Millions of views on TikTok and YouTube , a boom in listeners on Spotify : the song “Malatia, Malatia” by Ciccio Merolla with backing vocals by Carolina Franco has conquered the web, especially associated with the triumphs of Napoli Calcio and the images of the well-known TV series “Mare Fuori”.
There are few people left who don't know the tune that has become so popular everywhere, in Naples and throughout Italy: "Malatì malatì, pe me tu si na malatì. Malatì malatì, tu fai over pure 'e bugie" . A success that even surprised Merolla himself , who spoke about it in an interview with Il Mattino.
Merolla and 'Malatia': "A song that imposed itself"
"There are songs that stand out on their own ," he explained. " They go infinitely beyond any rosy expectations; the audience decides, and no special strategies can stop them. Images reach me from all over the world. Entering people's hearts is a special, wonderful feeling."
The first boost in views and listens came from a TikTok by Maria Esposito , Rosa Ricci in “Mare fuori” , but Merolla's song then also became synonymous with the images of the goals and moments that are making Spalletti 's Napoli season iconic , one step away from the third Scudetto.
“In the video a pornstar, then it became the anthem of Naples”
And to think that the original video featured a porn star: "But a lady stopped me in the Spanish Quarter and said the video her granddaughters saw was embarrassing ," Merolla reveals. " That's how the idea for a repeat video was born, especially given my passion for Napoli. Plus, the little tune 'malatì, malatì' seemed perfect as an anthem."
A tune with distant roots, from Colombia : "It's a very ancient folk song, whose authors' names have been lost over time ," the artist explained. " My version has been very popular, thanks in part to the Neapolitan dialect, which is something magical."
It's also important to "give credit to Colombian tambora star Martina Camargo , who popularized the song 'Guataquì' in 2009. I'm trying to get in touch with her to invite her to compose a song on the album 'Pelle e voce', which will be released after the summer."
