It will be awarded to Paolo Bedini, owner of the record label Baracca Burattini, who has published the two CDs ‘Parole Liberate’, containing songs with lyrics written by inmates
This year, Cremona Musica International Exhibitions and Festival will present a special award, with profound cultural and social significance, to Parole Liberate, a musical project born in 2014 from an idea by the association of the same name. The Ministry of Justice embraced the initiative by promoting a competition inviting inmates to write lyrics, which became songs thanks to the contributions of well-known Italian and foreign musicians. The award will be received by Paolo Bedini, owner of the record label Baracca Burattini, who published the two albums in 2022 and 2024
The artists of the label collaborated with important musicians, achieving exciting results. Following the publication, there were on-stage performances in prisons across the peninsula and in external venues. Among the most well-known names to the general public are Cesareo – guitarist of Elio e le Storie Tese, here as a producer – Morgan, the American Pat Mastelotto – percussionist of King Crimson – along with his wife Deborah Carter, Bandabardò, and bassist Tony Levin, who has played with John Lennon, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, and Pink Floyd.
Among the artists who participated in the first volume of this recording project, we remember NuovoNormale, Petra Magoni, Ambrogio Sparagna, Yo Yo Mundi, and Acquaragia Drom. Alongside these, there are also very young bands, such as the Livorno-based Synaesthesia
The two albums, presented starting from March 2022 at the Chamber of Deputies, received first place in the Special Projects section from the Ministry of Culture for two consecutive years. Volume No. 1 also received the prestigious Premio Lunezia and second place at the Targhe Tenco, the most important Italian singer-songwriter award, in the same year. The renowned photographer Oliviero Toscani also contributed, with the photograph used for the cover.
In addition to CD format, the albums ‘Parole Liberate’ No. 1 and No. 2 are available on all digital platforms, distributed by The Orchard (Sony Music)
The decision to award this special prize confirms the Cremona event’s focus on music as a fundamental element of culture and human life.
Il Cremona Musica Award – Categoria Progetto Speciale, verrà consegnato al produttore Paolo Bedini nella tarda mattinata di domenica 29 settembre nell’Area Eventi dell’Acoustic Guitar Village, a seguire, sul Live Stage, si alterneranno in performance live alcuni dei musicisti che hanno partecipato alla realizzazione di “Parole Liberate” n. 2: ci saranno Paolo Archetti Maestri, leader e fondatore degli Yo Yo Mundi, la cantautrice Teresa Plantamura, l’ensemble folk capitanata dall’organettista Clara Graziano.
