Traffic Free Festival July 11, 2007

However optimistic and enthusiastic we may have been, we would never have imagined that in just three years we would have made Traffic into the biggest Italian festival. But that's what happened. The numbers from the last edition - a total of almost 200 thousand presences - speak louder than words. Obviously this is because it's free, but it is also due to the inherent quality of the events and the context they're put into. The entire city is the scenario. The cast is intentionally heterogeneous, but is run through with thematic paths. The interdependence between music and other forms of expression. These are the factors that have defined Traffic's identity, and have also managed to make it a success. Therefore they remain the founding features of this year's edition. A popular festival of high quality, immersed in the contemporary, yet conscious of history. We recall this prerogative with the theatrical version of Berlin, which inaugurates the festival and has Lou Reed in the star role, and the first stop of Franco Battiato's summer tour (which has become a once-in-a-lifetime event, thanks to the participation of guests such as Subsonica, Antony & The Johnsons and Ivan Segreto ) which concludes the festival. There is also an electronic charge added by Daft Punk, who after a great many years, return to perform live in Italy: a Traffic exclusive empowered by the appropriate guests, LCD Soundsystem and Who Made Who. And there's still more: the Arctic Monkeys, who are the rock sensation of the moment and other important Britpop bands, such as The Coral and Art Brut.These are the attractions that are on show at the Pellerina park, while at the Royal Garden's Village a special edition of Word Jockeys takes place, completely centred on contradictory fascination of Naples, which has been represented and had its story told by writers ( Roberto Saviano, Valeria Parrella ), directors (Mario Martone ) and musicians ( Raiz, Meg, Daniele Sepe ). And, accepting the suggestion offered us by Lou Reed, who proposes his original look at the city, we also look towards Berlin: it will be the thin red line of the paths offered by Traffic 2007 for what concerns nightclubbing, contemporary art and cinema (beginning with the preamble that sees the Zu music the mute classic Berlin: symphony of a great city). A continental scale projection which implicitly alludes to our new-born partnerhip between Traffic and the Europareise circuit: a further indication of the festival's cosmopolitan vocation.

Official Website: http://www.trafficfestival.com