Fabrizio De André: Music for the Invisible — A Portrait of Roma Culture Through Song
Music without borders
Music serves as a fundamental instrument for sharing ideas, opinions, and images. Where words divide people, music unites individuals across the world and allows the expression of every kind of feeling. This article explores the work of Italian songwriter Fabrizio De André (1940‑1999), who primarily wrote songs for minorities, the poor, and those invisible to society. He was not merely a songwriter but also a storyteller and poet. His songs consistently carry political and social commentary; he wrote powerfully about love and war, social protest and human rights. A musician as well, De André expressed himself through an intercultural blend of Mediterranean and Oriental music, strengthening cultural and musical connections between different parts of the world.
Among Fabrizio De André's songs, one favorite is By Dint to Be Wind. This piece appears on Anime Salve, the author's final album, released in 1996.
"Khalil" is a word from the Romani language meaning literally "Reader of the Quran." It is also the name of a group of Muslim Roma people from Kosovo who came to Italy between 1991 and 1993 to escape war.
The song aims to raise awareness about the Roma people. In its first section, it speaks of the poor social and economic conditions Roma endure and their philosophy of life: giving children the names of those currently in power, hiding their jewels in bread, and the rich oral tradition of Roma culture ("Knowing how to read the book of the world / with iridescent words and no writing"). The following verses address Roma people killed by the Nazi regime during World War II ("The children were falling from the calendar / Yugoslavia, Polonia, Hungary / the soldiers were taking everyone / and they were throwing everyone away"). Towards the end, De André reflects on the Roma practice of asking for handouts, singing: "And if this means stealing / this line of bread between misery and fortune / in the mirror of this encampment / to my eyes clear like a farewell / he can call it that only one who knows about taking into his mouth / the point of view of God."
During a live concert, Fabrizio De André introduced this song with important words:
The marginalization comes from behaviors acquired from very old cultures. The Roma people have traveled the world for more than two thousand years. This free community, these Roma people, are affected by dromomania, the permanent desire to move. I think they never harmed anyone. It is true, they steal — but you cannot stop the primary instinct that exists in every human being's DNA. Yet I have never heard of stealing through the bank. They go around without a weapon. So I think that if we have to give the Nobel Peace Prize to a people, the Roma people would be the most deserving.