Strade dell'Est - Roads of the East

Carichi i treni che dall'Albania Portano tanti stranieri in Siberia Tappeti antichi mercanti indiani Mettono su case tra Russia e Cina Strade dell'Est Spinto da i Turchi e dagli Iracheni Qui fece campo Mustafà Mullah Barazani Strade dell'Est d'immensi orizzonti Città nascoste di lingua persiana Da qui la Fine Dicono storie di Principesse Chiuse in castelli per troppa bellezza Fiori di Loto giardini stupendi ...e Leningrado oggi Di notte ancora ti può capitare Di udire suoni di armonium sfiatati E vecchi curdi che da mille anni Offrono il petto a Novene... Strade dell'Est Strade dell'Est © 1979 Franco Battiato "Strade dell'Est" references Mustafà Mullah Barzani, who was the primary political and military leader of the Kurdish revolution until his death in March 1979. He led campaigns of armed struggle against both the Iraqi and Iranian governments. A Novena is an ancient tradition of devotional praying in Christianity. The song starts with some fine bass playing; the bassist on the entire album was Julius Farmer, who hailed from New Orleans and played with Professor Longhair, Dr. John and the Wild Magnolias - no wonder it sounds so great!

Laden, the trains that from Albania carry so many foreigners to Siberia. Antique carpets Indian merchants place in houses between Russia and China. Roads of the East. Driven by the Turks and by the Iraqis here Mustafà Mullah Barzani set up camp. Roads of the East of immense horizons, lost cities of Persian language. From here the End. They tell tales of Princesses kept in castles – too great was their beauty. Lotus flowers, stupendous gardens . . . and Leningrad today. At night you can still happen upon hearing the sounds of aerophone harmoniums, and old Kurds who for a thousand years have offered their souls at Novenas . . . roads of the East. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser L'Era del Cinghiale Bianco was released in 1979 and represented a 180-degree turn from Battiato's first eight avant-garde albums, which ranged from electronica to musique concrète to minimalist piano explorations. Battiato reinvented himself as a pop singer/songwriter and in so doing created a unique sound and style he would continue to rework for the rest of his career. The songs on this album introduce several touchstones for Battiato, with references to spirituality, ancient and modern history, Arabic culture, and his native Sicily. Violinist Giusto Pio collaborated on the arrangements. The constellation that we call the Age of Aquarius was once that of the Boar. In the Celtic tradition, the White Boar symbolized spiritual knowledge, or Consciousness.

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