Rainbows don’t have a beginning or an end. That’s what makes them the most representative symbol for a love that defies gender, sexuality and all preconceived notions. Like love, however, rainbows do require very special conditions to appear in their full seven-arched splendor. We took a dive into Italy’s indie scene to fish out just the right amount of sunshine, tears and magic to make this year’s pride parade as colorful as ever.
Lucia Manca’s Eroi
Lucia Manca is among the most interesting chanteuses on the Italian indie scene and this glitchy dream pop tune will stick to your mind like gold glitter glue. Featured in her latest release Maledetto e Benedetto, Eroi is a delightful reminder that in love “Siamo tutti quanti degli eroi” (We are all heroes).
Honeybird’s TMBLGBT (You put the B in LGBT)
In 2015, Italy-based American artivist and singer-songwriter Monique “Honeybird” Mizrahi published her second solo album Out Comes Woman recounting her experiences as a newly minted bisexual and her struggle with coming to terms with her sexuality. In this quirky jazz-tinted experimental tune, she embraces her new identity to the fullest.
Levante’s Santa Rosalia
Sicilian songstress and modern Renaissance woman Levante isn’t afraid to raise her voice for a cause. Her 2017 song Santa Rosalia pays homage to the LGBTQIA+ community and the patron saint of Palermo who, legend has it, was in love with a woman. “Rosa o blu, dai un bacio a chi vuoi tu” (Pink or blue, kiss whoever you like), she chants, as a dreamlike piano echoes in the distance.
Motta’s Sei bella davvero
Tuscany-born singer-songwriter Francesco Motta’s edgy rock vocals and crisp guitar riffs carve poetry out of this unexpectedly intimate track-gone-gold about a transgender woman portrayed as she tries to lose herself on the dancefloor: “Ti guardano tutti / Ma sei bella davvero” (Everyone is staring at you / But you truly are beautiful).
Una’s La Chimica
“La Chimica è chimica e non c’è una ragione.” (Chemistry is chemistry and there’s no explaining it). Sometimes it’s just that simple. Feminist rebel Marzia Stano, aka Una, is an active member of the Italian queer community and this song from her 2018 album AcidaBasicaErotica spins the pains and joys of coming out into an exquisite electro-pop ballad.
