"Vacanze romane" (transl. "Roman holidays") is a 1983 single composed by Aldo Stellita (lyrics, even if credited to Giancarlo Golzi)[1] and Carlo Marrale (music) and performed by Matia Bazar. The song premiered at the 33rd edition of the Sanremo Music Festival, where it ranked fourth, winning the critic's award.[2] It eventually became one of the band's signature songs.[3]
Background
The band, which in 1981 had undergone the first line-up change in its history with the departure of Piero Cassano and the entry of Mauro Sabbione, starting from the 1982 album ...Berlino ...Parigi ...Londra had turned its style towards a decidedly electro-pop sound, with tepid reception from critics and public alike.[1] Eager for a relaunch, they decided to participate in the Sanremo Music Festival (already won by the band in 1978), but their first choice, "Palestina" ("Palestine"), was rejected on political grounds.[1] They then opted for "Vacanze romane", a song characterized by the meeting of apparently antithetical sound elements, i.e. the classical melody and the retro feel given by Antonella Ruggiero's vocal performance versus the electronic arrangements.[2][3]
Lyrics
Starting from its title (a reference to the 1953 William Wyler's film Roman Holiday) the song is a melancholic hommage to Rome, from the point of view of the unmatched splendour it had reached and that had lost through the time.[2]
