Silvano Togneri, outsider musician unfortunately died in 2006 but his musical memory is still strong and present in and around Barga. Especially at this time of year as people here remember Silvano sitting in Aristo’s bar and singing Christmas songs. From the archives of barganews we now give all our readers a bitter/sweet couple of minutes with a short video of Silvano Togneri and Alessandro Rizzardi on mandolin playing Jingle bells in a style that only Silvano was capable of doing.
As Frank Viviano , barganews staff reporter once said ” Silvano taught us that that real music, like all real sentiment, comes from deep in the human heart and speaks a language all its own.
Outsider music is music performed either by social outsiders, who have no or few associates in the mainstream music business, or by musicians who choose to live and work in seclusion, often due to compromising behavioural or psychological conditions. Outsider music reflects these conditions in various ways. Lyrics are often bizarre or emotionally stark and songs may show a great ignorance or disregard for structural conventions or popular trends in mainstream music. Also, outsider musicians frequently have no formal training and/or significant music skills in the traditional sense. The end result is music that is much stranger and more abrasive than more popular musical styles. Outsider music is a form of outsider art. -- source -- Wikipedia
Background information about Silvano Togneri can be found on his site here
There are more than just 9 Silvano Togneri songs in the database -- scroll down to listen to many others which were recorded at Aristo’s bar during 2000 -- 2005 and during Barga Jazz Festival 2003 with the Barga Jazz Orchestra
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This piece of video of Silvano, is pure expression of happiness and merriment at a happy and merry time of year! The Aristo’s regulars, Roberto, Gianmarco, Alesandro seem not to be able to contain themselves to share in this merriment, the expression is pure and it glows! Even Marino cannot help but feel it. I am sorry I did not get to hear any of Silvano’s music personally as he was before my time. Great that there is some captured however.
Happy holidays!