Two and a half years of work, a constant confrontation with one’s limitations and the desire to translate life into music. Cristiano Cosa presents Cosa sono io, an album that stems from the encounter between personal reflection and philosophical references, with influences ranging from Bluvertigo to Heidegger. A work that marks a new awareness and invites one to look inside oneself in order not to lose one’s authenticity.
What inspired you to write “What Am I” and why this title?
I spent the last period of my life wondering exactly what the meaning of being was. Beginning to rummage through the shelves of my memories and opening myself to what I did not know, I knocked on the door of the father of existentialism, the thinker Martin Heidegger, who with his 1927 work “Being and Time” posed the same questions about it as I did. Thus, I tried to create a musical conceptual map in order to explore the question further. The title then is a pun on my last name, but at the same time it can be affirmation or unresolved question. One certainty in all of this is this: the songs were all born out of a feeling of reflection.
La copertina del nuovo album “Cosa Sono Io”
What was the creative process?
Inside this work are two and a half years of spasmodic research. Together with Francesco Gaudio, an irreplaceable figure in the musical project and a commendable sidekick at every stage of the album’s production, I experienced a journey of inner change that led me to embrace a new version of me. This journey allowed me to tune in to the most visceral part of my soul: only then could I conceive something recognizable.
If you had to choose one track from the album that most represents you which one would you choose and why?
I have asked myself this question before and have always given an unequivocal answer (what can you do I am a hardened Marzullian, he laughs): “To Not Die” could undoubtedly fly the flag for this album: there is all the rage and maddening determination to try to translate my life into music for a specific purpose: to achieve immortality.
Are there particular genres or musical influences that played a role in shaping the tracks?
Throughout this period, I have intercepted a variety of influences that have been absorbed so much that I cannot remember them clearly. Certainly on a musical level, Bluvertigo and Verdena’s alternative rock and Kings of Convenience’s indie gave an extra swerve and stimulus to my processes; on a literary/philosophical level, Pascoli’s concept of the Fanciullino combined with the existentialism of the aforementioned Heidegger sanctioned a greater awareness of what I was devoting the entire work to (the search for identity).
How much is autobiographical and how much is imaginative or symbolic?
Perhaps it is appropriate to affix a crasis in the answer to this interesting question: my intention was precisely to compose autobiographical songs sometimes lowered into an imaginative or symbolic dimension. Such is the case with Girandola, a track that encapsulates the concept of time in a basic object that can be traced back to childhood, or Cieli di Carta, a description of a bleak imagery and hellish scenario through the eyes of an unsuspecting and helpless child.
What role does copywriting play for you on a personal as well as professional level?
Writing is a lovable companion, it relieves boredom and fights the ills of existence, makes them more useful. Throughout the album phase, I have always continued to write in many different forms, from sonnets to poems, from novellas to soliloquies. This modus operandi has only added an increasingly capacious suitcase to my journey. Regarding song lyrics, I must reveal that the words nag me and make me sigh at the same time. But I love playing with them, as for example in Come Mi Viene in which I write and sing, “The hangers in the closet my questions” or “I’m a step away from me, and I never find myself” a phrase contained in La Vita Cos’è.
How would you define the sound of the album compared to your previous works?
Compared to my previous works, I think I have added a mature and authentic sound. For this I must always thank Francesco Gaudio and the impeccable work of Lucky Horn Entertainment, in the persons of Davide Ippolito and Simone D’Andria. The latter, in particular, is an important figure for me at all times. He ensures me great creative freedom and personal artistic support. I know that I am very lucky. What I can do is to reciprocate by doing my best.
Throughout your career you have collaborated with many artists. Is there anyone in particular who has had a defining impact on your music, who has enriched it?
About ten years ago, I met Roberto Angelini, a musician with superb taste and boundless experience. Meeting him definitely marked me, and that is why I made every effort to have him take part in my new record. I can safely say that Bob was the icing on the cake and embellished the sound of this album.
How do you think you changed from the beginning until “What am I”?
In the gestation phase of the album, I reflected on this several times: I think I had gone through countless artistic moments and phases, but I still hadn’t found a real identity. I sincerely needed a solid team to help me and to observe me from the outside, because I confess that I am so brainy and full of ideas that I can’t always run through one, resulting in being exaggeratedly scattered. After this album, I can say that I have a different awareness; it is credit to LuckyHorn Entertainment for charting a level professional path.
What do you want to communicate to the audience and what do you hope they hear from it?
I want to communicate the importance of looking within, seeking our own uniqueness, staying away from standardization and being authentic, sincere, leaning toward an exchange and not a clash. Until proven otherwise, we are the architects of our own destiny. I believe that in order to consciously live a life worthy of being called such, we must seek ourselves and not be afraid to delve into the meaning of ourselves.
What will it be like to return to NewYork?
New York is the stage of dreams. In 2023 I had the opportunity to sing in front of moved Italian Americans. It is an indelible image in my memory. Returning to a huge city and bringing my music is a pride I want to continue to deserve. Music after all has the power to take you everywhere even standing still. What can I say… New York, here I come!
What is your relationship with New York, what ties you to this city?
What ties me to New York is the desire to never settle, to be constantly evolving, never satiated with getting to know and improve. I would certainly spend an immersive period to fully understand its essence, but musically for me it represents innovation and modernity: everything that exists comes through New York first!
Who do you dedicate your latest album to and why?
I also wrote it on the back of the album cover: my personal dedication goes to my sister Angela, who even as a teenager pushed me to listen to so much different and unknown music. The best wish I can wish her is to keep searching and getting closer to her essence. For me, this is the road that leads to serenity; the only road close to happiness.
The article Cristiano Cosa: “Cosa sono io” between philosophy and rock comes from TheNewyorker.
L’ho scritto anche dietro la copertina del disco: la mia dedica personale va a mia sorella Angela, che già da adolescente mi spingeva ad ascoltare tanta musica diversa e sconosciuta. L’augurio migliore che posso farle è di continuare a cercare e ad avvicinarsi alla sua essenza. Per me è questa la strada che porta alla serenità; l’unica strada vicina alla felicità.
L’articolo Cristiano Cosa: “Cosa sono io” tra filosofia e rock proviene da IlNewyorkese.
