Cidim brings Puccini to the International Publishing and Book Fair in Rabat

The Cidim (Italian National Music Committee) proposes two events to remember the great Italian composer who passed away one hundred years ago

ROME – The music and life of Giacomo Puccini, one hundred years after his death, will also be celebrated in Morocco, and precisely in Rabat, during the International Publishing and Book Fair, Salon International de l’Édition et du Livre – ‘SIEL’- 2024 Edition. Saturday 11 May, inside the ‘The Amazement of Italian Culture’ Pavilion of Siel, the Italian Embassy in the Kingdom of Morocco, the Italian Cultural Institute of Rabat and the Cidim (Italian National Music Committee) propose two events to remember the great and unforgettable Italian composer who passed away one hundred years ago.

At 4 pm, the Italian version of the comic ‘Io sono Giacomo Puccini’ by P. Alessandro Polito and Laura Pederzoli, editions Curci Curci Young necklace. A text suitable for children aged seven and above that tells the life and genius of the creator of Tosca, Madama Butterfly and La Bohème.

The comic brings together a careful selection of illustrations, the result of passionate iconographic research, and through an online playlist of selected songs offers the possibility of getting to know the artist in depth. On this occasion, the Arabic version of the book, already available in bookstores not only in Italian, but also in French and English, will be launched, the translation of which was entrusted to Professor Nabil Mada.

At 6 pm, a concert entitled ‘Homage to Puccini’ will be held inside the Pavilion. with a musical program entirely inspired by him, which includes, among other things, some of the most iconic melodies taken from La Bohème and Turandot. The performance is entrusted to three artists of great level although very young: the soprano Gesua Gallifoco, the tenor Giuseppe Michelangelo Infantino and the pianist Alessandro Zilioli.

“We have chosen to translate the originality of this comic into the Arabic language with the aim of broadening the knowledge of Giacomo Puccini to a new world that is close to us, and to celebrate his immense skill during an event with an international scope , such as the Rabat International Publishing and Book Fair. The marriage between writing and music is an effective tool for creating culture and exporting Italian culture to the world, and the extraordinary synergy between the Italian Cultural Institute of Rabat, the Cidim and the Italian Embassy in the Kingdom of Morocco allowed us to create a unique event, the presentation of the book and then the concert, demonstrating once again the intellectual and artistic liveliness of our country”, comments Carmela Callea, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Rabat.

“We are particularly proud of this relationship, now solid and based on so much passion and competence, with the Italian Cultural Institute of Rabat and the Italian Embassy in the Kingdom of Morocco. In fact, we are returning to work together with an ambitious project which sees the great Giacomo Puccini as interpreter and leading actor in Rabat: an authentic talent of Italian music that the whole world celebrates this year on the occasion of the centenary of his death”, explains Francescantonio Pollice, vice-president of Cidim and president of Aiam-Italian Association of Musical Activities.