SMILE by Mary Bohling

When I first saw Il Volo in concert, one of the highlights was their rendition of “Smile.” They brought something to that song that had never been done before. The harmony, the expression, the quality….all perfection. I bought the CD at the venue, and I remember listening to “Smile” in the car on the way home, and being enchanted again at what I was hearing–completely enthralled by their voices.

Barbra Streisand must have felt it, too, because she chose that song to share with them on her tour. What a show stopper that was! And when Ignazio hit the high note at the end–wow–It even made her stagger back a bit. Her “show off” remark was perfect. And did you see the look on his face??? Priceless!

The fact is that all of these young men have million dollar smiles.…all gorgeous and all unique. Each time I see one I think, “that one is the best” until I see the next one. Gianluca’s smile could be an ad for a toothpaste brand. It is so enchantingly beautiful, teamed with his smiling eyes it takes your breath away. Something wonderful happens to Ignazio’s face when he smiles. It’s like a light was turned on–it just glows, and his face shines with so much joy, you just can’t help but smile along with him. Piero’s smile is touchingly sweet. It tugs at my heart strings and makes me say “awww,” followed by a big sigh. He is a handsome man and his handsome smile just completes it.

It’s always a treat when they are having fun and their smiles give way to great guffaws of laughter. They love to laugh. They enjoy just being together and having fun with life. And we can’t help but smile when they smile and laugh when they laugh, because they are who they are, and they convey their warmth and joy to all who have the Il Volo experience.

Smiling–it’s such an easy thing to do and so contagious. Their music has brought smiles to our faces when we were feeling down, or facing a medical diagnosis, or experiencing a loss….whatever our need, the music of Il Volo has had a healing effect for so many. We have seen this in the comments made by grateful fans.

People often wonder if the guys know just how much of an effect they have on all of us. They see the adoration on the faces of the fans wherever they go, but I hope they know that to so many of us they are much more than just handsome faces with beautiful voices. Because we see in them something above the norm that lifts us up and puts smiles on our faces and joy in our hearts.

How appropriate it was that someone somewhere in the group of people guiding their careers chose “Smile” as one of the first songs in their repertoire. It’s a perfect song to convey what they mean to us. In our hearts and minds they are always smiling and making us smile, too.
IV♥,
Mary