What I liked about Nico from the first time I saw him was his energy! The way he draws in his audience. He says, “he chooses songs that make him move.” I say, he makes the songs move. Nico first came to my attention when he won the 2017 Festival Show in Verona. Afterwards I started to follow him never knowing that his path would cross with Ignazio’s. Ignazio what did you see in this young man? Probably what I saw. A fresh approach. A freedom of expression that goes deep and is apparent in the songs he writes. Nico writes much of his own music and what he writes is really about who he is.

In a recent interview with Nico Donvito, an Italian Music Blogger, I saw another side of Nico. This is the side, in my opinion, that resembles Ignazio. We hear this young man talk about his music. His place in the music industry. How he got there and all the people who are responsible for his journey. 

I heard a, very, intelligent and, responsible young man who has worked hard to get to where he is. He talks about, who he is, where he came from and how he sees his future.

Right out the gate, Nico impressed me with his insight. Nico sees Gorilla as a means of escape from where we are in our world today and an expression of where he finds himself in the world. Nico says, “Gorilla has a fresh taste, because in the last few months we have been a bit obliged to heavy thoughts, to stop and reflect on important things, to close ourselves in ourselves. At a certain point the moment comes when you need a beer on the beach with your friends, ‘Gorilla’ is just that, something not at all thick which and, in certain situations, can be essential.”

That’s pretty deep and right on. It was almost as if he was saying I wrote this song two years ago, but this was its’ moment. Its’ when it was needed. To say that the Gorilla is that moment in time when you need to kick back or as Nico put it when you need a beer on the beach with your friends, yes, that’s exactly what Gorilla is. Its’ light and intriguing and it brought us away from all the madness that preceded it. Perhaps, that’s what Ignazio was saying the day Gorilla was released. Let’s take the weight of the world and toss it aside. You had your way and now, we’re going to have ours!

Nico said he had Gorilla “in the drawer for a few years, in some ways it had become something unheard of for me, even if I understood the potential of the recording. So , I decided to rewrite the verses, to work again on the musical aspect, to represent in some way my growth. In addition, the team that work ed with me has changed . The head of everything Ignazio and the great boss Michele are two people that I will never stop thanking for they believed in something, then took that something from nothing to something so beautiful.  Something wonderful to invest in, something that is not yet, is not for everyone, they took it and had the courage to go with it. This is the way we have known since November. We are side by side where we breathe when the boys are just a bomb and you can fell joy.”

When asked how he perceived Gorilla Nico said, “when they ask me what genre, the only word I can come up with is ‘Groove’ because it represents a constant in my music. ‘Ignorance’ because I consider it the most appropriate term, even if the most elegant one could be light-heartedness, but if we want to bring it among people to the language of children, we can speak of good and healthy ignorance. ‘Mustard,’ finally, because it is not clear if you like it or not, if it is spicy or not, if you go to analyze a few sentences of the piece there is also a pinch of political criticism, deliberately proposed in a subtle and veiled way”.

Gorilla is indeed a statement. Nico sees all the worth of it. He realizes where it needs to go and who it needs to touch. In reworking the song, he has opened a door to who he is. He is the groove, the spice and the mustard all rolled into one. The good and healthy ignorance is the selling point of the song. It appeals to children because they understand the language of the Gorilla and they look for him.

Nico was asked if he has achieved a specific artistic identity or, is he simply looking for it?

Nico explains, “it is certainly better than before and it will always be like this, a crescendo. Initially I had difficulties, because you need to find your own pen, otherwise you will remain an interpreter basing everything on your stamp. Today I think I have reached a good textual point, I can still improve on a musical and melodic level, some nuances can be added to make it even more personal. ”Gorilla” is a piece written more than two years ago, a mix between what has been and what is now, the next songs will be part of the next phase, I hope people will notice this growth, because originality is the most important element for an artist.”

What an amazing insight. Listen to how Ignazio summed up Nico in an article from Quotiano.net. “This is the moment Nico has been waiting for, for two and a half years. We could have anticipated the times, but I think we did the right thing to wait. Nico needed to grow calmly in writing. And he’s doing it very well.”

When asked about going to Sanremo again, Nico gives us a look into the future.  ”I am working   on many new things, little is known about me, there has been ‘Volo’ and ‘Gorilla’ but I have even more personal songs in store. The thing that fascinates me most about the pieces I’ve written, in these years, is that they highlight my character, they tell me in detail. A strange place is certainly to be expected, where there are, particular thoughts, all accompanied by the ‘groove’ that characterizes me. Regarding Sanremo Giovani, I confess that I have a song that I like so much, but that I don’t yet consider perfect. Surely in the future there will be a third test, I can’t tell you if it will be this year, next year or the other, but it is an experience that I would like to repeat with the right piece.”

In a recent article I wrote, I stated, “Nico has a lot of passion when he writes. His songs go deep and, they leave you with a lasting impression! You can feel the depth of who Nico is. So young and so wise. It’s no wonder that Ignazio noticed him. He’s all feeling. He can be crazy, calm and tenacious all at the same time!  He can be so funny and so serious in a split second!”

One of the songs Nico has in store for us is “Passanti.” On the night Gorilla was released, Nico gave us a preview of some of his upcoming songs. Listen to my words about the night Gorilla was released.” I hope you noticed that little gem that was slipped in there, Passanti.” Coming soon!

How does Nico see his future? “It seems trivial,” Nico says, “but I would like my music to reach everyone. I don’t care who listens to it, the important thing is that anyone who wants to do it will take care of it, enter my head and don’t make too much mess.”

And that sums it and Nico up!

Credit to owners of all photos and video.