Franca Masu: "Mediterranean song is like a secular prayer"

PalmShe says that singing in Alghero has given her more strength, that it has made her hear an authentic and renewed woman. Franca Masu returns to Mallorca from Alghero to offer the island public a recital. Love and Sea, an adventure that also takes place thanks to the guitar accompaniment of Luca Falomi. Touched by the Mediterranean, the concert will be held at Colonia de Sant Pere, in Artà, on July 12th, as part of the La Luna en Verso festival organized by the Mallorca Literary Foundation.

You already performed in Mallorca a couple of years ago. Are you looking forward to returning?

— In all honesty, it was an unforgettable experience. Not only because of the super-friendly welcome from Carme Castells and the entire team, but also because of the audience's warm welcome, which was enthusiastic from the first notes. I've been wanting to return because I truly love this type of festival that blends poetry, gestures, and melodies.

What inspired you to create the recital? Love and SeaWhat will we hear at the concert?

— With the young guitarist from Genoa, Luca Falomi, we have been working together for about 10 years and between us a interplay wonderful. With him, I feel free to sing any song, and he's always by my side. Love and sea It wants to be a way to express all my love for the privilege I had of being born in Alghero, a place that has its magic, a corner of the world that gives strength, gives peace, gives inspiration to create, love, dare and experience beauty in all its forms.

What role does the sea play in your music and artistic identity?

— Looking back at my memories, I've sung about the sea from the beginning. The sea is my whole life. Every day I see the horizon, when I'm walking, when I'm at home. This has become a way of life. Looking at the sea, I can dream, I can imagine other lives, I can wish to go so far without moving. I can cry and laugh freely, as if I could speak and trust the waves.

Singing in Alghero is a choice that identifies you. What does it mean to you to sing in this language?

— Singing in Alghero has given me more strength, it has made me feel like an authentic, renewed woman.

How do you see the current situation of the Catalan language in Alghero, and how does your music contribute to it?

— Alghero must not die… There are several efforts being made in Alghero to defend this language. Music can play a vital role, because it's a fast-paced vehicle, it's pleasing, it lingers in memories, and it enters people's lives.

You come from Alghero, but you're part of the Sardinian culture. How do these two identities coexist in your work?

— I recognize this duality in my character. The most Sardinian side is that of rigor, perseverance, ambition, and order. And it belongs to my mother, a woman of great courage and immense inner strength. The most dreamy, creative, and poetic side is that which relates to the personality of my father, a great painter, artist-poet of light, of the azure, of the beaches. I lost them recently, and I miss them every day. I believe the most authentic thing for a singer is to carry one's own life in one's voice, and I inevitably sing of myself.

Your music encompasses styles such as fado, tango, Italian song... How would you define 'Mediterranean song'?

— Mediterranean song encompasses many elements that are almost always present in the melodies: strings, percussion, traditional wind instruments, accordions typical of each country. The melodies always play with simple, cyclical solutions, like dances, for example. But I believe the fundamental element of Mediterranean song is the typology of the themes sung: unconditional love for the sea, nostalgia for one's own country, the desire to go beyond the horizon, to discover, to dream of a new life, a new love. Mediterranean song is the song of love, like a secular prayer.

How is your artistic dialogue with guitarist Luca Falomi built?

— I think Luca's age played a huge role. He's the same age as my son, 42. When I met him, he was 30. I thought: I have to trust this young man; I shouldn't have any prejudices in my head. It was a prodigious encounter. Luca is an extraordinary guitarist, with a versatile technique and a profound sensitivity. I close my eyes and sing without thinking about anything else. Today, theinterplay it's perfect.

What message would you like the Mallorcan public to take away from the concert?

— I'd like you to let loose on a "love journey across the sea." I'll sing of my life, my loves, my deepest feelings... always in love with Alghero and the Alghero people.

You've collaborated with artists from all over the Mediterranean. Are there any future collaborations or projects you could be working on? And any dream collaborations that haven't materialized yet?

— Indeed, I've had some interesting encounters, like the one with Eduard Iniesta, and once with Lídia Pujol. I think I'll be a guest on a duet for Montse Castells' new album. But my undying desire is to find a manager who can help me pursue my artistic journey in the best possible way throughout Catalonia.

How do the people of Sardinia, in particular, and Italy in general, receive your music and your Sardinian songs in Catalan?

— When I sing about Italy, I always try to draw parallels between Alghero and Neapolitan songs, because they both have a common thread. People are curious; they generally don't know that in Alghero we speak an ancient Catalan… So, with this mix, the Italian audience enters my world. When I sing abroad, I sing in many languages… Alghero, Catalan, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Neapolitan, Sardinian, and it's very fascinating for me and for the audience!