Edoardo Bennato is an Italian musician and singer/songwriter born in Naples… Read Full Bio ↴Edoardo Bennato is an Italian musician and singer/songwriter born in Naples, on July 23, 1946.
Following a spell in London he began performing as a one-man-band playing guitar, harmonica, kazoo and kick drum. He shaped his character on Blues and Rock, fusing them with mediterranean elements.
His debut album called "Non farti cadere le braccia" was published in 1973. Over the next few years Bennato became one of the main Italian singer-songwriters for the counter-cultural youth movement, with songs which fused social protest with irony and sarcasm. "Burattino senza fili" (1978) which used Pinocchio's fable as a metaphor for Bennato's social commentary, introduced him to a more mainstream audience. His popularity was at its highest peak during a triumphal tour that included the St. Siro Stadium in Milan for an unforgettable concert in front of 70.000 people.
Nowadays he has 29 album published, and conuntered various collaborations: he performed with Bo Diddley, B.B. King and Jeff Healy. Still memorable are the great concerts at Hallenstadium in Zurich and at the Prater in Wien (1977), his partecipations at Montreux Jazz Festival (1987, 1992) and at the Apollo Theatre in New York City (1987) and the monogram of the Championship 1990 "Un'estate Italiana", sung with Gianna Nannini, which remained in hit parade for four months and went all around the world.
Still performing succesfully on stage with his new songs , he's also engaged in a new theatrical production: the Italian musical Peter Pan. The soundtrack of the Italian version is totally composed by Edoardo Bennato's lyrics, taken from his concept album "Sono solo canzonette" a musical transcription of the tale of Peter Pan which is going to be translated into English.

Official web site: www.bennato.net

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DISCOGRAPHY

NON FARTI CADERE LE BRACCIA (1973)
I BUONI E I CATTIVI (1974)
IO CHE NON SONO L’IMPERATORE (1975)
LA TORRE DI BABELE (1976)
BURATTINO SENZA FILI (1977)
UFFA, UFFA (1980)
SONO SOLO CANZONETTE (1980)
E’ ARRIVATO UN BASTIMENTO (1983)
E’ GOAL (live) (1984)
KAIWANNA (1985)
OK ITALIA (1987)
EDOARDO LIVE (1987)
IL GIOCO CONTINUA (1988)
ABBI DUBBI (1989)
EDO RINNEGATO (1990)
E’ ASCIUTO PAZZO ‘O PADRONE (1992)
IL PAESE DEI BALOCCHI (1992)
PERSONE PULITE (1993)
SE SON ROSE FIORIRANNO (1994)
LE RAGAZZE FANNO GRANDI SOGNI (1995)
QUARTETTO D’ARCHI (1996)
W LA MAMMA (Spanish) (1996)
SBANDATO (1998)
SEMBRA IERI (2000)
AFFERRARE UNA STELLA (2001)
IL PRINCIPE E IL PIRATA – soundtrack (2001)
L’UOMO OCCIDENTALE (2003)
TOTO’ SAPORE E LA MAGICA STORIA DELLA PIZZA - soundtrack (2004)
LA FANTASTICA STORIA DEL PIFFERAIO MAGICO (2005)

ZEN
Edoardo Bennato Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Zona Espansione Nord - abbreviazione: ZEN
Non c'è ragione no - non c'è ragione
Quartiere di Palermo - città d'Italia
Non c'è ragione no - non c'è ragione

Zona Espansione Nord - abbreviazione: ZEN
Non c'è ragione no - non c'è ragione
Anno quarantatré della Repubblica

Età industriale, quinta potenza al mondo!

Ada balla con me
Vedrai che cambierà!

Chiangi Palermo gloriusa
Aju la menti tantu confusa
Na tristizza ranni ni lu cori
Nascju o ciuriddu cu l'autri ciuri
Aprili e maju nni godiu l'oduri
Cu lu focu di giugno pigghiau focu
La barunissa di Carini
Jera affacciata a lu su balcuni
Viu viniri na cavallaria

Nun c'è spagno nun c'è tirruri
Chistu e me patri chi veni pi mia
A speranza nun finisci mai!...

Ada balla con me
Ada balla con me!...

Zona Espansione Nord - abbreviazione: ZEN
Non c'è ragione no - non c'è ragione
Progettazione: all'avanguardia
Somma espressione dell'urbanistica

Zona Espansione Nord - abbreviazione: ZEN
Non c'è ragione no - non c'è ragione

Quartiere di Palermo, città d'Italia
Non c'è ragione no

Overall Meaning

The song "Zen" by Edoardo Bennato talks about the Zona Espansione Nord or ZEN, which is a district in Palermo, Italy. The repetitive phrase "non c'è ragione no" translates to "there's no reason, no" and emphasizes the lack of rationale behind the creation of this district. The song mentions the year 1943, during the Industrial Age, when Italy was considered the fifth world power, highlighting the modernity of the district's planning. It then includes a reference to Ada, possibly a symbol of hope for the district's transformation.

The lyrics also touch on the struggle and confusion of the people of Palermo, with a sense of melancholy and nostalgia for the past. The mention of the Barunissa di Carini, a historical figure who was murdered in the 1500s, adds to this sense of longing for a better time. Despite the hardships, there is a message of resilience and hope in the line "a speranza nun finisci mai," which means "hope never ends."

Overall, the song "Zen" can be interpreted as a commentary on the modernization of historical cities like Palermo and the effects it has on the people who live there.

Line by Line Meaning

Zona Espansione Nord - abbreviazione: ZEN
Refers to the district in Palermo known as Zona Espansione Nord, commonly abbreviated as ZEN

Non c'è ragione no - non c'è ragione
There is no reason for the situation in ZEN, it exists without justification

Quartiere di Palermo - città d'Italia
ZEN is a neighborhood in the city of Palermo, which is located in Italy

Non c'è ragione no - non c'è ragione
Once again emphasizing that there is no reason for the existence of ZEN

Anno quarantatré della Repubblica
Refers to the year 1943, during the time of the Italian Republic

Età industriale, quinta potenza al mondo!
During this time, Italy was in the industrial age and was considered the world's fifth major power

Ada balla con me
A person named Ada is encouraged to dance in order to see changes occur in ZEN

Vedrai che cambierà!
The encouragement continues with the promise that dancing will bring about change in the area

Chiangi Palermo gloriusa
A reference to the city of Palermo, which is described here as glorious

Aju la menti tantu confusa
Despite the city's reputation, it is said that the people's minds are confused and troubled

Na tristizza ranni ni lu cori
This confusion and sadness is felt deeply in the hearts of the people

Nascju o ciuriddu cu l'autri ciuri
The artist was born with other flowers in this city, which suggests they have strong ties to the area

Aprili e maju nni godiu l'oduri
The months of April and May bring pleasant scents to the city

Cu lu focu di giugno pigghiau focu
However, in June, fires break out and spread rapidly

La barunissa di Carini jera affacciata a lu su balcuni
A reference to a historical figure, the Baroness of Carini, who was known to have watched events unfold from her balcony in Palermo

Viu viniri na cavallaria
She expected a cavalry to come and save the city from its troubles

Nun c'è spagno nun c'è tirruri
No Spanish or Turkish influences are present in the city

Chistu e me patri chi veni pi mia
Palermo is the singer's homeland, and they are proud of it

A speranza nun finisci mai!...
Despite the city's struggles, the singer continues to hold onto hope for its future

Progettazione: all'avanguardia
The planning and design of ZEN was innovative and advanced for its time

Somma espressione dell'urbanistica
ZEN is considered the pinnacle of urban planning and design

Quartiere di Palermo, città d'Italia
Once again, emphasizing that ZEN is a neighborhood in Palermo, which is a city located in Italy

Non c'è ragione no - non c'è ragione
Once more, emphasizing that there is no clear reason for the existence of ZEN

Contributed by Elizabeth N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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