Sesto Calende - With Sesto Riverside a summer of music on the lake and the river: guests Lucio Fabbri and Andy Smith of Portishead - Archive - Varese News

(photo Roberto Fontana)

Becoming a " new point of reference for the summer on the lakes ": this is the aim of the Sesto RiverSide, a festival of twenty free events – including main and parallel initiatives – which, in addition to replacing the tradition of fireworks , "aims to be an evolution of the cultural offering ", bringing international and national artists and local talents to the various squares of the city.

A six-week program — from June 21 to August 2 — that aims to make the city on Ticino and Lake Maggiore an open-air theater, with multiple stages. An ambitious project that is deeply rooted in the territory: "For us, it is not just a festival, but a celebration of our city," explained Mayor Elisabetta Giordani at the press conference on Friday, May 30. "A cultural vision as a driver of vitality and collective growth, with events for all ages: from school children to tourists, including families ."

The festival, built with the contribution of Pro Sesto and the traders below, is supported by a high-level main sponsor Ricola, plus other Sesto businesses. "We covered 70% of the costs with external resources. It is a modern and sustainable turning point", underlines the deputy mayor and councilor for trade Giorgio Circosta .

SIX WEEKS OF MUSIC AND FREE EVENTS: FABBRI OPENS THE DANCES…

The artistic direction is by Antonio Montecucco , who wanted to focus on a model that is widespread throughout the Sesto area and "intergenerational". And the starting point could only be of the highest profile: on June 21, on the occasion of the Festa della Musica , Lucio Fabbri, a key figure in Italian music over the last fifty years, will perform . Composer, producer, violinist, he wrote for De André , directed the orchestra at Sanremo and oversaw the production of the EP Chosen by Måneskin. In Sesto he will bring the show La mia musica, la mia vita , a personal musical story among the songs that have marked an era. Together with Fabbri , Roberto Gualdi, Antonio Petruzzelli, Paolo Bonfanti and Massimo Germini. The latter was a guest on May 23 together with Paolo Marrone at Materia, where he talked about his professional relationship with Vecchioni , for whom he played the guitar. On the occasion of the Festa della Musica there will also be the return of Sesto in Vinile, the record fair for collectors of CDs, 33s and 45s.

… SMITH BRINGS 45 RPM FUNK TO TICINO

But the real international surprise will be DJ Andy Smith , on July 26th in Piazza Berera : pioneer of trip hop and founding member of Portishead , the legendary band from Bristol that revolutionized music in the 90s with records like Dummy and the song Glory Box (a 1994 song that on Spotify alone has more than 300 million streams ) , between electronic, soul and urban melancholy. Smith also collaborated with the Prodigy and signed The Document , one of the most influential mixtapes in history. His DJ set entirely on 45 rpm entirely on vinyl will be a journey through funk, soul and reggae.

FROM SWING TO DAWN CONCERT

In between, an entire summer: jazz and tastings with the Experience Music Festival , with the pop reinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet by Davide Palla at the Abbazia, the 1930s-style swing evening with Jazz Lag, the return of Lambrate 60 , the Concerto all'Alba at Parco Europa, DJ sets by the Sesto collective 0331, exhibitions, markets, artistic installations and literary aperitifs.

“EVEN SESTESE TALENTS WILL BE PROTAGONISTS”

"It's a festival that enhances places and those who live there," explains councilor Michele Ponti. "For the first time, many young people from Sesto will be protagonists . This is the seed for something beautiful. As a boy I had the opportunity to start playing in Sesto Calende, which also made me work in the world of recording. Today I am very happy to be able to give something back to the new generations."

"An artist today performs and is also attracted by valuable containers - concludes Montecucco -. We are at the first edition, but the zero point is of a very high level. We want to grow year after year with sponsors and work. In six months we have created an organizational machine that did not exist before. For an engine that needs to be oiled, built, made to move: we are on the right track".

THE CALENDAR OF MAIN EVENTS

June 21st – Music Festival : concert by Lucio Fabbri, collective DJ set 0331, “Rime&Beats” workshop, vinyl market
July 4-6 – Sesto Calende Experience Music : jazz, tastings, readings, photography
July 12 – Dawn Concert (Club27): Parco Europa + ItaloDisco DJ set by Fred Ventura & Gozzetti
July 15 – Romeo and Juliet (Davide Palla): Abbey
July 19 – Lambrate 60: Garibaldi Square
July 26 – DJ Andy Smith (Portishead): Piazza Berera
August 1st – Swingin' Sesto with Jazz Lago: Piazza Mazzini
August 2 – The Dark Side Of The Man (Accademia dei Folli): Oratorio San Vincenzo e Sass di Preja Buia (only ticketed show)