«Freak didn’t have that typical coat of arms of great songwriterbut it certainly was a genius recognized by all. And this is an even more interesting recognition». A ten years since his disappearance, the musical factotum Ariele Sparkling (also known to music fans as Mr. Grankio) recalls the legendary Freak Antoni, founder of the will ski he was born in rock dementeda term coined by Freak himself at the end of the 70s.
An artist, Freak Antoni, whose genius fu delight and cross – more than cross and delight – probably also because that genius represented, in his own way, a sort of limit to being able to make inroads among the general Italian public. But one thing is certain, those who have known his music, that of will skiand Freak himself (born Roberto Antoni) had the opportunity to appreciate those unique characteristics, that one surreal figure made of puns and spectacular turn of events, that thanks to some lp like MONO tono e Kinotto they opened the door to an entire musical genre in Italy. How can we forget the Sanremo response song I bring God when in 2012, That’s how Freak always told itthe artistic director Gianni Morandi he rejected the song But almost explaining to him that to get on the Ariston stage it was necessary to place his name, “interesting but niche”, alongside a “bigger” one, especially for duets: in short, it was necessary bring a great singer, a giant who gave more prominence to make the “leap”. Ironically, a few days after his death during the 2014 edition the flower festival paid him a brief homage, with Luciana Littizzetto busy reading some of his aphorisms while he was playing in the background I like naughty girls.
FREAK ANTONI AND THE VARESOTTO: FROM THE ROCK OPERA TO THE CRAZY NIGHT IN GALLARATE FOR “PANE BURRO AND ROCK N ROLL”
Ariele Frizzante has collaborated with Freak Antoni on several occasions, perhaps the best known for listeners from Varese (and beyond) is in rock opera by Pay Frederick III – The unfortunate fate (2005). Disco in which the role of the evil dictator was played by the singer himself via Marzabotto in Bologna «An address that, together with the telephone number, Freak gave without any problem to all the people who asked him – says Ariele –. He always answered everyone Call me. When he died I really realized how many people considered him their friend. This was also because he treated everyone, including the fans, as equals.”
«I was lucky enough to have had him as a teacher and to have been close to him several times, even until the end (he was 59 years old when he died, ed.). For me it was a gift to “do things” with Freak – continues Ariele -. The “strongest” experience I had with him were i two years, from 2006 to 2008, in Milan for the Rock FM radio broadcast. The title was Pane, burro e rock and roll».
The management of the format was particular and, in reality, was born in Gallarate: «I used to go on the radio in the morning, he instead came to Milan by train once a week, on Wednesdays. As soon as he arrived I would lock him in a closet until six in the evening to record all the gags. I spent the rest of the week editing everything to have the material ready to broadcast. Many believed that he could really come from Bologna on the radio to Milan every morning, but this was impossible.”
«The first time we met to work on Pane, burro e rock and rollFreak came to my house at Gallarate. We spent a day and a whole night to write down all the possible columns for the radio broadcast. That day she brought with her a lot of A4 sheets written, in his own way, some by typewriter, others by hand, still others glued. It was something she always did. She told me that she had presented some of those ideas shortly before on a national radio but that they had been, let’s say, “stolen” from her. I’m not saying this to be controversial but because he really was like that: he was extremely jealous, in his own way, of his project and his ideas”.
Freak saw in radio times a challenge to test his talkative tendency, due to the work of his brain in constant rumination of ideas, phrases, gags: «The radio sometimes drove him “crazy”. He was a person who talked a lot, sometimes even for half an hour without respite. Being therefore forced to have to perform short interventions was something that excited him greatly. I have always been very pleased that he trusted me in the field of radio and that he has always been grateful for it.”
THE NICHE ARTIST AND RELIGIONS
A complex person and character, as Ariele fondly remembers: «Freak perhaps he “suffered” a little from being considered a great… niche artist – he concludes -. This was his luck, but only on one side. In fact, during his lifetime he did not have the typical recognition of great renowned singer-songwriterbut it certainly was a genius for all who knew him. And this is an even more interesting, even greater recognition to go to Sanremo. The Sanremo stage was something he actually cared about in the last years of his life, and it was the reason why he wrote I bring God. Puns aside, Freak actually was a great religious enthusiast. He was not a practicing Catholic, at least I’m not the one to say so, but he read many biblical texts and often quoted Bhagavad Gita. He always studied God. One of my few regrets with him was that I didn’t have the opportunity to write his column Me and God. I still remember how he introduced her to me – Ariele, I already know what to do: I’m walking under the roof of a house, a tile comes loose and falls on my head. END». Ariele laughs as she brings us Freak’s words and thinks back to that moment, which he will remain “private”.
Because Freak, often making us think, knew just how to entertain. And viceversa.