Quiet Color

by kevin diamond

This song, by Italian rap-rock artist Caparezza, was playing 24/7 on MTV when I was in Italy. The hook-laden chorus and the entertaining video ensured the song would remain stuck in my head like gum in hair.

VIENI A BALLARE IN PUGLIA BY CAPAREZZA:

Though I don’t speak Italian, I’ve been able to determine a few facts about this song via it’s video. First, the song is directed to an audience of tourists. Look at how silly they are, with their hats and cameras. Second, hey, I think those people over there are dead! Oh, wait, he put his umbrella in the way so I guess they’re not dead. And Finally, oh, wait, they’re totally dead. They’re dead, and they’re zombies. Also, he’s a zombie and he wants to eat you.

After returning to America, I downloaded the entire album, le dimensioni del mio caos and it’s absolutely fascinating. He strikes me as being the italian love child of Eminem and the guy from System of a Down. The songs range in style from modern hip hop, to rap rock, to indie but always with a mediteranian tinge, not unlike Gogol Bordello. There are also sketches between each song, and, though I can’t be sure, it sounds like a courtroom scene. The effect is such that each song becomes connected to the next, in a way that is even more impressive when you consider I picked it up without speaking the language.

For extra credit, check out the translated version of the lyrics here.