Pianist and composer GéNIA has released a special new single entitled “Bella Ciao.” The piece was arranged for her by Paolo Cognetti and all proceeds will go to the Kharkiv children in Ukraine.
CCM: Tell us about “Bella Ciao.”
GéNIA: I have chosen this composition because, first of all, it is very beautiful. Secondly, it is dedicated to me, as it was created by the Italian composer Paolo Cognetti. The title says ‘To Genia- Peace in Ukraine’. I was deeply moved, not only by the beautiful music itself but by the ethos behind it, Devastated by the current war in Ukraine, Paolo wanted to express his solidarity with the Ukrainian people at this time, as ‘Bella Ciao’ is an arrangement of the famous Italian folk song which became the anthem of the resistance movement by the partisans, opposing fascism during their fight against the occupying forces of the Nazis.
CCM: What was it like to hear this piece for the first time?
I first heard it when the composer, Paolo, contacted me on Instagram. I was blown away! He just messaged me and said: ‘I have a piece of music I dedicated to you, and the people of Ukraine’.
As a performer, I was surprised at how masterfully Paolo changed the original energetic song ‘Bella Ciao’ into such a beautiful piece of slow, sad music, whilst still keeping the main theme. I thought it was ‘geniuosly’ done!
CCM: Were there any challenging moments in this piece?
The biggest challenge of the piece is to keep it still, quiet, and yet not to make it sound boring; to show little nuances as a performer.
CCM: Tell us a little bit about the production of the track?
I produced the track in my studio by myself. This question is very much related to the answer which I gave to your question above; the most challenging aspect was to capture the stillness of the music. From the production point of view, it was important to create a sound as soft as possible, whilst managing to maintain little variations in the tone.
I did, however, have one unexpected challenge! In my studio, on one side from the piano there is quite a big fish tank, which has been there for ages, and has never created any problems for me. This time, however, my parrot fish decided to play with stones. Because the track was so quiet, unfortunately, it kept interfering with the recording, and there was not much I could do, but to record it many times, as I do not like editing sounds from the track, as well as cutting and chopping! It never happened to me before and I have been recording here for over two years! Because the track was so quiet, maybe, microphones picked up the slightest noise. My fish is now behaving well again – it was a rare moment!
CCM: Who were your other collaborators?
Well, Paolo, the composer, was the main collaborator, as he created the arrangement and produced the score, which is beautifully done! Also, the mastering engineer Cicely Balston, from AIR Studios in London, brought her fantastic input, as she knows the sound I love, and always adds her own magic touch.
We all agreed that, not only we gave our time for free to this project (and I am super grateful to Cicely for this), but ALL the proceeds from the recording are going to Kharkiv, Ukraine, to support children. To be exact, initially the funds will be sent to help children with serious health and mental health conditions to be transported from Kharkiv to Western hospitals and to other rehabilitation places, where they already have been accepted for treatment.
I am very grateful to Paolo for his creativity and generosity. We have also released the sheet music for ‘Bella Ciao’, which will suit pianists of any level, from late beginners to advanced pianists. To obtain the score, we invite our audience to make a donation of their choice to my ‘Support Kharkiv Foundation’, where the funds will be used for the same cause – to help Kharkiv children
Download Bella Ciao Score for Kharkiv Children
So, this project is a real collaboration, and I am grateful to Paolo and Cicely for supporting my cause – helping people from Kharkiv, the city, where I myself am from.
Stream “Bella Ciao” on Spotify!
