"'Faccetta Nera'" ("Little Black Face" or "Pretty Black Face") is a popular marching song of Fascist Italy about the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. It was written by Renato Micheli with music by Mario Ruccione in 1935.
The lyrics are written from the perspective of a fascist Italian Blackshirt soldier during the invasion of Ethiopia. In the song, the Italian narrator tells a beautiful young enslaved Abysinnian (Ethiopian) girl that she will be liberated from slavery and ruled by a new regime. She is invited to parade with the fascist Blackshirts in Rome, where she is promised a new and better life.
Slavery in Ethiopia is a prominent theme in the song.[1] The song follows the trend of Italian fascist propaganda portraying the invasion not as a war of conquest, but as a war of liberation to abolish Ethiopian slavery.[1]
The song also contains heavily implied themes of interracial romance.[2] The song is noticeably focused on the freedom of only Ethiopian women, and the Italian is fixated on the physical beauty of the young Ethiopian woman.[1] The lyric "La legge nostra è schiavitù d'amore" ("Our law is the slavery of love") suggests that the Italian desires intimacy with the Ethiopian woman besides liberating her from slavery.[1] This is part of the overall trend of Italian media exoticising and sexualising the women of Ethiopia to portray them as objects of sexual conquest who must be rescued from "uncivilised" Ethiopian men.[3]
History
Italian notice, signed by general Emilio De Bono, proclaiming the abolishment of slavery in Tigray in Italian and Amharic. The abolition of slavery was one of the first measures taken by the Italian colonial government in Ethiopia.
The hymn is said to have been inspired by a beautiful young Abyssinian girl, who was found by the Italian troops at the beginning of the Italian invasion of Ethiopia.
During the invasion, the song was hugely popular in Italy and caused national fervor.[4] During the fascist occupation of Ethiopia, Ethiopian women cohabited with Italian men in a system of concubinage known as madamato.[5] The implicitly erotic song was, however, somewhat of an embarrassment for the Fascist government, which had, starting in May 1936, introduced several laws prohibiting cohabitation and marriage between Italians and native people of the Italian colonial empire.[4] These efforts culminated in the Italian Racial Laws of 1938. The Fascist authorities considered banning the song, and removed all picture postcards depicting Abyssinian women from Roman shop windows.[4]
^ abcd"The True Story of "Faccetta Nera" by Igiaba Scego". Words Without Borders. 1 April 2016.
^O'Healy, Áine (June 2009). "'[Non] è una somala': Deconstructing African femininity in Italian film". The Italianist. 29 (2): 175–198. doi:10.1179/026143409X12488561926306.
^Clò, Clarissa (2010). "African Queens and Italian History: The Cultural Politics of Memory and Resistance in Teatro delle Albe's Lunga vita all'albero and Gabriella Ghermandi's Regina di fiori et di perle". Research in African Literatures. 41 (4): 26–42. doi:10.2979/ral.2010.41.4.26. ISSN 0034-5210.
^ abcForgacs, David (2014), Italy's Margins: Social Exclusion and Nation Formation since 1861, ISBN1107052173, pp. 80-81
^Trento, Giovanna (2011). "Madamato and Colonial Concubinage in Ethiopia: A Comparative Perspective". Aethiopica. 14: 184–205. doi:10.15460/aethiopica.14.1.419.
External links
Recording as sung by Carlo Buti
Lyrics
This 1930s song article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
faccetta, nera, little, black, face, pretty, black, face, popular, marching, song, fascist, italy, about, second, italo, ethiopian, written, renato, micheli, with, music, mario, ruccione, 1935, songreleased1935, years, 1935, genremarchsongwriter, renato, miche. Faccetta Nera Little Black Face or Pretty Black Face is a popular marching song of Fascist Italy about the Second Italo Ethiopian War It was written by Renato Micheli with music by Mario Ruccione in 1935 Faccetta Nera SongReleased1935 88 years ago 1935 GenreMarchSongwriter s Renato MicheliThe lyrics are written from the perspective of a fascist Italian Blackshirt soldier during the invasion of Ethiopia In the song the Italian narrator tells a beautiful young enslaved Abysinnian Ethiopian girl that she will be liberated from slavery and ruled by a new regime She is invited to parade with the fascist Blackshirts in Rome where she is promised a new and better life Contents 1 Themes 2 History 3 Lyrics 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksThemes EditSlavery in Ethiopia is a prominent theme in the song 1 The song follows the trend of Italian fascist propaganda portraying the invasion not as a war of conquest but as a war of liberation to abolish Ethiopian slavery 1 The song also contains heavily implied themes of interracial romance 2 The song is noticeably focused on the freedom of only Ethiopian women and the Italian is fixated on the physical beauty of the young Ethiopian woman 1 The lyric La legge nostra e schiavitu d amore Our law is the slavery of love suggests that the Italian desires intimacy with the Ethiopian woman besides liberating her from slavery 1 This is part of the overall trend of Italian media exoticising and sexualising the women of Ethiopia to portray them as objects of sexual conquest who must be rescued from uncivilised Ethiopian men 3 History Edit Italian notice signed by general Emilio De Bono proclaiming the abolishment of slavery in Tigray in Italian and Amharic The abolition of slavery was one of the first measures taken by the Italian colonial government in Ethiopia The hymn is said to have been inspired by a beautiful young Abyssinian girl who was found by the Italian troops at the beginning of the Italian invasion of Ethiopia During the invasion the song was hugely popular in Italy and caused national fervor 4 During the fascist occupation of Ethiopia Ethiopian women cohabited with Italian men in a system of concubinage known as madamato 5 The implicitly erotic song was however somewhat of an embarrassment for the Fascist government which had starting in May 1936 introduced several laws prohibiting cohabitation and marriage between Italians and native people of the Italian colonial empire 4 These efforts culminated in the Italian Racial Laws of 1938 The Fascist authorities considered banning the song and removed all picture postcards depicting Abyssinian women from Roman shop windows 4 Lyrics EditItalian lyricsSe tu dall altipiano guardi il mare Moretta che sei schiava fra gli schiavi Vedrai come in un sogno tante navi E un tricolore sventolar per te dd Faccetta nera bell abissina Aspetta e spera che gia l ora si avvicina quando saremo insieme a te noi ti daremo un altra legge e un altro Re dd La legge nostra e schiavitu d amore il nostro motto e LIBERTA e DOVERE vendicheremo noi Camicie Nere Gli eroi caduti liberando te dd Faccetta nera bell abissina Aspetta e spera che gia l ora si avvicina quando saremo insieme a te noi ti daremo un altra legge e un altro Re dd Faccetta nera piccola abissina ti porteremo a Roma liberata Dal sole nostro tu sarai baciata Sarai in Camicia Nera pure tu dd Faccetta nera sarai Romana La tua bandiera sara sol quella italiana Noi marceremo insieme a te E sfileremo avanti al Duce e avanti al Re dd English translationIf you look at the sea from the hills Young brunette a slave among slaves Like in a dream you will see many ships And a tricolour waving for you dd dd dd dd Pretty black face beautiful Abyssinian Wait and see for the hour is coming When we are with you We shall give you another law and another king dd dd dd dd Our law is slavery of love Our motto is FREEDOM and DUTY We the Blackshirts will avenge the heroes that died to free you dd dd dd dd Pretty black face beautiful Abyssinian Wait and see for the hour is coming When we are with you We shall give you another law and another king dd dd dd dd Pretty black face little Abyssinian We will take you to Rome as a freedwoman You will be kissed by our sun and a black shirt you too will wear dd dd dd dd Pretty black face you will be Roman Your only flag will be the Italian one We will march together with you and parade in front of the Duce and the king dd dd dd dd See also Edit Italian Wikisource has original text related to this article Faccetta Nera GiovinezzaReferences Edit a b c d The True Story of Faccetta Nera by Igiaba Scego Words Without Borders 1 April 2016 O Healy Aine June 2009 Non e una somala Deconstructing African femininity in Italian film The Italianist 29 2 175 198 doi 10 1179 026143409X12488561926306 Clo Clarissa 2010 African Queens and Italian History The Cultural Politics of Memory and Resistance in Teatro delle Albe s Lunga vita all albero and Gabriella Ghermandi s Regina di fiori et di perle Research in African Literatures 41 4 26 42 doi 10 2979 ral 2010 41 4 26 ISSN 0034 5210 a b c Forgacs David 2014 Italy s Margins Social Exclusion and Nation Formation since 1861 ISBN 1107052173 pp 80 81 Trento Giovanna 2011 Madamato and Colonial Concubinage in Ethiopia A Comparative Perspective Aethiopica 14 184 205 doi 10 15460 aethiopica 14 1 419 External links EditRecording as sung by Carlo Buti Lyrics This 1930s song article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Faccetta Nera amp oldid 1122576846, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
