Davide Shorty, ‘fusion.’ soul, like Sicily
A ten-year career between Italy and the United Kingdom, from the bright stage of X-Factor to the prestigious one of the Sanremo Festival, Sicilian Secrets presents Davide Shorty. He’s from Palermo but has an international soul, here is his LP ‘fusion.’. Don’t miss this interview!
Q: Let’s start with some news, and above all your new album ‘fusion.’. What can you tell us about this project?
A: Finally, my LP has arrived. ‘fusion.’ contains 13 tracks that describe all the influences that characterize my music, from Lucio Battisti to Concato, from the Pink Floyd to Sting. I worked with my band: Claudio Guarcello, Emanuele Triglia and Davide Savarese, artists that I chose both in Italy and in the UK. My album is a mix of hip-hop, funk, jazz, songwriting, traditional Italian music. ‘fusion.’ does not keep my music into a single genre, it is a bit like us, people from Palermo, who are a fusion of traditions and styles. Just think how to say ‘Arab-Norman’ sounds oxymoronic, but it is part of my culture. Let me say that I don’t make fusion…I’m fusion!
Q: How did the idea of ’fusion.’ come about?
A: The concept began to see the light two and a half years ago, together with Andrea Guarinoni, a sound engineer. We went to a place by Lake Maggiore, to be surrounded by nature influenced us and created energy. Every morning we used to enjoy the view and let ourselves be inspired, we forgot about time and whatever was happening outside. It was all about making music, it was the starting point and now the album is out…and it’s exactly how I wanted it.
Q: Davide Shorty, welcome to Sanremo. At the Festival 2021 you sang ‘Regina’ in the category Nuove Proposte. How did you feel when you were in the empty Ariston theater?
A: I was nervous and excited. I had dreamed of Sanremo millions of times, I had only imagined going on stage and singing one of my songs. I used to watch the Festival from home with my parents, then I ended up on TV…I told myself it was my moment. I didn’t pay much attention to the fact that the theater was empty, I was focused on what I was doing. I wanted to be understood thanks to my performance. Every morning I used to do some sport, meditation and then there were the interviews with the journalists. I was surrounded by amazing people with whom we chose to stay at home rather than in a hotel experiencing in a full family atmosphere.
Q: Have you already thought about a post pandemic tour?
A: I can’t wait to play live, performances to me are everything. I miss the adrenaline. On the one hand, I am a bit worried about going back to what I used to do before. My energies have changed, I am no longer used to it, I will have to go back to train my memory, for example. It is sure that it will not be a competition with other singers, the most important thing is to do my job and be good at it.
Q: What is the relationship between Davide Shorty and his homeland, Sicily?
A: I love Sicily and I love Palermo, and I thank all those who support me from my island. The relationship with my land is beautiful, I can’t wait to go back and breathe the air of my homeland and above all to go to the beach. I am happy that things are slowly changing, that many stereotypes are breaking down. For now, however, my home is London and if I leave it, I will go to New York or maybe Los Angeles.
Q: What did the experience at X-factor represent for you?
A: I’m lucky because I had already started my career before joining X-factor, this show is a very powerful machine that gave me the opportunity to build a useful network. But TV is like a magnifying glass that enhances all your characteristics, both positive and negative. I was already aware of some of my flaws and in that situation, I had to focus on these problems and work on them.
When you are part of a talent show you have to be strong because you are continuously judged, even on social networks, and some comments can be toxic. It’s a psychological challenge, real life begins when the talent show ends and the curtain falls. During those months you have to accept the idea of being an inspiration for others, it is a great responsibility. X-factor gave me a ‘voice’ in a country where it is difficult to emerge and become an artist. I do not regret anything even though there were some very hard times.
Q: Let’s look at the future. If next year you will have the opportunity to return to Sanremo, in the category of the Big, which cover would you choose? Or who would you play a duet with?
A: This is a good question, but I want to say that I have not written any song for Sanremo! I would like to play a duet with Giorgia or with Fabio Concato. If I had to choose a cover, maybe this year I would have chosen ‘Se stasera sono qui’ by Tenco but I don’t know if I would do the same in a year. I could opt for a song by Pino Daniele, but Pino is Pino. Well, let’s say that I need to be in this situation to choose, I’m picky. We’ll see what happens!
