I Treni Di Tozeur
Encyclopedia
"I treni di Tozeur" is an Italian song, written by Franco Battiato
, Rosario Cosentino and Giusto Pio
. It was the Italian
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1984
, performed in Italian
(with some lyrics in German
) by Alice
and Franco Battiato
.
In a studio version sung only by Battiato, the song was later to be included on his album Mondi Lontanissimi
(1985) and was subsequently also recorded in English and Spanish language versions as "The trains of Tozeur" and "Los trenes de Tozeur" and featured on albums Echoes of Sufi Dances and Ecos de Danzas Sufi respectively. In 1994 Battiato recorded an interpretation of the song with a symphony orchestra for his live album Unprotected.
Alice has also recorded solo versions of the song, included on albums Elisir (1987) and Personal Jukebox
(1999), the latter featuring strings by the London Session Orchestra, arranged and conducted by Gavyn Wright
. The original 1984 duet version of the song features on the 2005 career retrospective Studio Collection, in effect making its debut on an Alice album twenty-one years after its recording.
to Tozeur on the border of the Sahara
desert in the south, the frontier mentioned is subsequently the Tunisian-Algerian. The track was built in the early 1900s at an enormous cost of both state finances and human lives in order for the Bey of Tunis (the King of Tunisia) to travel in grand style to his winter palace in the oasis town of Tozeur and largely also to impress foreign dignitaries on visit. There was originally only one train set, built in Paris
in 1910 and this was an official gift from the state of France to the Bey of Tunisia when the country was a French protectorate
. With all five carriages painted deep-red it was colloquially named 'Le Lézard Rouge
' (The Red Lizard) by the oppressed and empoverished Tunisian people and was seen as a symbol of both the emperor's power and extravagant Western-influenced life-style and the French imperialism.
After the bankrupt Tunisia became an autonomous republic in 1957 and the then reigning Bey from the Husainid Dynasty
had lost both his political influence and his substantial inherited personal wealth, the train set with its luxurious Belle Époque
interiors of brocaded velvet armchairs, overhead antique-globed lighting, brass fittings, mahogany marquetry and panoramic windows was confiscated by the new government but due to its symbolical value stored in a depot and left to its destiny. After some thirty years in decay it was however restored by the Tunisian state and the SNCFT
(La Société National de Chemins de Fer Tunisiens) and today the Red Lizard and the train line Metlaoui-Tozeur, often referred to as the North-African Orient Express
, is again running and one of the country's greatest tourist attractions.
's opera or singspiel
The Magic Flute
(Die Zauberflöte), Act II Scene 27, in its original form only a mere second in duration, 3 bars long, in 6/8 time, usually sung by three young boys or genii. The full sentence goes: "Doch wir wollen dir ihn zeigen, und du wirst mit Staunen sehn, daß er dir sein Herz geweiht". Translated: "Still we want to show him to you, and you will with astonishment see that he consecrates his heart to you".
In 1981 Alice had won the San Remo
song contest with another Battiato composition, "Per Elisa", which in turn both musically and lyrically was a paraphrase of Ludwig van Beethoven
's bagatelle
in A minor WoO 59, popularly known as "Für Elise
".
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Despite its many atypicalities and for its genre comparatively complex structure, "I treni di Tozeur" appeared on the CD set of Winners and Classics produced to coincide with the Congratulations
special of late 2005 as well as on the accompanying DVD.
The studio recording of the song features American opera singer Marilyn Horne
performing all three harmonies and also the string section of the La Scala
orchestra in Milan. The B-side of the single, the instrumental "Le Biciclette Di Forlì" (translated: "The bicycles from Forlì"), is a reference to Alice's birth place, the Italian small town Forlì
.
The song was performed eighteenth on the night, following Switzerland
's Rainy Day with "Welche Farbe hat der Sonnenschein?
" and preceding Portugal
's Maria Guinot
with "Silêncio E Tanta Gente
". Before the Contest, it was ranked by bookmakers Ladbrokes
as the second favorite entry to win, behind Ireland's "Terminal 3
", performed by Linda Martin
. Despite receiving the coveted "twelve points" from countries as diverse as Spain and Finland, at the close of voting it had only totalled 70 points, placing it shared 5th in a field of 19.
" - and also one of the nine countries to award the Italian entry zero points in the Contest. "I treni di Tozeur" is also one of the very few Italian Eurovision entries ever to become a commercial success in Italy itself; the song was a #1 hit in June 1984 and on the list of the best-selling singles in Italy of 1984 "I treni di Tozeur" placed as #20.
Alice and Battiato have continued to work together ever since. In 2002 the two recorded the duet "Come un sigillo" for his album Fleurs 3.
"I treni di Tozeur" was succeeded as Italian representative
by Al Bano & Romina Power
with "Magic Oh Magic
".
, who represented Finland at the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest with "Anna rakkaudelle tilaisuus
", covered "I Treni di Tozeur" on her 1984 album Tunteet. The Finnish language version with lyrics by Simola herself is entitled "Juna Turkuun", which literally translates as "The Train to Turku
". This was the third Italian Eurovision entry Simola recorded, in 1970 she had covered Domenico Modugno
's 1966 entry "Dio, come ti amo
" in Italian and in 1977 Mia Martini
's "Libera
" in Finnish under the title "Vapaana".
's award winning 1985 comedy La messa è finita
.
Franco Battiato
Francesco Battiato is an Italian singer-songwriter, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani, also a painter. Battiato's songs contain esoteric, philosophical and religious themes...
, Rosario Cosentino and Giusto Pio
Giusto Pio
Giusto Pio is an Italian musician and songwriter.Born at Castelfranco Veneto , he studied music in Venice...
. It was the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1984
Eurovision Song Contest 1984
The Eurovision Song Contest 1984 was the 29th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 5 May 1984 in Luxembourg. The presenter was Désirée Nosbusch. Nosbusch, only 19 years old at the time, hosted the show in a lax manner, which was quite unusual for this show back then...
, performed in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
(with some lyrics in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
) by Alice
Alice (Italian singer)
Alice , also known as Alice Visconti is an Italian singer-songwriter and pianist, active since 1971...
and Franco Battiato
Franco Battiato
Francesco Battiato is an Italian singer-songwriter, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani, also a painter. Battiato's songs contain esoteric, philosophical and religious themes...
.
In a studio version sung only by Battiato, the song was later to be included on his album Mondi Lontanissimi
Mondi lontanissimi
Mondi Lontanissimi is an album by Italian singer-songwriter Franco Battiato, released by EMI Italiana in 1985.-Overview:...
(1985) and was subsequently also recorded in English and Spanish language versions as "The trains of Tozeur" and "Los trenes de Tozeur" and featured on albums Echoes of Sufi Dances and Ecos de Danzas Sufi respectively. In 1994 Battiato recorded an interpretation of the song with a symphony orchestra for his live album Unprotected.
Alice has also recorded solo versions of the song, included on albums Elisir (1987) and Personal Jukebox
Personal Jukebox (Alice album)
Personal Jukebox is a compilation album by Italian singer-songwriter Alice, released in 2000 on WEA/Warner Music.In the Spring of 2000 Alice returned to the Sanremo music festival, nineteen years after the victory with "Per Elisa"...
(1999), the latter featuring strings by the London Session Orchestra, arranged and conducted by Gavyn Wright
Gavyn Wright
Gavyn Wright is a British violinist and orchestra leader with the London Session Orchestra and Penguin Cafe Orchestra, best known for his orchestral arrangements on pop productions as well as numerous TV and movie soundtracks Gavyn Wright is a British violinist and orchestra leader with the London...
. The original 1984 duet version of the song features on the 2005 career retrospective Studio Collection, in effect making its debut on an Alice album twenty-one years after its recording.
Lyrics, historical background
The train line referred to in the lyrics runs from Metlaoui in the north through the Gorges of Seldja in the Atlas MountainsAtlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains is a mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The highest peak is Toubkal, with an elevation of in southwestern Morocco. The Atlas ranges separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert...
to Tozeur on the border of the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
desert in the south, the frontier mentioned is subsequently the Tunisian-Algerian. The track was built in the early 1900s at an enormous cost of both state finances and human lives in order for the Bey of Tunis (the King of Tunisia) to travel in grand style to his winter palace in the oasis town of Tozeur and largely also to impress foreign dignitaries on visit. There was originally only one train set, built in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1910 and this was an official gift from the state of France to the Bey of Tunisia when the country was a French protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
. With all five carriages painted deep-red it was colloquially named 'Le Lézard Rouge
Lézard rouge
The lézard rouge is a historic Tunisian train, once the property of the Bey of Tunis but now used for tourists. It runs from Metlaoui to Redeyef and passes through the Selja Gorge, taking some 40 minutes for the journey. The track was originally used by mining trains carrying phosphates.- External...
' (The Red Lizard) by the oppressed and empoverished Tunisian people and was seen as a symbol of both the emperor's power and extravagant Western-influenced life-style and the French imperialism.
After the bankrupt Tunisia became an autonomous republic in 1957 and the then reigning Bey from the Husainid Dynasty
Husainid Dynasty
The Husainid Dynasty is the former ruling dynasty of Tunisia originally of Cretan origin. They came to power under Al-Husayn I ibn Ali at-Turki in 1705 replacing the Muradid Dynasty. After taking power the Husainids ruled as Beys with succession to the throne determined by age with the oldest...
had lost both his political influence and his substantial inherited personal wealth, the train set with its luxurious Belle Époque
Belle Époque
The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque was a period in European social history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until World War I. Occurring during the era of the French Third Republic and the German Empire, it was a period characterised by optimism and new technological and medical...
interiors of brocaded velvet armchairs, overhead antique-globed lighting, brass fittings, mahogany marquetry and panoramic windows was confiscated by the new government but due to its symbolical value stored in a depot and left to its destiny. After some thirty years in decay it was however restored by the Tunisian state and the SNCFT
Tunisian Railways
The Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Tunisiens , abbreviated SNCFT, is the national railway of Tunisia and under the direction of the Ministry of Transport. SNCFT was founded on December 27, 1956. Headquartered in Tunis the company employs about 6000 people...
(La Société National de Chemins de Fer Tunisiens) and today the Red Lizard and the train line Metlaoui-Tozeur, often referred to as the North-African Orient Express
Orient Express
The Orient Express is the name of a long-distance passenger train service originally operated by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. It ran from 1883 to 2009 and is not to be confused with the Venice-Simplon Orient Express train service, which continues to run.The route and rolling stock...
, is again running and one of the country's greatest tourist attractions.
Composition
The German language part of "I treni di Tozeur" performed by three female opera singers, "Doch wir wollen dir ihn zeigen/Und du wirst...", is a quote from Wolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's opera or singspiel
Singspiel
A Singspiel is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera...
The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue....
(Die Zauberflöte), Act II Scene 27, in its original form only a mere second in duration, 3 bars long, in 6/8 time, usually sung by three young boys or genii. The full sentence goes: "Doch wir wollen dir ihn zeigen, und du wirst mit Staunen sehn, daß er dir sein Herz geweiht". Translated: "Still we want to show him to you, and you will with astonishment see that he consecrates his heart to you".
In 1981 Alice had won the San Remo
Festival della canzone italiana
The Festival della canzone italiana di Sanremo is a popular Italian song contest, held annually in the city of Sanremo, in Italy, and consisting of a competition amongst previously unreleased songs...
song contest with another Battiato composition, "Per Elisa", which in turn both musically and lyrically was a paraphrase of Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
's bagatelle
Bagatelle (music)
A bagatelle is a short piece of music, typically for the piano, and usually of a light, mellow character. The name bagatelle literally means a "trifle", as a reference to the innocent character of the piece.-Earliest known bagatelle:...
in A minor WoO 59, popularly known as "Für Elise
Für Elise
Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor for solo piano, commonly known as "Für Elise" , is one of Ludwig van Beethoven's most popular compositions. It is usually classified as a bagatelle, but it is also sometimes referred to as an Albumblatt.- History :The score was not published until 1867, 40 years after...
".
Congratulations (Eurovision)
Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest was a television programme organised by the European Broadcasting Union to commemorate the Eurovision Song Contest's fiftieth anniversary and to determine the Contest's most popular entrant of its fifty years. It took place at Forum,...
special of late 2005 as well as on the accompanying DVD.
Eurovision performance
The three classically trained mezzosopranos - on the night of the contest in Luxembourg dressed in green, white and red evening gowns, the colours of the Italian flag - stood silent for two minutes and thirty-five seconds until they performed their four bars from The Magic Flute; eight seconds in all (however, the audience saw the wrong order with the red on where green was supposed to be and vice versa).The studio recording of the song features American opera singer Marilyn Horne
Marilyn Horne
Marilyn Horne is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer. She specialized in roles requiring a large sound, beauty of tone, excellent breath support, and the ability to execute difficult coloratura passages....
performing all three harmonies and also the string section of the La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
orchestra in Milan. The B-side of the single, the instrumental "Le Biciclette Di Forlì" (translated: "The bicycles from Forlì"), is a reference to Alice's birth place, the Italian small town Forlì
Forlì
Forlì is a comune and city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. The city is situated along the Via Emilia, to the right of the Montone river, and is an important agricultural centre...
.
The song was performed eighteenth on the night, following Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
's Rainy Day with "Welche Farbe hat der Sonnenschein?
Welche Farbe hat der Sonnenschein?
"Welche Farbe hat der Sonnenschein?" was the Swiss entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1984, performed in German by Rainy Day....
" and preceding Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
's Maria Guinot
Maria Guinot
Maria Guinot is a Portuguese singer, best known for her participation in the 1984 Eurovision Song Contest.Guinot released two EPs, "La mère sans enfant" and "Balada do negro só" in the late 1960s, then took a long break from the music industry...
with "Silêncio E Tanta Gente
Silêncio E Tanta Gente
"Silêncio e tanta gente" was the Portuguese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1984, performed in Portuguese by Maria Guinot.The song is a ballad, with Guinot musing on life's character...
". Before the Contest, it was ranked by bookmakers Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes plc is a British based gambling company. It is based in Rayners Lane in Harrow, London owned by Bhavin Kakaiya. From 14 May 1999 to 23 February 2006, when it owned the Hilton hotel brand outside the United States, it was known as Hilton Group plc...
as the second favorite entry to win, behind Ireland's "Terminal 3
Terminal 3
"Terminal 3" was the Irish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1984, performed in English by Linda Martin.The song was written and composed by previous Contest winner Johnny Logan, who had won for Ireland in the 1980 Contest and would later go on to win the 1987 Contest as a performer before...
", performed by Linda Martin
Linda Martin
Linda Martin is an Irish singer and television presenter. She is best known in Europe as the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1992, with the song "Why Me?", and in Ireland as a member of the 1970s/1980s band, Chips.-Chips:Martin started off her musical career when she joined the band Chips...
. Despite receiving the coveted "twelve points" from countries as diverse as Spain and Finland, at the close of voting it had only totalled 70 points, placing it shared 5th in a field of 19.
Summary
Despite not winning the actual contest "I treni di Tozeur" proved to be the biggest commercial hit of the year's entries in Continental Europe. The single turned out to be a Top 20 hit in Sweden, the country that won the contest with "Diggi-Loo Diggi-LeyDiggi-Loo Diggi-Ley
"Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley" was the winning song in the Eurovision Song Contest 1984 performed in Swedish by a trio of brothers named Herrey's. Lyrics were written by Britt Lindeborg, and the tune by Torgny Söderberg...
" - and also one of the nine countries to award the Italian entry zero points in the Contest. "I treni di Tozeur" is also one of the very few Italian Eurovision entries ever to become a commercial success in Italy itself; the song was a #1 hit in June 1984 and on the list of the best-selling singles in Italy of 1984 "I treni di Tozeur" placed as #20.
Alice and Battiato have continued to work together ever since. In 2002 the two recorded the duet "Come un sigillo" for his album Fleurs 3.
"I treni di Tozeur" was succeeded as Italian representative
Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest
Italy participated in the Eurovision Song Contest frequently from 1956 to 1997. It was one of only seven countries that competed at the very first contest...
by Al Bano & Romina Power
Romina Power
Romina Francesca Power is an American-born singer and actress.-Biography:Born in Los Angeles, California, Romina Power is the eldest daughter of American actor Tyrone Power and his second wife, actress Linda Christian....
with "Magic Oh Magic
Magic Oh Magic
"Magic Oh Magic" was the Italian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1985, performed in Italian by Al Bano & Romina Power. This was Bano and Power's second Eurovision entry, following 1976's "We'll Live It All Again" which finished 7th in a field of 18....
".
Cover versions
Finnish singer Seija SimolaSeija Simola
Seija Simola is a Finnish singer. She began her career musical in the mid 1960s in the band Eero Seija & Kristian Trio, and her debut solo album was released in 1970: Seija Simola 1 ....
, who represented Finland at the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest with "Anna rakkaudelle tilaisuus
Anna Rakkaudelle Tilaisuus
"Anna rakkaudelle tilaisuus" was the Finnish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978, performed in Finnish by Seija Simola....
", covered "I Treni di Tozeur" on her 1984 album Tunteet. The Finnish language version with lyrics by Simola herself is entitled "Juna Turkuun", which literally translates as "The Train to Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
". This was the third Italian Eurovision entry Simola recorded, in 1970 she had covered Domenico Modugno
Domenico Modugno
Domenico Modugno was an Italian singer, songwriter, actor, and later in life, a member of the Italian Parliament. He is known for his 1958 international hit song "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu "...
's 1966 entry "Dio, come ti amo
Dio, Come Ti Amo
"Dio, come ti amo" was the Italian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1966, performed in Italian by Domenico Modugno.The song is a ballad, in which Modugno tells his lover how he feels about her...
" in Italian and in 1977 Mia Martini
Mia Martini
Mia Martini was an Italian singer.-Early life:Born Domenica Bertè in 1947 in Bagnara Calabra , she moved to Rome with her sister and her friend Renato Zero.-Career:She recorded her first records as Mimì Berté, but she soon decided to change her name to Mia...
's "Libera
Libera (song)
"Libera" was the Italian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977, performed in Italian by Mia Martini, at the time arguably Italy's most successful and celebrated female artist, having had a number of hits like "Padre davvero...", "Gesù è mio fratello" , "Credo", "Piccolo uomo", "Donna sola" ,...
" in Finnish under the title "Vapaana".
Appearances in other media
The original duet version of "I treni di Tozeur" with Alice and Franco Battiato features in Italian film director Nanni MorettiNanni Moretti
Giovanni "Nanni" Moretti is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter and actor.-Life and work:Moretti was born in Bruneck, South Tyrol , in 1953 to parents who were teachers...
's award winning 1985 comedy La messa è finita
La messa è finita
The Mass Is Ended is a 1985 Italian comedy film, written, starring and directed by Nanni Moretti.-Cast:*Nanni Moretti: don Giulio*Marco Messeri: Saverio*Ferruccio De Ceresa: Giulio's father*Enrica Maria Modugno: Valentina, Giulio's siter...
.
See also
- The Red LizardLézard rougeThe lézard rouge is a historic Tunisian train, once the property of the Bey of Tunis but now used for tourists. It runs from Metlaoui to Redeyef and passes through the Selja Gorge, taking some 40 minutes for the journey. The track was originally used by mining trains carrying phosphates.- External...
- TozeurTozeurTozeur is an oasis and a city in south west Tunisia. The city is located North West of Chott el-Djerid, in between this Chott and the smaller Chott el-Gharsa. It is the capital of the Tozeur Governorate....
- TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
- Wolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
- The Magic FluteThe Magic FluteThe Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue....
- Italy in the Eurovision Song ContestItaly in the Eurovision Song ContestItaly participated in the Eurovision Song Contest frequently from 1956 to 1997. It was one of only seven countries that competed at the very first contest...
Sources and external links
- Centro di Gravità permanente, Macale Maurizio, Bastogi Editrice Italiana.
- Tecnica mista sul tappeto, Franco Pulcini, EDT publications Italy.
- Franco Battiato. Pronipote dei padri del deserto., Luca Cozzari, Zona publications Italy.
- Evoluzione. Evoluzione. Evoluzione., Enrico Carbone, Bonanno publications Italy.
- Franco Battiato. Un sufi e la sua musica., Guido Guidi Guerrera, Editrice Loggia de' Lanzi.
- Fenomenologia di Battiato, Enzo Di Mauro and Roberto Masotti, Auditorium publications Italy.
- Site about the origins of the song and the classical influences on Battiato's music.
- Italian Eurovision site.
- Italian Wikipedia's biography of Franco Battiato.
- Italian Wikipedia's biography of Alice.
- Info on the Red Lizard, Travelintelligence.net
- Info on the Red Lizard, World66.com
- Info on the Red Lizard, Lonelyplanet.com