Exploring the "Iconic Legacy" of Italian Music: A Creative Encounter of Institute of Media Students with Enzo Ghinazzi

In the 1980s, it was nearly impossible to find a resident of the former USSR who hadn't heard at least one song from the Italian pop scene. Hits like "Felicità," "L'Italiano," and "Mamma Maria" resonated from cassette players across the country, capturing the hearts of listeners of all ages. Concerts featuring Adriano Celentano, Ricchi e Poveri, and Toto Cutugno were a dream for many.

© Ekaterina Strunilina

Despite the passage of time, the love for Italian music has remained unwavering. Today, both younger and older generations continue to cherish the works of Italian artists, including Enzo Ghinazzi—better known by his stage name, Pupo. Ghinazzi has fostered a long-standing friendship and professional collaboration with Ernest Matskyavichyus, Director of the Institute of Media at HSE University. Pupo previously was  a jury member for the international music festival "The Road to Yalta" and collaborated with Matskyavichyus on a music video for the iconic partisan anthem "Bella Ciao," a song originally brought to the USSR by the legendary Muslim Magomaev.

Ernest Matskyavichyus
Director of the Institute of Media at HSE University

"I don't even know who to compare an artist of this scale with the present-day stars.. What stands out is that Pupo remains an incredibly popular performer in Italy. He has cemented his place in music history and continues to be an iconic legacy in Italian music."

Ernest Matskyavichyus

On December 3, students from the Institute of Media had the rare opportunity to meet Pupo in person. The Italian musician first visited HSE University's  campus on Pokrovsky Boulevard, where he expressed admiration for its contemporary design and spacious lecture halls. Later, students from two universities gathered for an engaging creative session at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.

Matskyavichyus facilitated the discussion, asking Pupo a series of questions that provided deeper insights into his life and career.

Ernest Matskyavichyus: How difficult is it for you, as a European, to come to Moscow today?

Enzo Ghinazzi: Especially in recent years, coming to Russia as a European is challenging. Obtaining a visa isn't difficult, but there are fewer direct flights to Russia now. However, there are other complications. The main problem I face is moral and ethical. After visiting Russia, I might encounter certain difficulties related to my work in Italy. I would love to come with all my musicians, not just to Moscow, but to various Russian cities. Unfortunately, that's impossible right now. Flights are expensive, making it hard for everyone to purchase tickets. Some of my colleagues can't afford it. As for me, I've decided to keep coming. Always. And I continue to come because I believe that music, art – everything connected with moral and spiritual human development – should have no barriers. There should be no restrictions for those who want to visit Russia.

Ernest Matskyavichyus: Do many people in Italy share this perspective today?

Enzo Ghinazzi: I know that many Italians think like me, but unfortunately, our government feels differently. Still, numerous Italians disagree with this official stance.

Ernest Matskyavichyus: Are there any trends toward improvement? Are things changing over the past years and months?

Enzo Ghinazzi: Perhaps we've all started sensing some tendencies toward change. I believe this feeling emerged quite late. It should have appeared in society much earlier. But as they say, better late than never. I think this situation cannot continue. I believe we – Italians, Europeans, Europe as a whole – must maintain good relationships with countries that are our literal, physical neighbors. We need to restore cooperation between Russia and Italy at various levels, primarily cultural. We must continue exchanging mutual respect between our countries because Russia is still part of Europe. Professionally, I'm not involved in politics, but I have my own opinion on certain issues. You won't hear a political position from me. I speak for myself, sharing what I believe is right. But I think there's a trend toward positive changes, and something is indeed shifting in the minds of our politicians, especially those who behave more reasonably. I believe 2025 will bring us many positive changes.

Ernest Matskyavichyus: What do you do when you're not singing?

Enzo Ghinazzi: Many years ago, I spent my free time doing the wrong things. Young people should know: no one in the world is perfect. Never trust those who say, "I've never made a mistake." Because everyone makes mistakes. But there are people who can ask for forgiveness and rise again. And that's the main lesson life teaches us – to be able to admit your mistake. Why am I telling you this? Because I once had two passions: gambling and women. I haven't gambled for many years now because gambling is dangerous. I've also firmly established myself in my family because having connections outside the family is also dangerous. Family is the foundation of balance. Now I work much more than before. When I'm not singing or touring, I continue singing at home. I sing – that's it. I spend time with my grandchildren, walk with them, and we travel around my native Tuscany. I've resumed studying – I'll soon receive a diploma in Philosophy and Psychology.

Ernest Matskyavichyus: Do you keep in touch with any musicians who were big in the 80s and are still performing: Al Bano, Celentano? I know you were friends with Toto Cutugno.

Enzo Ghinazzi: Yes, Toto Cutugno was my close friend. We went on many world tours together. When he passed away last year, only I and Gianni Morandi were at his funeral. No other artists were there. It's very sad. I've known Adriano Celentano for many years. Moreover, we work with the same communication agency. He no longer performs, having decided to dedicate time to his great passion – repairing watches. He was quite good at it in his youth. He's a legend for us. Of course, Adriano Celentano is over 80 now, hardly likely to perform live. I often meet with Al Bano and Ricchi e Poveri. Even though our relationships have somewhat cooled recently. Truthfully, this is because they have a different position regarding current relations between Russia and Europe. They made a different choice. I think it's wrong because they owe much to the Russian people. I want to see how everything will change when things return to normal. How will they behave? Pretend nothing happened and return to singing in Russia? I hope that's how it will be. But I hope the audience will remember that at the moment when it was inconvenient for them, these artists didn't come.

The event concluded with a memorable musical performance. In what has become a tradition, Pupo and Matskyavichyus performed "Bella Ciao" live together. Pupo then dedicated "L'Italiano" to the memory of the legendary composer and entertainer Toto Cutugno, followed by "Sarà Perché Ti Amo," a hit he wrote for Ricchi e Poveri.

After this, Enzo asked the listeners, "Do you like ice cream?" Of course, everyone in the hall immediately understood that the next song would be "Gelato Al Cioccolato" – one of Pupo's most famous hits. The artist performed the song together with the audience, with lyric sheets distributed to everyone.

To conclude the program, Pupo sang "There is Only a Moment " in Russian with Ernest Matskyavichyus accompanied by guitar, and happily signed autographs for those who wanted them.

The audience was thrilled by the meeting and were very happy to get to know Enzo Ghinazzi better.

Maria Granovskaya, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, First Media Academy, 2nd year:

– I really enjoyed the meeting! It was heartwarming, vibrant, and emotional. I'm very glad that Pupo is still relevant and that his art continues to live in our hearts.

Tatyana Remezova, Creative Director of the Journalism Educational Program at the Institute of Media at HSE University:

– I've known Enzo for more than a year. He's a participant in our "The Road to Yalta" festival, which we organize together with Ernest Matskyavichyus. The impressions from the meeting are amazing. As always, Enzo is very charismatic, he works wonderfully with any audience, and today we saw proof of that. There were very young people, students, but nevertheless, Enzo is so charming that he managed to interest everyone, from young to old. Perhaps this is his uniqueness, the gift of a great artist known worldwide.

Arina Skobeleva, HSE University, Institute of Media, Media Communications Educational Program, 3rd year: 

– This is a unique event for me. I rarely attend meetings with artists, especially singers. But when I saw that Enzo would be here, I signed up immediately. In fact, I've wanted to meet him for two years, because two years ago I was involved in organizing the "The Road to Yalta" event. Enzo wanted to come, but unfortunately, political reasons prevented him. Since that moment, I've had a desire to touch Italian culture, Italian songs, and meet an “iconic legacy”, as Ernest Matskyavichyus said today. I'm learning Italian, so this meeting is very relevant for me. Actually, the event is incredibly cool. I saw Pupo from his everyday side and learned what kind of person he is. That's more valuable than any other interview.

 

By Zhaliy Anastasia, 4th-year student, Journalism program

Translation: Hoang Dieu Linh