Description
Almanac, from the Arabic al-manākh, was the place where camels stopped to unload and load goods and supplies. It is an annual publication similar to a calendar, but with additional information. Also a yearbook, a book containing all the data and news or considerations that may be of interest during the year. It is the root of almanaccare, which means to fantasise, to strive to invent, to devise something.
That is why, thinking back to the Almanacs of the Italian Communist Party, the choir Inni e canti di lotta (Hymns and Songs of Struggle), which for almost 30 years with Giovanna Marini has been telling the story of those who fight for democracy, freedom and survival through music and song, has decided to publish this Centenary Almanac. We started with the texts of Fausto Amodei’s Il Partito, taken from Camilla Ravera’s Diario di trent’anni: 1913-1943, and created a collective work based on research, exchanges of information, opinions and emotions to recount not only the stories and protagonists of that era, but also the cultural and social humus in which those events took place. We recounted the lives and activities of many people, including those who remained almost unknown, especially women, who made an enormous contribution to the growth and success of the party, sometimes at a personal cost. And then there are the stories and thoughts of each of us who lived through the PCI, who loved and hated it, who saw it change and transform: a narrative parallel to the chronicles of its foundation.
The Choir Hymns and songs of struggle
lyrics and music by Fausto Amodei
arranged by Giovanna Marini
Choir hymns and songs of struggle conducted by Sandra Cotronei
Small orchestra conducted by Giulia Accardo
Contributions by Elisabetta Mattei and Patrizia De Ruvo.
Graphic design and layout by Chiara Bongiovanni
Editorial revision by Gian Paolo Castelli
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