Since September 2016, Yugawara Town in Kanagawa Prefecture has entered into a friendship city partnership with Tivoli City in Italy. The city of Tivoli, located approximately 30 kilometers east of Rome, is a historic resort town that dates back to ancient Roman times. It seems that Yugawara Town has been promoting exchanges at the private level for many years, mainly through the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. What they all have in common is that they all have hot springs as a tourist resource. Therefore, with an eye on the future of hot spring utilization and the promotion of attracting foreign tourists, we have come to the conclusion of a friendship city alliance.
The other day, as part of our cultural exchange, we invited guitarist Pino Forastiere, who lives in Tivoli, to hold a concert. The venue was the ``Hinoki Charity Concert Hall,'' which is known for its warm space made entirely of cypress. We spoke to Mr. Pino before the performance in a perfect location overlooking the ocean.
How did you start playing guitar?
It all started when my older brother gave me a guitar as a gift when I was 5 or 6 years old. Perhaps it was because my father loved opera and I grew up in an environment where music was always playing, but I studied classical guitar at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome.
An original instrument called a 16-string guitar has been developed and is being played.
I wanted a guitar that had a wide range of sounds like a piano, from low to high notes, so I told the master craftsman Davide Serracini my idea and had him build it. I really like this guitar because it gives me an orchestra-like sound. The album ``Village Life'' released last year was all performed on this 16-string guitar.
I understand that this is your first time coming to Japan.
Yes, it is. Because it is so far from Italy, I felt a mysterious charm about Japan. I held a concert with Mishima in Tokyo, and no matter where I go, everything feels new and I'm as excited as a child (lol).
Tokyo had the image of a hectic city, but Yugawara is rich in nature and calm. Maybe it's because the atmosphere is similar to the city of Tivoli where I live.
What's important to me is to always stay relaxed. Whether you're making music or considering an artistic project, it's important to have peace of mind.
The Hinoki Hall is filled with the scent of wood and is a very relaxing space.
Kanagawa Prefecture is promoting the "Magkal" initiative based on the idea of "attracting people with the charm of culture and art and creating vitality in the region."
Culture and art attract people, that's exactly what it says!
I believe that by bringing together various arts such as music and art, the circle of people and the liveliness will further expand.
I have also participated in the Guitar Festival in New York, and being able to meet people from various countries and regions there was a great asset.
For me, music is a bridge for interacting with people.
Pino Forastiere
Pino Forastiere
Composer, guitarist. Studied classical music (6-string/10-string) at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, and later expanded into contemporary and rock music. His genre-defying composition and performance skills continue to be loved by guitarists and musicians around the world, and he regularly performs at concerts and festivals in Europe, the United States, and Canada.
