Some people are born for the sea; others love the taste of salt. Some drive around that roundabout by the sea every time, while others think about just how deep it is. Some love the sea in winter, and others simply love spending the summer at the beach. Some have a Spanish flair and say, “Vamos a la playa.” Maybe adding a little chorus—I recommend an “oh, oh, oh, oh.” And then there are those who set out from Bologna under the evening lights, with a full tank on their motorcycle, accelerating and crossing the world to reach the sea, the sea. Twice. One thing is certain: everyone has their own sea inside their heart.
Even the singers who’ve performed it in every possible way created soundtracks for when we used to go there, for when the summer solstice began. For when we’d load our cooler bags with food and drinks and the beach umbrellas into the trunk of the Fiat Panda. For when we’d hop on a Vespa in our flip-flops—go figure—wearing a helmet and our swimsuits, because parking was so much easier that way. For when we’d come out of the water, wrap a towel around our waists like a skirt, and head to the beach club to get an ice cream.
Paoli, Dalla, Carboni, Bertè, Tozzi, Raf, Giuni Russo, Johnson, and Michael Righeira. An endless list that, if we were to expand it to include artists from abroad, would become almost as endless as the places we visit every year. Summer is a state of mind, more than just a song, but perhaps it doesn’t belong only to us—who rightly enjoy it—but also, and above all, to the singers. They’ve made it special, eternal, personal, and collective all at once. By singing it and living it themselves, between a dip in the water and a stroll along the shore. Just like in these photos.
[📸 Getty Images; IPA]
