San Ciprianu – San Cypriano
The concert in San Ciprianu takes place directly on the beach. In 2007 and 2008 I had the luck to be able to attend these concerts in San Ciprianu too. One reaches the location of the concert by driving to the “center” of the village, towards the post office. This center is also right at the beach. There are some parking places there, but they are not nearly sufficient to offer a parking possibility for all the the cars that will be coming tonight, so many people park their cars on the side of the narrow road to the beach. On either side of the road there are trees, shrubs and beautiful detached houses, and actually there are no real parking places, but necessity knows no law. The area where the concert is taking place is right on the beach, next to the parking lot, and is a field of grass and sand. In the back of the “hall” there are a few large boulders from where I’ve followed the sound check every year, and I intend to do so this year too. Actually I have already appropriated a boulder, because they’re good seats.
Last year the crew had quite a few problems to fasten the canvas directly behind my back to block the view to the stage. The wind at sea is often a bit stronger than on land, and the concert site in San Ciprianu offers no shelter. The sail was clattering loudly in the strong wind and did not stay in place. When I leave Moriani I wonder how they will solve this problem this year, because it’s blowing pretty hard. Will the concert take place tonight? is a question that once again wanders around in my head.
But when I arrive I see immediately that my worries were for nothing. The trucks are organized in such a way that it is impossible to see the stage from the outside, and the canvas is much larger and tightly stretched so it is impossible that they will blow away. And I find the wind less strong than expected, especially when I’m sitting on one of “my” boulders . It is also quite warm, warmer than in Moriani, I estimate a degree of 35, and I wonder if all the sunshine is not detrimental to the instruments. Keyboardist Achim Meier protects his keyboard with with a rug, but the guitars, bass and drums are standing quite a long time in the sun. I think it is too late for me to change and go into the water, as I did the previous years. The beach in San Ciprianu runs down very slowly so it is ideal for small children, but I do not like to walk a long way in the sea before I can really swim.
Meanwhile, the sound check has become sort of a routine for the band. What is different is that both bagpipe player Loic Tailebrest and guitaristMickey Meinert alternately take place on the platform of the stage. By doing this Mickey in particular is not making himself comfortable. He is sitting in a slightly difficult position for playing the guitar and the song they are playing has to be played several times until Jean-François Bernardini is satisfied with the sound. Between two takes Mickey shakes his right hand to indicate that Jean-François is asking a lot of effort from him, but that does not matter: the song must be played once again.
At the sound check in San Ciprianu in 2007 I heard them play the song “Amsterdam” for the first time. As a true born person from Amsterdam I was obviously fervently hoping that they would play the song again that night at the concert. Unfortunately that was not the case. Now that they have rerecorded it for the Choristes-cd the song was played in the concert halls more regularly, but this Giru unfortunately I have not heard it yet. But at this sound check they play it again and this makes me hope it will sound again tonight. As they rehearse the band is on stage and Jean-François is in back field with the sound engineer and sings into the microphone. Unfortunately the mic is not connected to the PA, but it is nice to see him rocking his body back and forth, pushing a few buttons every now and then himself.
When they are done, Jean-François walks back to the podium to test his small piano and guitars. Once again, he sings “Inseme” which, unfortunately, will not be played again this evening. But if you see this video, you can only ask “why in heaven’s name don’t they play it?”
The sound check ends with “Terra”. Again I am amazed at the strength of the voice of Alain. What a resonance box this man has! And now he is singing at almost six o’clock and it is 35 degrees, but I’ve also seen him singing in a cold church in Germany, in December, at 0 degrees Celsius, about ten o’clock in the morning. At that time he had the same clarity, even strength and confidence in his voice. He improvises on the spot. At least he is giving me that impression.
When the concert starts , I hear a Frenchman sitting in front of me tell the woman next to him that he really hopes that they will sing the song “Amsterdam”. That’s a nice thing to hear for me, and of course I am reminded, for just a moment, of my city. However, I did not have the courage to tell him that they played it during the sound check, because I know that is no guarantee that they will play it as well in the concert. But for him and me, I very much hope they will. It is a great number, and a strong one, and I have, in fact, always seen the audience welcome it warmly and applauding enthusiastically.. So why would they do not want to play it in this Giru, “Amsterdam”? Fortunately for him and for me it is one of the encores of that evening, and Jean-François disappoints no one:
A song that is played every night is the new song “Tu mi faci ingrandà”. Actually it is a very provoking, in fact fairly unemphatic song, but after a few concerts of the Giru I really want to hear it again and again. And why exactly? First and foremost there is the rolling bass of César Anot very discreet, but imperatively present. And second there’s the sound of the whistle coming from Achim Meier’s magic synthesizer. Unemphatic , but oh so bright: ” Tù mi faci ingrandà”.
The last encore of the evening is “Diu Vi Salvi Regina”. This time I’m sitting on the right side, the place from where I have a nice full view of Alain. Tonight the audience is not like yesterday invited to sing with I Muvrini, but the performance gives me again the goose bumps.
After the concert, it is just a matter of patience. All cars must try to find the main road from the narrow street between houses and groves. One can only accept that one has to wait half an hour before it is possible to move the car. Many people are simply waiting next to their car and the atmosphere is excellent. Finally I can add my car in the long queue of cars on the road that winds toward the main road N198. The drive back will take 1,5 hour, and this is a treacherous road because it seems quite straight and therefore people tend to drive pretty fast. However, each year many accidents happen just here, so I decide to moderate my speed. I must also fight sleepiness and take a break after the roundabout in Ghisonaccia and try to get some sleep. Unfortunately, I succeed in having only ten seconds of sleep, just enough to continue my way and to reach safely my bed in Moriani. Tomorrow there will be a rest day so I Muvrini and I can catch a little more sleep. And after tomorrow there is San Fiurenzu / Saint Florent on the program. I really look forward going there for the simple reason that I have not been there before.
Themocracy