Yes, on the evening, August 28th, in Melpignano in Puglia, the Notte della Taranta took place, which we will see on RAI1 on September 4th. Only 1,000 people were admitted to the event, but something we like has leaked.
First of all I have to correct what has already been said, because the newspapers had written that Il Volo would have played the role of co-host with Al Bano, but the news was false, because Il Volo was expected as a super-guest.
But here they are, in this photo, during last night’s event.
The thing that intrigued me most, is that Il Volo performed in a song that is certainly not part of their repertoire, Piero Ignazio and Gianluca, they sang Calinitta (Kali Nifta is the original title), a typical song of the Taranta and above all it was sung in the ancient language, original of the area: the griko.
Griko is a dialectal language that derives from Greek and was used in the Salento area, in Puglia, the area where the Notte della Taranta is held.
Here is a short video of their performance, which we will see entirely on September 4th.
And some photos of the evening.
Ignazio, Piero, and the master Melozzi.
A short report in the news of TG5.
VOICE = The music of the tambourines, the frenzied dance, and the song, which become tools to drive away, today, as in the most remote past, ghosts and fears.
The Notte della Taranta returns to illuminate the Salento summer. Only 1,000 spectators were allowed into the square of the former Augustinian convent of Melpignano, in the province of Lecce. But the thrill of finding the public, after a closed-door edition (2020), pervades the artists.
AL BANO = Even before the radio arrived, even before the television arrived, this music accompanied us during the span of 360 days, because the other 5 were of rest, from music.
IGNAZIO = Surely seeing the public again, it’s always good, after this period, after all these months, after this very difficult year.
VOICE = conducting the orchestra Enrico Melozzi and Madame, the revelation singer from Sanremo.
Il Volo with Albano
And here is a video, still incomplete, of the exhibition, but longer than the previous one.
Certainly a very different musicality from the usual one of Il Volo, but which has its roots in the peasant culture of the area, and, like any tradition, must be well-liked and maintained, and brought to the attention of the new generations, always !!
Bravo Il Volo who also lent themselves to this message.
A backstage moment with the artists’ signature on the large tambourine.
But there is also more, news has finally been published that reveal something about the video of Il Volo in Frasassi.
I translate this article for you.
Ancona Today article – Click Here
Frasassi Caves increasingly protagonists of the international star system. Oscar winner Vittorio Storaro (director of photography and three-time Oscar winner for Reds, Apocalypse Now and The Last Emperor) has chosen Volo as the protagonist of his short film about Ennio Morricone. The performance of the well-known trio, composed of two tenors and a baritone, was shot inside the suggestive caves of Genga.
Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio performed here in an exciting interpretation of “Your Love” (from “Once Upon a Time in the West”). The piece will be screened on 5 September in Venice during the fourth edition of the Filming Italy Best Movie Award, on the occasion of the Venice International Film Festival. “We are honored that Vittorio Storaro has called us to share the indescribable emotion of Maestro Ennio Morricone’s music – says Il Volo. We thank the Filming Italy Best Movie Award for inviting us to the Venice Film Festival to collect an award that is never like today. We want to share with all those who in this difficult period have supported us in our heartfelt desire to pay homage to Maestro Morricone.”
Here are the beautiful words of the director Vittorio Storaro.
“The vaccines and treatments will allow the reopening of art sites all over the world. In the caves of Frasassi the trio of Il Volo symbolically descended into the womb of Mother Earth as did the speleologists who discovered those caves fifty years ago. Through their art, which represents a new root, their song is reproduced, trio after trio. Il Volo fills every place that welcomes them: theaters, arenas, squares and archaeological sites all over the world: the energy of art so regenerates all forms of life.”
So you got it right.
In Venice, on the occasion of the Filming Italy Best Movie Award evening, Il Volo will receive the Special Award, and on that occasion the video made in the Frasassi caves will be screened.
And here is the answer from Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero.
“We are honored that Vittorio Storaro has called us to share the indescribable emotion of Maestro Ennio Morricone’s music – says Il Volo – We thank the Filming Italy Best Movie Award for inviting us to the Venice Film Festival to collect an award that is never like today. we want to share with all those (teams, technicians, musicians, … but also our fans) who in this difficult period have supported us in our heartfelt desire to pay homage to Maestro Morricone.”
A short backstage video of what we will see shot in Frasassi.
Please click on the logo below to view the video.
So we also added a great prize to our boys.
I am really happy with this umpteenth milestone and therefore a new event that we hope will be broadcast and of which we will certainly give you all the possible news.
See you very soon!!
Daniela
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.
Wow, Daniela: Wonderful news. And, on September 5, I will be in Verona and although there is no possibility that we would be allowed to go to Venice, what a thought! Again, I, for one, truly appreciate all that you do to keep us updated on events and the lives of our beautiful Il Volo! Stay safe and healthy and I do hope to see you again soon. Your friend, Judith
How wonderful, Judith, you are still in Verona on September 5th.
Yes, in Venice the awards ceremony is by invitation only, but they will be around Venice and then there will be backstage and even catwalks for the awarded VIPs.
It would be a really nice shot if you went to Venice and met them !!
A big hug my friend !!
As a Greek speaker, I was always enchanted by the Grico language. And you can only imagine my joy when I heard Il Volo was going to sing Calinitta ( which means good night). Typically this song is sung slightly slower allowing you to feel its rhythm; the undertones which are definitely Greek. Not only did Il Volo speak the Grico language but they also sang in the typical Greek rhythm which is hard to do. But then again we all know they can do anything!!
As far as the award they’ll be receiving all I have to say is where are the reporters/haters now????
Roxanne, I love reading your impression of IL Volo singing a different type of music. It’s good to see them take on another challenge.
When I read about the places they visit I like to learn a little about that area.
What I found this time was that I was reminded again about how complicated European history is compared with American history.
Roxanne, I am so happy for you and for all those who have been able to understand the profound meaning of the beautiful song that was sung by Il Volo. Magnificent !!
Unfortunately I have to tell you that the haters are always there, and even the journalists, now they have a new tactic, they don’t speak badly ….. they don’t speak at all !!
Frankly, I prefer silence. That leaves the rest of us enjoy them to the utmost! Sorry, I forgot to thank you for all you do,
Me too, Roxanne, but I’d like them to surrender to the evidence of their skill sometimes, no frills, just to admit that they performed the song with skill.
Thank you for your compliments.
Grazie Daniela, I am hoping to see some of this on my RAI1 channel in NYC. Have meantime enjoyed all the posts and clips. I see the Ennio Morricone salute Studio CD and the Verona CD & DVD on ads for Detroit PBS. I wish they could release the studio CD at least….I NEED new music to fill my car, my gym and my rooms 💕. Even an EP would be great.
Thank you as always ❣ Karen
Karen, I wish you with all my heart that the RAI1 channel you catch in New York can give you all the videos possible.
We fans are always hungry to see these guys!
We never get tired, they brighten up our day.
Hi Karen, I went to the website for Detroit public television and I think I found what you are looking for under DONATE. Hope this is helpful.
Thanks, Daniela for this posting. Loved to hear them singing the “folk”
Greek song. They are so committed and talented, they can do just about anything. I tear up every time I hear the music of Ennio Morricone, especially Your Love. Such a beautiful song and so meaningful to our wonderful Il Volo and all their fans.
I also really enjoyed listening to the song in grieco, I think Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca gave a good performance, their powerful voices were in full harmony with that song and that rhythm. Very good!!
Damn they charged you twice the amount ??? I hope one gets canceled !!
Karen, just be careful when ordering the DVD/2 CD set from Detroit PBS as I was charged twice on my Visa card and hope to have one of them cancelled. As much as I love and adore Il Volo, I don’t want to pay over $300.00 Canadian for the set!!!
I will just wait until I can order it from Amazon.it or even Amazon.com–although the Italian one usually comes out first. The price will be in Euros but it won’t come out anywhere near what you are paying.
Penina, you know a lot about these things !!
Experience counts in your favor.
Daniela, you would really have laughed to watch me the first time I went on the Amazon.it site. I sat there with my Italian dictionary and tried to figure out how to order the CD. I finally figured it out! I have done it a few times since then. If you have an account on one Amazon, you can go to any other Amazon site and they will recognize you and your password.
Penina, good for you translating Amazon. Sometimes I’ll pick out a word from their songs and look it up and try to remember it. It’s a good exercise for your brain if you are as old as I am.
They have us interested in traveling to Italy and translating and learning besides being so enjoyable.
Hey, I am 77! Who says I remember anything? I don’t remember from one time to the next. I have an excellent Italian dictionary which I keep on my computer desk. (Collins Italian Concise Dictionary) It comes in very handy!
But you did it, Penina, and that does you a lot of honor.
DeeBee, If you contact your credit card company they should be able to help you with your problem of being charged twice. That’s in case you don’t get satisfaction from your PBS.
I was looking forward to this post, Daniela, and rightfully so. Thank you! So much good news–and another milestone, with the Venice Film Festival! I love the Taranta music–so exciting and lively. And Ignazio in the longer clip taking an octave higher than Piero sang–wow!
And I can’t wait to see the whole song, well from the beginning, but already what I’ve seen and heard I really like, Judi !!
Daniela you know by now that this concert made my heart sing. I have watched the last 3 Taranta concerts but this one was the best. I have been waiting 12 years for them to sing in Greek. The Griko (I spell it with a k, as there is no “c” in the Greek alphabet.language spoken is a blend of Italian and Greek. Their pronunciation was perfect as expected. How wonderful to hear Gianluca say “Kalinitta” Goodnight. I hope they can work in a concert at the Odeon Herodes Atticus theater in Athens. In Verona I gave Gianluca a Greek flag and he promised “soon”
Kαλή τύχη – good luck to our young men. September is their month to receive a well deserved award.
Oh and by the way, the ending of the song was spectacular. Ignazio outdid himself. Wow!
Absolutely epic ending.
I knew, dear RoseMarie, that our three boys would not have betrayed your expectations, but what can I say, hearing an expert native speaker admit that their pronunciation was very good is really very comforting. On the musical level, we knew that there were no doubts, it was a pity that there was not the maximum presence of people like every year, otherwise the rhythm of the clapping of the thousands of hands that accompanied the music would have been fantastic.
Thank you Daniela, so very interesting, cannot wait to see the awards…appreciate what you write. Ariana
Thank you very much, Ariana, it’s comforting to know that what is written is appreciated !!
This music is so different from what we’re used to hearing from Il Volo but they did a beautiful job. I love that they are willing to try new things. The music just makes you want to get up and get moving. Congratulations to them for the award they are going to receive. They deserve every accolade they get. I can’t wait to see their performance in the Frasassi caves. I think its going to be very emotional. Thank you Daniela for always keeping us updated.
Cathy, a truly different music, but which has its roots in our archaic culture kissed by the Greek influence.
Traditions that must not disappear, rather they must be carried in the palm of your hand and it is nice that Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca have ventured into this beautiful effort.
Thankyou again Daniela for this wonderful article. I have so enjoyed this Concert/music festival, and have done some research to gain some knowledge of its meanings and origins….all so interesting. For me (and those of us living far away) this has been a whole new musical experience, and it was absolutely wonderful….full of emotion, drama and action….gave me goosebumps. Had I not been following our wonderful guys I would never have had this experience….so yet again thank you IL Volo for promoting and sharing the culture of Italy which you do with so much Love and pride. Love to everyone from downunder…..please take care.
Congratulations Annette, you have hit the mark, because Il Volo, rightly lent itself to act as a vehicle so that these traditions do not disappear and the notoriety of our boys has made sure that people who live so far away, for a moment, have appreciated and sought to understand the meaning of this evening. Goal reached.
Daniela, thank you for the information, translations, videos, and photos, (Thank you Pat for your technical assistance.) I can’t wait to see the video shot in the Frasassi Caves. Our guys’ voices and the accoustics should be breathtaking.
I too can not wait Mary Jane, since I later learned that it is a “short”, I want to see it even more.
You’re welcome, Mary Jane!
Daniela, thank you so much for all the work you do to share information. Every article brings us closer to each other, Il Volo and the music and venues they choose. I am intrigued and always research further the songs, places and people presented.
As always, Il Volo continues to surprise us with an enormous amount of diversity and superior talent! We love and thank them for it.
Riberta, I am so happy that the information I give you is well received.
Il Volo is always full of beautiful surprises for us and we let ourselves be lulled by their beautiful voices.
Just a note to those interested in whether I got a refund on the double billing from PBS Detroit for the Il Volo DVD/CD set — they did put a credit on my Visa account, but just short of the cost of one set. I’ll live with that and look forward to receiving the DVD/CDs in the next couple of weeks. Thanks for thinking of my welfare. Dolores/ DeeBee
I’m happy for you, Dolores.
Dear Daniela! I am very, very happy to be a fan of IlVolo and a member of the IlvoloFlight Crew family. I feel wonderful, despite the Pandemic, despite the masks and our confused covid-life. I love reading your translations and answers below. I look forward to 05.09! .💙🖤🤎
Thanks Antonela60, your message is: life is beautiful, despite everything, and I think like you !!
Thank you so much Pat and Daniela for sharing the videos and information on the Notte della Taranta. I, and many others I am sure, would be lost without both of you. I really enjoyed hearing them sing Calinitta. They looked and sounded wonderful as usual! It’s great that they will be receiving an award in Venice and I look forward to seeing the video from the Frasassi caves. It’s a wonderful learning experience following Il Volo especially with all your help. I can’t help thinking how much Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca must miss performing before a live audience for such an extended period.
You’re welcome, Margaret! I also really liked Calinitta. I agree that this certainly has been a learning experience and I love it!
Yes, Margaret, what you write is true, they will receive an award in Venice, and we are happy for them.
Sorry if I was late in replying, but my family has kept me very busy !!
Thanks Daniela and Pat for another great translation and helping us enjoy the evening . As someone else said, these guys can do/sing anything and do it well. I am always so impressed. They already have a huge repertoire of songs in several languages and now add Greek. I sometimes wonder how and when they have time to learn all these songs as they seem not to always be together and this summer have had personal time with family and friends. I also have wondered if the new music is written out for their 3 parts, or whether they can just hear how their harmonies should sound. Their talents seem unlimited.
Hope all is well and hope to see you in Italy next year!
You’re welcome, Janet! I’m sure they have someone who arranges their songs in three parts. I have sung in choirs for years and can usually improvise harmonies to songs. I have sung alto, tenor and 2nd soprano (the middle part) in trios. I am sure they have music that they learn. Being as talented as they are it probably doesn’t take them long to learn their parts. And they all play piano so they could practice their parts separately and when they get together they could polish up the harmonies. I always try to sing each of the parts. It is always harder for me to hear Piero’s middle part.
Pat, I like you, try to sing all parts. What I find is that 95% of the time, Piero sings the melody. Although some may think that’s the easy part. It really isn’t. Piero has to be right on the money tone wise to keep the other two from going off key.
Roxanne, I agree with you. I do notice that sometimes, I think due to over eagerness, Ignazio can go sharp when he hits and holds some of the high notes. But it doesn’t happen often. We know they listen to each other and that’s what it takes. You can hear it when the sing the impromptu acapella snippets during interviews. I just love singing like that! Wish I could just sit around with them for a while and sing some of their songs and harmonize with them. Wouldn’t that be fun? 😀
Pat. I always imagine myself as the 4th member!!! Re Ignazio. I agree. I know he likes to take risks given the songs he chooses like Beyonce’s “Listen”. And he also pushes his vocal chords so that his voice cracks on occasion. I think Piero tends to sing too loud and I really like his volume softer as he does with “The Best Day of my Life.” Same re Ignazio,
Honestly, for me, Gianluca seems to be the most consistent. He knows his boundaries and chooses to sing within those parameters. He caresses each note as opposed to stretching the limits. The impromptu acapellas are wonderful. And I believe no other singer, today, can do that. Of course, unless they’re singing their one-note songs!! Have you noticed though, that they don’t end a song perfectly like they did when they were younger? I noticed it especially during the Morricone concert.
Pat I too have been singing in choirs for years and still love it. I started as a 2nd soprano and now with age am singing 2nd alto. I am always interested in trying to hear the 3 different parts when they guys sing. Most of the time they are so well blended it is hard to distinguish. Igna’s high notes often come through, and your are right even though Piero usually sings melody it can be harder to hear. I agree that Igna sometimes pushes his voice a bit too much, but when he sings softly it sounds perfect to me. But I love their blend which is almost always spot on.
Thanks for your technical explanation, Pat, I don’t understand as much as you do !!
Janet, I also asked myself the same things as you, but I believe that modern technology helps a lot in these cases, being able to connect, from one end of the world to the other is just fantastic, it is also for us at Flight Crew, not do you find?
We must be confident for next year !!
That’s cool, Roxanne, a 4th member! But that makes me think of Il Divo and honestly I don’t like their style of singing and they are old! ROFL I have been so spoiled by IL VOLO. Not just their good looks, because I fell in love with their voices first without even seeing them, but also because of their personalities. Each one of them is different, but still somehow similar…..all caring, considerate men.
Yes I noticed on the Morricone concert that Ignazio’s voice cracked once or twice. I agree that Piero can be loud, but his voice also has that piercing quality that the others don’t have. I also like when he sings softer.
Gianluca…….where do I start? He is consistent and his voice is so rich. In the past he has amazed me with how high he can sing for a baritone…..and not just in falsetto voice! Did you notice how low he had to sing in I Colore dell’amore? That was the lowest notes I had ever heard him sing.
I’ve noticed that they don’t always end songs at the same time. I didn’t know they did it more when they were younger. Maybe they were trying really hard to do things perfectly? I have noticed that Ignazio seems to want to hold his last note after the other two cut off. Again, I think it’s his personality and excitement. I seem to be picking on him a bit, but I love them all and I can’t wait to see them again!
I enjoyed this debate on their way of singing and the three of you: Pat, Janet and Roxanne are definitely “in the trade” and therefore aware of nuances that guys like me often miss. Brave !!
Pat. It’s not picking on Igna. I agree he seems to get carried away but for the sound of the group he does need to tone it back a bit. I have read comments that people think he’s showing off. I don’t think that’s true, rather that he knows his fans are looking for him to do that. And Piero does encourage it. Again, this comes from years of being in and conducting choral groups.
If Frank Sinatra were alive, I know he’d love Gian (and Igna and Piero). I am constantly amazed at Gianluca. His range is so extensive and he has such powerful breath control. Take a look again when he sings Anema e Cuore. When he sings the second verse which starts with “I’ll take the stars and make a crown”. Then it goes to “adore you, open up the doors” He sings from one passage to the other without taking a breath. It’s magnificent.
So no 4th member for Il Volo. Il Divo has no charisma and they sound just like any other tenor group (although they do have a baritone). I have made a concerted effort to never listen to them!!
Do you remember Cheryl Porter who was supposed to be their voice coach for the 10 years album? They wasted money on her. First of all they don’t need a voice coach. They need someone to help them with the English enunciation. I’ll volunteer for that job!! They do so well with the other languages but English could use some tweaking.
I shouldn’t be so picky – it’s a result of listening to them so intently. I look for the many nuances they project into their singing.
So, if anyone is getting angry with Pat’s and my comments – it’s only constructive criticism as a result of being in the music profession for so long.
Roxanne, It’s good to hear your praise of Gianluca especially because I don’t know as much about music as you do. Usually he will start a song and then the others bring on the fireworks, but it’s so lovely to listen to him.
The boys often say that they have different personalities so it makes sense that the fans would have different favorites. Gianluca is mine and it’s not only that he’s easy to look at. I like his demeanor.
You’re absolutely right. I’ve always preferred baritones and basses so it was no wonder I gravitated to Gian. I also love his speaking voice. I can’t wait until they all get into their thirties since that is the time when men’s voices tend to go lower. I expect Gian’s voice will be lower and his voice range will differ. It will be interesting to see what happens to Igna. If his voice gets lower, he may not be able to thrill us with his high notes.
i like Gian’s demeanor as well. He’s the epitome of the adage, still waters run deep. I’m always amazed at his eclectic choices of books. Such a deep thinker! I think this tranfers over to how he sings
Where can I find out what he reads?
Roxanne, I like to read what you write and I find that you are not fussy in a meticulous way, you are an excellent observer who captures every nuance. I will turn these comments to Nonna Maura who, I’m sure will be happy !!
Does anybody know what time the Festa della Taranta might be on RAI1 today? I don’t see it in their listings.
11:15pm Rome time
It just now started. it is 4:39 central time where I am.
Gail: Whenever Gian posts a photo of his book, I enlarge it so as to either see the title or read a few words to get the gist. Lately he’s been reading Nietzsche and a book about emotional intelligence. Remember when he graduated high school and he said “I’m, a philosopher”?
Daniella: Thanks for telling Nonna Mauro. I’m excited to hear what she has to say!
Roxanne, grandma Maura was delighted to read all your comments.
You know that she has a special love for our Gianluca and, when she reads the compliments addressed to his tone of voice or his way of singing, she is very happy, because Gianluca is not only a handsome boy, but often his beauty hides its qualities, which often go undetected. Therefore, she thanks you all, for having highlighted what is clear to her from the first moment she heard Gian’s voice.