2/3/14
Hi Everyone,
Well here we are, already in February. What happened to January, do you know?
It’s the day after Super Bowl Sunday!! I hope those of you that like football and went to Super Bowl parties had a terrific time. Hope you didn’t eat too much or over do the beer!! I also hope your team won!! For the rest that had a quiet Sunday and enjoyed Il Volo videos and Il Volo CD’s, you had a great Sunday too!
It seems Ignazio’s appearance at his friend’s concert has gone well, hope they had a terrific turnout. Check out our video!
Ignazio has tweeted a picture of himself with his new dog, Buddy. Check Mundial or All Things Il Volo for the really cute photo.
Gianluca has tweeted that he is taking driving lessons!
Piero tweeted a good morning kiss, while sitting at his piano!
Today’s “Did You Know” looks into the career of Frankie Laine. I know you remember him, he had a 75 year career as a singer, did you know that? He was another of the great singers of Italian descent that has entertained us over the years.
Frankie Laine was born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio in Chicago, Il in 1923. His parents had emigrated from Monreale, Sicily. His father worked at one time as the personal barber of Al Capone. A young Francisco was with his grandfather when he was gunned down by rival gangsters. Francesco changed his name professionally to Frankie Laine in 1938.
It is not possible to cover his long career here. His emotionally charged style after WW 2 was considered the harbinger of Rock and Roll music to come. It was said “Laine cannot be categorized” , he’s one of those singers not on one track.
His famous songs include “That’s My Desire“, “That Lucky Old Sun“, “Mule Train“,”High Noon” and “Rawhide“. He is well known for singing the theme songs on many westerns.
His last public appearance was on “My Music” on PBS in 2005. He died in 2007 at the age of 93.
Keeping with the theme of entertainers of Italian descent, do you remember Pat Cooper, the comedian? No, he was not a singer, but he used his Italian backround in his comedy all the time!
Pat Cooper was born Pasquale Caputo in Brooklyn, NY on 7/31/29. His Mom emigrated from Naples Compania and Foher. His dad, from Mola di Bari, Foggia. Pat Cooper often appeared as second billing with Sinara, Martin, Martin and Lewis, Bennett, Connie Frances and Tony Martin. He was a TV fixture for years on Perry Como, Ed Sullivan and Mike Douglas, to name a few. Today he is age 85 and still considers taking some TV rolls!
Did you know this about the beautiful city of Naples in Italy?
Naples is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Bronze Age Greek settlements were established in the Naples area in the second millennium BC A larger colony – initially known as Parthenope – developed on the Island of Megaride around the ninth century BC, at the end of the Greek Dark Ages. The city was refounded as Neápolis in the sixth century BC and became a lynchpin of Magna Graecia playing a key role in the merging of Greek culture into Roman society and eventually becoming a cultural centre of the Roman Republic Naples remained influential after the fall of the Western RomanEmpire, serving as the capital city of the Kingdom of Naples between 1282 and 1816. Thereafter, in union with Sicily, it became the capital of the Two Sicilies until the unification of Italy in 1861. During the Neapolitan War of 1815, Naples strongly promoted Italian unification.
Remember February 11th is Gianluca’s 19th birthday, hope you all sent your greetings in for the video.
As we know on March 6th, Il Volo will appear at “The Theatre” at Madison Square Garden as the guests of Italian singer, Laura Pausini. I don’t know about you, but I’m excited that they will be back here in The States again. When we have information on any further activity, we’ll let you know.
Gianlucca tweeted today, “Going back to Ny and LA in a month” Could LA mean recording?? Just askin’
Linda
Linda… I LOVE this blog!!!! I had no idea that Frankie Laine was Italian. I remember Pat Cooper, too..Funny man.
Thank you for all of the great info on Naples. Really enjoyed the history. You did good research!
When I traveled in Italy, I didn’t get into Naples, but the traffic on the outskirts was horrific. We started playing a game… Count the cars with dented fenders. The number was astronomical!
Helen
Good article on Naples Linda, I didn’t know Frankie Lane was Italian, loved his records, I still have a few tapes that I transferred from the vinyl records.
Ignazio’s kindness at appearing in his friends concert makes my heart swell with pride
Helen and Loretta, thanks for your kind words. I didn’t remember until recently that he was Italian, I looked it up and there it was. I loved his songs, especially the songs he sang for the westerns.
Linda, I, too, loved Frankie Laine. My favorites were “That’s My Desire” and “Rawhide”.!
Hi Linda…great article! You are always so informative. I love it. So fun to see what is new here every day! Every day is an adventure in IL VOLO land! 🙂 Thank you so much!
We did have so many good entertainers, not like the so called music of today. I did see Frankie Laine when he was 80 and his voice was the same. Loved “That’s my Desire.”
I’m with you Linda I am so looking forward to the guys coming back to the States & hopefully Canada
It’s funny, but I hadn’t thought about Frankie Laine in years. I used to love his records. And thank you, Linda, for the info on Naples. I have learned more about Italy from this site than I ever did I school.. All of a sudden I have this great desire to go to Italy. As if that will ever happen. But I can dream about going to Italy along with my dreams of three very handsome Italian young men!
Allene… I don’t know your circumstances, but if at all possible,GO TO ITALY!!!! I don;t care if you have to “beg, borrow, or steal” the money, GO!!!!! Go while you are still young enough to walk a lot and sight-see everything.
I am SO GLAD I went when I did, because now I’m too old to travel. If I were 20 years younger, I would start getting this group together for a stay in a rented villa in Tuscany, no kidding!
Helen
Helen I wish we were both twenty years younger…a villa in Tuscany would be heavenly. I’d be with you in a flash. Wait–if we were twenty years younger the boys wouldn’t even exist, and the world would never know them. Good thing wishes don’t come true.
Helen, as to the comment below I mean if we could go back in time twenty years. If we could just knock off twenty years and nothing else would change, that’s different….How about thirty years?
Great report, Linda! I love the History lesson! And your writing style is very enjoyable, too. Thank you!
Geerti
_____
Von: Il Volo Flight Crew ~Share The Love [mailto:comment-reply@wordpress.com] Gesendet: Montag, 3. Februar 2014 21:47 An: i.knarf@t-online.de Betreff: [New post] DID YOU KNOW??????
nurselin61 posted: “2/3/14 Hi Everyone, Well here we are, already in February. What happened to January, do you know? It’s the day after Super Bowl Sunday!! I hope those of you that like football and went to Super Bowl parties had a terrific time. Hope you didn’t e”
Thank you Geerti, I’m so glad you enjoy our site, welcome!!
Am I wrong but didn’t Gianlucasay they wre recording in Italy? Maybe they are recording in the States as well???
Loretta, they may be recording in Italy and are going to record here too. I believe for their first album they recorded in London, Rome and LA.
Tha k you Linda I didn’t know that at all.
Speaking of Italian–one of you mentioned you were learning Italian on a few website. I was doing the same thing on Duolingo, but for some reason for the past week it will not load no matter what browser I use. Someone mentioned a different site. Of course I can’t remember what it is! Whoever it was, can you please tell me the free website you are using to learn Italian? I don’t want to stop learning!
oops! That should say FREE website–not few website!
Did you know that Naples is where the famous Italian hand gesturing was born? Because it was an international trading port, there had to be a universal language so the merchants and the traders could understand each other. All the spoken languages were so different, so an unofficial hand language slowly developed. Almost every gesture has a specific meaning, though I think the exact definitions vary from region to region, just like different spoken dialects. Just thought you all would find this interesting!
Very interesting! I wonder if anyone nowadays knows what they mean when they are gesturing with their hands! They may be saying something with their hands that is very different to what they are actually saying with their voices!
Interesting Miss Isabel. Never heard that before.
Thank you Isabel that is very interesting to know, I thought that itis just the way Italians spoke & that they gestured with their hands to emphasize what they are saying
Isabel….What a wonderful piece of Neapolitan history! I had no idea about the hand gestures, but it sure does make sense. I think we ought to prevail on The Boys to teach us some of them! Or maybe we could research them ourselves!
Helen
Well Linda, I am happy to tell you that Frankie Laine was before my time. I can’t say that too often anymore, but in this case it’s true! I remember the Rawhide song, but that’s all. I also don’t remember Pat Cooper, although I did watch Ed Sullivan. I still remember the Beatles first appearance there.
Oh Linda, ya’ make me feel so young. Ya’ make me feel like spring has sprung and every time I …well, Michael Buble’ has the rest.
Nice tune, young Marie!
Linda, please say that more often! Not the nice tune part.
I hate to tell you, YOUNG Marie, but Sinatra OWNED that song!!!!
OLD Helen
He sure did Helen! Which makes me think Gianluca may be singing it any time soon!
No Marie, once is enough, you’re not THAT young! 🙂
Damn!
Promo Laura Pausini and Guests concenrt in NY
Thanks mlla, But why would anyone mention Il Volo last? Humpf!
Who’s planning on going?
Marie, you know the expression “save the best for last”. That’s why.
Oh! Thank you Leelee. Whew! I was really confused!
“Best for last.” That is definitely the only reasonable explanation! 😉
Credits to Occupy DeeJay TV
During Today Interview
http://twitter.com/OccupyDeejay/status/431078597395099648/photo/1