BELLA CIAO – A PARTISAN’S FAREWELL by Rik Palieri & Fabrizio Poggi (USA/ITALY)
These are the words of Rik Palieri, the driving force behind the project:
“Bella Ciao” is an old song of the Italian Resistance. I have always loved it deeply, but I never felt able to sing it in Italian, and the existing English translations never seemed to capture its true spirit. So I decided to write my own lyrics, telling this story from a different perspective, more intimate and closer to the heart of the partisan fighter. The song gives voice to that final, heartbreaking farewell that so many members of the Resistance said to their families before leaving for war, never knowing whether they would return. I asked my Italian friend Fabrizio Poggi, the extraordinary harmonica player from Milan, to join me on this project, knowing how much this song also meant to him. Only later did I discover that his grandfather had been a partisan who died during the Resistance. Witnessing his enthusiasm and emotional involvement in this recording, I began to feel that this song had a life of its own. Together with musician and producer Phil Henry, we worked to create what I like to call a true sound painting, capable of telling this story through music and emotion. Remaining faithful to the spirit of the project, we chose for the cover artwork a piece by Elizabeth Fuchs, the aunt of my wife Marianna. Marianna’s family opposed the Nazi regime, and Elizabeth, an illustrator and political artist, lost her life at the hands of that same regime. In her honor, we selected one of her earliest works, created in 1934. This recording is dedicated to the memory of all those who, in every time and every place, have had the courage to resist.

“Bella Ciao” will be released worldwide on all digital platforms on August 1, 2026, once again bringing to international attention the universal values of freedom, courage, and remembrance that this project seeks to celebrate.

RIK PALIERI, (pronounced Pal-air-re), a native of Vermont, USA, is a singer-songwriter, author, producer, filmmaker, and television host. His video interviews are preserved in the prestigious Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Throughout his career, he has shared the stage with true legends of American folk music, including Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Paxton, Utah Phillips and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, establishing himself as one of the most passionate advocates for the preservation of traditional folk music.

FABRIZIO POGGI, (pronounced Pohjee), singer, harmonica player, and writer, is among the best-known and most respected Italian blues artists in the United States. 2018 Grammy Awards nominee, where he finished just behind the Rolling Stones, and twice nominated for the Blues Music Awards, he was awarded the honor of Knight of Merit of the Italian Republic by President Sergio Mattarella for his artistic achievements. His name is also included in the prestigious Treccani Encyclopedia.

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