Presentation of the book by Marcello Balestra: “Lucio is here” and Young Songwriters Pay Tribute to Lucio Dalla

To kick off the evening’s programming on July 30th will be a prestigious cultural event preceding the concert on the main stage. Singer-songwriter and artistic director of Effetto Venezia, Grazia Di Michele, will take the stage to engage in a dialogue with creative manager and talent scout Marcello Balestra about her latest celebrated volume, “Lucio c&#8217è. La vita e la musica di Lucio Dalla”, published by Mondadori Electa with a preface by Walter Veltroni. 

The talk will offer the audience a journey into the soul of the genius from Bologna through a unique and privileged perspective: Balestra has been part of Dalla’s “family” for over thirty years, witnessing since 1980 the behind the scenes of artistic creation in the historic Fonoprint studios in Bologna and in creative retreats on the Tremiti Islands. 

During the talk, previously unpublished anecdotes from the book’s pages will be revealed, portraying a mischievous, free, and cultured Dalla, capable of nurturing the talent of others. The narrative will revisit the birth of visionary projects like the Pressing label (of which Balestra was artistic and editorial manager) and the epic Dalla-Morandi world tour of 1988-89, providing a close look at an extraordinary man, mentor, and life master. 

The stage will open to performances by four young nationally renowned artists, called upon to reinterpret and evoke the suggestions and poetry of Lucio Dalla:

• Alessio Palagi: Singer-songwriter and guitarist from Livorno born in 2001, combines the great Italian tradition with a sound rich in pop, blues, rock, country, and R&B nuances. With the album “Eclissi” and the single “Un attimo prima di incontrarmi”, Palagi delves into everyday life addressing introspective and social themes. Coming from the national final of “Sanremo Rock & Trend” on the stage of the Teatro Ariston last September, he will authentically perform Dalla’s masterpiece “Anna e Marco”. 
• Corrado Neri: Versatile artist from Syracuse, represents a perfect synthesis between the academic technique of classical piano and the freedom of Jazz, Ragtime, and Italian songwriting. Graduated with honors from the Catania Conservatory and specialized in Milan with a research on Friedrich Gulda, in 2018 he triumphed at the Ibla Grand Prize performing at the Carnegie Hall in New York and the KIOI Hall in Tokyo. A versatile composer (already awarded the “Rai Zecchino d’Oro” prize for songwriter with Una Commedia Divina and arranger for the Sicilian Symphony Orchestra), Neri will showcase his unique ability to blend popular and cultured soul on the main stage. 
• Mancino (Ivo Mancino): Singer-songwriter, actor, and keen observer of life born in 1998, hails from Monte di Procida (Naples). His style crosses between singer-songwriter pop and folk-rock, translating everyday life into snapshots of lived experience. Active since 2016, he has released the EPs “Monologhi” and “La mia soluzione”, followed in 2024 by the album “L’allergia alle cose che ho amato”. His accolades include the Botteghe D’autore Award, participations in the Fabrizio De André Award and the Tenco Ascolta Award, culminating in the 2025 victory of the “L’Artista che non c&#8217era” prize.
• Francesco Saporito