Monthly Archives: May 2023
OUR VOICES AT THE SERVICE OF POP by Daniela
On May 16th, the weekly SORRISI E CANZONI TV was released in Italy on newsstands, publishing a beautiful interview with Il Volo, and what a thrill to see the faces of Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero on the front page!!! I translate for you:
It’s May 1st, Labor Day (in Italy). But not for everyone.
The first part of “Tutti per uno”, Il Volo’s gala which will be broadcast on Canale 5 on May 27 and June 3, will be staged at the Arena di Verona.
The next day I meet Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble in their hotel, in the heart of the city, tired, happy and above all amazed by the affection shown by the public, who undauntedly, watched the show in the rain, which lasted over three hours: “Nobody left, despite the water, and we got even more excited seeing that they all remained motionless under umbrellas”, Ignazio says, as he bites into a double chicken club sandwich with a side of fries, under the stern gaze of Gianluca and his seared salmon with white rice.
The Arena is an important place for you. In what state of mind do you go up on this stage?
GIANLUCA= “We are three leaders, but very different. With this project we felt the need to show our different personalities and vocalities”.
PIERO= “The Arena allows you to make your every wish come true, both artistically and in terms of production. Then it is a place that attracts the public and for this project we wanted a safe, already baptized place.” (means a place that already has an important name)
IGNAZIO= “It’s not just for this though. We could have done it even in a television studio. But our strength is to sing in front of the audience and charge ourselves with its emotions.”
You have just crossed the 14-year career milestone. Do you realize that half of your life you have spent together?”
GIANLUCA= “We are not related by blood, but by passion. We didn’t choose each other, but the intensity of the emotions we share on stage unites us more than anything else. We must learn to put aside ego and presumption, and listen to each other.”
PIERO= “At the beginning we were three teenagers and everyone thought they were right, we didn’t have the maturity to listen to each other. Fortunately our relationship has also matured with the chronological age.”
How did the idea of these two evenings come about?
IGNAZIO= “Our personal tastes go beyond what we sing. We are having an evolution in our group.”
GIANLUCA=“Il Volo remains the priority, however the lineup of the two evenings has been designed in a coherent way to show who we are.
Piero is the tenor of the group, he studies opera and dreams of one day interpreting one.
I, on the other hand, love American music like Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, John Mayer with his guitars, but also Italian songwriting like Fabrizio De André.
Ignazio also has a soulful voice and can do anything.”
You will sing both alone and with other artists. Can you give us some examples?
You will sing both alone and with other artists. Can you give us some examples?
GIANLUCA= I will sing GEORDIE with Madame (Italian singer), because we both love De André, with Irama (Italian singer) LA CURA by Battiato (Italian singer-songwriter) and with Annalisa (Italian singer) SHALLOW by Lady Gaga.”
PIERO=“I will sing MISERERE with Mario Biondi, and with Gianna Nannini MERAVIGLIOSA CREATURA.”
IGNAZIO=“Instead I will sing with Francesca Michielin (Italian singer). I know her artistically, she is very good at reaching people with her words. We will talk about love.
And then with Mario Biondi I will sing NATURAL WOMAN and SEI BELLISSIMA, alone with the guitar. Ah, I will also duet with Orietta Berti! (long career Italian singer).”
PIERO= “And we will sing with Pooh (Italian group), we will almost be a soccer team!”
GIANLUCA= “We would like to say that we are three singers, not just three tenors. But obviously we will also re-propose our classics.”
PIERO= “We will open the show with GRANADA, but in different versions: classical, soul and pop, three like our personalities.”
Federica Panicucci will be on stage with you.
PIERO= “When we created this gala, we thought of a female figure who would help us show small features of our character. We couldn’t ask each other questions or celebrate ourselves. When her name came up, we all agreed. It is correct and balanced. It is the first time that we work together with her.”
Did she put you in line?
PIERO= “We don’t use the hunchback and we don’t follow a script, but the authors give us small inputs to bond with.
Then maybe we change the subject and improvise, but Federica is very well prepared, a great professional.”
GIANLUCA= “While they were trying on the lights, she called me to ask me for advice on the dress. I told her that ours would have glitter and so she too chose a long sparkling dress. She put us at ease, we talked about the most and at the very least, it was like we were at home singing with friends. Federica was a nice surprise.”
ALL FOR ONE was the motto of the three musketeers. What’s yours?
PIERO= “We don’t have one, but just before going on stage we always shake hands and look into each other’s eyes. The nice thing is that we encourage each other, especially if one of us is less excited, or has a moment of discouragement, as happened to me yesterday evening: when I reached the last four songs I was mentally tired. Between the rain and humidity, I saw the audience suffer and I felt bad.
We sang 32 songs for over three hours in the rain.
I couldn’t take it anymore, but Ignazio encouraged me. Unity is our strength.”
What is your routine in Verona?
GIANLUCA= “Even in this we are different. Like Piero, I get up early, I always train and eat healthy, but he loves having everything under control, he is precise and doesn’t rest for a moment. Ignazio, on the other hand, is genius and reckless.”
PIERO= “I get up at 7:30 am, I train (I asked for an exercise bike in the room to pedal 20 minutes before going to bed, because I’m training for the New York marathon), then I have a protein breakfast, rigorously alone and in silence, because I read the news on my computer.
I am very organized and respect the timetables. Before I lived with more anxiety, now I enjoy the journey and arrive on stage serene.”
IGNAZIO= “Before, I too was careful about what I ate and trained constantly. Then my dad passed away within a month. I wasn’t prepared. When these things happen, you change.
Now I try to do what makes me feel good. I’m lucky enough to do what I like and if something goes wrong, patience.
Why do I have to have trouble, or suffer if it rains? We just give our best, tomorrow we don’t know what will happen.
I want to live like this with the sun on my forehead.! (This is a phrase that is part of a song that Piero will perform in the Arena)”
The last time we met was October 2019, to celebrate the collection of THE BEST OF TEN YEARS. In these four years, three of which due to the pandemic, what has happened in your lives?
PIERO= “We have dedicated ourselves to ourselves. This stop has helped me a lot to clarify my ideas and -set myself up- for the future. I have deepened my studies on opera.”
GIANLUCA= “I rediscovered reading and studied the piano, as well as being with my family.”
IGNAZIO= “I too started studying, I fell in love with sound, with how a recording studio works, with how a song is produced. I spent time with my loved ones.
For years we have been in the midst of a storm of commitments, emotions and compromises. It was important to stop and understand what we wanted to do.”
So let’s look to the future, what awaits you after these two evenings?
GIANLUCA= “We are working on a new album. Then in October we will conclude the dates of the world tour that started in May 2022. After three years of standstill, we are back in a big way, without neglecting any continent. We have been everywhere: Australia, Japan, South America, USA, Europe and now we have added a date in Petra, Jordan. We have done more than 100 concerts. It is our longest tour ever. We had so much fun. We returned to the stage with a new awareness, enjoying every moment.”
PIERO= “The public waited for our return for four years, they didn’t abandon us. This is a further confirmation of the people’s affection.”
As usual I’m speechless, but did you read correctly??? Petra in Jordan, wow, wow… but they haven’t said the date yet.
Meanwhile, May 27th is approaching and we will see one of the evenings on Canale 5 and on the same day, Il Volo will be in live concert in Krakow!!
See you soon: Daniela 🤗
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.
Through the Fields of Ignazio’s Mind by Susan
Ignazio’s world is a world of imagination where we are led Through the Fields of Ignazio’s Mind. It’s a world where you can breathe beauty besides seeing it! Where Ignazio sings of visions that can only be seen through his eyes.
Our amazing Ignazio wrote the theme song for an Italian Series called Màkari.
In his beautiful song, Màkari, Ignazio sings of the beauty of his country, his region of Italy, Sicily. Màkari becomes a fairy tale land where we find love and romance, intrigue and murder. Ignazio brings a yellow story (a mystery) to life through his words and leads us into a new dimension, a new reality.
His words transpose this wonderful land into a fairy tale land. A place where all dreams can come true if you believe.
For Ignazio, Sicily is not his place of birth but it’s the place where he hangs his heart! Ignazio was born in Bologna, but his soul was born in Marsala.
Within reach of Marsala, you find some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and scenery that can only be described through Ignazio’s eyes.
Visions of Sicily
Ignazio will tell you how at the age of 25 he has seen this beautiful land many times but for the first time he shares the beauty of this land with us through his beautiful song.
Sometimes I feel like I spend every day of my life writing about Ignazio! In the last three years I’ve written over 250 stories about the guys and, it seems as if half of them were about Ignazio and his projects. Because of all his projects in the past, I sometimes have written two or three stories a week about him, wearing many different hats. Entertainer, Lyricist, Manager, Entrepreneur! The amazing thing about it is, I can’t get enough of him! Ignazio lives in mind. I have an emotional attachment to him. I guess it comes from writing all those stories. With fictional characters, the writer develops the character but, when you’re writing about real pople, you come to a point where you are in their minds, and you feel their passions and emotions! And Ignazio certainly has lots of passion and emotion and I can feel all of it!
Some of the stories I’ve written about him were, Ignazio is a Beautiful Soul, A Man of Passion and Emotions, and Watching Ignazio Take Flight. A few years ago, I wrote a story called Ignazio’s Sicily. Today I want to go back to that story and relive some of its beauty for our new fans.
So, let’s step aboard the next ferry to Màkari and step into Ignazio’s imagination!
Land of Sages and Fools ~ Made of Devils and Saints!
As usual, it was Daniela Perani who made me aware that something new was going on. She sent me a video that said Màkari and I wondered what is this about? And then I clicked on it and heard Ignazio’s beautiful voice and I thought when did Ignazio record this? That’s when I realized it was a new series on Rai1 and Il Volo will be singing the theme song. And if that wasn’t enough, I learned Ignazio wrote the song. Our amazing Ignazio, when do you sleep?
When Ignazio told us two years ago that he had many surprises for us who would have imagined it would include a beautiful theme song? Truthfully, who better to write a song about Sicily and the region of Trapani than a native child! No, Ignazio wasn’t born in Sicily but, for Italians, you are who your parents are. Ignazio is Sicilian.
It amazes me that the young boy who went to Sicily kicking and screaming when he was ten, became the spokesman for Marsala, around the world, and now for the region of Trapani. Ignazio came to embrace the land of his parents and he loves all the wonders of Sicily.
Sicily is different than Italy. Yes, I know Sicily is Italy but, how the Sicilians live and, who they are is very different. Ignazio’s song invites us to take a better look at this other land in the south. It speaks of “a land of sages and fools, made from devils and saints.” Yes, that’s what Sicily is! They honor their saints while keeping their superstitions!
Ignazio invites us to live a new reality through his eyes. He invites us to see a different side of Sicily through his beautiful theme song, Màkari.
Ignazio begins his video by explaining to us his experience of Sicily as seen through his eyes. “It is a Sicily as told by a twenty-five-year-old who lived Sicily through stories, through images!”
This song speaks volumes! Where did the words of this song come from? Ignazio’s heart! There is something very mysterious about the song. Besides the fact that it speaks of a land of sages and fools made from devils and saints, it also speaks of truth! A truth as seen through Ignazio’s eyes.
Ignazio’s words allow us to see Sicily through tradition, home and love!
In the video, Ignazio talks about the summers he spent in San Vito Capo in the landscape of Màkari. What is it that draws him back year after year? Is it the “silence” of the land that screams for you to open your eyes and look around at the wonder of the landscape or, the traditions of the land that go deep into your soul?
It seems to Ignazio Màkari is joy and love and so he will never forget it! And what does that say! Simple! This is Ignazio’s story!!! His story of Sicily, the land he left to pursue his dream and the land he is drawn back to time and again.
Think about the words of the song! Is Ignazio talking about the writer who leaves his home and returns after a long period of time or the entertainer who travels the world? The similarities in his life and the life of the writer are striking, that’s why he was able to write such an emotional song! I feel like Ignazio wrote the song and then they made the show. His words are very enticing, they pull you into the story. They talk about all there is to know about Màkari and Ignazio tells the story, through the imagery of his words!
The mystery of it all is the relationship Ignazio has with this land! Having become a part of this land at the age of ten, it is amazing to me that Ignazio developed this great bond with Sicily. Yes, Bologna is his home but, Sicily is the place he comes home to!!!
Ignazio says, “it is an honor to talk about my Sicily through a fiction that tells the truth of this Sicily.” Ignazio loves that through all the mysteries and mystique of the program, the show speaks of love, which is something that he loves and, he loves that that love is combined with yellow (mysteries)!
Sicily is amazing for Ignazio because it’s different for him every time. He sees a Sicily that is always offering something new while being a part of something old. Always remembering what was while looking forward to what will be! This speaks to Ignazio’s soul!
Ignazio’s thoughts and emotions are everywhere in this song. In an interview with Inga and Claudio Gioè, the actor from Màkari, Ignazio reminds us of his words, in the song, about His Sicily. “Whoever comes to Sicily, cries twice,” (once when you arrive and, once when you leave). I think that sums up Ignazio’s feelings for Sicily.” I think the words of this song will be on the lips of everyone for many years to come! A Classic!
The final verse of the song is sung by Ignazio with a few beautiful words in Sicilian and he is accompanied by a classical guitar. “Sing louder but do it in silence because here no one hears us, sees us. This is a story a little curious, a little grumpy, it speaks to me of love. For traditions, for my roots, Màkari is home and my heart sings for you!” These are emotional words, very touching!
In the video below, with the translation that follows, Gianluca and Piero expressed their feelings about the project. Gianluca said, “I have anxiety waiting for this moment, so I renew my congratulations to everyone for this great project and we are delighted to be part of it.”
We also learned something very interesting in this video. We now know what everyone’s plans are for the future! Gianluca says he would love to be an actor. I always thought he would be a model. He certainly has the body and looks for it! But who knows maybe he will show up in one of the episodes of Màkari?
And Piero the sweetheart that he is, told us how proud he is of Ignazio and how happy he is to be a part of this project! Piero, all of us are very happy that all of you are embarking on this new adventure together!
Thank you to Daniela Perani for translating the video for us.
Ignazio: Let’s say it is a Sicily told by a twenty-five-year-old who lived Sicily, through stories, through images. Màkari is a landscape that I experience every summer because I have many friends in San Vito lo Capo and every summer I take the opportunity to return to this place.
It is a song that talks about my Sicily, land of sages, land of fools, made of devils and saints, but I have also seen some images from the series and this series is also about love, which is something that I love, love combined with yellow (they are detective stories).
It is a song linked to traditions, from how it speaks, and for us, at least for me who wrote it, it is an honor to talk about my Sicily through a fiction that tells the truth of this Sicily.
In days it will be available on all platforms, for those who want to listen to it. Sony is working to make it available on all platforms.
Gianluca: I also have a great passion for acting, so, hoping one day to undertake this journey as well, I wanted to congratulate all the actors.
We got to see some small parts, so I was also happy to be able to preview some parts of this fiction that we will all watch. We can’t wait, I have anxiety waiting for this moment, so I renew my congratulations to everyone for this great project and we are delighted to be part of it.
Piero: I am very happy, but all three of us are, to have married this project. In fact, Gianluca and I are very proud of Ignazio, of the work he did in this song, and it was exciting to record a song by Ignazio in the recording studio, to hear it in the commercial, every time it is exciting.
We want to thank Carlo degli Esposti, Marco Cingoli and Luigi Pinto for choosing us, it’s not something to be taken for granted.
In the final piece of the video there is a small verse of the song, which is accompanied by a classical guitar. Ignazio sings.
The text is in Italian with a few words in Sicilian, here’s what it says:
“Sing louder but do it in silence, because no one here hears and sees us, but Makari is home is joy is love. I don’t forget Màkari anymore.
Chista è na storia nu pocu curiosa nu pocu scuntrusa mi parla di amuri (Sicilian dialect – This is the story a little curious, a little grumpy, it speaks to me of love.)
For the traditions, for my roots, Màkari is home and the heart sings for you.”
One final interview. Claudio Gioè the star of Màkari and Ignazio are interviewed.
Interviewer: I know that maybe it has an important soundtrack the boys of Il Volo sing.
Claudio: It is the theme song they gave us which was written by Ignazio Boschetto who is precisely from those parts and therefore he almost felt called into question and sings it together with Il Volo. It’s a beautiful song that they really gave us.
Ignazio: Hi everyone. Well let’s start by saying I am, we are really happy to be part of a project like Màkari because it tells part of our Sicily. Here is the pleasure, we are Sicilians, and it is a landscape that I am used to seeing. I personally have many friends in San Vito Lo Capo and when I can, I always take the opportunity to go and stay for a while.
I am happy because I had the opportunity to tell through my song, what is seen in my Sicily. I told the story through images from my grandparents and family members. The song talks about a real and sad truth of devils and saints distracted discomforts. It tells that when one comes to Sicily he cries twice. Once when he arrives and once when he leaves. I want to congratulate Claudio for his art in telling it was fantastically. I also want to greet all those who have been a part of this fiction.
Claudio: Thank you from the top of their global popularity, they truly have always kept this great humility and I thank them very much and give them many compliments.
One final thought! Ignazio’s words in the song call out to many people expressing his feelings on many matters! I would like to go back to those last words of the song so that you can listen very carefully to Ignazio words! “Sing louder but do it in silence because here no one hears, sees us.” Think about it! Who is Ignazio writing about?
Màkari we’ve been waiting for you!
What an amazing song! Ignazio you never cease to amaze me. As usual you took my breath away, not just with your magnificent voice but with your beautiful words. No doubt they were from the heart. They truly hit home! They speak of where your heart is! And from the bottom of my heart I say, thank you for the song and thank you guys for the beautiful delivery!
One more thought! Màkari is a song that is written from the heart. Ignazio’s heart! As you know, Ignazio has a kind and compassionate heart and that is evident in this song. The song goes deep into the heart of those who hear it! The song is a story in itself. It supersedes the story. As we examine the words we see Ignazio throughout the story. It truly is Ignazio’s story.
Thank you all for following me Through the Fields of Ignazio’s Mind. And now for the full song with the words below in English!
You know how many times I’d like to leave
from this land of devils and saints
but Màkari is home, it’s joy and pain
this is my land.
Land of Wise Men and Land of Fools
of people who take heart, take it and give it!
Whoever comes to Sicily, cries twice!
Màkari is my home.
This is a story a little curious, a little grumpy,
it speaks to me of love.
For traditions, for my roots,
but Màkari is home, and the heart sings for you.
Sing louder, but do it in silence,
because here no one hears us, sees us,
but Makari is home, it is joy and pain,
Màkari I do not forget, I forget no more.
This is a story a little curious, a little grumpy,
it speaks to me of love.
For traditions, for my roots,
but Màkari is home and the heart sings for you.
On more than one occasion Ignazio has sung Màkari on his Bosky TV. This is when Ignazio sang Màkari in Sicilian accompanied by Stefano and Peppe his two sidekicks!
Below are all the ways you can follow Ignazio’s CHATS. Of course, TWITCH is where most of the videos will originate.
To Subscribe on Twitch: https://www.subs.twitch.tv/Bosky_tv
TWITCH: https://www.twitch.tv/Bosky_tv
DISCORD PER LA COMMUNITY: https://discord.com/channels/97569074…
INSTAGRAM PELLE: https://www.instagram.com/pells.offic…
INSTAGRAM IGNAZIO: https://instagram.com/ignazioboschett…
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0ZZ…
TIKTOK BOSKYTV: https://www.tiktok.com/@boskytiktok?_…
Link your AMAZON PRIME to https://gaming.amazon.com/links/twitch/manage then go to https://subs.twitch.tv/Bosky_tv
Our concert for this week is The Palasport Tour Bari, Italy –January 21, 2016
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
If you would like to share a story with me, please email: susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
To read more Il Volo stories visit us at www.ilvoloflightcrw.com.
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.
Carpool Karaoke by Susan
Rummaging through the archives I finally found what I’ve been looking for! In May 2017, Italy aired a new show, Carpool Karaoke, and guess who the first guests were. Il Volo! Some of you have seen this video before and you know it’s hilarious! For all the new fans, you’re in for a treat!
On October 13, 2020, Giovanna wrote a story for Flight Crew called “A Taxi Takes: Carpool Karaoke.” The translation I use in my story is hers.
Let me begin by giving you some background about the show. The host is Jake La Furia. He’s like the host of our Carpool Karaoke, James Corden.
Like our show the Italian Carpool Karaoke is a goofy reality show where celebrities get in Jake La Furia’s yellow taxi and have an opportunity to be funny and spontaneous as La Furia drives them around Rome. The guests were perfect because they are masters of the art of funny and spontaneous.
There are parts of the show that need no translation. And parts that were left out because translating them wouldn’t add anything to the video. As you watch the antics, you’ll double over laughing. Ignazio, always the funny man, is especially delightful and in his element here. That must be why they sat him in the front passenger seat.
I’ll start the translation from where La Furia picks up the guys somewhere along Lungotevere. (Along the Tiber) You can tell they had pre-planned that when Jake picked them up the two Sicilians would be arguing! Every car ride needs a good argument!
Some puns about their name, Il Volo, don’t translate well into English like “the fly” (al volo) or the “the flight” (Il Volo), but you’ll get the gist of it. Everything else is hilarious and self-explanatory. Also, as Italians typically do, Jake and the guys all talk at the same time so you can’t hear every wise remark. Just the actions and the crazy conversation is enough to make this an absolutely wonderful video!
My suggestion is to read the translation and then watch the video. Don’t worry too much about what fits where. It really doesn’t matter. It’s lots of fun.
Let’s begin Carpool Karaoke, with Jake the driver!
Jake: (To himself as he pulls up). “Yes, I really know Rome.”
Jake notices the three guys waiting on the curb waiting to get in.
Piero: I’ll sit in the front.
Ignazio: No, I’m going to.
Piero: No, I’ll sit in the front.
Lots of scuffling as they fight over the front door: “Lets go” “Let me in” “Stop arguing.”
Jake: All of you get in, already. Stay the way you are.
Jake: I’m happy to have you here the tenors of the episode. I’ll tell you something on “the fly.” (al volo).
Piero: That’s the same joke they make in the airport. Who do you have on “the flight.” (Il Volo)!.
Jake: That’s enough. Those puns are terrible.
Ignazio: (Still being punny): Or, I’ll tell you something on “the fly” (“al volo”).
Jake: So, tell me how things are going. What are you doing now?
Ignazio: We’re shooting a bit. We’ve just finished the American tour.
Jake: How did it go?
Piero: It was awful, sad.
Ignazio: Yes. It was rather sad, because we had to go and find people to fill the empty taxis. (You can tell this is not going to be a serious interview).
Gianluca: But, you know what was the beautiful thing. The only way, truly, to be international singers abroad is to sing in Italian. Because if we sing in English, there are so many original genres that. . .
Jake interrupts by starting a line from a smart-alecky pop song (that we all know), which the guys immediately pick up on: “Il Dottore Dice Che Sono Malato” (The Doctor Says I’m Mentally Ill). You’re supposed to sing this thing really fast and race to the end of the chorus.
Jake interrupts again: OK, really loud, let’s go.
All of them, Jake included, break into a chorus of “Grande Amore,” while Ignazio yells, “What are you looking at me for?”
After they finish singing….
Jake: Madonna! (Holy mother!) Jake yells out the window to a passing lady who is carrying her shopping bags: “Ma’am, we have Il Volo here!”
They all yell “Ciao! Ciao grande!” (A big hello).
Piero: Hello, ma’am.”
Gianluca: Not ‘Ma’am,’ ‘Miss.’ (meaning Piero should be polite, as if she were young).
Piero: What do you mean, ‘Miss’? She was at least 70 years old! Miss? Really?
Jake makes a crack about women over 40.
Piero: In America, a lady came up to me with her daughter to take a picture. The daughter, who was very proud of her mom, told us, ‘My mother loves you; we have listened to you since you were kids. Over her dresser, there is a picture of my father, who’s dead; there’s a picture of my brother, who’s dead; and your picture…’ I asked her, please take our picture off the dresser!
Then they break into “Volare” while Ignazio and Gianluca play air drums.
Gianluca: Let’s go samba! (As you know, Il Volo’s arrangement of Volare on stage has a very catchy samba beat).
Gianluca continues: This is where the Brazilians start dancing.
(As you watch, you’ll notice that it isn’t only on stage that Ignazio closes his eyes and takes off; he even does it in the car.) Then he snaps back and switches to air flute.
Also, check out Jake’s face when Piero launches into un coro forte (full volume chorus) right behind his head.
Jake: Do you want to try your hand at “Mixed Up Names.” Do you want to mix up some names?
Guys: No.
Jake: We’ll have a little quiz.
Gianluca: No that depends on…wait…
Ignazio and Piero: We might make a bad impression.
Jake: What were the names of the three pigs?
Gianluca: Eolo, Mammolo, Struggiolo (roughly: Huff, Puff, and Knock it down)
Piero: Uncle Ciccio, Uncle Carlo and Uncle….
Ignazio: No, they were called: (he makes three distinct pig grunts, one for each).
Jake gives him a high five. Ignazio wins!
Jake: Exactly! The three magi?
Piero: Gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Ignazio insists it’s ‘mirra’ not ‘mirro’ for myrrh.
(These of course were their gifts to the newborn Messiah. In Italian tradition their names are Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar).
Jake: The three sailings ships? (There’s no need to clarify whose ships. This is Italy after all!).
Everybody: Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria.
Jake: The three of Il Volo?
Each of the guys calls out his name.
The three thank you’s? (Which would be various versions of “grazie”)
Gianluca: (making it all up): Grazie, Graziella (a girl’s name), and…
Piero kicks in “Gran’ Luigi! (Big Louie)
Gianluca: So, who’s Big Louie?
Now they break into “Ancora.” Ignazio’s on air trumpet and high harmony.
Piero is now hanging out of the car door. (Yes, the car is stopped).
Ignazio is yelling to look back there at him. They are now making puns on the title “Ancora” which mean “More, More” or “Again, Again.”
In order to stage the scene for more foolishness, Jake says he needs to stop for a moment to step outside of the car for a bathroom break. Gianluca, straight-faced says, “Not right out here with all these people passing by.”
Jake tells them he has to leave them alone for a moment to pee! They should behave themselves; and he’ll be right back.
Gianluca: Of course, we will.
When he leaves, the madcap mayhem starts. Ignazio blasts the radio for slam dancing in the seats while they dig some props out of the glove box, and Gianluca is calling the name of the American female pop singer whose song it is, while yelling “We’re waiting for you to come to Italy.” The car isn’t big enough for Piero’s dance. The guys act like the “circus clowns in the miniature car” routine, climbing over each other, changing seats, blowing penny whistles and clown horns, then rushing back to normal with straight faces, before La Furia gets back in.
Jake (climbing in): Everything OK?
Gianluca: Everything’s fine.
Jake: Did you behave yourselves?
Gianluca: We were just talking about work.
Watch Ignazio when he realizes what he still has the whistle in his hand when Jake is belting himself in.
Jake then asks them each to sing a stadium chant for their favorite team, but he wants them to use music not from the stadium. He asks Ignazio to show his favorite football team. Ignazio takes out a team scarf of his favorite club, Juventus.
Jake: Tell me the first song that comes to mind when you think of “Juve” (Juventus).
Ignazio breaks into the Juventus Ale, Ale chant which he sings to the martial piece from the opera “Aida”.
Gianluca sings about team Roma to the melody of “Libiamo Ne’ Lieti Calici” from “La Traviata”, while yanking out the Roma red scarf. Then he cheers for the “Great Francesco” because he’s a fan of Francesco Totti (Numero 10).
Then it’s Piero’s turn and Gianluca rolls his eyes while Piero holds up a San Siro stadium (Milano) scarf and sings his soccer fight song, at full volume again, to the well-known martial air from Bizet’s “Carmen.”
When they all start repeating “è la Carmene” (that’s from Carmen), Ignazio teases Jake for his pronunciation “è la carne?” (it’s the meat?).
Then Jake turns on background music and they break into “Libiamo Ne’ Lieti Calici”.
Jake: So, guys, you have a great repertoire of [Italian] music of the 1960’s. What is your relationship with this kind of music?
Piero: That’s the history of ‘light’ Italian music . . .
(Then Ignazio interrupts again)
Jake teases: I want you to hear what Piero does. First, he raises a raise a real ruckus (Casino della Madonna), then when the actual interview starts . . .
Jake swipes his hand over his face and mimics Piero switching immediately to straight faced and serious about the music.
Then Gianluca also mimics Piero’s serious voice and face: ‘This is the story of Italian music…’
Then he tells Jake, “Go on, cut it out.”
Gianluca: Anyway, Jake, the original project was of these three child prodigies with these unique voices who sang ‘O Sole Mio,’ ‘Il Mondo.’ and then we got somewhat trained in this style and that’s the way we came to be called ‘I Tre Tenorini’ (the Three Little Tenors). Then we grew up and matured, and we became . . .
Jake interrupts: ‘Tre Tenoroni’ (The Three Big Tenors).
They all start singing “Il Mondo” while grabbing and tickling Jake from the back seat.
Ignazio: They’re doing that because you’re so soft.
The guys are now playing around with some of the Il Mondo lyrics.
Ignazio: You know that this song had no harmonies in it. When we sing it, we have our particular way with it. Now we’ll let you hear a harmony, a capella.
Even Jake is impressed at the spontaneous a capella 3-part arrangement and rephrasing.
Jake: So, you’re back from your American tour. What happened?
Piero: We carried Italian culture there.
Jake: And tell me about the next dates.
Gianluca: (checking his cell phone calendar): Three concerts in the Teatro Antico of Taormina, Naples, Palmanova, Piazzola sul Brenta, and Pula.
Piero: And in Sicily we are doing our fourth date at the Teatro Antica di Siracusa. This will be our first time there. (An amazing place like the one in Taormina. 400 BC and still great for concerts. They really knew how to build them back then.)
Gianluca described these theaters as “these most beautiful structures, that we only have in our country.”
Jake checks with Ignazio on this.
Ignazio: Yes, I confirm all of it.
Next, they all sing “Mamma.”
Jake: Guys, being with you has been a real bomb. But I have to get to work.
Ignazio: We brought you something. (Ignazio gives him a copy of the Notte Magica CD).
Jake: Thank you.
Ignazio: So, are you going to sell it on Ebay or keep it?
Jake: No, I’m going to keep it myself.
Gianluca: Now, let’s go settle up.
Jake: Good luck on your tours.
Here they make their goodbyes.
And of course, there’s the inevitable “selfie”, with Jake. Il Volo are the undisputed masters of the art of “Selfie-ing.” After all, they even did one with Papa Francesco. Clearly, even he was having fun with them.
I hope you enjoyed watching Italian Carpool Karaoke. I want to thank Giovanna for her translation.
I thought I would follow up with this Carpool Interview in Budapest. It’s in English! Gábor Garami is the interviewer.
I leave you with a concert, for your listening pleasure Taormina June 6, 2017 Notte Magica Tour.
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
If you would like to share a story with me, please email: susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
To read more Il Volo stories visit us at www.ilvoloflightcrw.com
Credit to owners of all photos and video.
IL VOLO ON ITALIAN TV by Daniela
On 6 May 2023, Il Volo was a guest in two television programs broadcast at the same time, one on Rai1 and one on Canale 5.
The one on RAI1 was a repeat of a program dedicated to Lucio Dalla (he wrote Caruso), recorded in the Arena and broadcast on TV exactly on June 3, 2022. That evening I was in the Arena for an Il Volo concert and therefore I didn’t see it this evening, and I never sent you the video of the only song sung by Il Volo and exactly: CARUSO.
So I take this opportunity to present it to you now.
So I dedicated myself to watching the AMICI broadcast on Canale 5, to see the moment of Il Volo. You know that AMICI is a program where young people dedicated to singing and dancing are selected, it’s a kind of school and at the end there is the final exam where the winner of the program is elected by elimination, in short, a talent show.
( Il Volo in backstage)
Our boys also came out of a similar program, but let me tell you that there is a notable difference between the singing talent of those who showed up years ago.
In particularly the young singer, those that nowadays are pushed forward by record companies, they have anonymous voices and no intonation, often they are out of tune, but the record companies seek guys who focus on the image not on singing ability and often is not a “clean” image, in short, guys who are sometimes insolent, rude and also lacking in talent, unfortunately, and often without particular singing skills to exhibit!!!
I want to emphasize that this is my opinion, but I’m realizing from the many comments that people are opening their eyes and ears and are also very indignant about the choices of the judges, and the record companies ……. surely something is changing in people’s tastes and the praise to Il Volo and their voices and also to their way of being, in the comments, this time, were unanimous and this makes me very happy.
I had to wait for the whole broadcast to see them, practically midnight had already struck and finally here they are, beautiful, dressed differently, but still elegant, and Ignazio……….. you look much better in that type of trousers!! 😉
They presented a short medley of three solo songs, mirroring their different genres.
Ignazio started proposing “When the Party’s Over” by Billie Eilish. Gianluca proposed “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen, yes that’s it, Roz!! And Piero, a short piece of “E lucean le stelle” from Tosca.
And finally, all together “GRANDE AMORE”!!
At the end of their performance, the boys and Maria, recalled the two concerts they had just held in the Arena and said that they will be broadcast on Canale 5 on May 27th and June 3rd.
Now the dates seem official. A little more patience and we can see them again.
All three then went to greet the judges and teachers of the show. ☺
There is nothing to say, three beautiful performances, Il Volo is also this, three good singers, with excellent voices, three different personalities, but which then come together in the best.
There will still be a lot to discover about them and they will only be good things, I’m sure.
Daniela 🤗
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.