A Life in Music — Interview with Iskra Menarini

When did you start working with Lucio Dalla?

Menarini: First of all, I thank you and you are a wave of sympathy and effervescence. Then I start telling my relationship with Lucius. My professional life story with Lucio Dalla was in 1984. Well, I’ve been supporting him for 24 years on his tours, his records and his video clips. And then I was lucky to interpret, in his opera “Tosca-Love Desperate”, Sidonia, a particular seer and is very loved by the public

Among so many hits you sang with Lucio Dalla, What was the song that made you feel excited?

Menarini: It is not easy to see the creative genius curious endless is how to say choose something on “mother earth” is difficult. He excites me “The swallows” because “they lived under the roofs” near him. It makes me smile on the video of “Beware a Wolf”, “Hello” and more.

You participated in the 2009 Sanremo festival, with a song written by Lucio Dalla and Marco Alemanno “Almost Love”, in the category new proposals. What is the “How many love” of your professional personal journey?

Menarini: “Già Sanremo.. I started as a child I grew up with my father who is French my mother who is Italian. I mixed the melody a little ethnic and studied guitar. I'm an agrarian expert and how do I choose in a lifetime. Surely my “Almost love” is the love for my son, for my two dogs and for my 4 cats. I live in the countryside and so I love to stay in the open air and give food to birds.

My journey to music started working with a rock band called “Tomstones” (in Italy, since then, there were no women singing rock dee purplu and many other groups and then the meeting with Andrea Mingardi. and so I lived in Sanremo. There was not so much music, it was strange! So I moved to Bologna, the city of music, and then the meeting with Lucio. So for me the “Four love” is the universal love for me: I love our mother earth and animals.

I'm simple even one if you see me with my real hair straightened or as I dress... what to say I've had so much.”

In Sanremo we have seen many young people coming from the various talent shows. Are these talent shows for Iskra Menarini a box of conformity or a path to help young people get to the music scene? What is talent for you?

Menarini: Well, I don't know. I think it's their time that should be right. You must know in my time there was the musical revolution. He thinks I was a rocker, when there were still singers melodic. So I was going against the current, so live the young people and be music all the time!

Not only did you collaborate with Dalla, you collaborated with other artists like Ron, Morandi, the same Mingardi, the Stadium and Curreri and others. These duets, choral groups, boy bands what have led to the musical trend what can they teach?

Menarini: I don't know! Everything is needed in music. When you are born the first vagito and the first musical note so they say a do and our life will never miss the music, even in the universe. All this helps! They're teaching us that the music starts from where it started, Wonder!

What did the experience of Sanremo teach you?

Menarini: It teaches a vulnerable emotion, new and unique; but magical as a fairy tale. It doesn't matter how the fairy tales that end they will have, because now you're there on that stage and you're looking for the words of who sent you there who they said. Go and kick!

Seven years ago he left us the great Lucio Dalla, what inheritance did he leave in the world's artistic world? From what did he teach you in your life and professional journey?

Menarini: Seven years is a number. He never left, he feels his presence in everything and in every heartbeat in the world. because he is unique and unrepeatable. If I think I've been by her side for 24 years, not only on stage, but also in life. The lucky word is nothing but much more. I’ve seen the world, even world artists (I don’t make the list because it would be infinite).

Lucius told me one thing < a heart remembers that you are, imperfect mess, wrong, shy and brazen and other because they are the others to choose what you like not you > > > . I want him an infinite good. He wanted people to love me to hear my voice. I owe him everything and I will never forget!

What were the points of reference that you were inspired to become a great interpreter?

Menarini: I was inspired by life in good good in evil in pain, joy and lie. And then I love the contaminations maybe my French father put me in the vocal chords of the sounds tied to the earth, to the animals, to a cry, or laughter, or madness (already perhaps madness) made as a picture full of flowers and butterflies

What is the soundtrack of your life and professional journey?

Menarini: Soundtracks? My son is a soundtrack, my family; the many people who follow me and support me in believing that there are so many beautiful things in a world contaminated with pain. Children are a column, life and make memories and a great journey

Who would you like to thank for your professional personal journey? What will your future projects be?

Menarini: I would like to thank Lucius and everything that brings me between the stars or the sunlight or the moon. My plans? An outgoing album and so live around among people then who knows you always come back from the top. Hello Mariateresa a hug

I conclude this interview by mentioning one of the answers given by our artist regarding his memory of Lucio Dalla:

“The lucky word is nothing but much more. I’ve seen the world, even world artists (I don’t make the list because it would be infinite). Lucius told me one thing < a heart remembers that you are, imperfect mess, wrong, shy and brazen and other because they are the others to choose what you like not you > > > . I want him an infinite good. He wanted people to love me to hear my voice. I owe him everything and I will never forget!”.

I add to this statement, that Lucio Dalla was the greatest artist in Italy. Unique, simple, vulnerable, actor, director, extraordinarily insane for his artisticity and gave talent his crazy genius. I'm sure Lucio Dalla will continue to protect the candida voice, a crazy strong voice of his lovely Iskra.