“Partigiane a Brera”: probably staged photography of guerrilla women to return weapons to the allies in Milan on April 26, 1945
Deeply mythified song in Italian culture, was born as a hymn of monineit was sung practically in every language, from Albanian to the yidchet, immortalized by Yves Montand, by Milva, by Becky G in “Casa de Papel”. This week’s events have changed forever the way we sing it.
One of the bullet capsules not triggered that the authorities say they were found with the weapon allegedly used in the presentation, as revealed, an inscription with verses of a House of Italian Antifascist Anthem.
The words “O bella hello, beautiful hello, beautiful hello, bye, bye”They are part of the chorus of Hello beautifula song of unfasually and with a constant evolving legacy, ranging from the songs sung by workers in the Italian rice from the 19th century to their appearances in television and video game series contemporary.
The governor of Utah, Spencer CoxThe Republican Party described the inscription, as well as others found in discarded bullets during a press conference on Friday, when he announced the detention of a 22-year suspect for murder.
Utah’s Cox and said investigators recovered the ammunition used in the attack on the conservative activist, who had Several recorded registrations.
A misunderstood song and diffuse origins
Sung Every year on April 25 During the day of liberation of Italy, the Liberation Daywhich marks the Fall of the fascist regime and the end of the Nazi occupation, Bella Ciao It became a deeply mitigated song in Italian culture.
The song andSpread around the world and was interpreted throughout the years by artists as diverse as Tom Waits, Becky G and Yves Montand.
“It was sung practically in all languagesfrom Albanian to the Yide, ”he explains to Professor Modern European History Stanislao Pugliesefrom the University of Hofstra, whose investigation focuses on anti -fascist resistance. “It really looks touch a sensitive point that crosses borders and cultures. ”
A animated and ears melodycomposed in a larger tone, accompanies equally captivating verses. They start almost romantically: “One morning I woke up / O beautiful, goodbye, beautiful, goodbye, beautiful, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye“.
But the tone quickly transforms into political tragedynarrating the story of a “Partigiano” that “dies for freedom“.
“People often associate Bella Ciao with partisana resistance“Explains the Italian teacher Diana Garvinfrom the University of Oregon, who studied the song. “AND Although this is true, it is just a small part of history. ”
According to Garvin, Pugliese and other sources, the song has roots in popular music Italian. Became known in the nineteenth century among seasonal rice working women, the moninewho did hard and poorly paid Mondas tasks.
“To bella hello It’s probably one of your most famous songs“, Says Garvin, adding that the verses that know each other today about the dying” partigian ” They were not the same as the Mondine sang.
The original version spoke of the tough conditions of the rice work: “The narrator describes the terrible workbetween the mosquitoes and the mud to the knees, ”explained Garvin.There were water snakes to slide by the legs“.
As the song evolves, Verses become more angry and politicized. “They talk about better working conditions and the hope of one day they can work in freedom. What is seen in the song is the Awakening of a worker movement international that was beginning to gain strength. ”
Com or time, beautiful hello It is no longer just a song About the hardness of the Mondine’s life and began to integrate labor struggles from the 1920s during the rise of Benito Mussolini.
“The conditions worsened even more with the so -called Battle of Wheat. Italy did not produce enough wheat for bread and pasta, and Mussolini desperately needed cheap workforce of these women“Garvin explains.” Under this pressure, they began to organize strikes. “
According to Garvin, as Mondine uSong to coordinate political actionsincluding railway strikes. “They sang small excerpts that had meaning to those who knew the song, but they went unnoticed to those who were not in the middle. conquer the right to the eight -hour journey During the most black years of fascism. ”
Postwar Renaissance
Contrary to what many think, Bella Ciao It was not widely sung as a resistance anthem during World War II. Garvin says the song reappeared after the warwith new letter.
“People think of it as a song of resistance partisana because there is a second letter, today much better known“, These Garvin.
That new version, still contestedstopped talking about a rice worker. “Now it’s generally A Partigian who says goodbye of your beloved, aware that will probably die in the fight“He explained.
The song won huge popularity in the 1950s and 1960sespecially in a version of the Italian singer Milvawho sometimes interpreted it with both letters: the old and the new.
“In the 1950s and 60s, Italy is experiencing an economic boom. Everyone starts to have better conditions and the song becomes more commercial, starts to pass on popular radio programs,” said Garvin, adding that Bella Ciao has become a 1968 Student Protests Anthemin Italy and beyond.
Bella Ciao In our day
In recent years, Bella Ciao has gained new relevance in both politics and popular culture. Politically, it was appropriate on both the left and right.
In January, for example, Left activists in Germany They sang the song in a protest against the far-right party party. At the same time, Bella Ciao also Appears in Spotify lists associated with followers of the white nationalist commentator Nick Fuentes, known critic of Charlie Kirk.
In popular culture, a version of the American singer Becky G It was used in the Spanish series The Money Heistwhich debuted in 2017 and ended at Netflix in 2021.
Becky G’s official video on YouTube has already surpassed the 57 Views And it has over 11,000 comments, including recent references to Kirk’s murder. “This video will be very careful now“Wrote a user on Friday.
The song also comes in the video game Far Cry 6in a version entitled La Bella Ciao de Libertad, attributed to La Sonora Yarana.
According to a fan page of the game, this is a “revolutionary song Against the tyrannical regime of dictator Antón Castillo in the universe of Far Cry 6 ″.
According to a Reddit post by musician Luchito Muñoz, who worked in the soundtrack, La Sonora Yarana It is not a real group, but a fictitious name created for the game.
Some commentators noticed that Other bullet capsules linked to Kirk’s homicide had inscriptions related to Video games. One of them displayed the symbols “arrow up, right arrow and three arrows down“Apparently a reference to commands to launch bombs in the popular Helldivers 2.
Beautiful hello and charlie kirk
While speculating about the reasons for Kirk’s killer, the academic community expresses concern and sadness for seeing Bella Ciao verses associated with the crime.
“This whole situation is to leave the heart“, Said Garvin.“ More than anything, seems to reveal an upward moment of political violence“.
“Our culture and our political situation They seem to reflect Italy a lot From the early 1920s, ”says Pugliese. “Mussolini was a new phenomenonand the Italian political elite was not prepared to deal with him. ”
“I think this last decade has shown that Much of our political classboth left and right, cannot understand What really happens in the country. And this can pave the way for political extremism like what we have just seen in the last days, ”he adds.
According to Pugliese, this week’s events changed forever the song. “She became the anti-fascist and anti-plant hymna song that we sing all April 25 to celebrate the liberation of fascism and Nazism. AND I don’t know if we will be able to sing it again in the same waywith this shadow hanging over it. ”
