He was born in Cavallermaggiore near Cuneo (in Italy’s Piedmont region). He grew up in a family of farmers and taught himself to play guitar, writing his first songs as soon as he learned his chords. Before the start of his musical career he was station master at the Cuneo railway station.
Gianmaria played and sang in several local rock bands before discovering his true, solitary vocation. In 1993 and 1994 he won first prize at the Recanati Festival for emerging singer-songwriters, where he met a French producer who took a liking to his demo tape. His first CD, Montgolfières, came out on Label Bleu in 1995. Gianmaria’s warm, dusky voice tells stories of wind and memories, earth and fog, objects that soar from one horizon to another and ladies in train stations (“Donne nelle stazioni”) who head off on someone else’s arm without looking back. His music is personal and richly melodic, flecked with accents of tango, bossa nova, habañera and jazz, but as spare and essential as a pencil sketch, imparting great beauty with simplicity and directness.
Testa died 30 March 2016, in Alba, Piedmont, Italy.
Habanera
Gianmaria Testa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
te ne ho trovata una che non andava e l'ho nascosta
così che nessuno abbia mai niente
niente da ridire su di noi
quante vite hai
da regalarti così al primo, al primo ch'é venuto
all'ultimo arrivato, a questo sogno stonato
che ti ha portata via
quante vite hai?
é tanto tempo che ti aspetto, non arrivavi mai
e non ricordo più se sei tu che sei venuta o sono io
valigia vuota e troppe cose da vedere
le braccia aperte e gli occhi no
quante vite hai
e quanta strada, fatta di notte senza lampioni
a rotoloni
quante vite hai
fra quelle dita, una ti sfugge e la rincorri
é già passata
quante vite hai?
magari domani sorridendo mi racconterai
non é mai stato vero niente io sono io
valigia piena e poche cose da vedere
con gli occhi aperti, le braccia no.
In the song "Habanera" by Gianmaria Testa, the singer is asking the person he is addressing how many lives they have. He then tells them that he found a life of theirs that wasn't working, and he hid it so that nobody could criticize them. The singer seems to be protective of the person he is speaking to and wants to shield them from any negativity or judgment that others may have towards them. The lyrics also suggest that the person may have given away too much of themselves to someone who doesn't appreciate them or to a dream that didn't come true. The singer appears to be waiting for the person to arrive, but he isn't sure if it's them or if he's the one who has come. He mentions having an empty suitcase and many things to see but not having open arms to embrace them.
The lyrics in "Habanera" are poignant and emotional, filled with depth and complexity. The song seems to be questioning the essence of life and how much control we have over it. The singer is conveying that sometimes we have to hide parts of ourselves to protect our loved ones, and sometimes we get caught up in wrong relationships and dreams, leading to feelings of emptiness and regret. Despite this, the song also suggests that there is always hope for redemption and that even in the darkest moments, there is beauty to be found.
Line by Line Meaning
Quante vite hai?
How many lives do you have?
te ne ho trovata una che non andava e l'ho nascosta così che nessuno abbia mai niente niente da ridire su di noi
I found one life that wasn't going well, and I hid it, so that nobody has anything to say about us.
da regalarti così al primo, al primo che'é venuto all'ultimo arrivato, a questo sogno stonato che ti ha portata via
To give yourself away to the first one who came, to the last one who came, to this tuneless dream that took you away.
é tanto tempo che ti aspetto, non arrivavi mai e non ricordo più se sei tu che sei venuta o sono io valigia vuota e troppe cose da vedere le braccia aperte e gli occhi no
I've been waiting for you for so long, you never came, and I don't remember if it's you who came or if it's me. Empty suitcase and too many things to see. Arms are open, but eyes are not.
e quanta strada, fatta di notte senza lampioni a rotoloni
And how much road, made at night without street lamps, tumbled down.
fra quelle dita, una ti sfugge e la rincorri é già passata
Between those fingers, one slips away from you, and it's already gone.
magari domani sorridendo mi racconterai non é mai stato vero niente io sono io valigia piena e poche cose da vedere con gli occhi aperti, le braccia no.
Perhaps tomorrow, smiling, you'll tell me that nothing was ever true, I am me. Suitcase is full and few things to see. Eyes are open, but arms are not.
Contributed by David D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tiziana Battistutta
......non è mai stato vero niente.....gli occhi aperti , le braccia no!