This evening, on the cover night (the most unpredictable of the Festival, ever) J-Ax aims to transform the Ariston into a Milanese square and brings with it a piece of the history of Italian comedy. The rapper, competing with Italy Starter Packpresents himself with the song And life and life together with a collective with an evocative name: Ligera County Fam.
A direct reference to the “ligera”, the small Milanese underworld of the twentieth century, but here expressed in an ironic, theatrical, popular key. The idea is clear: to make the cover evening a moment of cultural contamination, where rap meets cabaret and song-theater intertwines with contemporary urban language.
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Who are Ligera: Cochi, Rossi, Ale and Franz and Jannacci
But who are these Ligeras? This is not an almost unknown band as was assumed in the early days, but well-known names. In fact, alongside J-Ax, Cochi Ponzoni, Paolo Rossi, Ale e Franz and Paolo Jannacci will take to the stage. Names that need no introduction and that tell of decades of entertainment born in the shadow of the Madonnina, from the legendary Derby Club to large television audiences.
Just to do a quick review: Cochi Ponzoni is Cochi of the duo Cochi and Renato, who brought success – among others – to the song And life and life. Paolo Rossi is a famous actor, comedian and cabaret artist (and defining him in three words is an understatement), Paolo Jannacci, musician and composer, singer-songwriter, is the son of the late Enzo. And finally we have Ale and Franz, born Alessandro Besentini and Francesco Villa, one of the two most famous and appreciated comedians in Italy with their sketches between benches and gangsters.
As mentioned, the chosen song is And life, lifewritten in 1974 by Enzo Jannacci and Renato Pozzetto. A song that plays with the absurd, that laughs at daily misfortunes and transforms them into popular philosophy. Proposing it again today means reactivating a collective imagination made of surreal irony and light melancholy. For Cochi Ponzoni it will be a return full of meaning: fifty years later, he will return to sing that symbolic song live.
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A version between rap and theater-song
The announced version promises a new rearrangement. Not a simple nostalgic revival, but a dialogue between generations. J-Ax will alternate his verses with the original passages, while Paolo Rossi will insert his theatrical signature, Ale and Franz will bring calibrated comic tempos, and Paolo Jannacci will guarantee the musical soul, in the wake of his father. It is an operation that merges historical cabaret and urban culture, two worlds that rarely meet on a stage like that of the Ariston. And precisely this tension between past and present is the key to the performance.
The returns to Ariston
For many members of the Ligera County Fam this is a return. Paolo Rossi took the stage in 1994 alongside Enzo Jannacci and then in 2007. Paolo Jannacci took part in the race in 2020. J-Ax, on the other hand, is fresh from the 2023 experience with Article 31 and is competing this year.
Putting these trajectories together means building a bridge between eras. The declared objective is to transform the Festival into a fragment of Milan, with its rough irony, its popular spirit and its ability to take itself less seriously. And Ariston, for a few minutes, will speak with a Milanese accent. So if you want to understand the meaning of the song, scroll to the next paragraph.
The lyrics and translation of “E la vita la vita”
There are… There are those who suffer only from love
Who keeps missing the penalty
There are those who suffered one day
and then he said I’m leaving
but where do I go if I leave?
always assuming that I leave!
HI! To those who make the mistake of making noises
HI! To those who poison bissies instead!
One only shoots right-footed
The other one had an accident instead
And there is always someone who leaves
But where does it arrive if it leaves?
And life, life, and life is beautiful, it is beautiful
just have the umbrella, the umbrella
it fixes your head
It seems like a day of celebration!
And life, life, and life is strange, it is strange
all it takes is one person, person
that goes to his head
and the party is over!
There are… There are those who caused a stir one day
and it hasn’t changed color yet
There are those who eat too much soup
who is forced to jump out the window
And there is always the one who leaves there
But where will it arrive if it leaves?
HI! To those who only listen to the radio
and then he makes a mistake in going to the stadium
There are those who have pain deep down in their hearts
There are those who have another problem
And there is always the one who leaves there
But where does it arrive if it leaves?
And life, life, and life is beautiful, it is beautiful
just have the umbrella, the umbrella
it fixes your head
It seems like a day of celebration!
And life, life, and life is strange, it is strange
all it takes is one person, person
that goes to his head
and the party is over!
Difficulty with Milanese? All you need to know is that “strissie” is stripes, “bissie” is “bisce”, “bela” is “bella” and “ombrela” is “umbrella” and that’s it.
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