana. To finish it up, a Grappa! Busy clattering sounds from the kitchen.

Drrrrrrrr!!!! The doorbell!
Barbarically, I am torn from my dream. At the door of our upper-class villa, I pick up a delivery of «Mozzarella di bufala» and lemons straight from Naples.
The intense scent of the lemon gardens on the Amalfi Coast finds its way deeply into my extremely sensitive olfactory organs, settles in my mind and instantly spreads a feeling of wellbeing. I gently caress the lemons like a child. I devoutly enjoy a «Caprese», whose cheesy, creamy aroma of «burrata» with basil oil and sun-ripe «pomodori» get all my taste buds going.
An intense, ice-cold «Granito di Limone», bought straight off the red Ape by the roadside, melts on my tongue. «Buonissimo! Arrivederci!»
I then enjoy a pistachio «affogato» on the steps of Positano with a view of the boats, the colourful beach loungers and parasols. I have sand between my toes and shouts of «cocco bello» ringing in my ears.

Drrrrrrrr!!!! The doorbell!
I hear myself sigh.

As Adam makes his way home from work that day, he finds a note in the deserted flat.
Ciao bello! Come find me somewhere in Italy. Now, I have not yet decided on the route, but it will be marvellous!

Life is beautiful – La vita é bella!

Copyright Illustration: Manuela Dona

On the album «Miss Italia», popstar Jack Savoretti wants to find his italian roots after his father’s death.

Most people dream in their mother tongue, but in your case it’s not English, German or Polish, but rather Italian …

That’s only been the case since I made this album. «Come Posso Racontare», in which I sing about it, is the only song I had already written before my father passed. His reaction gave me the confidence to do «Miss Italia» after his death. This existential experience led me to engage more with my Italian roots in general.

How did «Come Posso Racontare» come into existence?

I think in this case it was a kind of serendipity. But I find songs like that terrible. You write a break-up song and two months later it really happens. You know much more inside than you realise. Our senses become dulled because we have so many distractions. Our intuition could tell us more. I had already started to dream more about Italy, and then this catastrophic event made my curiosity about my homeland explode.

Why not earlier?

Before that, my relationship with Italy was defined by my father. When this constant was gone, I had to find out what else connected me to this culture. I even applied for an Italian passport. Two months after completing this album, I received it in the post. That was a strange moment indeed as I had never considered becoming Italian in the past.

Did you feel a closer connection with Ticino?

Well, I never lived in Italy, while Carona, above Lake Lugano, was my home and later the place where our family gathered. The only thing that comes to mind are my summer holidays. I spent them with my grandparents in Liguria.

How did your parents react to your musical career?

My mother had given me my first guitar and my father was the first to criticise my songs. He taught me not to take it personally, but professionally. That’s very important in this industry, where you read a lot of terrible things about yourself. My mum, on the other hand, loves everything I do. I could throw up and she would think I was a genius. (Laughs) She’s the perfect Jewish mum in that respect!

How do you deal with it if the album is not only received positively in Italy? After all, these are all very personal songs.

I hope that it will also reap criticism! Otherwise, it would just be flat. I’m also not so presumptuous as to think I’m a great Italian songwriter. I just hope that people will be curious and form their own opinions.

You recorded a new version of «Senza Una Donna» with Zucchero, which was already a hit in its version with Paul Young. Just a PR move?

The duet certainly helped to promote the album, but it wasn’t my idea. After I had interviewed Zucchero for an English radio station and we had got on very well, he called me when he was giving three concerts in London. «Should we produce a single for the 30th anniversary of ‘Senza Una Donna’ and sing the song at Royal Albert Hall afterwards?»

Did you even know the song?

Sure, «Senza Una Donna» brings back fond childhood memories for me. It was one of my mother’s favourite songs. She always had it playing loudly when she took me to school in the car. Thanks to the song being bilingual, it will help introduce my British fans to the songs made in Italian only.

Where does the title of “Bada Bing, Bada Boom” come from? It has a groove that brings remedies of a summer hit.

In English, this is an expression used to say: «That’s it! We made it.» Just like «Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious» in Mary Poppins. The twist came to me when I was looking for a chorus with co-songwriter Miles Kane, the great guitarist of The Last Shadow Puppets.

You played for FC Lugano in your youth. Would you rather have been a professional footballer than a pop star?

Football has always been my passion, but I stopped at 13 or 14 when the game became serious. Other things were more important to me, and the music came later. Nevertheless, I remained a football fan, for FC Genoa and Italy – even at a match against England. I’m already looking forward to the Euro 2024!

What thoughts did you have on the occasion of your 40th birthday? 

I think your values and responsibilities change as you get older. You try more to make yourself and the people you love happy and look less at others. That’s why «Miss Italia» is one of the most important albums I’ve ever made. At least, for myself.

Biography

Jack Savoretti was born in London on 10 October 1983 to an Italian father and a German-Polish mother. After growing up in Ticino, he returned to England, where he released his first single in 2006. His breakthrough came in 2015 with the fourth album «WRITTEN IN SCARS» and the hit «Home», the last two «Singing To Strangers» and «Europiana» even reached number one. He wrote the songs on «Miss Italia» in Italian for the first time. Savoretti is married to the actress Jemma Powell, has three children and lives in England.

Photos Copyrights: Jack Savoretti, Chris Floyd

Herbert Grönemeyer (66) holds the world up to a mirror in his new album “Das ist los” and tries to spread optimism despite all the calamities.

What reaction do you think is indicated?
I believe that time is running out and a lot of people need to wake up. We have languished very well in our comfort for a long time, but now the situation is so alarming that we have to realise that in many ways we can no longer continue in this way. So it is only legitimate to make demands and want changes.

What gives you reason to be optimistic?
If there is something positive to be taken from all the crises in recent years, it is that they have increased our awareness and made us so sensitive that certain things touch us more than before. It’s no longer so easy for us to quickly push things to the back of our mind

What are you thinking about?
The situation in Iran, which is actually far away and yet very present. Now that we have the images from the Ukraine conflict in front of our eyes every day, we can also imagine much more vividly how cruel the civil war in Syria was.

Hasn’t the climate crisis been somewhat forgotten due to the Ukraine war and the shortage of raw materials?
No, oddly enough it hasn’t, although there is a reflex that you can’t deal with everything all the time. It’s true that you need a break from time to time. However, the pandemic and inflation have made some things more visible, such as the fact that 13 million people in Germany are affected by poverty, i.e. one in six. For this reason, I founded a group with some friends with the intention of dealing with this topic.

How did the title song «Das ist los» come about?
My Welsh producer Alex Silva still speaks German relatively poorly, despite the fact that he has lived in Berlin for twenty years. That’s because he’s very charming and that’s why most people talk to him in English. When I call him and ask what’s going on with him, he always says, «Das ist, was ist los.» A translation of the phrase «That’s what’s happening.» He recorded
it himself, sings along too and contributed this guitar sound. From this we recorded this song in a studio in Sweden, in which we rattled off names and keywords at a rapid pace.

Do you want to add some lightness to the album with this number reminiscent of «Da Da Da»?
That’s right, the song is reminiscent of Trio and is musically a mixture of New German Wave and rock ‘n’ roll as well as a pastiche of the whole information frenzy. Like «Männer», where I am still seriously asked whether this song was about male psychology, «Das ist los» is above all a fun thing.

What does the dancing that appears in several songs mean to you?
For me it’s a way to forget. If you dance for an hour or two – or longer if you’re up to it – you have the chance to clear your head even at times like these. And since, as everyone knows, I’m also a great dancer on stage, I like to sing about it. Sometimes the word sneaks into the lyrics almost unnoticed, as in «Baby, you wanna dance» in «Herzhaft». I’ve already sung the line in the English version of «Bananen-Texte» and couldn’t find a suitable translation. It always sounded square.

Have you ever had any inhibitions when dancing?
No, never! When I was a teenager I often went to France and also played in bars there. Then the French taught me their rock ‘n’ roll, which they danced two-handedly and with incredible twists, spins and throws. When I demonstrated it at parties in Germany, I impressed people enormously. At the beginning of the 1970s, people not only went to a party every Saturday, but also stopped by at least two or three parties. Later – much to the chagrin of my bodyguards – for a while I went to techno parties after the concerts and danced to lower my adrenaline level.

Your dance moves on stage sometimes attract smiles …
Satirists Wiglaf Droste and Bela B. from Die Ärzte even made fun of me in a song: «Grönemeyer kann nicht tanzen». They had been at a concert in the 1980s, wondered who this guy was who danced so strangely and thought I was going to be really upset about the song, but I thought it was funny. People from the Ruhr area know no shame in this regard, since we are not considered to be very German in general and especially because of our funny language!

You never had a theme with your singing style, did you?
No, I’m completely uninhibited in this respect too, because it’s my personal expression. It always got on my nerves when producers wanted to tinker with my way of singing, even though I told them my role model was Bob Dylan, they didn’t understand a word of it. I said to myself: I sing like I sing and I kiss like I kiss. There are no judges either.

«Genie» is an invitation to dream big. Have you always done this or only due to a certain experience?
I felt early on that you have to be part of the action. I got recognition, for example, when I sang a song at my mother’s coffee morning and played my ukulele.

You sing about women not only as lovers, but also as heroines and rescuers. Are they the greatest hope left to mankind?

Their courage and energy are much needed at the moment, because the fight for equality and equal rights is far from over. With their female intelligence and way of thinking, but also their radicalism and militancy, which you can see in Iran right now, where the women are making an impression with their incredible courage and bravery despite death threats, they could succeed in getting the crises of this world under control.

How did the rather unusual love songs on this record come about?
The line «Manchmal left der Tau sich auf mich» in «Tau» describes the melancholy when you feel uneasy about being so happy because this feeling is almost too beautiful to last. «Tonne Blei» is about a selfish and obsessive relationship. «Urverlust» puts into words the pain you feel when, looking back, you realise that you made mistakes in the past that caused your life to take the wrong direction.

At 66, do you often take time out between record productions and tours, for example to holiday at your apartment in Celerina?
No, I could think about taking things a little easier, but I’m very restless and always creating new tasks for myself because otherwise I’m afraid I’ll stand still. In addition to theatre and music, I used to do sports. I still enjoy that, but then I had such a cough in Celerina that I just couldn’t make a sound.

Before a tour, you probably shouldn’t have been allowed to ski anyway for insurance reasons …
Exactly, because of this and because it is good fitness training, I actually wanted to do cross-country skiing. However, because of the cold I had I could only go for walks and enjoy the fresh air.

Fotocredits: Victor Pattyn

The German Vogue described Thom Pfister as one of the most creative designers. Dior, Prada and Levi’s have collaborated with him in their campaigns and it is not without reason that his iconic works has been distinguished with over 250 creative awards.

Thom Pfister’s signature trademark is unmistakable. Very few can mix the disciplines of graphics, photography, painting and illustrations as skillfully as he can. Originally a graphic designer, he worked for several years as a designer in the renowned Studio Achermann, then in London. He managed agencies in Zurich and Bern and founded Studio Thom Pfister in 2021 in his old hometown, Bern.

Thom, I’ll start with a heretical question. You live and work in Bern. Would Zurich not be «the Place to be» for creative minds?
Creativity, inspiration and friendships are not bound to one location in my opinion. Our studio feels right here and there is a certain sense of calm about it. As a creative mind, Bern consistently forces you to move around again. And I am always happy to be in Zurich.

Now about your «Prime discipline». What can design do?
Design is not purely a matter of form, but forward-looking, critical and visionary. Good design has an unbelievable power and a wonderful, contagious energy. There are roughly 7000 different languages in the world and infinite dialects. They have developed over a number of centuries and are in a state of constant change, I think that also applies to the term design.

It is long established that good design does not have an expiry date. What do you consider to be the most important ingredients in design?
The most significant component is a love of people. Then a passion for good photography, film, typography and color. In the sense of accompaniments there should always be enough fun. Music, art, fashion, illustration and a feeling for design language.

Polarize or please?
Enthuse and inspire are perhaps more fitting. «Polarizing» is often too short-term, on the contrary «pleasing» is too flat, because I believe it is not about decorating but about creating ideas and attitude through design.

Looking at your works, it is evident that there is a strong affinity to the world of fashion. Where does this love originate?
Even as a small boy I always nabbed my parents’ fashion magazines. Most of the time I cut out the pictures and text before my mother had read Vogue and glued them into my moleskin notebooks. Later during my time at the Kunstgewerbeschule (“school of arts and crafts”), I worked in fashion houses where I designed shop windows and wrote pricelists. Incidentally the Levi’s team «discovered» me while I was decorating a shop window. That’s how I got to work on my first Levi’s campaign during my training as a graphic designer.

In the course of time design changes. To what extent has visual aesthetic changed in the wake of digitalization?
It has become more versatile, more exciting and more creative to an unbelievable extent. Simply wonderful. Design can develop to an even greater extent in the digital arena and access numerous animated elements. Materiality has also no place in my opinion. We are currently working on different magazine projects in print (and digital), that strengthens my conviction.

The 250 international and national accolades and awards that you have accumulated since starting your career bear testament to the fact that you have done everything right …
I consider it to be important that I compete on a national and international level with other creative minds. It is not only an important characteristic for our customers, but also for us. Winning an award is always great recognition, but it should not be the objective of our work.

You ooze style from tip to toe; you are surrounded by beauty every day. Were aesthetics and a love of detail always part of your life?
Thank you. Aesthetics always accompanied me, interested me and appealed greatly to me. Aesthetics were always part of my life. The spectrum of aesthetics, beauty and good design is something that touches us. I am thinking of a beautiful play. I go to the theater and suddenly experience something special. I believe that beauty cannot be democratized. It is something very personal.

Photo: Ciryll Matter, Zürich, Thom Pfister

The Tomcat is involved in Foul Play

“I can’t take any more!” with these theatrical words, taken completely out of context and as such incomprehensible, Adam, my human tin opener, entered our sweet home, threw his laptop bag into the first available corner and disappeared into the depths of your garden.

Dust particles were dancing in the slanting incoming light, the air appeared somehow electrified.

I left him alone for a few minutes, before I tracked him down in the hammock at our huge copper beech. This tree had already frequently borne witness to chapters and turnings in both of our lives. Numerous marks, hearts, names of lost loves and dates of life phases were carved into the bark.

I sat down silently at his feet and waited. Finally he began to speak with his eyes closed and in a quiet voice. “This work does not fulfil me! The constant stress, all the commotion because of minor details, permanently subjected to the criticism of colleagues and superiors – all day I have the feeling that I’m lagging behind.

On top of that I have saddled myself with the double burden of elite training at one of the most renowned institutes in Switzerland. That really stretches me to my limit! I wanted so much to progress but my talents are not appreciated at all, they are not even needed. I quit my job today. I would like to enjoy my life, to travel, run a marathon, paint or write a book. I could take singing lessons, I was a very impressive tenor – why not!”

I stared at him with a shocked expression, my ears were lying dangerously close to my head and my tail was whipping the grass nervously! His moaning and groaning had sent my tolerance and acceptance levels to the moon.

He wants to lead a fulfilled life, I thought distraught. But why?

The idea of Adam hanging around the house all day, bawling loudly and disturbing my usual routine is insufferable. I couldn’t stand this human near me, constantly advocating pointless theses, for more than 2 days.

“You were happy until now! Just think about it a little, where you draw the line and which things you do not want to do without!” I said understandingly.

In my opinion I thought that eating, sleeping and occasionally going jogging must be enough for such a simple cluster of amoeba cells.

In the end I raised my game and convinced him that he had to look for another job. Everyone needs a goal and fulfilment is not served on a silver platter – you have to work hard for it! He could also combine a number of things. Hanging around at home simply is not an option, as he has a home to maintain after all and bears the responsibility for a pampered tomcat whose living standards are really not up for negotiation.

I left him in the hammock with this broadside, strolled confidently and with my head held high into the house and got busy looking at job advertisements and writing ingenious applications, while he scratched around on the tree trunk with his knife.

How did it turn out? Thanks to my application he easily found a new job. Now, to satisfy his longing to travel, he drives one hour to his new office in the country every day singing loudly. After work he goes jogging out there in the countryside and is training for a marathon that he will never run. When he comes home completely exhausted I send him off to shower and accept the evening meal from the luxury delivery service.

We lead a happy, fulfilled life – well, I do anyway!

Copyright Illustration: Manuela Dona

An interview with the Italian composer

The Italian pianist and composer, Ludovico Einaudi (66), is the most streamed classic artist of all time. He fills auditoria and temples of pop with his music, which is partly of a meditative to lounge nature. ADAM THE MAGAZINE talked to him about the origins of his new album «Underwater».

Your music has a healing effect on our pandemic-troubled souls. We should be able to get «Underwater» on prescription …
Yes … (smiles), put it this way: there is an actual connection between this music and the situation we find ourselves in. The first pieces were written two years ago. I had just come back from giving concerts in Australia and Singapore, when the first signs of COVID-19 appeared in China, but no one thought yet that this virus could also come to us. Then it exploded here in northern Italy as well and the lockdown came. I actually only wanted to spend a week in our house in the mountains, but then the week turned into several months.

How did you spend this time?
It was as if all activities in the world had been stopped. I had never experienced this before, nobody had ever experienced it. If we factor out all the suffering, which many people experienced, the sudden tranquility and silence had a positive effect as well. There were almost no airplanes in the sky, air pollution was reduced and the fish returned to the lagoon in Venice. It was as if nature wanted to tell us to take everything a bit easier and not to stress the planet as much.

And did you obey?
During those days on which I had no responsibilities I began to sense the freedom and felt almost like a teenager, living one day at a time and only doing what I loved. I went for walks, then sat down at the piano, composed, recorded pieces … Everything ran smoothly, without pressure, without a defined objective. I actually did not want to make a new album.

But then?
I was doing everything out of pleasure and delight because I had unrestricted time. As no one knew when the pandemic would end I had the feeling of infinity. I began to write down several ideas on paper. I became particularly fond of the pieces because this music came to me without me having to look for it. Then I noticed that I wanted to share it with others.

«Underwater» is your first solo piano album in 20 years…
Yes, however I did not realize that in the beginning, as other albums include individual solo piano pieces. I love returning to this pure form, to the dialogue between pianist and instrument, which is both giving and taking. You influence the piano with your breathing and movement, the piano answers with the sound, which leads again to the pianist’s breathing. It is almost like playing the didgeridoo! (laughs)

What was the inspiration for the album title?
«Underwater» is synonymous with the sound that is not present in our everyday lives, in which the world pulsates and moves, but from a sphere in which everything is more round and muted. Under water you hear your own breathing, your pulse, and you perceive yourself differently.

What does the swan on the cover symbolize?
In ancient Greece it was a symbol for beauty and grace. Apollo, the God of poetry and music, considered the swan to be sacred. The swan also stands for depth and reminds you to follow your instinct – the flow of life.

Is it true that you took the photo yourself?
Yes, since I was 14 years-old photography, in particular with films, has been a great passion of mine. I have a small camera collection and love to take photos when I’m out walking or on tour. My concerts often begin with projections of pictures that I have taken.

How do your compositions develop?
The initial ideas come from improvisations, from an irrational rhapsodic impulse. Then I play the individual parts again and again, revise them, and sometimes write the notes by hand in my exercise books. The repetitive process slowly shapes the form of the pieces, until I am happy with them. After this first phase of stabilization other variations may appear when performing in front of an audience, which change the composition only for the evening or permanently. Interestingly, I never know when recording an album which pieces I will like to play most in the long run and which will be more popular. It varies extremely.

How would you describe your music philosophy?
I like it at concerts, also my own, when there is a certain detachment from the original recordings and an unenforced intensity. As if the music is playing by itself and is being driven by a constant energy. To be able to express all emotions that are important to me, joy, strength, melancholy and sorrow, I have to be able to immerse myself in the music and find inner peace, which I do not always manage.

Your music also inspires because you allow a lot of space for personal thoughts. What effect does it have, when you hear your recordings yourself?
I recognize the strengths and weaknesses immediately and think about whether I was able to express what I wanted.
I identify with the sound and sense whether this sound is speaking and conveying its full potential to the public. Of course, everyone is free to hear what they want to hear, but it is important to me that it is coherent.

What does it mean to you to be the most streamed, classical musician of all time?
I do not think about figures too much. However, the fact that an increasing number of people are listening to my music is an additional motivation to consistently improve my work and only to do it with complete conviction. The success does not change any part of my passion, objectives that I follow or the evaluation of my work. I am extremely critical of my own work and do not settle for anything but the best.

Ludovico Einaudi was born on 23 November, 1955 in Turin into an influential family. One grandfather was the Italian President, the other a composer and conductor, his father a publisher. Ludovico learned to play the piano at an early age, went to the conservatory and then began to write stage and film soundtracks and to present minimalistic solo piano programs, inspired by Philip Glass and Erik Satie. His most famous sound track is the music of the blockbuster «Intouchables». His current album «Underwater» (Universal Music) contains twelve meditative piano instrumental pieces.

Photos Copyrights: Ray Tarantino / Universal Music