"Sardinia is a magical land, it has a very powerful setting." And these aren't flattering words, because Joan Thiele has been coming to the island since she was a young girl: "I used to vacation in Carloforte, and I have many friends in Cagliari, Alghero, and Olbia. Among my friends is director Roberto Ortu, who shot the video for the single "Allucinazione." The album cover photo, meanwhile, was taken at the Cagliari salt pans thanks to the FAI: it's truly a beautiful land, with powerful musicians like Daniela Pes and Paolo Fresu."
Born in Desenzano del Garda to a Neapolitan mother and a Swiss father of Colombian origins, she also lived in England as a young girl. The geographic and cultural background of Joan Thiele, 34, is essential to understanding why her sound is so sophisticated, modern yet vintage, enriched with echoes of quality music yet reworked in a decidedly personal way. Her participation in the Sanremo Music Festival with the single "Eco" has broadened the reach of an artist who has been active for ten years and is currently on her third album, "Joanita," following the collection "Atti" and her debut, "Tango." She will be performing in Piazza Moretti in Sassari on Saturday for the "Abbabula" Festival.
Why did you choose S'Ortu Mannu in Villamassargia for the video for “Allucinazione”?
«This is a song of introspection that talks about freedom and choosing who I want to be, I liked the idea of doing it in a place with ancient trees, a very powerful setting».
He sings “I don’t worship fame/He who cuts the road in haste will fall”: how do you handle success and pressure?
It's a problem in general, not just for us artists, who are highly exposed. We live in a time where there's an exasperated need to perform, and sometimes this creates difficulties. I think the key shouldn't revolve around fame, but rather what you love if you want to break away from certain dynamics, regardless of the result. If fame comes along, that's fine, but that shouldn't be the goal.
You started out with songs with an international flavour like “Save Me” and the album “Tango”, singing in English and Spanish. Why did you decide to switch to Italian?
"I started singing in English because my listening was in English, but I needed to find my own sound in Italian, a sound of my own, and writing in Italian helped me a lot, it was very cathartic and now that I've done it I feel more at peace if I were to go back to writing in English and Spanish."
Italy, Colombia, Switzerland, and England: is it an advantage to have grown up with different cultural and musical influences?
Travel helps. I'm a big believer in curiosity; exploring different cultures has helped me. I don't know what my next musical destination will be, because I can't choose it in advance; music changes with me.
Lucio Corsi and Brunori Sas will also be at "Abbabula," reuniting the Sanremo Festival triangle...
"What a curious coincidence! But above all, it's interesting to see that there's room for everyone: it's a moment in history when so many things can happen, and that's beautiful."
