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Corona is like the Grinch who stole summer.
All our summer plans are gone. Balmy Hollywood Bowl nights with your best pals, outdoor dinner parties, Sunday brunch, camping trips up the coast of California, and your planned vacation exploring the beaches of Calabria. As an American living in Italy, the summers were magic. We had a month off to explore the world – Elba Island, Ischia, The Algarve, Stromboli, Malaga, Marbella, Santorini, Marseille. New places to discover, new beaches to lounge on, warm, bath-like water to wade in, fresh fruit to nibble on, new wines to taste, your evening mission to find gorgeous sunset spots, new friends, magical movie moments and, of course, summer love.
So now that Rona robbed us of summer, we’ve watched every summer movie, albeit cheesy, to get our summer fix. Netflix’s “Summertime,” based on Federico Moccia’s “Three Meters Above the Sky” young adult series, has a soundtrack that was the best thing to come out of that show. But the standout was Italian rapper Frah Quintale’s track “Missili.” This music blog has been dedicated to some awesomely talented women singers but Frah fits the summer vibe.
Frah Quintale via his label Undamento
Frah Quintale’s “Missili” featuring Giorgio Poi, from his album “Lungolinea” is an easy Italian pop song with smooth bars that go with the breezy summer vibe. “Ti si riempiono gli occhi con le onde del mare” – “Your eyes are filled with the waves of the sea.” It’s also a bit of a couple’s battle, befitting for the “Summertime” love theme.
“Buio di Giorno” from Frah’s “Banzai” album is the Italian version of a Maxwell song. The soft Italian over the drum machine beat is pure body roll.
“Si, Ah” from “Regardez Moi” has simple beat layered with a fun hook. It gives you the energy to get up and do something.
But every song from his newest “Banzai” to his first EP “2004” is amazing. You don’t need to speak Italian to feel his flow. But maybe it will give you the little push to learn Italian. After all, we’ve got time this summer.