The Vinyl Nomad | Chapter 01-02: Naples & Rome

Chapter 01 | Naples

Day 01 – Naples

After an enjoyable and much-needed vacation with my brother and sister-in-law (whom I miss already), I got up at 4 a.m. to board an early flight from Chania, Crete, to Naples, Italy.

I arrived in Naples at 7 a.m., staying at a great B&B owned by a young couple, Giuseppe and Giuseppe, friends of Valerio and Giovanna—my new friends from Parma—who initiated this Italy trip. My B&B was located in Rione Sanità, a Neapolitan neighborhood known for its status as a burial ground during ancient Roman times. Much of its historic charm still stands today, from the catacombs to the archaic buildings. Combined with modern noise and grime, Rione Sanità creates its own distinct Neapolitan vibe.

After walking more than 10 kilometers and exploring the neighborhood, I returned to my block tired and hungry. I then went on a search to find Cristallini 78, a local restaurant recommended by Guiseppe, who just so happened to be having dinner there with his friends. He immediately recognized me and invited me to join them. The rest of the night was spent singing, getting cooking lessons from Pasquale, the owner of the restaurant, as well as scraping the cooking pan with leftover bread and making new friends.

Day 02 – Naples

Our first photo shoot was with Massimo di Lena, one-half of the innovative Neapolitan music duo Nu-Genea. Massimo came to pick me up at 7 a.m., which is considered late for flea market digging, but we still had a chance at finding some goods.

At the freeway toll booth, Massimo showed me a “digging trick” he used to get small change for successful flea market bargaining. He first pulled out a 50-euro note and handed it to the automatic cashier in hopes of getting change in coins, but it didn’t work. He swapped it for a 20-euro note instead. Coins poured out, and we drove off with our pockets jingling and the feeling of sweet success.

We hit up two spots only to discover that they were closed. Fortunately, we had more luck at our third spot—a flea market in Succivo.

We ended up with two records: one mystery library record, and a record by Neapolitan trumpet player Enzo Stellato. We also found some hair-implanting tips on a 7-inch record, and I got myself a red Formula 1 Marlboro hat. Not bad finds at all; I was feeling quite satisfied.

I did, however, have a little run-in with a local—an older woman wearing dark sunglasses and an intimidating look reserved for certain organizations from certain movie genres. She took notice of the camera hanging on my shoulder and, without hesitation, released the following threat out in the open: “If you take any photos of me, I’ll make sure you don’t leave this market alive!”

I have to admit, she did scare me and I did take her seriously.

It was hot and we were getting hungry, so we decided it was time for some pizzetta at Moccia, a famous bakery in the city center. We followed that with some coffee, and it was at this point that Massimo instructed me to “sip the sparkling water BEFORE the coffee!” I complied and promised to apply this gem of local wisdom on my next coffee break.

We then made our way to Massimo’s childhood home, where his father still lives and where his best records are stored. The first thing we did was check the records we got from the market. Verdict: the library record was fire, the other record not so much.

We then got to Massimo’s personal collection and went on a musical trip through his records, which mainly focused on Neapolitan music and lush Mediterranean sounds.

We took a break in between shooting to have some more coffee and local sweets served by Massimo’s dad, who didn’t speak much English, but we got along.

After three hours, we finally completed  our photo session. Massimo, who wasn’t expecting the shoot to be as deep and tiring as it was, was exhausted. We bid each other farewell, and I continued to have another classic Neapolitan pizza dinner that night.

The day ends. I’m still alive. Tired and carb-loaded, but alive.

Day 03 – Naples

Flea market digging with Valerio & Giovanna.

At 7 a.m. I was picked up by Valerio and Giovanna to do some more flea market digging. We visited a market at the Ippodromo Di Agnano, an old race track nestled near the Agnano Crater. Here, Valerio came across a sweet steal: “Turn Me Loose” by Blue Night, an Italo-disco record, for only one euro.

During our digging, I also got familiar with the works of Mina, the iconic Italian soprano known for her “bad girl” reputation in 1960s/1970s Italy. We came across some stylish locals, and to ward off any future possible death threats from old ladies, I picked up a silver necklace that gives me a badass look (or at least I think).

We then stopped for some delicious coffee and babà, a local sweet pastry filled with rum.

Later on in the day, I headed to the house of Lorenzo Sannino (member of DJ duo Napoli Segreta) for a photo session with him and fellow member Gianpaolo Della Noce. Communication was admittedly a challenge at times, but this was made up by the exploration of their extensive collection, which included some cool Neapolitan 7-inch records, as well as the sweets that Gianpaolo brought for me to sample (my internal calorie calculator generated a reflex reaction involving a polite smile and belly-tapping movements).

After the shoot, I took the train back to my B&B, concluding another day filled with good music and good carbs.

Next stop, Rome.

Chapter 02 | Rome

Day 04 – Rome

After a slow train ride into Rome, I arrived at Roma Termini and was given a hearty welcome by Luca Sapio, a record collector, musician, and recording engineer. As a long-time Dust & Grooves fan, he offered to help with our journey after seeing our Vinyl Nomad itinerary.

We went for a quick bite before meeting with Nicola Linfante and Paola Cultrera, the young musician couple who would be hosting me in their house for the next two nights. A warm-hearted and generous duo, we spent some time on their balcony chatting and drinking “one last limoncello shot” after the other until the bottle was empty. I then rested up; tomorrow would be a busy day.

Day 05 – Rome

The day began with a visit to Pierpaolo De Sanctis. As a record collector, archivist, and founder of the magnificent label Four Flies Records, he dedicates his work to Italian soundtracks and library music– AKA stock music, or the music arrangements that you never think of (but perhaps ought to) found in everyday commercials, film and TV shows, and even sampled in your favorite hip hop tracks. My time with Pierpaolo involved a deep plunge into the world of Italian library. As obscure the genre may be, its obscurity makes it one of the most sought-after genres by collectors and sample artists today.

The aim of our session with Pierpaolo was two-fold: firstly, to profile him as a collector, and secondly, to illustrate his label’s work in record re-issuing, including its joys and sorrows. More details on Pierpaolo’s incredible work will be found in a special round-table feature in the upcoming Dust & Grooves Volume 2 (don’t miss out!).

Next, my incredible host Luca organized a visit to Piero Umiliani’s original recording studio in the heart of Rome. Umiliani was a film and library composer whose work helped shape the landscape of film and library music in the 1960s and 1970s. If his name doesn’t ring any bells, perhaps the hit 1968 song “Mah Nà Mah Nà” will (and perhaps you’ve just sung the song in your head).

The studio is currently being remodeled by his two daughters, Elizabeta and Alessandra, and Luca himself. We took a tour and captured photos of super rare and unseen library records, along with the original instruments that were used in them. Being in this space was magical, like stepping into a time capsule.

We concluded the day with a late pasta dinner and another session of “one-last-drink” nightcaps with Nicola and Paola.

Day 06 – Rome

The day started with more soundtracks and library music, including a brief visit with Lorenzo Fabrici, owner of Sonor Music (a label specializing in Italian library and soundtrack music). We were able to gather even more footage for our re-issue book feature.

Lunchtime was spent fulfilling my culinary fantasies at Betto e Mary. The pasta carbonara was as glorious as I expected it to be. With each bite, I felt a year’s worth of committed working out go down the drain. But I don’t care 🙂

After a 15-minute food coma nap, we continued to Luca’s home and studio in the Pigneto quarter, where I stayed the night with him, his lovely wife Olga, and his daughter Eletra. We started with a photo session featuring Luca’s collection, again showcasing some rare library records and other Italian gems.

Then we embarked on a short ride to see Luca’s old friend/dealer Zio Ettore, a retired police officer who operates his business from a shabby dark warehouse inside an underground parking lot—a colorful, funny experience indeed involving 78 RPM shellac records and thousands of 7-inch singles. Being here, Luca’s digging impulses were immediately activated, like a true digger searching for black gold. But as it was getting late and I was exhausted and hungry, we instead made arrangements to come back another time. And sorry… we can’t reveal the location 🙂

Our last carb stop included a Roma-style pizza at Da Simone, followed by a little taste of suppli, a Roman version of the famous Sicilian arancini (rice balls). But wait… was that all? Nope! That was just a stop on our way to part two at Luca’s place, where his wife Olga prepared a home-cooked meal for us, followed by digestives, coffee and sweets. I began to realize that Italians simply don’t want their dinner to end, prolonging the ritual in any way possible.

With a full belly and happy thoughts, I retired to sleep on a futon mattress set up in Luca’s recording studio. Surrounded by vintage instruments, drums, microphones, and records, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to fall asleep.

Day 07 – Rome

On my last day in Rome, I headed off to meet Claudio Casalini, one of the pioneers of Italo disco, the electronic dance genre that took Italy and much of Europe by storm in the late 1970s and 1980s. He is also the founder of the Italian label with the best name ever–Best Records!

At a young 75 years of age, Claudio’s hyperactive demeanor and non-stop chattiness made him one of the most animated characters I’ve had the chance to meet in my travels so far.

He picked me up with a tour-guide-style sign yielding my name on it, and we drove together to his house where I met his beautiful wife (“ex-model,” as Claudio mentioned several times), his daughter and his close friend Natasha, a native English speaker who helped us with translation. It turns out that Natasha was a singer in one of Claudio’s most successful singles ever, a hit in the European dance charts called “AM-FM”(definitely has a 1980s break-beat zest!). Claudio proceeded to tell me a bit about the ins and outs of the Italo-Disco industry, including how they used to hire pretty models to pose and lip-sync in TV shows and live appearances instead of the real singers (any Mili Vanilli fans out there?).

The visit turned into a mini party as Claudio dropped the needle on a record and Natasha burst into song. I looked over to Claudio who was beaming with joy, and I felt a moment of pure bliss—one of those rare and sweet instances where I’m reminded of how lucky I am to be doing what I do.

We finished the session with a formal-style portrait of Claudio in front of his wall-filled library, just to be cut off by his lovely wife telling us to “cut the nonsense and come eat already!” Just like my previous Italian dinner experiences, this one was also full of flavor and merriment.

We bid the household farewell. Claudio put on his Formula 1 hat and stepped on the gas to get me to the train on time.

Next stop: Parma. Hopefully, I’ll be swapping carbs with protein. Anyone mention Prosciutto di Parma?

Follow our adventures as told to our editorial intern Vanessa Tirok.