clash of opinions

Last night dinner with friends became a long and very heated discussion about the music being played in the piazza. The group was singing English songs, with a few in Italian as our meal progressed. It was toe-tapping music, easy to dance to. It had been advertised as music and dance.

We were seated outdoors at a restaurant not too far from the band. Further down the road a BBQ sizzled and the road was closed to traffic for the feast and summer fun. Literally hundreds of people were out and about, enjoying the summer evening. The old and the young mingled, meandered, chatted. The music was not too loud, did not intrude as some bands can. In fact, when the songs were in Italian, I barely noticed the change.

My re-patriated Italian friend became quite upset that what she saw as American music was being imposed on the community by the town council. I maintained that over a three month summer programme to find two concerts in English was appropriate, not an imposition.

English is taught in the schools, and music is a powerful tool for learning. Other Italian friends play music in English by choice, often asking me to listen to a phrase and help them to understand the words.

I am getting better at expressing my right to have an opinion, the right to be heard. I insisted that there was another way of seeing this. She argued vehemently and stood firm. There was no way to move the conversation ahead. Unfortunately we couldn't even agree to differ. We fell silent; there was nothing more to be said.

Globalisation cannot be halted. I remember quite vividly the disappointment I felt when, after some tiring travel, I found the New Zealand pavillion at the 2001 Venice Biennale. I was needing a touch of home; what I saw was international art. Back then I saw it differently. I was a wandering Kiwi needing a touch of culture from "down under". In 2005 I viewed the New Zealand pavillion with the controversial work by Et al. with much interest. I was happy to see with different eyes, to defend this exhibit, to explain how and why I thought it was appropriate. I regret not seeing the 2003 exhibit, a conceptual work by Michael Stevenson which in my mind bridged the "gap" between Kiwi culture and the international art scene. But I digress.

We make our choices. These choices are largely influenced by our situation at the time. I like living in this culture, and enjoy what makes it Italian. When I have a choice I boycott the large commercial centres (shopping malls) because I believe that they damage the local businesses and take money out of the community. These I see as an unnecessary evil eroding at what is so good about Italy. But Italy is not a static place. If progress and movement means listening to a mix of music in public places then surely that is also good for international relations and the confidence of young Italians as they venture out into the wider world.

I will enjoy whatever music the comune offers me... be it in Italian, English, or any other language. Music is more than words, it is a universal language.
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