Brucia Troia

The story behind

Brucia Troia sounds like a controlled fire: the voice of Vinicio Capossela intertwines in a rhythm that oscillates between a waltz and rock, with a piano that seems to drag like embers. The lyrics, blending poetic and grotesque elements, tell a story that burns itself out, where fire is not just a metaphor but another character. The track progresses with a hypnotic cadence, as if time itself were folding in on itself, and in the final minute it explodes into a climax that leaves the impression of having witnessed something more than just a song.The album Ovunque proteggi —where Brucia Troia appears— was recorded in 2005 at the Officine Meccaniche studios of Mauro Pagani, a place already steeped in legend in northern Italy. Capossela arrived after a couple of years of discographic silence since Canzoni a manovella, but far from repeating formulas, this work sounded like a radical turn: less folk, more dark textures and an air of cabaret music that crumbles. The official presentation took place in January 2006 at the Chiesa di San Carpoforo in Milano, a space whose acoustics and history seemed tailor-made for an album that plays with the sacred and the profane. The record not only won the Targa Tenco in 2006 but also ranked second on the year's best albums list according to Mojo magazine, only behind Savane by Ali Farka Touré. And while Ovunque proteggi ended up in 6th place on the list of the 100 best Italian albums of all time according to Rolling Stone Italia, the song we’re focusing on doesn’t need such recognition to burn on its own.