A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
La Pina — Il CD del La Pina (1995)
1. Intro
2. Fly Pina
3. Che caldo
4. Io non ti ascolto
5. Le mie amiche
6. Sveglia
7. Ed è così
8. Una storia che non c'era
9. Da nessuna parte
10. Costa caro
11. Entra aria
Review
by Laura RubertoIn her 1995 album, La Pina, arguably the leading Italian female hiphop musician today, combines top-forty pazazz with a rapper's delight, and manages to break into the male-dominated Italian hiphop scene. While she lacks the smooth R&B-style of such US groups as TLC or En Vogue, she does share their strong feminine voices and their unique mix of musical forms.
She offers a woman-centered view (often missing in Italian popular music) on such things as the unnecessary hierarchy between so-called high art and other artistic forms of expression (in "Ed è così" and "Entra aria"), and the strength of sisterhood and so-called "girl power" (in "Le mie amiche," "Sveglia," "Io non ti ascolto," "Fly Pina," and "Una storia che non c'era"). Her lyrics may be less directly political than those of some of her Italian male rapper companions (such as Sud Sound System), but nonetheless La Pina breaks out in forceful raps against anyone who keeps her or other women down.
For instance, in "Io non ti ascolto," a deep beat accompanies her short, colorful rhymes:
There's no wall I can't bring down
There's no chain I can't break
There are no bars that can hold me
And there's nothing I can't get rid of.E non c'è muro che non possa abbattere
non c'è catena che non possa rompere
non ci son sbarre che la possan chiudere
ed è una cosa che non mi puoi togliere!It is a personal and aggressive song, but shouts out against interference from anyone:
Go ahead! Make a fist and beat the ground
Again you've lost your little war
I won & I turn away from you
Go ahead and talk, cuz I'm not listening.Si! batti i pugni forte, forte in terra
e anche questa volta hai perso la tua guerra
ho vinto io e non ti guardo, mi volto
parla, parla pure, io non ti ascolto.Moving into a calmer, yet all the while clever tune, "Le mie amiche," La Pina, speaking to what seems to be her male lover, explains to him that her girlfriends always come first, and that the bond she shares with them can never be broken by him. In one of the most catchy refrains on the album she reminds him that: "coolin', coolin', coolin', coolin', with friends. Sto bene quando sto con le mie amiche."
Moving on to the closing track, "Entra aria," La Pina, with a reggae-inspired beat introduces less personal issues and takes on the theme of dominant culture:
I'm talking about art that exists outside of the museumsMaking use of a musical style associated with resistance and difference, La Pina offers a view of culture which incorporates a variety of voices and closes with a call to others to "fai sentire che ci sei." All in all, La Pina is one alternative voice on the Italian hiphop scene deserving to be heard.
Of agile people, capable of moving at night
Painting illegal words with empty pockets.Ti parlo d'arte che sta fuori dai musei
di gente agile, abile nel muoversi di notte
dipinge lettere illegali con le tasche vuote.
HOME
