as part of the Fabbrica Europa 2025 festival

Primo studio sulle ninnananne nell’ombra (First study on lullabies in the shadows)

After the experience of his 2007 album “MadreLingua”, Saverio Lanza with Le voci dei padri (The voices of fathers) returns to explore the voice, delving into an intimate realm that speaks of a semi-silent masculine universe, existing in the shadows, where memories stir, nighttime gestures emerge, and the complexities of being a man reveal themselves with more nuance than what is usually perceived. While it is now common knowledge that both mothers and fathers put their children to sleep, it is still rare to hear lullabies sung by men.

“People usually sing professionally, playfully, with others, alone, out of boredom, or in despair. In all these cases, we sing to a conscious listener, trying to keep their attention and avoid boring them. With lullabies, it seems to be quite the opposite because sleep is a delicate and still mysterious phase. It divides our day in two: one part where we are awake, open to others, performing actions in the daylight; and the other, where we are alone, in the dark and in silence.
Those who guide someone to this threshold – often difficult to cross – instinctively use a unique tone of voice, one not used in any other context. It must be familiar, reassuring, sincerely devoted, never distracted or forced. It is a voice meant for someone who perceives tone and sound before understanding words.
Singing a lullaby confronts us with ourselves, linking our past to the future, making us feel like simple bearers of a feeling passed on – alive – from generation to generation, in the intimacy of a room.”
– Saverio Lanza

Saverio Lanza studied Composition at the Conservatory of Florence where he graduated in Conducting and Band Instrumentation. His debut came with the Rockgalileo band, (1989-1998) of which he was the songwriter and frontman. He has worked in both research music and songwriting as producer and songwriter, in studio and live, with artists like Cristina Donà, with whom he received the Tenco Prize in 2015, PGR (ex CSI), Ginevra Di Marco, Bugo, Vasco Rossi, Piero Pelù, Biagio Antonacci, Arisa, Sarah Jane Morris, Irene Grandi & Stefano Bollani. In 2005 he founded with his brother Marco – photographer – the PASTIS project, placed between photography, video and music. In 2009 Pastis won the Ciampi Prize. In 2011 they were invited to screen works at the Tribeca Cinema in New York City. As a solo artist he has recorded two albums, “Do you have a cigarette?” (2003) and “Madrelingua” (2007).

A Festival Fabbrica Europa production
in collaboration with Scuola di Musica Elettronica del Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini di Firenze