Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis [2] can be fought with music. This is the message that comes through after listening to “Ma Quando Dici Amore [3]”, one of the latest albums of Ron [4], an Italian singer-songwriter at the center of the Italian pop music scene for the last forty years.

Ron will perform in New York and will speak about this at Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò. Two appointments not to be missed, respectively on Januray 17 and 21.
 

Ron's career began at a very young age when, in 1970, he performed at Sanremo with Nada [5],  obtaining 7th place with the song Pa' diglielo a ma'. Immediately Ron (at the time under his real name Rosalino Cellamare) demonstrated sensibility and attention towards controversial themes for the time, participating in “Un Disco per l'Estate” with the song "Il gigante e la bambina" [6], a song about violence on minors. Obviously the song was censured.
 

In 1972, during a boat trip to Sicily he wrote "Piazza Grande" [7], a song that was performed at Sanremo by Lucio Dalla. Nothing could stop him afterwards, always researching something new, writing hits, collaborating with other Italian artists, performing live in stadiums and theaters, experimenting several communication methods and acting in successful movies as well as participating more in Sanremo, a festival frequently snubbed by Italian singer-songwriters. Ron actually won the 1996 edition in a duet with Tosca [8], in the beautiful Vorrei incontrarti fra cent'anni. Through his best friend Mario Melazzini, Ron discovered Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and experienced disease and disability. From that moment Ron's career turned its attention to solidarity.
 

After participating in the Sanremo Festival in 2006 with the song L'uomo delle stelle, a way to speak about ALS to as many people as possible, he released “Ma quando dici amore”, a collection of duets with other famous artists to try to launch an important project: all the receipts go towards ALS research, the terrible disease of his friend, which at the moment doesn't have a cure and leads to the total paralysis of the voluntary muscles. The album includes 14 songs, mainly old successes of Ron's, revisited in a way that makes them sound different, renewed and re-adapted for duets with artists that participated for free.

Artists such as Carmen Consoli [9], Jovanotti [10], Raf [11], Elisa [12], Lucio Dalla [13], Nicky Nicolai [14] and Stefano Di Battista [15], Claudio Baglioni [16], Luca Carboni [17], Samuele Bersani [18], Anggun [19], Mario Lavezzi [20], Loredana Bertè [21], Tosca [22] and Renato Zero [23], present in this journey down memory lane of some of Ron's most famous songs.
 

It is a project that sees the singer-songwriter from Pavia working to help those who are more fragile, in a collaboration that began in 2004, when Ron became a spokesman for AISLA [24]Onlus (the Italian Association for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), an association that began in 1983 to promote protection, assistance and cure of ALS patients. The CD also includes a Data track with an interview/conversation between Renato Zero, Ron and Mario Melazzini, talking briefly about how this musical project began and developed, as well as explaining exactly what ALS is.
 

This moving dialogue becomes the demonstration of how much art and music can be a weapon in declaring war to indifference, especially when placed in function of something beautiful and positive towards other people. And Mario Melazzini himself, Ron's friend who is affected by ALS, is a doctor and is the president of AISLA, and has performed together with Ron in many Italian theaters, to try to sensitize the public and institutions about the problems and necessities of ALS patients and their families. A show entitled “L'altra parte di Ron”, saw the artist performing as lead actor, author and singer: a moving event with Melazzini as actor, as himself, an ALS patient. It was an effective way to raise public awareness towards this important, dramatic subject, brought on stage with lightness and depth, honesty and sensibility.
 

Ron's commitment together with those who are suffering never stops and recently, with the song L'inguaribile voglia di vivere, written specifically for AISLA, the singer-songwriter from Pavia tried to tell the story of what this devastating disease produces in those who suffer from it: men and women are seen as giants, mountains, warriors who can fight everywhere anyway, armed only with love, even when trapped, without the ability to move. In Italy there are about 5,000 ALS patients, who gradually lose the ability to move, communicate, eat and breath autonomously, maintaining all brain activity perfectly intact. Day after day they all cling on to the hope of waking up one morning and finding out that a cure has been found to this terrible disease.
 

In the meantime the relentless Ron is beginning a new project, without abandoning his social efforts. The music market crisis and the success of reality shows like X-Factor gave him a new idea, which is almost completed. The initiative is called “Una citta' per cantare” [25], like one of his most famous songs. The city this time is his own Garlasco, where he lived as a child and still is a resident. Ron decided to open a musical laboratory where “one enters as an artisan and leaves as an artist”. An opportunity opened to everyone, with music courses and highly qualified teachers, including himself. Once again a commitment to help others in the name of music.

January  17, 7:30 pm

The artist in concert @ Sullivan Room

(217 Sullivan st, Manhattan)
BOX OFFICE: inticketing (http://inticketing.com [26])

January 21, 6:00 pm

the artist meets his public @ Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò

 (24 west, 12th st., manhattan)