Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – “Serenity comes above all from accepting our irrelevance in the universe.” At 42, Malika Ayane seems to have found a measure of the freedom she talks about in 'Cicale', her new album out September 18th, five years after her previous album 'Malifesto' (2021). Yet, as soon as she sees us put her bag down before the interview, her eyes widen: “She never puts herself down.
"It brings bad luck." The bag is immediately moved. Because you may have made peace with your irrelevance in the universe, but evidently it's best not to joke with bad luck. In the album's ten tracks, time, which returns as one of his obsessions, has also become the time necessary to change perspective, lighten the burden of judgment, and understand which battles are truly worth fighting.
"An artist should be able to choose to take sides if they feel like it, and not to take sides if they don't want to," he tells AdnKronos, speaking about a very timely topic: artists being asked to speak out on major political and social issues, following the Ed Sheeran-Macklemore affair. From the serenity they've achieved to the desire to return to the stage, via Sanremo, the artists' freedom to speak out and the sense of that 'anchor' that runs through the album (which also features a feat.
(with Dargen D'Amico) Malika Ayane tells us about a present in which, she says, she feels “perfectly” in her shoes.
Malika, the idea of time often returns in 'Cicale': time passing, time beginning again, time changing. It's an album that comes five years after the previous one. Marika, in these five years, beyond making the album, how have you changed and what have you done over the years?
I've done it all. Starting with 'Cats,' playing the wonderful Grizabella. Then I did another stage show, a radio show, wrote a book of short stories, and performed countless concerts and activities of all kinds. Meanwhile, I've written songs with old friends, like Pacifico and Andrea Bonomo, and new and extraordinary collaborators. How have I changed? I think there's a way to stay the same in a different way. Luckily, I've tried to soften some of my more serious flaws; I've started using introspection as a form of self-therapy. Also, not having a deadline for the album and doing other things where you're not the center of attention is a great way to make it happen. My obsession with time has changed precisely thanks to this shift from the center of the room.
Your description of the song "Finalmente" starts with a beautiful phrase: you say it's too early to write a version of "My Way," but also too late to live with the carefree attitude of Scarlett O'Hara. Thinking about your artistic journey, where do you place yourself?
I feel perfectly comfortable in my skin, and I realized this right at Sanremo. Before going on stage on the first night, I was calmly eating a candy: I had checked the setlist and had five minutes to spare, allowing me to finish it calmly. Then, suddenly, they reversed some of the blocks and sent me straight on stage. So I found myself facing my first descent of the Ariston stairs after a five-year absence, with a slit in my dress, which was already unusual for me, and with a candy still in my mouth. A situation with a level of difficulty decidedly higher than normal. Yet, instead of getting nervous or worried, I started laughing. In the end, I told myself that I had simply gone on television, live, going down the steps of Sanremo with a candy in my mouth. Nothing serious. The important thing was to go and sing a beautiful, fun song, well-played, with an orchestra, and the rest mattered relatively little. Had I entered with a bison head in my hand, it certainly would have made sense as a performance, but perhaps it would have been one more thing…I feel very comfortable in my own skin.”
You're much more aware and worry less about what people think. Are you also able to let go of a whole host of worries more?
“Ultimately, I think it all comes back to this. In fact, the more I talk about it in interviews, the more I realize it's a central theme. Serenity comes especially when you accept your irrelevance in the universe, and I don't mean that in a negative way: it's a liberating realization. Writing and singing good songs is a blessing. Doing your job well means putting everything you have into it. Then, if those songs reach someone, great; if they don't, it won't be a tragedy anyway. I think back ten years, still in the Sanremo context. I was wearing braces and I remember we even had meetings because we were worried it would create attention around that thing. I, in reality, was serene. When I think back on it today, it makes me smile at how much time and energy you can waste wondering what people will think. That's why I think it's important to lighten up. To understand that not all battles are worth fighting, that not everything needs to be commented on, and that not everything needs to be experienced as a most important in the world. You don't always succeed, of course, but when you do, it's a wonderful feeling."
You were also inspired by a beautiful quote by Paul Valéry for the song "Probabile": "Love consists in wanting to say again," and you return to the idea of again several times: more love, more possibility, more change. What does that "again" mean to you today?
“For me, it has exactly the most beautiful meaning this word carries. At 42, I look at the world and realize that, in its profound nature, it's no different than it was ten, twenty, or thirty years ago, and it probably won't be different in ten years' time either. What changes is us. Having lived through a few more seasons, having seen certain cycles repeat themselves, gives you a different perspective. Experience offers no certainties and doesn't allow you to predict the future, but it helps you recognize situations, dynamics, and people, already sensing where they might lead you. That's why, when someone approaches you today and tells you you're special, unique, or indispensable, maybe you laugh. I think the real lesson is this: don't overestimate what comes next, but don't underestimate what you already have either.”
You returned to compete at Sanremo this year with "Animali Nocturni." Now we have a new Festival ahead of us, with Stefano De Martino as artistic director. In the meantime, would you like to return, both in the competition and as a guest? And then, in your opinion, what should change, if anything, compared to the Festival we've been used to until now?
Returning to Sanremo is always a fun idea, but I don't think so during the competition. I just released an album that I want to devote all my attention to. Then there will be concerts, and I hope more concerts. I hope this is the beginning of a period in which I can focus solely on music. As a guest, however, I would return tomorrow. It's the ideal situation: you experience the beauty of the Festival without the stress of competition, meet friends, sing a song, and then go home. At the same time, I'm very curious to see the work of the new artistic director, Stefano De Martino. I like the fact that he's trying to build a Festival with his own personal touch. Ultimately, that's what all artistic directors do, but in his case, there's a particular interest because it's a debut. Also because Sanremo, in some ways, is always the same. The narrative changes, the faces change, but its nature remains the same. I've done six, with five different artistic directors: from Fazio to Clerici, from Bonolis to Amadeus, up to Carlo Conti. Their personalities and visions are very different, yet the Festival's impact on people and the country is always the same. That's why I hope, above all, it's fun for those who put it on. Because when those who step onto that stage are truly having fun, the fun extends to those watching at home too.
Ed Sheeran's US tour is at the center of a political storm after rapper Macklemore was banned from the tour due to his pro-Palestine vocals on stage. Albano has also been criticized in Italy for playing in Israel. Since artists' freedom to express themselves or take political sides is often discussed, what's your take on this issue? What are your thoughts on an artist who decides to take a stand, even at the risk of censorship?
I think an artist should be free to take sides when they feel the need, just as they should be free not to take sides if they don't want to. Behind every artist, there's first and foremost a person. Those who decide to expose themselves know they'll have to accept the weight of the reactions, judgments, and criticisms that inevitably follow. Likewise, even those who choose not to take sides, as in the case of Ed Sheeran, often find themselves at the center of controversy. And one could even argue that not taking a stand is, in some way, already equivalent to taking one. What I'd like, however, is to return to discussing the content of things, the themes, and the issues that are at the root of the debate, rather than the individuals and their reactions. I have the impression that too often, in recent years, we've become accustomed to commenting on someone else's comment, gradually losing sight of what started the discussion. A bit like what happens with cicadas: we're fascinated by the sparkle and stop looking at what's underneath. That said, I'm happy that the debate is being held exists and that there is room for debate. As for me, I will always try to take it to the deepest level I am capable of reaching."
You'll be back on tour soon, too. In recent years, we've seen a huge growth in large concerts, big stadium shows, sold-out crowds, and so on. Do you think this boom in live shows, these huge live shows, will also be able to attract artists who are in smaller, medium-sized venues, or does it risk overshadowing this reality a bit?
I don't believe one artist should be the driving force behind another. In fact, I think the fact that in Italy there are increasingly bigger events and more concerts in the same cities is a positive thing. I remember once in Berlin, on the same night, Lady Gaga and Elvis Costello were playing. Two enormous artists, each in the setting best suited to their music and their audience. That's right: Elvis Costello, alone with his guitars, would probably lose something in an 18-capacity arena, while a monumental show like Lady Gaga's would have less impact in a smaller space. As for me, I'm perfectly fine in theaters. I'd rather play fifty dates in theaters than in a arena: a arena would stress me out like hell. I like the more intimate setting, the direct connection with the audience. At the same time, I love going to big shows and being amazed by gigantic productions. Although, jokingly, I always think that with the budget for two of those lights I could finance another four dates on my tour.
One last thing: should we expect any special guests on tour, without perhaps going into too much detail?
"I'm thinking about the launch now, and I'm not being too smug; in fact, I can't keep myself in check. So when I start thinking about the tour, if everything works out, I'll obviously call all my friends. This is a moment when I want to share the stage, the space, the music, to be together in this way. So, one day at a time, but I think someone will answer the call."
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