Last spring I received a call from the blond angel that is at the heart of 7sky.life, my dear friend Coco Tâche-Berther. She told me we were going to shoot a video about my conscious lifestyle and all the things dear to my heart such as yoga, dance, capoeira, music, healthy food and love… At first, I felt a little rush of panic. But luckily, courage and the thrill to experiment with something new pushed me, once again, out of my comfort zone. I focused on my breathing and as Coco and I were talking and sharing, suddenly, all the pieces fitted together in one moment of inspiration: we were going to film the people who inspire me most by their way of living their dreams and shining brighter. Okay, now I was ready.
As I love music, I had to include someone who has the skill to make that magic stuff… Thinking about the local scene in Ticino, a special name came to my mind: Andrea Bignasca! I had been to a couple of his live acts and his voice and energy on stage stoked me. My instinct worked, I couldn’t have chosen any better. Shortly after, it was time for the video shoot… From the very mo-ment Andrea walked into the room full of people for the final scene, embraced his guitar and start-ed singing, something unique happened. It was one of those moments where everything freezes and all the attention is captured by one single soul. Andrea’s voice, rich, intense and real, charmed everyone. In the end, sadly, for technical reasons, we weren’t able to include that recording in the 7sky.life video… But, that unique moment, became by far my favourite experience of those shoot-ing days. “Ever since I was a child, music has been my way of escaping reality and, at the same time, of living my dreams in a way that was more concrete”, and he tells me “when I listen to a song I love, time stops and nothing else exists. The same happens when I play, when I sing, in those 3 to 4 minutes things seem a little more possible, a little less impossible”. His desire is to play music that has the same effect on those who listen to it. “I wish to offer a momentary break from whatever may be haunting the heart of the listener”, explains Andrea, “I would like to touch the person who listens to my music in such a way as to provide what he or she needs: 2 minutes of dancing if she needs to dance, of crying if she need to cry, of letting go if she has a heavy mind.”
I fall in love every time I meet a talented person, straying out of their comfort zone and stepping onto the stage… It may be a singer, a painter, a cook, a ballerina, an athlete, an architect or a gar-dener, it doesn’t really matter. Full-frontal talent in action opens up a whole new dimension. That person comes alive and it is just as though you could see his or her soul shining through their skin. That person’s heart is made visible. That’s what the aura of an artist is made of and that’s what happens when Andrea performs!
His sound, as someone wrote, is “real rock reduced to the bare minimum: voice, guitar, soul”. His songs are stripped to their essence and that reveals their beauty… The same can be said about the author’s personality. As a lead singer, guitarist and composer, Andrea is nevertheless a hum-ble young man. When he appears on stage, he’s not the type who screams and shouts to capture everyone’s attention. He prefers standing quietly, observing the human circus unfolding around him. And if you happen to talk to him you will find that he has a soft way of being, shy and com-passionate. Around him you feel at home. This fundamental way of moving through life is precious and we hope he will never lose it.
Although Andrea has a kind and friendly side, he has another one more difficult to describe… A wild aspect that makes me think of a green solitary forest with a fire burning somewhere deep with-in. Through his guitar and his voice, he communicates his genuine, passionate and slightly rough personality. When he is on stage he burns up all the chatter and the nonsense as he captures the audience with a music where rock flirts with folk. As his voice and guitar reach the audience, he comes to life and the atmosphere becomes electric.
Kidding about his future, he says he has got two plans… Plan A is to reach the stage of Madison Square Garden and plan B is to play in small bars until he is 90 years old. “As someone said well before me: ‘take yourself very seriously, but in the end, remember that it is only rock’n’roll’”. He is open to anything. His dream, in action, is living only for his passion: Music. He is on the right track as his debut album ‘Gone’ just came out this October…
Keri Gonzato for 7sky.life
