ITALY – The singer-songwriter met the Bengali economist: “he has a perfume that reminds me of my grandfather, my father’s father. He captivated me with his relaxed and calm way of doing ”
“I felt the smell and serenity of my grandfather”.
This is how the two-time winner of the Sanremo Festival, Mahmood, commented on the meeting with Muhammad Yunus, a Bengali economist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for having conceived and implemented a system of small loans for too poor entrepreneurs.
“I like to think – Mahmood told Sole 24 Ore a few minutes before starting the Fuori Festival concert – that there is no link between economics and music, even if my first economies were born thanks to the latter. The jobs I did try to support myself when I was studying as a musician, were the waiter or the steward for events. I started writing for others: my first real economy was born as an author. Even then I was at peace with myself because I had managed to earn by dedicating myself to my greatest passion ».
Nobel laureate Yunus wanted to meet him in Trento.
“It was a very interesting chat, certainly for his personality, which in one way or another captures you. And also for his simplicity of him. Then – Mahmood adds – I can say that he has a perfume that reminds me of my grandfather, my father’s father, whom I met in Cairo when I was 8 years old. Yunus captivated me with his relaxed and calm manner, even as he talked about very important things: especially the fundamentals of life that all people should believe in. He made me open my eyes to some very important points of view and advised me to read his books. Which I will certainly do ».
Speaking of his upcoming engagements, Mahmood underlined the collaboration with Blanco, winner of the last Sanremo Festival together with him.
“We have a wonderful relationship – he says – because we have been together almost the entire last year and for me, he is like a little brother. I certainly hope to do something with him again, but not with other artists for the moment, because I have been on tour since July and I have not had time to write new things. But I hope to start again in September.”
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