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Ho visto un re
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Wikipedia article
"'Ho visto un re'" ('I have seen a king') is a song with text composed by Dario Fo and music by Paolo Ciarchi (credited in the first edition in Ernesto Esposito under the pseudonym 'Omicron') and performed by Enzo Jannacci, which was first published in 1968, in the 45rpm ' Ho visto un re / Bobo Merenda '[http://discografia.dds.it/scheda_titolo.php?idt=961 Discografia Nazionale della Canzone Italiana] in the recording of the song the orchestra is directed by Luis Bacalov.
History and Meaning
This song by Dario Fo was born as a "folk song sham" written on purpose to put it in the show "Ci ragiono e canto",Andrea Pedrinelli, 'La canzone a Milano dalle origini ai nostri giorni', Hoepli, Milano, 2015 which was composed of a number of folk songs, derived from extensive research on Italian popular songs.Giangilberto Monti, 'Ho visto un re', short online notes [http://www.giangilbertomonti.it/playlist/ho-visto-un-re/index.html] The show was presented for the first time in Turin April 16, 1966 at Teatro Carignano.
'Ho visto un re' is a satire against power. The narrative voice is that of some peasants who sing and point out that all powerful (the King, the Emperor, the Bishop, the Cardinal, the rich people) as they are touched their interests, even minimally, they start to cry.
In contrast, the peasants, even when they are deprived of essential things, have to laugh because their 'cry hurt the king it hurts the rich people and the Cardinal, they become sad if we cry'.
In the lyrics are inserted a few phrases in Milanese language.
References
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