CUCINA & CANTARE

If there can be only two things that define Italian culture, I think those things are Cuisine and Singing. Cucina e Cantare are the spirit and soul of Italy. In many ways, they are inseparable. Her songs are her voice. Her food is her essence.

If you happen to start a conversation with an Italian singer or even someone who has studied in Italy for a significant amount of time, two things will inevitably happen. You’ll be serenaded at some point, likely against your will. Especially if you are hanging out with tenors, you’ll share a meal until about 1 am. During the meal, you’ll talk about the food you’re eating presently, the food you ate earlier, and the food you’re thinking about eating at the next meal. When the culinary topic fades, you’ll talk about singers and songs. Songs that are presently being sung. Songs and singers from an earlier time. Also, singers who have the talent and the presence to sing well in the future.

There are a few things Italian food and singing have in common.

Ingredients. Every cook in every Italian kitchen knows that without quality ingredients, the dish will be less than delicious. Where you start from determines where you’ll end up. Or, instead, what you start with determines what you end up with. This applies to both culinary and musical arts. If you begin with poor-quality tomatoes, you can never compensate for their deficient quality. You can add other ingredients to mask the lesser fruit, but the lack will always be present in the sauce, no matter how advanced your technique or complex the recipe.

It is the same with singing. If you begin with a technically flawed instrument, no manner of vocal tricks or manipulation of tone will mask the poor use of the vocal instrument. The natural use and function of the voice is always best and produces the highest possible quality from the singer. And Italians know the difference.

Preparation. The use and care in the preparation of quality ingredients perhaps has the most influence on a dish. It is possible to tarnish and ruin the balance of perfectly good ingredients. Since we are on the topic of tomatoes, if you presume, because tomatoes contain a certain amount of acidity, they will need sugar to counteract bitterness, you aren’t allowing the natural sweetness of the tomato to color the flavor palette. Instead, allow the nature of the tomato to emerge from the application of heat, salt, and a few carefully curated ingredients.

Singing isn’t so different, really. Preparing a repertoire requires the same care so to not sully the music. The application of a singer’s voice to a song isn’t only about notes and technical execution, it is about interpretation and color. Nuance and dynamic contrast. Dare I say, musical flavor. The composer of a piece of music is likely precisely as picky as your Nonna is about her recipes. So, do it right.

Presentation. It is quite beautiful to look at a perfectly presented plate of thoughtfully prepared Italian cuisine. The aesthetic of a dish can stir up pleasure hormones in the brain before you even take a bite! While the nuance is in the preparation, a stunning presentation sets a dish apart from the rest. Food that engages every sense is simply the best. Sight…Taste…Feel…even Sound. The light audible crunch of Fiori di Zucchini Fritti is everything to the experience of eating them.

The singer’s presentation of a song is the package it is wrapped in. It begins with how the singer looks. Does his attire respect the music? Does her posture reflect the mood of the piece? Then the delivery of the song itself. Is it accurately portrayed according to the intent of the composer? Does the singer engage the audience? Careful presentation is everything.

Now the next time you are visiting Italy, don’t be surprised if, in the middle of a wonderfully prepared meal, a group of people get up and burst into song. Just join in, even if you don’t know the words. It is all part of being Italian.

By Aroon Unthank - Singer. Songwriter. Musician. Writer. Educator. Voice Teacher.