Sunday, January 18, 2009

memoria colletiva di infanzia

Last night, I came across a video on YouTube that took me back to a more innocent time, a sweeter time, a time when I spent most of my day on roller skates and learning spins and camel jumps. My coach’s name was Glenda. She had twin daughters who would hold my hands while teaching me how to shoot through someone’s legs from behind and do a half-spin in the air before landing on one foot and, with the opposite leg in a camel pose, glide backwards to finish off the skill. I was probably five years old.

Glenda bought me an awesome roller-skate carry case when I moved back to the United States. My skates were white with the red and blue stripes that shot upwards near the foot. I performed at the Aviano Air Base air show when I was seven and even got to compete in speed skating with other kids from around the Aviano/Pordenone area. I don’t remember ever getting medals or even ribbons for my achievements. I just loved to skate.

This being the early 80’s, I wasn’t alone. The only difference is the type of music we all listened to, depending on what came out of the rink’s sound system. This, ladies and gents, is the music of my youth, the sounds of my childhood. Ain’t no Prince and Madonna here, folks. This is true Italian pop music and childhood memories from the 80's:


Artist: Pupo
Song: Lucia
Pupo is still a very popular figure in Italy. I believe he once hosted the Italian versions of Deal or No Deal and Chain Reaction.


Artist: Righeira
Song: Vamos a la Playa
Dammit, it's catchy.


Television series: Star Blazers


Television series: Mazinga
Flat.Out.Bad.Ass!!! His girlfriend robot, Jun, had boobie-missiles that she would shoot off whenever she screamed "Dodici Forte!"

American kids might have also seen this show, but this is what my brother and I watched. We didn't get any cartoons in English. Even the Smurfs were aired in Italian. Sometimes, I think maybe once a week, the AFN (Air Force Network) would broadcast shows in English. I strangely remember seeing The Wizard of Oz and Solid Gold featuring Eddie Rabbit's live performance of I Love a Rainy Night. The flying monkeys from Oz gave me the heebie-jeebies way more the Marilyn McCoo ever did.

1 comment:

Geekzilla said...

I vaguely remember Star Blazers, but it was the American version in English. The concept of flying through space in a battleship intrigued me even as a kid.

As for Pupo... no deal, Howie!