Francesco Rampino interview. Parlare con te (Ho sognato che)
Italian singer-songwriter Francesco Rampino invites listeners into a deep and personal dream with his new track “Parlare con te (Ho sognato che...)” (Talking to you (I dreamed that...)). In this exclusive interview, he shares the roots of the song, the emotions that inspired it, and how he transforms intimate moments into powerful music.
For Ukrainian readers discovering you for the first time, how would you describe your musical identity?
I'm a singer-songwriter; I live by sensations and emotions that I convey to listeners through my melodies and words. Give me a piano and we'll have fun.
Your song talks about a dream. Do you often remember your dreams? Do they influence your creativity?
Often, though not always. But when dreams are full of important meanings for us or are particular, almost magical, it's hard to forget them. So far, this is the first song in my discography inspired by a dream. For the future, we'll see...
How does your cultural background influence the emotions and stories in your music?
Well, I believe that having appreciated great Italian light music and art-pop since childhood and adolescence, and then maturing my tastes by listening to singer-songwriters, certainly influenced the first melodic ideas I wrote as a child. This great passion was cultivated over the years, eventually becoming my profession: writing lyrics and composing music.
In your opinion, can music heal emotional wounds that words sometimes cannot?
I'd rather say "scar over": it's a more gradual and realistic process. For an immediate and certain "healing," perhaps we should prepare our spirit for isolation and not be social animals. But if we want to live a life of relationships and connections with others, loving company and sharing, it will be inevitable to be conditioned by some kind of adversity or by others' reactions that are far from our way of being. However, this doesn't diminish the importance of self-knowledge, the awareness of solitude (which complements moments of encounter), and the ability to choose oneself.
Was there a specific moment when you realized that “Parlare con te” had to become a song?
Yes. It's that moment when you start writing a song and you feel it works; in those moments, you get angry if you don't continue a work that has just surprised you. It would be like throwing away a precious moment.
What message would you like to convey to international listeners with this song?
The message of love, of how beautiful it is to feel emotion when you love, and how great is the person who chooses to fix things instead of leaving. But to fix things, you first need to explore yourself and improve; without this, you can't truly understand others or manage relationships.
If you could perform this song in a city outside of Italy, which would you choose and why?
If I think of a place that could enhance, even visually, my music and my emotionality, the first thing that comes to mind is the beautiful and fascinating island of Santorini, in Greece. If I think more philosophically, I could choose a Spanish city where music is deeply felt, or Ukraine, to emphasize the importance of emotions and humanity in such a difficult moment marked by war.
Which artists outside of the Italian music scene inspire you?
I don't want to talk about artists who directly influence my way of writing, because I wouldn't be able to answer truthfully. If instead I think of artists I love to listen to, I would say: Elton John (for songwriting), Brian McKnight (for delicacy and the use of breathing dynamics), Freddie Mercury (for theatricality, for charisma), Bon Jovi (for energy, the density of arrangements in certain productions), Simply Red (whom I often listened to as a teenager)... and then of course I can't forget giants like The Beatles (where everything originates), Lionel Richie, or Aretha Franklin. Who knows how many other legends, living or not, could be mentioned. But, for intellectual honesty, I think listeners would primarily associate my writing with that of Italian authors.
What do you feel a few moments before stepping onto the stage?
Even though so far (ahahahah) everything has always gone well on stage, I think it's right to feel those few moments of slight tension and a healthy fear of not doing well. If adrenaline and these sensations were missing, we would be artistically dead and would have nothing left to transmit.
What's next for you after this release? Are you working on a larger project or an album?
I've written a song that I consider very important for my artistic career, but for now, I don't want to reveal almost anything; it's still a top-secret project. Besides this main piece, I've written other things in recent months, but I haven't yet decided what their recording future will be. So, I won't commit to the idea of a second album or EP. The only certainty is that, sooner or la
