Nella trappola di “Faccetta Nera”: tra polarizzazioni e stratificazioni di significati

Within the Italian context, “Faccetta nera”, a song composed in 1935 that celebrates the fascist occupation of Ethiopia by picturing a young Ethiopian woman, is nowadays considered an anthem of the far right. Its appearance in public spaces is invariably defined as a provocative gesture that sparkles heated discussions. In this article, we argue that considering “Faccetta nera” as just the marker of neo-fascist ideology obscures its complexity. It therefore hinders our ability to comprehend its historical role and the reverberation of the colonial past in contemporary society. After a description of the historical context in which the song was born, we analyse its musical and analytical elements, as well as the ways in which they resonate in the Italian discourse after World War II. We then illustrate how the present polarisation took form at the time in which the far right reinforced a white identity in opposition to streams of migration to Italy. In conclusion, we propose the conceptualisation of “Faccetta nera” as a stumbling song, in order to offer an analytical tool that allows for a transgenerational and transcultural dialogue around the song while casting light on the contradictory albeit meaningful narratives that it encapsulates.