VOICE RISING FABRIZIO PIGLIUCCI and the new “TALES OF CLAY”

AUDIO: https://open.spotify.com/episode/207MJN0WxKRUk4FMqGrJ7B?si=z-jiHkw4QcmGLa6R-7vKJQ

Welcome to Voice Rising, with me in studio today is the internationally renowned composer, arranger, sound healer and peace activist Fabrizio Pigliucci Welcome, Fabrizio

FAB: Hello Kara, hello from Italy to all the listeners! Thank you for inviting me here today, and excuse for my English!

“Fabrizio, ...we are here today to talk about and celebrate your newest album - Tales of Clay - an homage to our earth and all the stories she holds. WE ...along with the other animals, the stones, the rivers, the trees, clouds, and all our winged friends, are mere characters within a huge story that are visibly unfolding around us. We are participants within the vast imagination that is dreaming our world into creation. And yet, although humans justify only - 0.01% of all life we have destroyed 83% of wild mammals and over half of the plant life. Groundbreaking assessment of all life on Earth reveals humanity’s surprisingly tiny part in this great story, has disproportionately destroyed wild habitats and polluted her oceans, rivers, and waters. Tales of Clay, is a collection of tales in music. Stories that pay tribute to this grand mystery and epic artwork called - LIFE - that we are part of. It speaks to the beauty of the lands and invites us to remember the bigger picture - talk to us about your personal connection with our earth. her stories, and your vision behind this new album Tales of Clay.

FAB: Well, with the years, I'm undressing myself from wrong habits, too many things to do, rushing here and there, and I decided to choose on what projects to work on as a music professional, searching ethics, respect and good energies. This given me the privilege to free me and to have time, to open my eyes and heart, and to enjoy all the beauties out there that usually we have no time to consider. My path is to clear myself from all the layers and layers of unuseful and heavy baggage we carry on, to go to the essence. So I wanted to realize this album as a collection of tales about what I think is the core of a simple balanced life: the care for our children, our elderly, the pure friendship, the deep love that is in the eyes of lovers and needs no words, the connection with the rhythms of nature, with our Mother Earth, and our spirit.. seeds to grow that are just inside us!

Before we continue, I want our listeners to get a taste of your newest release. Let us begin where all great things begin - with THE SEED - I understand that your son Andrea Pigliucci wrote the composition that we will hear. Talk to us more about the trust a SEED must have to grow into new forms - what we can learn from seeds? their trust in receiving nourishment and sustenance from other forces in order to grow - . do we too have a role in nurturing and nourishing not only the land but each other?

FAB: Yes, all is connected, and all we are connected, as is demonstrated by the most recent researches in quantic physics and beyond. The scientists are incredibly arrived to discover the same truth and vision told by the Eastern mystics, as Buddhist, Taoist, Zen, from centuries. This is fantastic! The next song tells about a seed. A seed needs the soil, water, the energy of sun, and now we knows also that plants help other plants by root's connections, and they dance. In the same way, to grow harmonically, we need not only food, but comprehension, space, confidence, love, and so on. In the vision in which all is connected, we must consider us as single cells of a complex body, where every cell is important for the overall wellbeing of the body. So the only way for us as humans is to collaborate, to work together for a common wellbeing and for a new radiant future. We have now in front of us this truth, this is the key, and this is the challenge. Now our personal work is to understand and to apply this, in our life! Thank you Kara to choose this song, Andrea has a special talent and soul, that will grow up for sure!

MUSIC - THE SEED, by Andrea Pigliucci

You have been listening to The Seed - off of the newest album by Fabrizio Pigliucci, written by your son Andrea Pigliucci – The SEED is in the messages of the album…. To search and return with consciousness to the center - to the land - planting new seeds of love-

Fabrizio, CLAY is the most ancient healing remedy and hygienic substance used by humans and animals since the creation of life on Earth. In ancient texts and parchments, it is said that humans were made out of clay. In science, they have shown that life started in a mixture made of clay and water. These statements show how essential clay is for humans and all living beings on Earth. Soil for some is a handful of dirt, and for others, the soil is the science behind life. - What drew you to choose the title Tales of Clay for this impressive work of music?

FAB: You told very well about the meanings of clay, but I spent a lot of time to understand that clay was the right symbol for the album. The idea has arrived from a very sensitive artist that I have the privilege to know, Alessandra Bosco. She is an Italian photographer, researcher, ecologist, and artist. She sent me various pictures when I was searching an idea for the cover. One especially hitten me, I didn't understand what it was, but I loved it instantly, it seemed to me a sort of seed in the soil, it was warm, mysterious and magic. She told me that it was an handwork she made with clay time ago, and why she loves clay. aaah, CLAY!! I realized suddenly that it was what I'm looking for! And then the album name and the cover was born: TALES OF CLAY! Alessandra probably is listening now from Sicily, hello! thank you with the heart!

We owe a wealth of gratitude to the many great thinkers, artists, and teachers that have gone before us, those that had thought independently, and courageously, and dared to step outside the boundaries of conventional thought. You dedicated the next song, “L'album dei Ricordi” to a much- loved teacher of your children. Talk to us about the role education plays in co-creating a healthy world and shaping the young minds of our children. Why must good teachers be valued?

FAB: Yes, teachers are so important! We just told about seeds, teachers are together with the family, the ones who water the seed to grow well, our children. We were lucky, but it's not always the same. I think that would be necessary to invest more to have a better school system, capable to open more our children's mind and heart, teaching not only technical lessons but also human values, arts, self knowing, consciousness, know different cultures, and of course to experiment materially the larger number of things possible, up to learn how to use the new technologies consciously.

Music – L’ALBUM DEI RICORDI (The album of memories)

After a short break, more with Fabrizio Pigliucci - You can listen to this show again as always at omtimes.com/iom/shows/voice-rising/

------Break ------

I’m Kara Johnstad, and this is Voice Rising. Today, with Composer Fabrizio Pigliucci, composer, sound healer, producer and he would like to say, dream catcher, an internationally renowned composer, arranger, and producer. Fabrizio has dedicated his life to creating music that uplifts and heals humanity. We are talking about his newest album release TALES OF CLAY:

Fab, our life goes by very fast. It seems like an eternity when we are young, but it is very precious to be alive and contributing to our life, In these very complex times, with a global pandemic happening, a climate crisis at our doorstep, species extinction at the highest it has ever been, pollution, human trafficking the list goes on and on, you are clear that consciousness is the key to getting our selves out of this dilemma. Talk to us about the current state of affairs and what you see as a possible path out of misery. How can we come together at this moment in history? What role do the arts and creative consciousness play in this mending of the world?

FAB: Arts connect us with our heart, with our voice, and with others. It also gives culture, a critic vision, and opens our eyes. The more art we have, the more we are awakened to the immense beauty there is in the world and inside us. With this consciousness, one can't accept the world destruction for interests or stupidity, and one can't accept when human's dignity is forgotten. In this particular moment I see here enormous interests also in the pandemic story, so it's particularly important now to have consciousness as a light to see and evaluate with a better balance what is happening, that is not so clear. As artist I felt the importance to do now something in my little possibilities. I felt that this was the moment to realize this album, and to give it for free, with the hope to help someone out there.

Language is interwoven with cultures, perceptions, and ways of honoring the lands. losing a language is a major setback for everyone because along with the language, we lose all of the poems, the stories, the songs, and the ways of being in the world. And those things are of immense importance to all of us as human beings.” I believe in Italy alone you have approximately 34 native living spoken languages and related dialects in Italy, - when we lose our language we lose our traditions and culture. Talk to us about the importance of language -Why are not more people talking about language extinction? and can you share a bit about your role as an artist and producer in saving certain words and concepts from extinction?

FAB: Yes, one of the central values of life I think is memory. We are the result of what the previous generations built for us! Speaking of languages, every word of a language contains a story and a culture, so every word or language that we lose is a heritage of humanity that we throw away! Globalization is responsible for this I think, wanting to impose some models as general models for everyone. For this, as a musician, I find especially important to continue to use traditional and ethnic instruments in my music, together with classic and modern of course, not following the market and the trends. So, in TALES OF CLAY I used some instruments from India, Ireland and mid-eastern Europe, and ancient instruments as the medieval hurdy-gurdy, as I loved to have a song in an old Neapolitan language, and loved the idea of the wonderful person and friend of mine Ravi Maddumage, artist from Sri-Lanka, that wrote a fairytale about the rainbow called "Indrachapayak", in a disappearing word of his traditional language. He imagined a father telling to his little child an imaginary story about from where the wonderful colors of nature come from.

Let us listen to the Sri Lankan story of how the rainbow got its colors - Indrachapayak -

Music - INDRACHAPAYAK

Purity. “When you look into your mother’s eyes, you know that is the purest love you can find on this earth.” The eyes of animals and pets have the same trust, love, loyalty, and compassion. Can you share with us a few words about the next song - “Vi Amerò per sempre” – (I will love you forever)

FAB: I wrote that song when a little dog arrived in our family. It was our first experience, and I was absolutely moved for its pure love, for the human light in its eyes, and how it was so fragile and trusted in us totally, with the promise to love us forever.. Let me introduce some great musicians: on the album I have the honor to have fantastic solo musicians as the albanian violinist Elvin Dhimitri, the italian accordeonist Massimiliano Lazzaretti, the flutist Raffaella Sciarra, Paolo Zampini from the Morricone Orchestra, and the famous Korean cellist Kyungmi Lee from the Morricone's Orchestra too, you can hear her playing on this song.

MUSIC – VI AMERO’ PER SEMPRE (I will love you forever)

You dedicated the sirene vibrant song “Nei Tuoi Occhi” (“In your eyes”) to your beloved wife Mari. It celebrates the union of two souls. Many artists talk about needing much alone time to be able to hear the inner voice clearly. What is your experience as an artist, an artist who cares deeply for nurturing friendships and family? Do you struggle with finding alone time to write and think? Do you long for more time together with friends and family? Is there such a thing as conscious parenting and conscious striving to be in a conscious partnership - and what are some things that can help us stay in a vibrant relationship with our beloved partner? Do you have any tips for other artists balancing the create conscious lifestyle with being in partnership and family life?

FAB: Well, I think that consciousness is the key. I always felt that career was less important than family, so from years I leaved a film career, and refuse important offers, that would take me too far from my loved ones, and also from myself. So I decided to have time, time for music, time for my family and friends, and time for me. This was not easy to achieve, it was a long path, but I tried to take it easy, and I can say I'm happy with the result: I'm proud as musician, and as father, and of course I have a lot of good friends! I think it's the only way to have an harmonic life, and to plant a seed of love.

MUSIC - NEI TUOI OCCHI (In your eyes)

After a short break, more with Fabrizio Pigliucci - You can listen to this show again as always at omtimes.com/iom/shows/voice-rising/

------BREAK ------

I’m Kara Johnstad, and this is Voice Rising Today, with Fabrizio Pigliucci, composer, sound healer, producer and he would like to say, dream catcher, An internationally renowned composer and arranger, Fabrizio has dedicated his life to creating music that uplifts and heals humanity. We are talking about his newest album release today TALES OF CLAY:

Fabrizio, Folklore has often preached clay as a medicinal cure-all. Whether the clay is from the depths of a bubbling hot spring or the banks of a winding river, people have used it for centuries to heal. The next song that I would like to play was built on a song that is sung by the old farmers of the area around Vesuvius - Naples. It is from an era where and playing was a way to tell stories and share the traditional culture... it also shows us how important the connection of land is to our survival. Share with us more about the importance of ritual and the importance of community. How songs, singing by the fire, celebrating the planting and the harvest -and how the community bonding needed to plant and harvest. holds us together- Any thoughts?

FAB: we are living in a world that is more and more virtually connected online, but always less connected in real life. The song "La speranza" is the perfect example of the opposite: the voice you will listen is from an 80 years old farm woman, I had the recording from Salvatore Raiola (which I thank deeply), director of a beautiful documentary about the old farmer's traditions of the Vesuvius area, that they used to share singing and playing drums. In the documentary there are elderly of 80-90 years old still smiling at each other, dancing and singing, passion and joy... I was so moved to see this hard but simple and joyful life, and I understood that probably the meaning of life is there, and we are losing it. So I written this emotional orchestration, on top the voice of Anna Rosanova, that was considered one of the most important persons in sharing the farmers' culture and traditions there, an honor for me.

Music – LA SPERANZA (RACCONTI DALLA TERRA) – The hope (tales from the earth)

Fabrizio, You have decided to release and share the album Tales of Clay as a free download on your homepage. www.fabriziopigliucci.com. Your hope is that it can help others to heal and bring beauty and peace to their lives. This is a great gift for humanity - Folklore often preaches of the healing quality of CLAY - can music also help us to mend and heal?-

FAB: yes of course, no doubt on it! music heals who make music, singing, for example in a choir, or playing instruments, can heal. It's not only relax, but music establish a connection with ourselves, with our interiority, with our inner voice, our emotionality, our body, and with the others with which we play together, or who listen to us. Also to write music is a form of meditation, a state of deep concentration, a flow of energy, a sort of therapy! And of course listening to music can heal ! Music is a mystery, has no place, no age, no time, it enters directly into our heart and touch our soul, because it bypass the thinking mind. For this it can awaken us, for a more healthy life. Music-therapy is a well known reality from years, and science is also studying how some pure sounds can be used as therapy, as in the Binaural Beats technique. Music surely heal me every day, and showed me the path in my life! I’m happy to share it for free.

Looking at the earth from above . from outer space - you see a blue ball spinning in space..

I want to simply play the next song as everyone holds the image of the earth in their heart as we listen to Fabrizio's Terra Nova a Lullaby for Mother Earth, from the new album Tales of Clay.

Music - TERRA NOVA (Lullaby for Mother Earth)

Fabrizio - there is a well-kept secret that many listeners do not know, the theme song for VOICE RISING is a song that you composed - it is a collaboration we created together and one can find it on the new Tales of Clay Album - what is your message of hope for our world?

FAB: yes this is a great song, and an hymn for life, I'm so proud of it, thank you to use it for such a long time, an honor for me! Thank you! Of course I can't forget the sad moment we are all living in the world now. So I want to send my very best wishes to all, that we can exit from this difficult moment as soon as possible, trying now to stay healthy and centered, to not leave ourselves to fears and stress, remembering always how is important to be aware of who we are, and of our dignity always, avoiding divisions, inside and outside us, and having care. But the sick are actually not only people, it's our Mother Earth too, and this is our fault, so my hope is that a day we can really plant and grow a beautiful seed, for a new world in prosperity!

Rabindranath Tagore said, “It is very simple to be happy, but it is very difficult to be simple.” I am curious - although you advocate living simply, your music is rich with layers, vibrant with the diversity of many cultures, languages, musical instruments, and music styles. Share with us the role that simplicity plays in your life. Does it give you the inner space needed to embrace complexity and adversity so that you can distill it down to its pure essence?

FAB: you told it perfectly! I love to play and experiment with sounds, my music is rich but essential, some songs have only two sounds, voice and strings, or and cello, and so on, and some others have more instruments, but all these elements are very strong and distinctive. I use to cut away what is not necessary when arranging, so what remains is essential, strong, and can't be cutted more. Voices have more space, and also a space remains for the listener, that is important for me.

The usage of the most wider selection of different instruments, from ancient to the most modern, is a way to embrace all the world, to have an universal language, to say one more time that all we are one, all is one, all is connected and all us can live well together.

Thank you so much for being with me here at VOICE RISING

Wishing you all the success for Tales of Clay - once again if you would like to receive Fabrizio's newest album go to www.fabriziopigliucci.com - there in the store you can download - if you are able to give a generous donation, please do so as all donations help to produce more music for independent documentaries and support young artists and music productions dedicated to raising the consciousness of our planet.