A Lot Like Purple: Just sing it! Sing what? But 'Azzurra', of course!

In Italian, my mother tongue, Azzurra is a very particular and unusual name.

It's absolutely not a biblical or otherwise religious one, it's definitely not a traditional one, it's not even featured in the calendar with all Catholic saints and literally means 'azure' or 'light-blue'. Or, to put it better, 'something female which color is light-blue'.
Yes, you got it right: my name is actually not even a proper name. It is an adjective instead, because Italian adjectives change on the basis of gender and number, like in many other Neo-Latin languages.

[Not only Paolo Conte and Adriano Celentano sing Azzurro...

there is also a peculiar cover
by the famous German punk band Die toten Hosen]

All my life, I've been asked a lot of stupid questions about it and in particular, if my name does come from Adriano Celentano's song 'Azzurro' (written by Paolo Conte) or from Lucio Battisti's song 'Acqua azzurra, acqua chiara', both very popular in Italy and, I've lately discovered, in Germany too.

[I am sorry, but I had nothing to do
with the famous Italian yacht racing team
that took part in the 1983 America's Cup]

Sometimes people ask me even if my name does come from the sailing boat that once has competed in the 1983 America's Cup. I was already six years old, at that time. Yup, I am that old. And proud of it. ;)

[Elvis Presley Vs. Little Tony,
Image credit: Carlo Casale]

You would think, it is a lot already. Me too. But!
Never say never, and always stay cool: today, I've discovered a truly ugly song from Little Tony, an Italian copycat of Elvis Presley.
The title? But Azzurra, of course?!

Purple Pages

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Just sing it! Sing what? But 'Azzurra', of course!