Tu Sei Bella Aci Catena (EP) 2009 (c) Salvatori Productions, Inc.

Tom Salvatori

Three Tom Salvatori guitar compositions inspired by visits to Italy.

Track Listing:

Tu sei bella Aci Catena 3:08

November, 2008

Tom Salvatori – guitar

Leroy Bocchieri – mandolin

Massimo Di Nocera – vocals

My parents rented a villa in Sicily for two months at the end of 2008, and my wife and I went to visit and celebrate our anniversary in Italy.

Three Tom Salvatori guitar compositions inspired by visits to Italy.

Track Listing:

Tu sei bella Aci Catena 3:08

November, 2008

Tom Salvatori – guitar

Leroy Bocchieri – mandolin

Massimo Di Nocera – vocals

My parents rented a villa in Sicily for two months at the end of 2008, and my wife and I went to visit and celebrate our anniversary in Italy. It soon became evident that the only way to navigate in the little towns was to drive there and then ask the locals for directions. And for some reason, one Italian talking to a driver through a car window seemed irresistible to others...we always attracted a few to render their opinion. They'd point in different directions, shrug their shoulders, wave their arms and ultimately start an argument amongst themselves. We would still see the assembled group continuing the discussion in our rear view mirror even after we'd start on our way.

The smartest of all direction-givers was a woman in a small town we had a hard time finding - called Aci Catena. When we stopped, she came out her front door (which was about one yard away from the street) in a bright pink bathrobe, largely pregnant; with kids hanging on her from all sides. She smiled and said “go four streets straight ahead and when you get there...stop again and ask someone else!”

Anyway...having a composer riding shotgun alongside an Italian crooner at the wheel who fancies himself Mario Lanza, we eventually began to sing a little melody to the beautiful words of directions as we drove about. Our music and lyrics have now become the testament to this wonderful Sicilian experience.

LYRICS: Tu sei bella Aci Catena (You are beautiful Aci Catena)

Aci Catena buon giorno (Aci Catena - good day!)

Benvenuti nella nostra citta (Welcome to our city)

Dove il centro il mercato (Where is the central market?)

Noi stiamo guidando in cerchio…(We are driving in circles…)

Prima avanti, gira la sinistra (First go ahead, turn left)

Quindi si va, ala chiesa (Then go on, at the church)

Quindi destra, quindi la sinistra (Then right, then left)

Gira l’angolo, ala chiesa (Turn the corner, at the church)

Aci Catena aiuto mi (Aci Catena…help me!)

Aci Catena aiuto mi (Aci Catena…help me!)

Dove il centro il mercato (Where is the central market?)

Noi stiamo guidando in cerchio...(We are driving in circles…)

Andare l'angolo, gira la sinistra (Go to the corner, turn left)

Quindi destra, ala chiesa (Then right, at the church)

Gira destra, gira la sinistra (Turn right, turn left)

Gira l'angolo, ala chiesa (Turn the corner, at the church)

Aci Catena arrivederci (Aci Catena goodbye!)

Non abbiamo trovato il centro (We never found the center)

Preferisco perso in Sicilia (We prefer to be lost in Sicily)

Invece trovato altrove (Instead of being found elsewhere)

Aci Catena tu sei bella! (Aci Catena, you are beautiful!)

Dissonanza 1:48

Here’s a piece that dances into a little dissonance before it arrives at a great resolve at the end, thank goodness!

Andiamo 2:02

A few years before our Sicily trip, our entire family took a private tour of Italy. The score was Salvatoris: 30, Tour Guide: 1. Our skills at re-boarding the bus at the end of each of our side trips in Italy was becoming scrutinized as strikingly similar to the herding wild cats. If you can picture Cousin Larry running back to the bus with his arms full of provolone and capicolla ten minutes late, you might understand a tour guide dilemma. After several occurrences of tardiness, push finally came to shove. Our lovely captive tour guide, Veruska, stood up, grew three heads, turned bright red, and shouted … “ANNDDIAMMMMO!”

This piece of music is dedicated to the lovely but deadly Veruska Mune, the first woman I’ve ever met who could cut a swath of carnage with the mere tongue lashing use of a single word. It was during this tour of Italy that I fell in love with Lucca (o.k….and Veruska)…and hope someday to gain the key to the beautiful walled city and get myself a statue right next to Puccini!

Tu sei bella Aci Catena (Instrumental) 3:08

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