Milanese singer Laura Luca's hit single 'Inutilmente Tu' (1978)

Laura Luca was a mainstream Italian singer from Milan. I don't quite feel like saying that she was a "pop singer," but she was perhaps something close to that. I found this charming hit song by accident, as I was unfamiliar with her. She was active from 1978 to 1998, and appears to be retired, at least officially. A music video of this song can be found here, but you may prefer to just listen without distraction. The YouTube channel "LauraLucaFanClub" has other hit songs by her taken live or in music video form, and there are other songs by her on YouTube if you prefer the studio quality.

When I first listened to this song one evening last week, I guess I was in my daydreaming mode; as I imagined a special town I'm long familiar with, and what it may have been like there in 1978 when this song was popular in Italy but not in the U.S. So it was like comparing the 70's California and the 70's Europe. I imagined the typical sunny day there overlooking the tree covered northern California mountains, then I imagine the sunny Italian peninsula.. Lombardy. The landscapes and weather of California is very similar to Italy. It was like a spiritual-connection for me, as she is Lombardian like me; and the quasi-connecting of time and place via this nice song. Anyway, I imagine that special place as it may have been in 1978 when I listen.

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Today marks the 700th birthday of Aradia of Volterra

The legend of Aradia, and specifically of La Vecchia Religione in general, are subjects which I have not gotten around to covering a lot on this blog as of yet. Today is--at least officially--the 700th birthday of Aradia, but I didn't want to clumsily put together a last minute overview of everything. I just wanted to mark this date for her, who I believe was a real person at least. The birthdate could be something of convenience, falling on the Festival of Diana.. her Mother according to legend.

Happy birthday Aradia!

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