Riccardo Tesi: organetto diatonico
Giua: voce e chitarra
Vincent Boniface: clarinetti e sassofoni
Riccardo and Giua have been friends for over twenty years, frequently collaborating during this time—contributing to each other’s albums and co-writing songs. Now, they are finally presenting their duo concert, "Retablos", among singer-songwriter music, folk songs, and instrumental music, where their artistic journeys—different yet deeply connected—merge. Riccardo Tesi brings his expertise in popular and instrumental music, while Giua contributes her singer-songwriter and folk influences. The concert’s title is inspired by retablos, one of the greatest expressions of Peruvian art: small, portable wooden boxes that traditionally housed saintly figures but now also depict scenes of everyday life. These “magic” boxes are like windows that open to tell stories, transporting us to distant worlds—just like music. Sit back, open your ears and your heart: the journey begins!
Riccardo Tesi is a friend of FolkClub, a cornerstone of Italian and European folk music, one of the most esteemed musicians on the international world music scene, and a master of the diatonic accordion—an instrument we hold especially dear. Throughout his long career, Tesi has revolutionized the image and vocabulary of this instrument, the forerunner of the accordion, dedicating an entire album to it as early as 1981 (Il ballo della lepre). He has expanded its role beyond the confines of folk music, bringing it into jazz and singer-songwriter contexts. Notably, he collaborated with Ivano Fossati, Gianmaria Testa, and Fabrizio De André, playing the diatonic accordion on De André’s final album, "Anime Salve". From his decidedly folk beginnings in 1978 alongside the legendary Caterina Bueno (to whom he has dedicated an album and a series of concerts), to his current collaborations, Tesi’s musical journey is marked by passion, artistic audacity, and boundless curiosity. This has led him from Tuscan traditions to encounters with the folk music of Italy, the Basque Country, England, France, and Madagascar, as well as jazz, ballroom music, and singer-songwriter styles. What sets Tesi apart is his distinctive style, through which he makes his accordion speak a language that is both ancient and new. He expands its lexicon and technique, transforming an instrument long relegated to tradition into one of poetic modernity. His work is a “splendidly untimely” choice, placing him among those who have restored dignity to the accordion and its kin across all latitudes, combining lyricism with virtuosity. Tesi’s numerous prestigious collaborations include: Ivano Fossati, Fabrizio De André, Ornella Vanoni, Gianmaria Testa, Giorgio Gaber, Carmen Consoli, Carlo Muratori, Tosca, Cisco, Cristina Donà, Nada, Giua, Peppe Voltarelli, Mauro Ermanno Giovanardi, Ritmia, Patrick Vaillant, Jean Marie Carlotti, John Kirkpatrick, Marc Perrone, Kepa Junkera, Gianluigi Trovesi, Justin Valì, Elena Ledda, Lucilla Galeazzi, Dounia, Amelia Muge, Rita Botto, Vincenzo Zitello, Gabriele Mirabassi, Alfio Antico, Rocco de Rosa, Rao Kyao, Custódio Castelo, Maria Pia De Vito, Beppe Gambetta, Reno Brandoni, Peppino D’Agostino, Daniele Sepe, Banda Osiris, Francesco Magnelli, Ginevra Di Marco, Piero Pelù, the Skiantos. Since 1992, he has led Banditaliana, one of the most important groups in the international world music scene, with six albums and a celebrated 25-year career.
With an intense, seductive, and textured voice, Giua is also a talented and refined guitarist, an interpreter, and a songwriter of exceptional talent. She has won numerous awards, including the Lunezia Prize, Castrocaro Festival, Musicultura, Mantova Musica Festival, and Barcelona’s Barnasants Song Festival. A finalist in the Sanremo Giovani category in 2008, she has released five albums and participated in various theater productions as a composer and performer. Giua has collaborated with Riccardo Tesi, Fausto Mesolella, Adriana Calcanhotto, Jaques Morelenbaum, and Armando Corsi. She has also worked with Neri Marcorè in the productions "Quello che non ho" and "La buona novella", a tribute to Fabrizio De André directed by Giorgio Gallione. A co-founder of the Coro Popolare della Maddalena, a multicultural choir, she is involved in "Parkinsong", a choral project for people with Parkinson’s disease, in collaboration with Genoa’s San Martino Hospital. In 2023, she released two singles: "Quella là" with the Blue Dolls and "Siamo tutti dello stesso segno" with Simon & The Stars. That same year, she co-composed "Mex Moon" with Riccardo Tesi. In 2024, to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the Italian Red Cross, she recorded a version of "Non mi dire chi sei" by Umberto Bindi with Gnu Quartet and Armando Corsi, released as a limited-edition vinyl. Giua has also composed music for theatrical productions, including "Giro di vite", adapted from Henry James’ novella and directed by Davide Livermore, for the 2024/25 opening season of Genoa’s National Theatre and the Carlo Felice Opera House.
Joining the evening as special guest is Vincent Boniface, a multitalented instrumentalist from the Aosta Valley known for his extraordinary versatility. Deeply rooted in popular musical traditions yet always innovative, Boniface thrives on stylistic crossovers that blend genres from seemingly opposite worlds. A member of the renowned Boniface family, he performs with numerous ensembles, including Trouveur Valdotèn, Pitularita, L'Orage, Toc Toc Toc, Abnoba, Ishtar Connection, Estremìa, and Collettivo Decanter.
