Description
Pippo Pollina, the Sicilian cantautore living in Switzerland, is a self-declared pacifist. The former conscientious objector has long used his music to denounce the abuse of power and advocate for humanity and peace. Now, at a time when war has once again become part of our daily lives - at least in the news - the successful singer-songwriter dedicates an entire album to the subject: Fra guerra e pace (Between War And Peace). " War is a dimension from which humanity has never truly freed itself. A place where destruction and annihilation intersect with other aspects of life - love, birth, hunger, or thirst," writes the artist in the foreword to the album booklet. With this musically and thematically rich album, Pippo Pollina brings us closer to the people behind the headlines, giving life to what we only hear in the news. We are confronted with fear, pain, and grief - but also with hope, love, and poetry.
Fra guerra e pace is a special album in many ways. With its detailed, diverse, at times hymn-like, at times archaic-sounding music, it immediately captures the listener. The song titles and lyrics confront us with brutal history and harsh present realities. La notte dei cristalli (Kristallnacht) was recorded together with his two children, singer-songwriter FABER and Madlaina Pollina - the first time all three have performed together. Free Palestina gives voice to a place with no memories, no bread, no dignity - but many voices crying Free Palestine. Throughout the album, hope resonates - love and humanity shimmer like an antidote through the suffering. The song Fra i petali del girasole (In The Petals Of The Sunflower) tells the story of a Ukrainian soldier on leave, dreaming of a better life after the war - far from Donbas. Because life, after all, holds so much beauty. La vita e bella cosi com'e (Life is beautiful just as it is) is the title of Pippo Pollina's upcoming tour in 2026.
The acoustic variety of this album stands out. The songs impress with rich instrumentation, creating a powerful and harmonious whole, while repeatedly bringing individual solos to the fore - present, striking, almost proud. Much of it is thematically chosen - like the oud, the Arabic lute, used in Free Palestina. One might say that this musical diversity itself becomes an unspoken call for peace.
Fra guerra e pace is a political statement, a poetic warning, and a glimmer of hope in turbulent times. It tells of war, past and present, and what it does to people. Pippo Pollina dedicates the album "to the innocent who die beneath the bombs that fall from the skies of this world."
The album will be released on December 5, 2025. From January 2026, Pippo Pollina will be on tour in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.
