Frah Quintale – “Nei Treni La Notte”
By: Kareem Mitchell
Anyone who knows me would agree that I’m always wandering off to somewhere— physically, spiritually, or even emotionally to marvel at things, big and small. During this health pandemic, I’ve been stuck at home a little more than often, trying to keep things safe. Although my life is now confined, I still try to find some way to cast myself out without stepping outside. Currently, I’ve been listening to Frah Quintale’s bittersweet love letter about a metropolitan city unbeknownst to us. The song is “Nei treni la notte,” or “On the night trains” in direct English translation. It is an Italian hip-hop/pop track released back in 2017, the eighth song from his French titled album, Regardez Moi (2017).
In my second year of studying Italian, I needed some extra substance to dive deeper into the beautiful language. During that quest, I found this little melody on the streaming app, Spotify, and I was instantly astonished about its careful presentation of intrusion and wonder. Frah Quintale talks about going back to a newly industrialized city that was once a beautiful home to him. There’s some melancholy in his voice, but he still has a warm heart for his former city; he tries to, as he memorably says in the track, “add some color” to the machines. And by machines, he means the trains. Who knows… the industrialized vehicle that took him out and brought him back in. A true statement of adventure.
