Family Members at the Sanremo Festival

We never expect members of our own family to be granted opportunities the odds of which are more than a million to one against! But this is exactly what happened to my wife's niece, Sarah Selenu, when she received a telephone call from RAI, Italy's national broadcasting company. She was one of 10, out of 22 million subscribers, who were chosen at random and given the opportunity of an all expenses paid trip to attend the finale of the annual Sanremo music festival. She at first thought it was a wind-up because she hadn't entered any competitions, but on realising that it was for real she was delighted at the opportunity and attended the festival with her father Raimondo, my brother-in-law. And soon, the local press in Sardinia were keen on writing about their adventure!

For those who don't know, the San Remo Festival is probably the main music festival in Italy and is always given extensive television coverage. It has been in existence since 1951 and I rather suspect that most of the artists who participate do so more from a need to publicise a new release rather than from an ardent desire to win first prize. It often features performances from international artists and it was at the San Remo Festival in 1965, when Dusty Springfield was a guest performer, that she heard Pino Donaggio perform the song "Io che non vivo (senza te)" and was so impressed that she wanted to record the song with English lyrics. Her version "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" became a Number One hit in the UK the following year, 1966.

Anyway, Sarah and Raimondo arrived at Sanremo on Friday 4th February and enjoyed the finale of the festival on Saturday the 5th, before returning to Sardinia on Sunday 6th. Judging by what they've told us since they returned they enjoyed every minute of it. In particular, they seem to have established an excellent rapport with Veronica Maya, a very well known television presenter in Italy, who was one of a team of several presenters. In fact, so much so that Sarah was asked to appear, via video from her home in Ogliastra, on a new TV show that Veronica Maya is presenting on Rai 2, La Risposta Giusta. So this Saturday gone (March 26th), mid morning, we were treated to more of Sarah on national TV!

With all this new found fame I'm wondering if someone interesting might actually take a fresh look at Raimondo's poetry. He had two collections of poetry published when he was younger and I recently completed a project of translating 30 of his poems into English. We put a manuscript together of both the Italian originals and the English translations. Amongst them there are actually two lovely pieces about Sarah, including this gem "To My Daughter (A mia figlia)":-

To My Daughter

The uphill street that we call life
you climb it well
although sometimes you seem exhausted
and the contradictions that surround you
make growing into a woman such hard work.

As you dip into the pool of every kind of knowledge,
finding both error and reason,
only one thing is true,
that beautiful smile blessed by youth.

It tests my patience to watch you taking off
into the heavens with flights of fantasy
but I hold you close to my heart oh daughter of mine
and throughout your journey I will spur you on
through my concerns for you.

English translation  © Geoff Davis (Italian original at the end of Italian text) 

I parenti a Sanremo

Non pensiamo mai che uno dei nostri parenti piu stretti avrà una opportunità le cui probabilità sono più di uno su un milione. Tuttavia, quello è precisamente ciò che è successo a Sarah Selenu, la nipote di mia moglie, quando ha ricevuto una chiamata dalla Rai. Lei era una dei dieci abbonati, tra circa 22 milioni, che sono estratti a sorte e avevano l'opportunità di gradire tutte le spese pagate del viaggio per la finale del Festival di Sanremo 2022. All'inizio pensava che qualcuno la prendesse in giro, perché non aveva partecipato ad alcun concorso, ma quando si è resa conto che era genuino lei era deliziata dall'opportunità ed è andata al festival con suo padre Raimondo, mio cognato. E naturalmente i giornali in Sardegna volevano scrivere di questa bella storia. (Per Sarah finalissima in prima fila.)

Sono arrivati a Sanremo venerdì il 4 febbraio e si sono goduti la finale del festival sabato 5 febbraio prima di tornare in Sardegna la domenica 6. E' ovvio, a giudicare da quello che ci hanno detto, che hanno gradito ogni minuto. In particolare, sembra che abbiano stabilito un ottimo rapporto con la presentrice Veronica Maya. Infatti, Veronica Maya è la conduttrice di un nuovo programma televisivo, La Risposta Giusta, e Sarah ha recevuto un invito ad apparire, via video da casa sua in Ogliastra, in questo show. E quindi, sabato mattina del 26 marzo abbiamo visto Sarah sulla TV nazionale di nuovo! Due giorni dopo c'era un altro articolo sulla sua avventura nella rivista online Sardegna Live - Da Lotzorai al Festival di Sanremo - Sarah racconta oggi la sua emozionante esperienza. (Mia moglie Maria Rita è la zia che è menzionata nell'articolo.)

Con tutta questa nuova fama mi domando se qualcuno di interessante potesse guardare la poesia di Raimondo. Ha fatto pubblicare due libri di poesie quando era più giovane e ultimamente ho completato un progetto per tradurre 30 delle sue poesie in inglese. Abbiamo preparato un manoscritto della poesia con le originali in italiano e le traduzioni in inglese insieme. Tra di loro ci sono due poesie di cui Sarah era l'ispirazione, compreso questo bellissimo pezzo "A mia figlia":-

 

A mia figlia

Nella strada in salita che chiamano vita
ti arrampichi forte.
Alcune volte hai l’aria sfinita
e le contraddizioni ti ruotano intorno
in questa fatica per crescere donna.

Ti senti lo scrigno di ogni sapere
a volte a torto a volte a ragione,
ma solo una cosa è la verità,
quel bel sorriso e la giovane età.

Io che con pazienza ti osservo volare
negli alti cieli della fantasia
ti stringo a me forte o figlia mia
e dalle fine della salita ti incito forte
in ansia per te. 

© Raimondo Selenu

 

 

'I Grani', The Restaurant Bar In Nuoro With A Difference

A  few days ago there was a rather interesting article in the Sardinian newspaper 'La Nuova Sardegna' about 'I Grani' (this links to the article). It is one of the venues here in Nuoro that Maria Rita and I frequent probably as much as we do any other. We have celebrated anniversaries here, enjoyed drinks and meals with friends, and we also brought our Canadian friend Claire to eat here when she was celebrating her 50th birthday by holidaying in Italy. Anyway, as soon as I read the article I wanted to translate it into English. Sadly, thanks to a combination of covid and Brexit, there are hardly any British tourists visiting Central Sardinia nowadays but there are still still plenty of Dutch, Scandinavian and German tourists who come here during the season,  and will usually want to communicate in English. So hopefully this will go some way to helping this rather unique venue in Nuoro.

(Pochi giorni fa c'era un articolo piuttosto interessante nel giornale sardo 'La Nuova Sardegna' su 'I Grani', uno dei posti qui a Nuoro che ci piace frequentare, io e Maria Rita. Qui abbiammo festeggiato un anniversario, abbiamo mangiato e bevuto con i nostri amici, e abbiamo portato qui la nostra amica canadese, Claire, a mangiare quando lei festeggiava il suo cinquantesimo compleanno in vacanza in Italia. Comunque, non appena ho letto l'articolo volevo traddurlo in inglese. Tristemente, grazie al covid e alla Brexit, ci sono pochissimi turisti britannici che vengono in centro Sardegna questi giorni ma ci sono ancora i turisti olandesi, scandinavi e tedeschi che vengono qui durante la stagione, e di solito vogliono comunicare in inglese. E quindi, spero che questa traduzione possa aiutare questo ristorante e bar unico.)

English translation (traduzione in inglese):-

I Grani 

Enjoy eco-friendly menus to the rhythm of jazz (by Luca Urgu)

It's a place that you find immediately captivating. It entices you with its range of beverages and dishes, and then warms the cockles of your heart. You are guaranteed a warm and courteous welcome and a patient explanation, if needed, of the various drinks and dishes available. The soothing sound of soft jazz music in the background is no hindrance to those who may choose to bring their laptops along and use the venue as an office for a while. 'I Grani' has a spirit and identity that belongs to the territory of Sardinia and yet, at the same time, it has something which is cosmopolitan, colourful and it thrives on being environmentally friendly. The restaurant bar is in Nuoro's Via Corso Garibaldi but could just as easily be in Florence, London, Berlin or Porto. Their approach cuts across different styles and if it were a dress suit it might seem a little casual, perhaps already used, but once worn you find it fits perfectly and makes you feel at ease. The atmosphere is informal but the spirit of 'I Grani' was conceived with great care and a particular philosophy: inclusive (vegans and vegetarians will find their needs catered to) and with an eye on the world of food and drink that differs from the usual. For example, you find no coco cola here or any other multinational products. Instead, should you find something of a similar nature, it will be eco-friendly, a reminder that there is always an alternative way should you wish to follow it. There is no need to mince words about the fact that a focus on diversity, and the richness of the Sardinian territory, is the core belief of the owners, Elisa Pisanu and Stefano Mongillo, who have managed 'I Grani' for five years. They took over the business, with a minimum of fuss, from the previous owners, Paolo Bianchi and Daniela Chironi, who created 'I Grani' in the first place and who believed that their alternative approach could prove to be a winner. "They were brave enough to have the foresight to create something new for Nuoro. We wanted to continue in the same vein but, at the same time, make some personal adjustments with particular attention to the needs of our customers."

Elisa is originally from Nuoro, and after several years of study and work in Genova, where she met Stefano, she found that she was still suffering from the "disease of Sardinia" and her companion was happy for her to pass the disease on to him. In Nuoro the couple decided to open a place of their own in order to give expression to a sector that they were already familiar with. 'I Grani', already well established at that point, provided the ideal opportunity for their project. "We had already seen something that didn't convince us, but we took to this place immediately," said both Stefano and Elisa, who have really put their personal mark on the restaurant bar. It comes alive early in the morning with a selection of fresh pastries, whipped drinks, herbal teas and coffee for breakfast. Then there is the popular craft beer from Irgoli. Later in the day you can enjoy something from the lunch and dinner menus, renewed every day and with local products providing freshness (vegetables from Baronia, fish from the east coast of Sardinia). As far as is possible, they use 'zero kilometres' produce so that an absolute minimum of waste is involved. The chef reworks many traditional recipes and every day it is possible to choose between at least two first courses and a number of starters and second courses. The menus are written in chalk on to old-fashioned blackboards both inside and outside the bar. "We have to say that this hasn't been an easy period but things are moving forward. It has also been a period of great satisfaction because of the prompt and positive feedback we've had from our regular and loyal customers as well as from so many tourists who like to come here. We insist on the concept of 'being inclusive', which means people's pet dogs are welcome, we offer children something different, and we allow those with food allergies or who are vegetarians to find something which is to their liking." 

For now, in the era of covid, also at 'I Grani' (where in the summer season it is also possible to be served in the small square opposite the bar) they have to play it by ear. However, in the future, and one hopes as soon as possible, there are plans for some new initiatives involving music (Stefano has a past as a DJ), reading and book presentation. 

(Translation by Geoff Davis)

(Leggere l'articolo c'è un link vicino all'inizio del post)