The mayor of Benevento, Clemente Mastella, expressed his disappointment over an incident in Florence, where a young man from Benevento was banned from performing in Neapolitan dialect during a karaoke night. In a statement, Mastella described the episode as “stupid, racist and full of musical ignorance,” underlining the importance of the song 'O sole mio', considered the most famous in the world. He defined this attitude as “a form of creeping racism” that infiltrates musical tastes, and also lamented the unfair exclusion of artists such as Geolier from the Sanremo festival.
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The protagonist's story
Pasquale Abbatiello, a 26-year-old from Benevento, told the details of what happened. In his letter to Ntr24, Abbatiello explained that he had decided to spend New Year's Eve in Florence with friends and had chosen a venue in the historic center to toast the new year. Once inside, he discovered that the venue offered karaoke, and, caught up in the enthusiasm, he decided to perform a very famous Neapolitan song, with the intent of entertaining the audience.
However, when Abbatiello tried to start the song, he was stopped by an employee who pointed out that the owner of the venue only allowed songs in Italian, French, English and German, thus excluding Neapolitan. Abbatiello defined this decision as “discriminatory” and, annoyed, left the stage together with his friends, underlining the absurdity of the situation.
A necessary complaint
In conclusion, Abbatiello remarked that this episode represents a terrible start to the new year, in which cultural divisions still show their face. He also highlighted the frustration of seeing such attitudes in a city that gave birth to a great poet, and considered it essential not to limit oneself to indignation but to launch a serious complaint against this type of censorship. He stated that "in 2025 it is not possible to censor such an important cultural expression as Neapolitan music".
Article published on 4 January 2025 - 21:25
I read about the episode that happened in Florence and I think it's really strange how a song can be banned. Music is a way to express yourself and there should be no limits, especially in a place of entertainment like a club.