Teatro Golden, Rome · 10 November 2023
“Love is a river that keeps on flowing.” Ama, tu Ama (“Love, Just Love”) is an invitation to love more than what is easy or familiar: human life, animals, the natural world, our planet, and people whose bodies and experiences may be different from our own. Its message is that love does not erase difficulties, but can give us the strength to face them together.
The song is the message
The sea in winter, the natural world, a hand that moves differently, a body deserving of love exactly as it is: the song’s images are both tender and courageous. They invite us not to look away, to find reasons to smile even in hardship, and to reach out to people who need support.
For Alfredo Valentini and Sara Cicolani, this is not pity, nor a request to overlook disability. It means seeing another person in their entirety, without diminishing their voice, aspirations, beauty or dignity. The song began in their shared life, but its invitation reaches far beyond their own story: care for one another, care for our planet, and leave no one behind.
A song that belongs to everyone
One of the most beautiful things about words and music is that they can live on after the people who wrote them are gone. A song can cross generations, languages and borders. It can be sung on a stage, at school, at home, by a choir or by one person. Each new voice gives its message another chance to travel.
Alfredo is no longer here, but the words he wrote with Sara can still reach people who may never know their story. Ama, tu Ama is not simply a request to remember him. It invites everyone to carry its message forward, to sing it, share it and live it. Love is a river that keeps on flowing.
When a message became a shared performance
On 10 November 2023, Sara Cicolani brought this vision to the theatrical event Vi amo tutti tutti tutti — Words, Music, Love, which she conceived and organised at Rome’s Teatro Golden. The evening was hosted and moderated by Federico Barbieri. It brought together performing artists, AGESCI scouts from Rome groups 119 and 93, and artists of AbracaDown. They were there to participate, not merely to be spoken about.
Watch and listen: the original performance
The original 8-minute-56-second video preserves three connected moments: Sara Cicolani’s introductory text, performed by storyteller Gabriele Casali; the song with scouts and AbracaDown artists; and Francesco Leardini’s concluding remarks.
Words written by Sara Cicolani, performed by Gabriele Casali
The following is an English translation of Sara Cicolani’s full introductory text, based on the Italian copy supplied for this page.
“The song Ama, tu Ama embodies Alfredo’s spirit and the values he cared about most. Its words celebrate love for life, animals, the environment, our planet Earth and humanity.
Above all, this song is a tribute to the love he shared with his beloved Sara, a love that faced the challenges brought by disability and illness with strength and beauty.
Love is like a river, a powerful river, the greatest force there is. We should embrace every moment as a precious gift, smile even through adversity and difficulty, reach out a hand, support one another and face challenges together.
Ama, tu Ama will resonate in our hearts as an anthem to unconditional love and the power of social inclusion. It challenges us to break down the barriers that too often arise around difference, and never give up the opportunity to love and live life to the fullest.
The music composed by Mario Pagliarulo has given life to the emotions and values Alfredo expressed in Ama, tu Ama. His composition captures the song’s spirit and carries its message with depth and intensity.
One extraordinary aspect of this song is the participation of the scouts as a choir. This choice comes from a deep conviction: scouts bring with them a message of inclusion, respect and cooperation. As the spirit of scouting teaches us, working together and embracing differences are key to building a better world. The scouts’ voices add something special to the performance, highlighting its message of unity and love and creating a sense of inclusion and belonging that can embrace us all.”
Francesco Leardini: everyone deserves to be a protagonist
After the song, Francesco Leardini, founder of AbracaDown, thanked Sara for the invitation and spoke of a project involving 34 young people with Down syndrome as the central performers. His message made the song’s principles visible in practice: inclusion is not simply bringing someone into a project; it is ensuring that everyone can be a protagonist in something they believe in. This is a faithful summary, not a verbatim transcript.
Credits
Ama, tu Ama — Lyrics: Alfredo Valentini and Sara Cicolani; music: Mario Pagliarulo.
Event conceived and organised by: Sara Cicolani.
Host and moderator: Federico Barbieri.
Introductory text: Sara Cicolani; storyteller: Gabriele Casali.
Choir: AGESCI scouts, Rome groups 119 and 93.
Featuring: AbracaDown artists.
Closing remarks: Francesco Leardini, founder of AbracaDown.
Teatro Golden, Rome — 10 November 2023.