Today at 6 pm on the live stage of the Salone del Libro he presents “Extraliscio – A punk story on the edge of the dance hall”, on October 21 for La Nave di Teseo. On stage are the three members of the band Romagna: Mirco Mariani with his fifty-two year old punk jazz temperament, the sixty three year old clarinetist Moreno “Il Biondo” Conficconi and the singer Mauro Ferrara, 73 years old. Everything is coordinated by Elisabetta Sgarbi, also the director of the film “Extraliscio – Dance Punk – We will dance to the end of the world”, which was presented at the Venice Film Festival.

Mariani, why does the title refer to borders?
“Because ours is a story that lives on the edge of the ballroom. “They both grew up there and are stars of that world, while I have never played the piano.”

What is the spirit of smooth operation in 2021?
“Always was always fun, a party you wish would never end. It is music that does not look to social class or political color, its mission is to bring joy. Playing it I realized how easy and light it sounds, but it hosts complex structures that require great skill. Another fascinating aspect is that the big names of the genre do not chase their own myth, they just have fun with people. We also look at the real ballroom, that of the real ballroom, an environment that over time was a little dedicated to adapting to the needs of group dance pop and famous songs like waltz, polka dots or mazurka. The ballroom will always be danced in pairs “.

Didn’t it seem like a silly endeavor at first to bring dance to clubs and punks in ballrooms?
“The first phase was really terrible, we were shot on both fronts. It was disappointing and, in retrospect, I admit I would not do it today. But then the spark took off, also thanks to the direction of Elisabetta who was able to promote us with great style “.

Romania is the homeland of the normal, here the cradle ruled by the great Fred Buscalione: are there similarities?
“For me, who comes from jazz, swing is an essential ingredient and Buscaglione an icon. His style confirms that the ballroom is a state of mind capable of overcoming the three basic rhythms to party with foxtrot, swing and cha cha cha “.

Are you a band quite prone to jokes and gags: is it part of the dance spirit?
“To make it clear who Moreno and Mauro are, we have included a rich collection of photographs in the book. They have lived rock’n’roll experiences worthy of the Rolling Stones or Alain Delon di Romagna. Things I, despite playing Capossela or Jimmy Villotti for a long time, had never seen or heard of. The gags on stage come by themselves, we are so crazy that for the album cover photo Oliviero Toscani has placed a horse to underline how incredible this artistic and human union of ours is. We will definitely do some of them at the Salone, but we are not planning anything, the jokes are born spontaneously “.