NZIRIA integrates the main forms and themes of neomelodic song, southern Italian vocal pop from the mid-seventies. Through powerful and androgynous singing, they reinterpret the stereotypical stories of the genre, welcoming narratives of the LGBTQI+ community and singing of queer love and mercurial identities. Re-appropriating the Neapolitan dialect – the word nziria itself indicates the obstinate and unprovoked tantrum of children when they’re tired – they describe their work as »hard neomelodic,« combing the two disruptive tonalities to celebrate hybridity as an arena for unrestricted self-determination. As a non-binary artist, NZIRIA draws from their experience to tackle borderless concepts such as those of otherness, diversity, and inclusivity. In 2023 they are supported through the SHAPE+-initiative.
NZIRIA, 'Hard Tarantella' (2020). Courtesy Never Sleep, Bergamo. by AQNB
NZIRIA, 'Hard Tarantella' (2020). Courtesy Never Sleep, Bergamo. by AQNB
NZIRIA is supported by SHAPE+ which is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
