El Biscella

"El Biscella" (transl. bully boy) is an Italian song in Milanese dialect of Lombard^[2] from the early 1960s composed by Giovanni D'Anzi^[3] and Alfredo Bracchi.

"El Biscella"
Single by Giovanni D'Anzi
Written	1969[1]
Genre	Folk music
Length	2:20
Label	Meldy Fonola
Songwriters	Giovanni D'Anzi Alfredo Bracchi

History

"Biscella" is a Milanese word^[4] meaning "curly" (derived from bisc-bish, meaning hedgehog), a kind of bully who tries to intimidate people, but whose clumsy manners and extravagant costumes make him more comical than dangerous.

The song tells the story of a "biscella" that lives in Porta Ticinese neighbourhood who goes to parties, and that everyone behind his back laughs^[5] for his ridiculous clothes and his awkward way of dancing.