The song was broadcast after
8 September 1943 between the high valley of
Andora -
Stellanello in
Passu du Beu behind the Pizzo d'Evigno and afterwards above Curenna, in the "Casone dei Crovi", in the high Valley of
Albenga, where the
partisan squad led by
Felice Cascione took refuge. During that period there were still no partisan songs; therefore, people sang old communist and socialist songs: ''L'Internazionale
, La guardia rossa
, Bandiera rossa
or the song of anarchic origin Addio Lugano Bella
, transformed into Addio Imperia Bella
, Vieni o maggio
(o Canzone del maggio''), on the melody of "Nabucco". Giacomo Sibilla, battle name
Ivan, survivor of the campaign of Russia, joined the partisan squad led by Felice Cascione, where he was added into the 2nd Regiment Genio Pontieri. In the region of Don,
Ivan had known Russian prisoners and women, and from them he learned the song
Katyusha.
Ivan brought it with him to Italy, and in the Passu du Beu he sketched a few verses together with Vittorio Rubicone,
Vittorio il Biondo. Then the commander Cascione intervened. Together with Silvano Alterisio, battle name
Vassili, and other comrades the verses written by Felice some time prior were adapted to the Russian melody. Recently the "casone" where
u Megu and his comrades began writing the famous song was rediscovered. The composition was terminated in the
Casone dei Crovi, a location not too distant from the
Monte Peso Grande, occupied by partisans in the beginning of the winter of 1943.
Debut The song was sung for the first time in Curenna, fraction of
Vendone, in Christmas 1943, but it was broadcast officially in
Alto, in the square in front of the church, the day of Epiphany 1944. Three weeks after Felice Cascione was killed in battle by nazifascists, and his squad carried his name from that moment on. Right after, this partisan nucleus got larger, and even the twenty-year-old
Italo Calvino, living in
Sanremo, joined that group with the battle name
Santiago, since he was born in Cuba in
Santiago de las Vegas. Afterwards
Fischia il Vento officially became the anthem of the
Brigate Partigiane Garibaldi. In the original lyrics the verse "eppur bisogna andar" ("but we must march on") was actually "eppur bisogna ardir" ("but we must dare"), as documented in the book by Giorgio Pagano, with the title taken from the original verse. == Sample lyrics ==