Naples – "They're just songs," sang Edoardo Bennato. And Naples mayor Gaetano Manfredi is relying on this famous quote to nip in the bud the controversy that has swept over Sal Da Vinci in recent hours.
The occasion for clarity was the ceremony awarding the city medal to the Neapolitan artist, fresh from his triumph at the last Sanremo Music Festival. At the center of the debate are recent press rumors that the winning song, "Per sempre sì," could be chosen as the soundtrack to support the "yes" vote in the upcoming referendum on justice.
This prospect has inevitably sparked political discussion, prompting the mayor to draw a clear line between artistic expression and electoral exploitation. "There is freedom of expression, so everyone can say and think what they want," Manfredi emphasized in response to reporters' questions. "But we must separate what is a song from what are merely political and social interpretations that are irrelevant."
The mayor's invitation is therefore to focus exclusively on the artistic value of the piece, without burdening a song born with very different intentions with additional meaning. "Let's think about the music and the positive message Sal conveys," Manfredi concluded. "Talking about love also means talking about something positive in such a complex and difficult time as the one we are experiencing."
It seems fair to me, but there's no need to politicize the music. Sal Da Vinci sang out of love; the song is simple and positive; the politicians and journalists were looking for scandal. We should focus solely on the artistic value, or instead turn everything into useless and forced polemics.