It may be true, as his producers say, that any song Geolier sings becomes gold, but in the last few days it seems to me that whatever he does, he starts a controversy.
And this afternoon, while the young rapper from the Gescal district was receiving the plaque from the mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, at the Maschio Angioino , Daniela Di Maggio , the mother of Giovanbattista Cutolo , the young musician killed in Piazza Municipio last August 31st following an argument over trivial reasons, made herself heard , saying she was "indignant" about the plaque.
"I'm grateful for the support of my city, which wasn't a given; it was 'over the top'. People truly felt entitled to support me. Ultimately, it's true: when a product leaves Naples, the Neapolitans own it, so I'm Naples' property," Geolier said , commenting on the plaque he received from Mayor Gaetano Manfredi.
And then he added: "I want to thank everyone, I thank the mayor for his support to me, a young man, and to young people. I went to Sanremo with the goal of bringing the Neapolitan language, and I succeeded. In the end, the result matters little; I was happy with everything."
The reasons for the license plate
The plaque presented to Geolier reads , "As a sign of gratitude and admiration for this prestigious achievement, for having represented the city and its musical culture in the country's most prestigious singing competition: the Sanremo Festival. Naples, a great city of music, supports his talents."
Mayor Manfredi commented: "A lot has been said, and it's clear that if only popular response had been the deciding factor, Geolier would have won. But how many artists have failed to win Sanremo and then gone on to win in terms of popular support, record sales, and now downloads?"
The ceremony was held in the Sala dei Baroni of the Maschio Angioino in Naples while outside a few dozen fans chanted “I p' me, tu p' te”.
But while part of the city was celebrating its young idol, Daniela Di Maggio, speaking to the Corriere del Mezzogiorno online, let loose an unprecedented outburst and controversy.
"The mayor's reasons, those are really hard to swallow: Geolier spreads values and culture. He should have also called Giovanbattista Cutolo's mother and given a plaque for Giogiò, who on the Ariston stage, with Geolier, represented Naples".
Daniela Di Maggio: “This is sending the wrong message”
She then expressed her "outrage" over Mayor Manfredi's decision not to treat his son Giogiò equally: "Something like this can't be done. It sends the wrong message."
The online newspaper reminded her that Geolier had attended Giogiò's funeral: "I certainly defended him, and I will defend Geolier, who is changing the way he writes and makes music. He also said that since Giogiò's death, kids have learned many things, that having a gun isn't the solution, that kids in the neighborhood need to change.
Well, that was the goal. But rewarding only those who in the past held the golden Kalashnikov, that is Geolier, excluding a victim, Giogiò, is inconsistent, wrong. I ask myself: you, mayor of Naples, what message do you want to give to the city? I am indignant”.
