Since this week started out with la Festa di San Gennaro (The Feast & Celebration of Saint Gennaro), patron saint of Napoli aka Naples, what better song for this installment of Musica del Mercoledì (Music Wednesday) than the traditional canzone napoletana (Neapolitan song) “Santa Lucia.”
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Borgo Santo Lucia, Baia di Napoli, in earlier days
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Dating back to 1849 and originally titled “Barcarolla,” the song became “Santa Lucia” when it was the first Neapolitan song to be translated into Italian during il Risorgimento (the political and social movement that gathered different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy).
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Borgo Santo Lucia, Baia di Napoli, today
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The lyrics of “Santa Lucia,” which celebrate Borgo Santa Lucia, the picturesque waterfront district in the Bay of Naples, are the invitation of a boatman to take a turn in his boat, to better enjoy the cool of the evening.
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“Santa Lucia” has been covered by many artists over the years, but the 1916 recording by Enrico Caruso, the great Neapolitan opera singer, is by many considered the definitive 20th century recording of the song. Other singers who’ve lent their voci (voices) to “Santa Lucia” include, Mario Lanza, Luciano Pavarotti, and even Elvis!
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Digitally remastered Enrico Caruso recording from 1916. Video also features remastered historical film clips of Caruso.
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Elvis sings “Santa Lucia.” Video features scenes of beautiful Borgo Santa Lucia.
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Luciano Pavarrotti sings Santa Lucia.
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How about you?
Do you have a favorite canzone napoletana? Which of these three versions of “Santa Lucia” do you like best? Is there another one you like more?
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I’d love to hear from you — leave a comment below!
Proverbs, sayings, and idiomatic expressions are a rich way to learn new words and gain insight into the colloquial side of a language. Italian, like other languages, has a wealth of these enlightening expressions — some wise and others witty.
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Because they are usually brief, they can be almost like a mini lesson in themselves.
I challenge you to memorize this week’s phrase. Take me up on this, and treat yourself to a sense of accomplishment!
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Ecco il detto di questa domenica:
(Here’s the saying for this Sunday.)
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“Chi dorme non piglia pesci.”
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LISTEN TO PRONUNCIATION:
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SPEIGAZIONE (EXPLANATION):
Literally translated this phrase in English is “He who who sleeps doesn’t catch fish.”
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Metaphorically of course, this proverb refers to opportunities missed (fish not caught) because one is some other non-productive activity (such as sleeping).
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The closest English equivalent is the saying “You snooze, you lose.”
The message in “Chi dorme non piglia pesci is also echoed in the English proverb, “The early bird gets the worm.”
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“Chi dorme non piglia pesci è un buon detto per l’autunno quando tutti stanno ritornando a scuola e hanno nuovi impegni. È anche un buon ricordo di quanto importante è di puntare la sveglia ed andare a dormire presto!
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(“He who sleeps doesn’t catch fish” is a good saying for autumn when everyone is returning to school and has new tasks and commitments. It’s also a good reminder of how important it is to set your alarm clock and get to sleep early!)
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Buoni studi, sogni d’oro, e buona pesca!
(Good studying, sweet dreams, and good fishing!)
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What’s an Italian or English proverb that you like?
Jovanotti — che è uno dei miei cantautori italiani preferiti — è stato recentemente a San Francisco ed ho avuto la buonissima fortuna di essere tra le migliaia di persone che c’erano al concerto. (Jovanotti, one of my favorite Italian singer-songwriters, was recently in San Francisco and I had the very good fortune to be among the thousands of people at the concert.)
Era una bellissima domenica, con i fan di Jovanotti faccendo dei picnic sotto agli alberi e ballando (una tribu’ che balla) a cielo aperto nello spettacolare parco di Stern Grove. (It was a beautiful Sunday, with Jovanotti fans picnicking under the trees and dancing under the open sky.)
~Jovanotti at Stern Grove in San Francisco~.
Di sicuro quello che per me ha reso il concerto ancora più speciale e memorabile era la possibilita’ di conoscere di piu’ Jovanotti sia come artista che persona durante un’intervista tenuta prima del concerto in un ambiente intimo con solamente una centina di persone presente.
Dopo sono riuscita anche a parlargli di persona ed anche a fare una fotografia insieme a lui. Ho potuto communicare a Jovanotti non solo quanto mi piace la sua musica ma anche il fatto che la utilizzo nelle mie classi d’italiano.
(Surely what for me made the concert even more special and memorable was the possibility to get to know Jovanotti more, as an artist and a person, during an interview held before the concert in an intimate setting with only about a hundred people present.
After this I also managed to talk to him in person and to have my picture taken with him. I was able to communicate to Jovanotti not only how much I like his music but also the fact that I use it in my Italian classes.)
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~Jodina, Jovanotti, Maria(una mia amica di cuore)~
Jovanotti aka Lorenzo Cherubini categorizes himself as an Italian funk rap artist. But before you get turned off by the term rap, know that outside of the U.S. most rap is NOT preoccupied with a gangster lifestyle and peppered with obscenities. Rather it usually tends toward melodic, upbeat, and danceable. His music can also be categorized as ‘world beat’ – foreign language music with a groove.
Jovanotti, who has been performing now for over two decades, started as a pop rapper and DJ and has matured over the years from more simple dance themes to an artist whose clever and well-turned lyrics have deeper meaning and a universal human appeal. He delivers his lyrics in a half-sung, half-spoken style reminiscent of a downtown beat poet with catchy, melodic beats accessible to an international audience.
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This is not Jovanotti’s first visit to the US – he spent the summer of 2009 in the village in New York City and had a string of sold-out tours on the East Coast. The summer 2010 concerts mark his first performances on the West Coast. The artist has spent more than a decade collaborating with internationally acclaimed musicians from around the globe, including Bono, Michael Franti, Sergio Mendes, Ben Harper, and The Beastie Boys.
Video/Song: “Una tribù che balla” (“A Tribe That Dances)
Gist of song: We are all one tribe regardless of differences.
Each is unique but all can dance together to the music.
Jovanotti lives in Cortona with his wife and daughter Teresa, to whom the song Per Te is dedicated. Cortona is the same town where Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun lives – her house is in fact just around the corner, and the two are good neighbors.
È veramente un mondo piccolo. (It is truly a small world.) And speaking of neighbors and small worlds, another perk to this wonderful day was meeting up with fellow Italian blogger and Facebook friend in person, Melissa Muldoon. Check out her delightful blog at Diario di una Studentessa Matta.
~Jodina & Melissa aka ‘una studentessa matta’~
And then, when I thought it couldn’t get any better, by chance, I ran right into dear old friends Bunny and Wolfgang from my days back in the Bay Area. Turns out they’d been a stone’s throw the entire concert and were only in town briefly visiting from Germany (!), where they now live – what are the odds? Truly, I think, we are all part of una tribù che balla, e la è bella.
Just what is this thing called Ferragosto? Originally Ferragosto was linked to a celebration of the middle of summer, agricultural activity, and cycles of nature. The holiday was celebrated in the Roman Empire to honor the gods—in particular Diana—and the cycle of fertility and ripening. To give agricultural animals and workers a break following the
Roman Goddess Diana
heaviest labor in the fields, Emperor Augustus declared that the entire month of August would be a holiday. In fact, the name Ferragosto derives from the original Latin name, Feriae Augusti – the ‘Holidays’ (Ferie) of Augustus.
Later, after the decline of the Roman Empire and the advent of the Roman Catholic Church, the celebration was re-spun as the Ascension of the Virgin Mary. To this day it remains one of Italy’s important Catholic holidays.
In modern times, Ferragosto has evolved into a very different holiday. August 15th, regardless of which day of the week it falls on, is a holiday. With few exceptions, EVERYTHING from banks to shops to supermarkets to restaurants is closed, and almost no goes to work.
Many Italians take brief vacations – if they can, and if they are not already on vacation. Whether on vacation or remaining in town, for many, Ferragosto (not surprisingly) is an occasion to have a large, sumptuous meal, possibly outdoors in nature, in the company of family and friends in honor of the day.
Movie of the Week: “Pranzo di Ferragosto– You can find it on Amazon Prime. Here’s a sample…
The delightful film “Il Pranzo di Ferragosto” offers an entertaining peek into Ferragosto in one particular Roman household when a man who cares for his elderly mamma ends up hosting two other elderly ladies during this holiday. Hilarity ensues and culminates in a lavish feast.
August sees more Italians on vacation than any other time of the year. Cities and towns nearly empty out as residents head in droves ‘al mare’ (to the sea and beach), ‘alle montagne’ (to the mountains), or ‘all’estero’ (abroad) for their annual summer holidays. There’s a practical reason for this – August in Italy is the hottest, most humid, and weather-wise, the most miserable month of the year. You’ll have noticed this ‘ghost town’ effect if you’ve ever visited in August.
Of course, people do take their holidays at other times during the summer, but August is the most popular month, and anyone who can, gets out for at least part of the month, with some people going for the entire month. The beach is the most popular destination, and as you can imagine, the beaches are straffollate (super crowded).
You may be wondering how it is possible to leave town for an entire month… Italians who work have one month of paid vacation per year (compared to two weeks in the US). Those who remain behind are stuck in a hot, sticky, ‘ghost town’. Towns are so vacated, that residents of larger cities who remain have to check the newspapers or online for listings of staple-item stores that stay open, rather than circling around hoping to find an open gas station, pharmacy, grocery store, or bread shop.
Have you heard of or celebrated Ferragosto? Are you celebrating it this year? Love to hear your comments! 🙂
Pay close attention to the verbs with double consonants — to correctly pronounce them, pause a little longer on the double consonant.
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Now, here’s what they mean. Notice how for some, there is a similar word in English. For others there’s a more common verb or word in Italian that you may already know — good tricks for remembering the meanings.
Svolgere/Svolgersi: to take place, happen. Example: L’evento si e’ svolto ieri. (The event took place yesterday.)
Partorire: To give birth. Noun form: il parto (the birth, birth process)
Proseguire: to carry on, keep on; similar to ‘seguire’ (to continue).
Controllare: to check, monitor, inspect, control. Noun form: il controllo (a check, checkup, inspection, or control)
Radoppiare: to double. Root word: ‘doppio’, or ‘double’.
Allattare: to nurse, breastfeed. Noun form: l’allattamento (nursing, breastfeeding). Notice the word root ‘latte’, or ‘milk’.
Crescere: to grow. Noun form: la crescita (growth).
Sviluppare: to develop. Noun form: lo sviluppo (development).
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You might have noticed a common thread of childbirth and development among these Italian verbs. They are from a current Italian news story, “Nata cucciola di foca all’acquario di Genova” (Seal cub Born at the Genova Aquarium”).
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Was this blog post helpful to you? I’d love to hear your feedback! Please leave comments in the form below.
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A complete audio lesson (including the story, a translation, and a vocabulary study) is available on this site for subscribers of Jodina’s Italian Audio Club. Monthly subscriptions are available for unlimited online access to a large and growing collection of custom audio lessons not available anywhere else. More info here.
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Here’s a link to the original story in Italian. See if you can find all of the verbi del venerdi’. Seal cub story.
Proverbs, sayings, and idiomatic expressions are a rich way to learn new words and gain insight into the colloquial side of a language. Italian, like other languages, has a wealth of these enlightening expressions — some wise and others witty.
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Because they are usually brief, they can be almost like a mini lesson in themselves.
I challenge you to memorize this week’s phrase. Take me up on this, and treat yourself to a sense of accomplishment!
Ecco il detto di questa domenica: {Here’s the saying for this Sunday.}
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“Buon sangue non mente.”
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Listen to pronunciation:
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Spiegazione (Explanation):
Lo si usa principalmente per casi negativi ma indica il carattere e il costume della discendenza da padre a figlio. Detto anche ‘tale il padre tale il figlio’.
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Translation: It (this proverb) is used principally for negative cases to indicate the character and habits of a father (mother, parents) as they carry forward to the son (daughter, children). Also expressed as ‘like father like son.’
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Literally ‘Buon sangue non mente’ means ‘Good blood doesn’t lie’.
This saying is similar also to the English saying, ‘The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’.
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Do you have any favorite Italian proverbs you’d like to share?
It’s Friday, and it’s time for a new blog post… and I thought why not some ‘verbi’ per venerdi’? (some ‘verbs’ for ‘Friday’) And a new Italian blog post was born — I verbi del venerdi’!
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Ecco una mini-lezione basata su cinque verbi. (Here’s a mini lesson based on five verbs.)
Here’s what they mean. Notice how for some, there is a similar word in English — a good trick for remembering the meaning.
Consigliare: to suggest, advise, or counsel
Sfogliare: to browse or to page or leaf through (the Italian word for page is pagina or foglia)
Osservare: to observe
Riferire: to report (as in to report on for a news story), or to refer
Raccontare: to tell (a story), or to recount
These Italian verbs are from a current Italian news story, “Bimbo Prodigio” (Child Prodigy). A complete audio lesson (including the story, a translation, and a vocabulary study) is available on this site for subscribers of Jodina’s Italian Audio Club. A subscription is just $6.95/month for unlimited online access to a large and growing collection of custom audio lessons not available anywhere else. Click here for more info.
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The original story can be read on the ANSA website.
Recentemente ho avuto l’occasione di assaggiare quella che considero tra i migliori piatti di polenta che abbia mai mangiato. Translation: I recently had the chance to taste what I consider to be among the best polenta dishes I have ever eaten.
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It was simple yet succulent. In fact, I can still recall its smooth taste and the delicate flavors of the herbs used in making it. It really was melt-in-your-mouth good (the kind of stuff that, if you’re gonna make it, you’d better invite a lot of people, or later you’ll finish the rest off standing at the kitchen counter alone!)
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Per fortuna (Luckily), not only do I know the person who made this lovely polenta, la cuoca (the cook) Poppy (aka Papavera) is a student of mine and has generously agreed to share her recipe! Che allegria! (What happiness!)
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But first, before I bestow the recipe upon you, a little history on polenta. Polenta is truly an Italian national dish and may have a history much more ancient than either pizza or pasta.
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Especially popular and abundant in the North, and dubbed by some as ‘Italian grits’, polenta shares similarities to the hominy grits so popular in the Southern United States. Both are ‘mush’ type foods that originated as a staple to impoverished populations. However, what would later be called polenta in Italy, was in ancient times one of the earliest and simplest foods made from various types of grains other than corn. First made from wild grains and later from primitive wheat, faro (a popular Italian grain), millet, spelt or chickpeas, the grain was mixed with water to form a paste and then cooked on a hot stone.
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Polenta was still very popular in Roman times (known as pulmentum) and eaten either in a porridge or in a hard cake-like form, much like today. And still later it was made from buckwheat introduced into Italy by the Saracens.
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The nutritive grain buckwheat, or ‘grano saraceno’, is still popular in Tuscany for making polenta because of its distinctive flavor, and it was widely favored for centuries. However, sometime in the 15th or 16th centuries a new crop know as maize arrived from the New World, and Buckwheat polenta began losing its popularity to this grain. It was a perfect crop for the farms of Northern Italy, and landowners were able to grow vast fields of corn for profit, while the the peasantry subsisted on cornmeal.
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While this new version of polenta was abundant, it was much less nutritious than earlier forms of the dish. But because cornmeal polenta is so tasty and filling, it remained a staple long after conditions improved for the poor. And amazingly, a simple act of greed on the part of landowners was a key ingredient in shaping an important component of Italian cooking. Since then, most of Italy’s polenta consumption has been from corn, ranging in color from golden yellow to the white polenta of Veneto.
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E addesso, la ricetta. (And now, the recipe.) I am presenting it in English. {Basic food words in Italian and equivalent metric measurements are in brackets.}
Herbal Polenta with Parmigiano Reggiano
> 1 32-ounce container fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth {907 ml brodo di pollo}
> 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper {1,5 gr pepe nero macinato}
> 1/4 teaspoon salt {1 gr sale}
> 1 cup yellow corn meal {360 gr polenta}
> 1/2 cup grated fresh parmigiano reggiano cheese {90 gr formaggio parmigiano reggiano}
> 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley {10 gr prezzemolo fresco tritato}
Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
{In una pentola grande fare bollire su fiamma media i primi cinque ingredienti.}
Gradually add cornmeal, stirring constantly with a whisk. {Aggiungere gradualmente la polenta, girando continuamente con un frullino.} Cook 3 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. {Cuocere per tre minuti o finche’ diventi spesso e fa bolle.} Remove from heat; stir in cheese and parsley. {Togliere dalla fiamma; quindi aggiungere il formaggio e il prezzemolo mescolando bene.}
Pour the hot polenta into a glass (pyrex type) baking pan and eat warm. {Versare la polenta in una pirofila di vetro e servire calda.}
{Foreword: I’ve been a bit ‘AWOL’ and remiss about blogging since the end of my Spring Italian classes — needed a bit of time away. But I am back — Eccomi! or ‘Here I am!’}
Ciao!
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As a self-professed grammar geek and word fiend, being asked to do a blog post on my five favorite Italian words (cinque parole italiane preferite) left me with ‘l’imbarazzo della scelta’… (literally meaning the ’embarassment of the choice’) as in Italian there are, as many know, an overwhelming number of amazing words to choose from.
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I decided to go with some of the first favorites that popped into mind.
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Ecco le mie cinque parole italiane preferite (Here are my five favorite Italian words):
1. Cicciotto(a) /chee-choh-toh/– coming from the word ‘ciccio’, and meaning ‘chubby’ (but not fat). I like this word for a couple of reasons… it’s fun to say — I like the way it feels in my mouth, and by adding the ‘-otto’ suffix, it changes to a word used as a term of endearment or a nickname… reminding me of an old friend back in Italy that we used to call Ciccio or Ciccioto. It also reminds me of a student I once had (a Brazilian woman studying English) who would address me as ‘Teacher’. Owing to her lovely Portuguese accent, it came out sounding like ‘ciccia’ — as if every time she asked me a question she were calling me ‘Chubby’. It was hard to keep a straight face, and finally I had to insist she use my first name!
Ridimensionare, meaning to re-dimension or re-frame. This word is often used when one is in a state of upset over some situation. A friend might suggest, “Cerchi di ridimensionare” (Try to re-dimension) — an invitation to step back from whatever drama is at hand and re-frame or view it from a perspective that makes it easier to handle… in essence to ‘shrink’ the difficult situation in your mind’s eye and make it easier to deal with. I love the concept.
Scommettiamo?, meaning ‘Shall we bet?, or Wanna bet? (from the verb ‘scommettere’, to bet). Used more often to line up in cahoots with someone over a forgone conclusion than to actually bet money, also to challenge someone’s idea. Example: Scomettiamo che anche questa volta Luigi ‘dimentica’ il suo portafoglio? (Wanna bet that once again Luigi ‘forgets’ his wallet?). Other phrases: ‘Ci puoi scommettere/ Puoi scommettere’ (You can bet/count on it.), ‘Ci puoi scommettere la testa!’ (You (can) bet your life!)
Pisolino, meaning ‘nap’. Phrase: ‘fare un pisolino’ (to have or take a nap). I think this is just the cutest word! It’s the only way to say nap in Italian (riposare = to rest, but it’s not quite the same). One funny thing about it is that the suffix ‘-ino’ usually changes a word to the diminutive. But in this case, ‘piso’ on it’s own is not a word. ‘Pisolino’ sounds like baby talk to my ears, and reminds me of ‘pisello’ or ‘pea’ — also a little thing. What’s cute, is that whether a person is 4 or 54, to take a nap they still have to say they’re going to ‘fare un pisolino’. To my ears it’s very sweet!
Scherzare, meaning to joke. (In musical terminology it means ‘a movement or passage of light or playful character’.) I think I love this word because (a) it’s fun to say, phonetically ==> /scaret-SAH-ray/, and (b) for its crazy-looking spelling. It’s also one of my favorite things to do — joke around. A few phrases: ‘Non scherzare!’ (Don’t joke!), ‘Scherzi?’ (Are you joking/kidding?), and ‘Sto scherzando!’ (I’m joking!). Also, ‘scherzi a parte’ (joking aside, seriously), ‘uno scherzo di natura’ (a freak of nature), and ‘fare uno scherzo a qualcuno’ (to play a joke on someone).
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What are your favorite Italian words? I’d love to know! You can share your favorite Italian words by leaving a comment below in the “Leave A Reply” space.
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I was invited to write on this theme by fellow Italian blogger and friend Melissa Muldoon of Diario di una Studentessa Matta (blog post: ‘five favorite Italian words‘) as part of a meme to help share and promote Italian language learning, inspired by a post originating on the Italofile blog.
“Per te” is a lullaby (‘ninna-nanna’ in Italian) written by Lorenzo ‘Jovanotti’ Cherubini for his daughter Teresa. Per te is a sweet, feel-good tune whose poetical lyrics are a dedication to a loved one of all in life that is pleasant, beautiful, and happy.
One of my favorite Italian singer-songwriters, I love Jovanotti mostly for his philosophical, poetical, and ‘pensante’ (thoughtful) lyrics, which often delve into deeper aspects of everyday life, and feature a deft use of the Italian language.
For some excellent exercise for your ‘Italian ears’, try the 2005 album “Buon Sangue”.
Bio info
Jovanotti (an anglicized version of the Italian word giovanotti, meaning young people) is an Italian singer-songwriter and rapper. Jovanotti, whose real name is Lorenzo Cherubini, was born in Rome on 27 September 1966. His family is from Cortona, in the Province of Arezzo, Tuscany. On 6 September 2008 he married Francesca Valiani at Cortona, in the Church of Santa Maria Nuova. Their daughter Teresa was born in 1998. He dedicated the lullaby “Per te” to Teresa, one of the successes of the album Capo Horn (1999).
From the mix of hip hop, rap and disco of the early successes, however, Jovanotti departed gradually, approaching to funk, world music and even classical arrangements and ska influences. As his musical influences changed, so too did his lyrics, which, over time, began to increasingly address philosophical, religious and political issues, which are more typical of the Italian cantautore (singer-songwriter) tradition. His social and political commitment increased as well. Some of his earlier work is also closer to keyboard-heavy 1980s pop.
Most of his songs are sung in the Italian language; though he also released a Spanish-language greatest hits album. His live album includes a short version of the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight”. Jovanotti appears on several international compilations, most notably Red Hot Rhapsody, a 1998 tribute to George Gershwin, on which he performed “I Got Rhythm”. One of his most famous songs was “L’Ombelico del Mondo”. Jovanotti also appeared in a Luciano Pavarotti charity concert in 1996.
His 2005 CD, Buon Sangue, is influenced by both rock and old school hip hop. It is one of his most innovative works to date. Edoardo Bennato collaborated on one track, while bass player Saturnino co-wrote two of the songs.
In 2007, he was featured at the end of Negramaro’s song, “Cade la Pioggia”, of their CD, La Finestra, and in 2008 he released the album Safari.
In 2008, he performed as guest artist on the track “Lugar Comum” on Encanto (Sergio Mendes’ album).
The title “Piove” was released for the third season of The Sopranos as an ending credits track.
Commitment
Along with the evolution of his sound, his social and political commitment has increased since the 1990s. As a convinced pacifist, he has frequently worked with organizations such as Make Poverty History and Amnesty International, and he has contributed to events dedicated to debt relief (Global Call to Action Against Poverty). Jovanotti is a vegetarian.
