Loredana Berté: the Italian funk star from Andy Warhol’s factory
It’s always tricky trying to pin down exactly why we love music so much and why we put so much time and energy into both creating and listening to it. When you consider bands like The Beatles, who weren’t only admired at the time they were making music but are still considered some of the most prolific songwriters ever to exist, the amount of time put into listening to them, understanding them and writing about them seems silly when you consider the fact that all they did was write and perform a few songs.
It’s not silly, though. Music remains one of the most universal art forms on the planet, as different genres appeal to various countries and cultures, regardless of how far removed they might be. For this reason, Ahmed Abdullah, a trumpeter, believed that if God were ever to send us a prophet, they would send a musician.
“It makes sense to me that if the Creator would send anyone here, it would be a person who had mastered music, the planet’s universal language,” he said, “Sound is the beginning of all creation, the Nommo, the Om, and the Nam that direct our lives.”
No matter what somebody is going through or how turbulent times may be, music can appeal to them in the most beautiful way. Loredana Berté experienced this first-hand when she was growing up in Italy. After a relatively isolated childhood, living with her Grandma and sisters as their parents worked separately in what sounds like a relatively loveless marriage, she and one of her sisters headed to Rome in pursuit of better pastures.
After a rough upbringing and during turbulent political times, it was here that she discovered the true power music could have. She began dancing at a venue called the Piper Club, which was a discotheque in Rome. Though life was tough, she enjoyed dancing and saw how much music could be transportive within those four walls. That feeling likely inspired one of her later songs, ‘Meglio Libera Che Stupida’, which translates to “Better free than stupid,” as Berté has previously confessed this period was one of the happiest of her life.
From then on, she was always keen on making music, and given how universal funk music is, that was always at the heart of what she wanted to create. Dancing didn’t have a language, so long as the beat was good and the melody was catchy, she could make good funk music that would travel and that she could take to the masses.
One of the biggest moments in her musical career came towards the end of the 1970s. Her song ‘Sei Bellissima’ clearly showcased some of the unique aspects of her voice, which made it so that she could sing like a disco star but also screech like a rock legend. Her distinctive vocal tone meant that people couldn’t resist the sound of the new rising star, and she found herself travelling the world making music.
In 1980, she went to New York and thrived in the city’s creative hub and spending time with Andy Warhol. She went to The Factory, where many of his products were made, but also where a number of different parties happened. She became entrenched in the music that the city had to offer and let it inspire her. After making Warhol some of the best pasta he had ever eaten, he agreed to take her to Studio54, where she recorded her classic album, Made In Italy.
The album fully displayed everything that was enticing about Berté. Its perfect blend of rock and funk allowed every single facet of her voice to come through. It also paved the way for Berté and Warhol to work together again, as he directed the music video for the album opener, ‘Movie’.
This record has since gained cult status and represents the transportive nature of music and its beauty. We are constantly reminded why we put so much time and effort into the art form, and Made In Italy is one of those reminders. It still holds up as an experimental funk album and is well worth listening to.
