Sky Arte Celebrates Lucio Battisti's 80th Birthday with Special Episodes

On March 5, 2023, the 80th anniversary of Lucio Battisti's birth, Sky Arte aired two episodes of "33 Giri Italian Masters" dedicated to the legendary Italian singer-songwriter who died in 1998. The first episode focused on Battisti's 1973 album "Il mio canto libero." Drummer Gianni Dall'Aglio reassembled the exact drum kit used for the album's recordings, sharing anecdotes from sessions that began in 1972 and his relationship with Battisti. Guitarist Massimo Luca performed acoustic renditions and discussed lyrics by Mogol. Morgan recalled David Bowie's admiration for Battisti "as a guitar player" and performed an exclusive version of "Io vorrei… non vorrei… ma se vuoi." At the mixing desk, Maurizio Biancani and Mario Lavezzi isolated orchestral parts, twelve-string guitar rhythms, and percussion elements to reveal the album's sonic ingredients. Journalist Ernesto Assante analyzed the songs' content and their enduring impact. Composer-pianist Vince Tempera, who played on "Luci-ah," performed his piano part live and reinterpreted the title track with Lavezzi on vocals and acoustic guitar. The second episode explored the 1976 album "Lucio Battisti, la batteria, il contrabbasso eccetera," created after Battisti and Mogol's trip to the United States. Using the original multitrack recording, experts and insiders revisited tracks like "Il veliero," "Respirando," and "Ancora tu," the latter performed acoustically by Brunori Sas, a devoted Battisti fan.