US protests and the COVID-19 crisis from an expat perspective

Introduce yourself briefly to our readers

My name is Andrea Algieri. I was born in a small town in Calabria, Luzzi, in the province of Cosenza. After high school, I moved to Florence fto study. I lived there for about 15 years. I later moved to Portland, Oregon. I am a musician / songwriter and for about 10 years I have had a band called “Mbrascatu”.

What prompted you to leave Italy to move to the United States?

It was my ex-wife, she is American.

Where does your passion for music come from?

I've always had a passion for music, as a child I used to go to a local radio: “Radio Tebe Lucana”. My cousin was one of the DJs. There, I spent whole afternoons listening to music of all kinds. From that moment my passion for music grew and a few years later, with my friends, we decided to start a band.

Your musical group is called Mbrascatu: can you explain the origins of the name?

Mbrascatu is the family nickname. My grandfather, Algieri Gerardo alias Mastru Gerardu Mbrascatu, was and still is a very important figure in my life. He gave me the first guitar that I hold on to jealousy. As a tribute to him, and also to keep my roots solid, I called the band Mbrascatu.

How does Portland, your adopted city, inspire your creativity? What themes do you deal with in your songs?

Portland is a city full of good music. I often attend concerts by local bands, regardless of the musical genre. They are a great source of inspiration for me. The topics covered in my songs vary according to my mood. Everything I tell, with autobiographical notes, is what I live inside.

What is the secret of your success among the American public since you made the choice to sing in Italian?

From the very beginning we have tried to make the songs interesting on a musical level. We focus a lot on arrangements. We put together different sounds and genres without ever falling for granted and this mixture of sounds, plus the Italian language, has given us a “unique” voice. I believe this is the key to our success. I think there are no language barriers in music. The voice is nothing more than an instrument. Singing in Italian abroad and seeing that everything is received with great enthusiasm, even by people who do not know Italian, is a wonderful thing!

What were your early years after moving to Portland: what did you do before you dedicated yourself full time to music and your composing business?

The first few years in Portland I worked in a few restaurants but I always kept making music. Since the birth of my son Francesco, who is 5 years old, I have decided to devote myself exclusively to music. Today, I can say that I could not have made a better choice.

In Portland, have you had many cases of COVID-19? In your opinion, has the level of healthcare for the sick been satisfactory?

In Portland we had a few cases at the start of the pandemic, but the number was limited due to the absence of proper testing. Over the past two months, cases have increased dramatically even though most are asymptomatic. We had a light lockdown. We could move around safely without any control but many businesses had to close. The increase in cases since the reopening has led Governor Brown to consider a new lockdown. If this decision were to be made many activities will risk bankruptcy. Regarding the level of care for the sick, the institutions have done an excellent job. Despite this, I believe that the health system must be completely overhauled.

What impact has the coronavirus health emergency had on your professional activity?

The art sector was one of the areas that was most affected by the health emergency. All our concerts in 2020, as well as those of my colleagues, have been canceled. The saddest thing is that at the moment we don't know if we will be able to go back to doing live shows in 2021.

In recent months, many American cities, including Portland, have been the scene of protests to denounce the brutality of the US police. What is your point of view on the issue and have you participated in some of these events?

I believe that everyone has the right to demonstrate and I too have given support to the "Black Lives Matter" movement and will continue to do so, but I condemn the violence that has nothing to do with the message of the BLM movement.