Francesco Merola: “The drama will be reborn in my father’s name”

The fate of some sons of the same family is odd: their fathers will hardly equalize but they will always relate to their fathers. Francis Merola, 52 years old, in the same city he dedicates himself to the same work as Mario “king of the drama”, the voice of the people-people who does not go out of fashion because it was not fashion, but an emblem, a good guappo, the dock worker who rises on his own and conquers the world, capable yesterday today and tomorrow of teasing snobbery or moving with the mere evocation of its name. Ei fu par excellence ‘O Zappatore, of which we forgive the useless defense since it flowed from the pen of a poet like Libero Bovio (son of the philosopher Giovanni, he really distinguished himself by living on journalism and verse). Francesco Merola instead of turning to rap or rock has consciously continued in his father’s footsteps to remain “‘o figli ‘e Merola”. He will spend Christmas at the Trianon Viviani Theater (built 111 years ago above the Greek walls in the navel of Forcella) presenting “Canzona ‘e… Guapparia” from December 22nd to 30th: a re-proposition of the scene which sees him as the protagonist with his wife Marianna Mercurio, for the direction and sets by Bruno Garofalo.

She won the 2001 Naples Festival with her father singing “L’urdemo emigrante”. After her passing in 2006 she continued on the same path. Doesn’t suffer from the comparison?

When I hesitated to re-propose “Zappatore” thinking about Dad’s interpretation, Nino D’Angelo, who at the time was the artistic director of the Trianon Viviani, unblocked me. He said: “Only you ‘or can’ do it, because if you make a mistake, take ‘or permission’ and make a mistake”. Now the direction has passed to Marisa Laurito, but she too sees me as a continuation of dad.

And is she?

I know that another Mario Merola will no longer be there, but my shows are sold out because the public wants to remember him together with me, who are his blood. On the other hand, if the skit doesn’t make him his son, who should do it? My legs shake when I go on stage, but the best compliment I can get at the end is this: “You performed it like your father”.

The scene was born at the turn of the Great War and moved to the cinema at the end of the seventies, while in current language, by derogatory extension, it indicates an instrumental staging for utilitarian purposes. Do you think it still has a future?

I believe in it as my father who brought it back into vogue believed in it. There are suitable actors and there is an audience. The organizers are rather dead, but the genre is ready for a national revival. The requests are there, a serious production is needed: “The drama – dad said – is either done well or it’s better to leave it alone”.

What do you expect from the show you are about to stage?

It would be nice to meet again in the audience, now adults, those children who, when dad acted, stirred him up from the audience to teach the ‘badly’ a lesson by shouting: “Goddamn him!”. I used to hear them behind the scenes as a kid.

What is the scene?

‘Nu sonono ‘e fantasia.

If he could, under what title would he resurrect his father?

I regret that a show with him and Franco Franchi has not been produced. Because the real skit must also make you smile well.

Franchi was his baptism partner.

Dad asked him and he agreed as long as they gave me his name. Offstage it was the same as in the cinema or on TV. Genuine. But gentleman. In the midst of all the misfortunes we have to hear, from time to time look at Franco Franchi or Totò and lighten up with a laugh.

In memory of her father she composed the song “Parla cu”mme”. Do you care more about this one or about the songs sung with him?

Dad used to say that “the songs are like daughters. You have to love everyone.” But if I had to indicate a triad, with “Parla cu”mme” I would put “L’urdemo emigrante” and “Cient’anne”.

“Cient’anne” is the piece from ’92 which consecrated the investiture of Gigi D’Alessio.

Gigi worked as a pianist for dad, who sensed his talent first of all. For me Gigi is another brother and I’m happy that his son Luca, LDA, lands in Sanremo this year. I’ll root for him because we children of the same family are always massacred, we have to beware of criticism rather than praise. And often the criticisms are not constructive.

But you have dedicated yourself to your father’s legacy without distancing yourself from it.

Surely. On January 5, I will name a concert after him again at the Trianon. And I would like you to write one thing: I ask Rai to produce a fiction about Merola’s life like the one about the De Filippo brothers. He was the ambassador of the Neapolitan song in the world, the artist who one evening, at the White House, performed in place of Pavarotti who was down in his voice. He said goodbye to President Gerald Ford holding his hand on the notes of “Anema e core”. “Keep me accused…”. Him, a former boy who unloaded the crates in the port of Naples. It was an Italian triumph, in fact I’m fighting for the Sanremo Festival to dedicate an award to him.

And Naples?

Don’t tell me about it. My family is very bitter. Whoever I go to, I invariably find a photo or a CD of my father, yet the Municipality still ignores Mario Merola in the toponymy. They shouldn’t name an alleyway, but a square, to honor him as he deserves. Dad said he wanted to be remembered by the people, and he’s fine, but the institutions can’t forget him.