As you all know, Daniela Perani and I always collaborate. I use her translations because she is the best. But she is also a good storyteller.
While searching through the archives I came across this story and it stopped me in my tracks. Why didn’t I know about this? Where has this story been hiding? This is a story about our Ignazio winning the Shakespeare Theater Award in 2018! Why didn’t I know this. I thought I knew everything about the guys but obviously I don’t. This is a story that was written by Daniela and it is a very amazing and very touching story.
Let me begin with Daniela’s comments. Get the tissues ready!
OMG!! I seriously have tears in my eyes, so much so, that I can barely see straight enough to type! Those words from Ignazio, so honest, true, passionate. I just want to give him the biggest, greatest hug and kiss ever!! Ok, the tears are now running down my cheek…
It is true, he has suffered much from his young age. To think that people tell him he is a ‘fool?’ I think, and hope, the better translation though is ‘the funny one?’ I really hope people don’t call him a fool. I always knew I liked him the best and the more I read about him and the beautiful words he says, the surer I am. I know when I see him, I always say he is my favorite and I do think he really cares when he says ‘aww….’ It is so sad that we get such little time to talk to them at the meet & greet – we don’t have time to tell them how we really feel sometimes. He always seems to comment that people don’t get to ‘know him’ for who he is. I’m sure there are MANY fans that would do anything to get to know him personally! I know I would!
Every time I’m feeling down in the dumps about the site, or the guys, or my life in its current state, I read something like this, and the passion is once again renewed. I can’t fight the tears and emotions that are expressed. His honesty is so raw, so innocent and touches me right through the heart! Not sure about the other two, but I think he really expresses the humility that the group always professes. He still doesn’t realize how awesome he really is. Maybe that is why he sings with such passion and vulnerability? I so feel him…. Here come the tears again! Maybe we really were connected in another lifetime?
On March 29th, 2018, this announcement appeared:
We are ready to welcome a great international artist to the Shakespeare Academy … today an artistic meeting with a surprise guest exclusively for our students. Stay tuned.
Yes, our Ignazio received the SHAKESPEARE THEATER AWARD 2018 award.
The event was not at all publicized because it was reserved only for students of the theatrical academy of Palermo. An event that took place in a very informal way and where Ignazio was able to meet and give advice to young students.
These are some statements made by Ignazio.
My goal is to make my art known, I want to get there in a healthy way, it’s all about consistency, there’s no right or wrong, then it’s important to enjoy what you have, but never be satisfied.
Sacrifices, I have made them, and I will do it, but if you want something, if you choose it, you do it.
I still remember my first time on a stage, a country bullfight, I was excited because the audience had more than 250 people and I forgot the words of the song that I had to sing, I watched the floor all the time. (He looked at his toes through the whole performance.)
Now, I face the stage in a different way, I’m afraid afterwards, my hands and legs tremble at the end of the show.
We are establishing a label of our own, we were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, I owe a lot to my parents who always believed in me, but never forced me to a life that maybe I did not want.
To be able to feel good, you must always treasure the people who love you.
The afternoon with the students of the Shakespeare Theater Academy in Palermo was very pleasant, alternating with questions to which Ignazio always answered with sincerity and simplicity. There were musical moments, especially duets and choral moments.
In this video, Ignazio gives advice to emerging artistic talents.
Message to the students.
We are in Sicily, in Palermo, and I wanted to send a message to all the Sicilians in particular to the guys like me, who are chasing their dream, in all fields, singing, acting, dancing, even in the working career.
We live in a land that is Sicily, one of the most beautiful lands in the world, a very rich territory, unfortunately maybe the management is not the best, but we can make this country, with our art, something beautiful.
I, in my small way, with Piero, my traveling companion, we are trying with our art, and I want to entice everyone to produce, do a lot for this land and above all give a smile and maybe a better day to those who listen, or who see you.
So, a big hug and hope to see you soon in some concert.
In this video, Ignazio talks about his physical appearance.
I was 120 kg. in practice I was an arancino al ragù, with meat, now I’m with pistachio, with the tip (the arancini with meat sauce are round, those with pistachio, pointy).
Not everyone is lucky enough to be thin (and he jokes with the boy at the piano).
I know people, but also I personally, there was a period that I did not accept myself, let’s say you’re in the eye of the storm, they see you all, so to feel better, you look in the mirror, and then I’ve always been very self-critical, and so many times I have suffered from this. The best was when we had to go get some clothes, and then, we went to Armani’s shop and the clothes were too small, we looked in the big sizes and those were too big.
So, in practice I was almost alone in my underwear and socks. But, as a result of a fever, I began to lose weight, I liked it, and then lost 35 kg all at once.
However, in 2018 women like a little bacon, so I do not have to lose weight anymore, I’m joking!
Even today, however, I do not like myself, because we are a bit ‘all like that, we never like each other, but this is a stimulus to do something, like the gym, which in a year I went at least 5 times.
(everyone laughs)
They (referring to the public) did not understand one thing in training, it is important to rest, to me, like to rest the muscles, and then be more active.(laughs)
In this video, Ignazio is asked about the merits and defects of IL VOLO.
You cannot describe a person on television because you do not know him.
Speaking of Gianluca, which may be the one for which the girls are craziest, he is handsome. During interviews, he may seem like the haughtiest one, the one that attracts the most attention.
He may seem the haughtiest, the one who keeps his distance, but it is not always easy to be yourself in front of the camera.
However, he really is the best person in the world, and I would like 10 percent of his determination, because when he wants to do something and thinks it’s the best thing for him, he’s determined, very determined.
Piero, on the other hand, is fiscal (physical), he is very strict with himself, he has a passion for opera, he is studying to improve his lyrical technique, and he goes back and forth to Bologna because that is where our teacher is. He too is very determined and knows what he wants to do, he wants to do classical opera and I often tell him that one day I will be in the front row listening to an entire opera where you play the tenor part.
And then there’s me, I’m the fool (the funny one) of the situation, and I tell you the truth, sometimes I suffered from this.
It’s bad when at the end of the concert, they come to greet you and say: you are the one with the lyric voice (to Piero), you are the one with the romantic voice (to Gianluca) and you are the fool. At the beginning I suffered a bit over this, but I have always tried to give my best, and in the end I managed to change a bit, the peoples idea of me.
I am a person who has no filters, for me cameras or not, I am always the same.
Tony Colapinto interrupts:Not only cameras or not, but that there are 5000 people in the theater or three at home, for him it is the same.
I was in Taormina during a concert, there were many foreigners, very many, from everywhere in the world, from Australia, from Russia, from Brazil, from America, people who laughed, even if they did not understand, what he had said, or at least I suppose.
Ignazio:Then to me, I do not like to talk about myself, in the end, I let people judge and that’s it, I do not talk anymore.
Really nice speech by Ignazio. Ignazio with the students of the ART TEATRO of Palermo.
It was very informal like he was chatting with his friends. Kind of like the way he chats on Bosky TV.
This person was present at the event and took a selfie with Ignazio and then posted it with this dedication:
Great person, great humility that for a boy of his age is rare, a beautiful example for all young people …I wish you the best Ignazio Boschetto Il Volo.
I loved this story. True Ignazio! Magnificent words! But that’s our Ignazio! Words just flow out of his mouth. Always the right words. In this case words that will set these young people on the roadway to stardom!
Daniela did an amazing job on this story. She still cries when she reads it!
I understand where Daniela is coming from. Sometimes, like in the two concerts in Verona, I found myself in tears.
Piero’s voice is about the drama and Gianlucas voice is about romance and alure, but Ignazio’s voice is off the charts. Ignazio, you are the lyrical tenor! You give life to every note! From the first note we find ourselves in ecstasy. We follow you up the scale and usually lose our breath before you hit High C! You certainly take my breath away and it seems you do the same to Daniela.
Ignazio is one of the most creative people I have ever met. He truly inspires me.
The one part of this story that upset me was the part about Ignazio being called a fool. I have never heard anyone say that about him but if I did that person would certainly have to answer to me for such a comment!
Let me go back to an old story and explain.
Ignazio is referred to as the funny one. And that he is but, is it really about the joke? Or is it more about the production.
In my story Talking About Our Guys I dealt with this funny man idea. I refer to the production part of that story.
The stage is simple. One sign that says it all – Il Volo. (That certainly has changed over the last year.) There’s the orchestra. Guitars, drum, piano, violins and whatever other instruments are needed for the performance. Now, I want you to stop and think about the performance. We know these guys have three amazing voices but, what if they got on the stage and for two hours, they did nothing but sing. I don’t think it would work. A performance needs the ability to move on. There’s no change of scenery and no intermission so how do you move the performance along?
Ignazio!!
The joking he brings into the performance provides the levity to relieve the seriousness of the performance. He brings a certain ease and suspense to the performance. The audience is always wondering what will he do next. But is it always about joking? I want you to think about what I’m saying. Ignazio is constantly moving around the stage. He’s dancing and keeping the rhythm. He’s swinging the microphone around and constantly nodding towards the orchestra, Gianluca and Piero. Is that the lead up to a joke? I don’t think so. Let me tell you what you are looking at. Ignazio is following every note that is sung or played on that stage. His mind is in motion. He is sensitive and passionate about music. He has the ability to see the music as it is happening. He knows where every instrument should come in and out. That’s why you notice little things like him smiling, nodding, pointing towards the musicians, Gianluca or Piero. He also grabs the baton from the conductor, sometimes to joke but more often to conduct. Think about him conducting the Asti Symphony Orchestra while Marcello Rota sang his tenor part. He wasn’t joking, he was conducting. And that’s why everyone was watching him in amazement. And when it was over, they were speechless. Look at Michele Torpedine go across the stage to embrace him. He is in awe of this young man.
Ignazio is music! You call him funny I call him brilliant! I am going to make a prediction here! Remember you heard it here first. Ignazio will compose a great opera (more likely a Broadway play) and will probably also write the libretto for it.
That’s who Ignazio is. Not a fool, a funny man, a funny man who takes the production and moves it along while keeping us in suspense and wondering what will he do next! Ignazio is the whole production. Could you imagine Gianluca or Piero pulling some of the stunts Ignazio does. No they lack the humor. Only Ignazio can pull it off and bring life to the production.
Let me have you think about this in another way. When was the last time you went to a concert and found yourself listening to Granada, and when you leave the theater find yourself not only admiring these three amazing young men with phenomenal voices but laughing all the way home because in the middle of this concert, Ignazio decided to let you know that Italian slice bread is not Italian bread. He has one of the most creative minds in the industry. He can produce a whole concert, he can direct a concert he can write the music and bring the comedy to the stage while never changing his direction of knowing what is on stage, in front of him, at any given moment! He has a methodical mind. He can bring a whole production together in his head before stepping on a stage and give you the most wonderful experience of your life.
His humor is a necessary humor that leads us through the production and brings us some of the most amazing moments in the production! I could write a book (and I just may do that) about all his achievements.
Ignazio you talk about Gianlucas determination, I can attest to the fact that no one beats your determination! You were determined to record your music while on tour and you did just that. On the day you returned to Italy you handed in the finished product somewhere around midnight, If I am not mistaken.
Ignaio, I love how you speak about Gianluca and Piero. For you they are true brothers. And when you work and when you create, you always have them in mind. I especially like what you said about Piero. He (Piero) too is very determined and knows what he wants to do, he wants to do classical opera and I often tell him that I will one day be in the front row listening to an entire opera where you play the tenor part.
And I will be sitting right next to you for that debut, Ignazio!
I love the fact that Ignazio takes the time to help others along the way. Here we find Ignazio giving advice to emerging artistic talents. The future of the entertainment industry. Ignazio said:
We are in Sicily, in Palermo, and I wanted to send a message to all the Sicilians in particular to the guys like me, who are chasing their dream, in all fields, singing, acting, dancing, even in the working career.
We live in a land that is Sicily, one of the most beautiful lands in the world, a very rich territory, His words say it all. No matter what you aspire to whether it is a musical career unfortunately maybe the management is not the best, but we can make this country, with our art, something beautiful.
I, in my small way, with Piero, my traveling companion, are trying with our art, and I want to entice everyone to produce, do a lot for this land and above all give a smile and maybe a better day to those who listen, or who see you.
So, a big hug and hope to see you soon in some concert.
Most recently, on Bosky TV, Ignazio had fundraisers for many needy groups and now he is working to develop a school of music especially for those young people who couldn’t otherwise afford lessons. The school will not only help these young artists, it will also be available for those in the community who after school have no place to go. It will provide a place to study and be tutored but above all it will be a place where these students will be safely off the street and protected until their parents can bring them safely home.
This is our Ignazio. He has the kindest heart and compassion for all these young people. In one of his CHATS he went to a school for emotional young people. He spoke with a young man about his love for music. This young man liked to play guitar. Ignazio said I will bring you one!
That’s our guy!
Ignazio’s words in this story are so deep and so sincere. He truly poured out his heart to these young people and by this he gave them some of the best encouragement and advice they will ever get. It is no wonder that Daniela cried all the time she was writing this wonderful story! I cried when I read it!
I really enjoyed writing about Ignazio’s Shakespeare Theater Award. You never know what you’re going to find in those archives. I surely found a treasure.
I want to thank Daniela for her wonderful story. It was a pleasure sharing a story with her!
If you would like more information on Ignazio’s charities come to Bosky TV and join a wonderful community. Together is Better!
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…
Thank you so much for this. Your written portrait of the lovely Ignazio is exactly how I see him.
I would dearly love to see IL VOLO on stage, but I’m 80 and live in the UK, so I’m desperately hoping they will come here to perform someday soon. (Sadly I was unaware of them when they played in London before the Covid pandemic)
Dear Susan
I loved all the things you said about the boys in this story Gianlucas determination Pieros passion and Ignazio beautiful voice and his wonderful and kind personality
Love you cousin Jenny
Thank you so much for for your views on Ignazio. They are exactly as I would have said he was like. The first time I saw him was when Il Volo sang in Germany, Il Mondo. I just loved that young lad who was smiling all the time and seemed to love what he was doing. I feel he is a very sensitive person, and a very funny man. I would never call him a fool though, he knows exactly what he is doing and he has a wonderful sense of humour. I love the way he is always watching the orchestra and I feel he would love to be the conductor. like Mrs Lamb I would love to see them in concert but I am 83 years old and have cancer for which I have chemotherapy each month. I am keeping positive by watching Il Volo and especially Ignazio. I send all my best wishes to the boys, and hope they can all achieve their dreams. Once again thank you for the emails and the lovely stories. Always something to look forward to❤️.
Dear Maureen, I am truly sorry that you are so ill, however in these days medicine has made such wonderful strides. Sending you healing love and affection from across the pond in America. May God bless you with renewed health, Carol Orlando (Mrs., widowed)🙏🙏🤗🥰🦋
Thank you very much for a beautiful story. That’s the Ignazio I see. A young clever man, multi-talented, sensitive, with a heart of gold and an amazing voice. Reading this beautiful story I couldn’t stop the tears.
Yes, Susan, there is no one like our Ignazio in this world! He is certainly one of a kind, so humble, clever, inspirational, good looking, good hearted — and I could go on with more superlatives, but Thank God Ignazio was put on this Earth to make life for everyone, who sees his genius, find Life a little better for them. Thank you and Daniela for this wonderful article. Hugs, Dol.
Médiocre, comment peut t’on écrire de tels propos sur un jeune homme talentueux, humble, et très chaleureux avec son public et son entourage immédiat. J’ai vu le dernier spectacle à Vérone et au moment ou Piero interprête avec un autre artiste “le Miséréré”on voit Ignazio qui suit la musique depuis sa place en coulisse et il vit littéralement la prestation avec un baiser d’encouragement à Piero et on sent sa fierté de voir son ami briller par sa prestation……Alors qui est l’imbécile? ceux qui écrivent ou disent n’importe quoi pour tenter d’exister pour dissimuler leur médiocrité…HEUREUSEMENT IGNAZIO est au dessus de tout cela et son aura mondiale ne fait que faire ressortir l’imbécilité flagrante de ses rares détracteurs
Dear Susan, I love that you go back through the archives to find these gems! Ignazio is special, one of a kind…..but a fool NEVER ! He is so talented, funny, kind, handsome and determined not only in his craft (s)…there are many(!) but in his giving heart. Everyone seems to talk about Gianluca being the handsome one…he is very handsome but good lord look at Piero and Ignazio…they are also gorgeous men. When I look at IL VOLO I see three beautifully talented and handsome men who all have hearts of gold, they strive for world peace, non violence, worry about the poor and underprivileged and clearly hurt when the rest of the world hurts. Not many, if any, men could carry off “MY HEART WILL GO ON” and all his “songs by women”, his feminine self is strong and evident when he sings….a beautiful thing to behold. I love all their hearts, voices and personalities and all they give to us through their music…such a splendid gift!
Thank you for your talent and Daniela’s, I look forward to reading everything you gals have to offer us and hope to meet her at a concert one day soon, I’ll see you in Ct.!
Love and prayers, Carol ❤️🙏🙏🦋☮️🎼🎤💖💖💖
Dear Susan, as I already told you, it’s nice that you bring back to light the things I wrote a few years ago and that our new fans or our new subscribers to the Flight Crew site may not have read and so I thank you very much for that, go ahead and bring it back to light, and then you have such a beautiful way of displaying, you always do a great job!!
A hug 🙂
Thank you Daniela! This story is what it is because of your story! It was a wonderful story then and it is wonderful now especially since I got to co-author it with you! God bless you my friend! We need to do more like this!
That is why I have also loved Ignazio so much. I could not have imagined Il Volo any other way, with out him adding so much more to their concerts. I love the way he breaks it up and makes everything flow. These guys are phenomenal, and each one of them are brilliant. His mother, father and sister gave him their all and raised him with these emotions. I love the three of them , but Ignazio holds a special place in my heart.
Thank you so much Susan and Daniela bi get very emotional when it comes to Ignazio. I can’t explain how deeply I feel he is just a great great person. I feel like he is such a regular person. I loved him best right from the start his personality and sincerity his passion and talent. His voice is just amazing. He always makes me smile and cry. I feel like he is an angel sent to cheer us. I’ve followed musical groups but these three are so great the way they respect and love us their fans is so heartwarming thank you again. ❤️
Dear Susan & Daniela, Thanks so much for all your great complementary histories/writings about our favorite IL VOLO singers, especially about Ignazio.
You have complimented & defined the great singers so well:
Ignazio – uninhibited, unpredictable, humorous, lovable, consummate performer with musicalities that charm/seduce our soul;
Piero – the Italian God (Apollo or Jupiter) of polished, steady, professional, sustained operatic voice from the Heavens that hypnotizes us.
Gianluca – elegant, another handsome God, dreamy magnetic baritone voice that immediately captures our attention & ears;
In admiration of Ignazio’s “jestering” that enlivens & sustains every IL VOLO concert, I learned what you already know:
In Shakespeare’s Elizabethan drama plays, the fool is a very important character, employed to entertain a king, a duke or any rich person. The Elizabethan “fool” convention is the most insightful and intelligent man in the play, not to be confused with a clown: in Shakespeare’s time ‘clown’ was a simple rural man – a yokel.
The famous fools (Feste, in Twelfth Night; Touchstone, in As You Like It; Fool in King Lear; & Trinculo, in The Tempest) in Shakespeare’s plays, have two important functions:
1. They speak truth to power with no holds barred –where no one else dare do that, for fear of their lives – and they act like the chorus in Greek drama – commenting on the characters and the action for the benefit of the audience.
2. They are the wisest characters in the play. The other characters refer to him as ‘the fool’ and we usually know him as ‘the jester”.
And an apology for the brief Sound Check previews:
In reality, any public speaking/performance such as dance, singing, opera, stage shows, plays, orchestra, legal court arguments require great attention to details, memorization (singers memorize more than 300-600 songs), concentration and total focus – so Sound Check previews can become very disruptive to performers to speak to strangers & fans before major performances. Singers also need to save their voices for the over 2-hour concert singing. A free “Sound Check” should be enjoyed & treated as a courteous, kind freebie on the performers’ part. Sorry for the briefness.
Sorry for the long diatribe, but I truly appreciate your hard work and devotion to IL VOLO. Much much appreciation,
Thank you again for your hard work & dedication, meghinn
b. That was not a diatribe, as far as I am concerned, but a lesson for all of us who are not students of Shakespeare. I really appreciate your input and agree with you that Igna is definitely not a fool but knows just when there should be a little lightening (not lightning) of what is occurring on stage.
I hope to hear from you in the future as, as far as I can see from my records of fans commenting, you may not have written before. All the best and hugs, Dol (91 yr. old fan)
To b. Meghinn – Sorry, I was wrong about you not writing before this. I see you’ve commented at least four or five times before. Dol.
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Dol has got her age wrong. Again. She is 19 backwards.
As for Ignazio, he’s the one that is going through life being his truest self.
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Thank you for this gift of remembrance. Ignazio is just as you portray him. Many faceted, as you describe. He is my favorite, I think, for all the reasons you used to bring him to life. All three of the guys are special, each in their own way.
Hi, Penina! So nice to see you’re still writing to the Flight Crew. Was wondering where you were. Haven’t seen any comments for the longest time. Hugs, Dol
How could anyone be so disrespectful as to call Ignazio a fool!! – I am really annoyed to think people could stoop so low as to say such hurtful things – this young man has many talents that will blossom over time – I feel privileged to hear his God-given voice – he will definitely become better as he matures – the best is yet to come. thank you Susan once again for your in-depth Editorial – much appreciated.
Thank you soooo much for writing about someone we love. You cannot imagine how much pleasure I derive from your writings about the IlVolo guys we care about. I love all of them but have a special place in my heart for Ignazio. Please continue to write even through the tears. Thank you again. God love and bless you both, Danielle and Susan. Love, Mimi 💚
I don’t know if anyone looks at the comments after the post has been up for awhile. But I wanted fans to know that IL Volo were mentioned on Jeopardy today in one of the questions.
Because some of your readers are as old as I am and because Jeopardy tends to be watched by older people I thought someone in our group might have seen it.
But this is another proof that they have arrived in case there’s anyone who doesn’t know.
Thanks Gail! I don;t have a TV at present–it conked out a few months ago and we decided we don’t watch it enough to warrant replacing it. I don’t miss it a bit! But that I would have liked to see! Did the contestants know the answer?
Penina, yes she did! It was beyond exciting to see and hear their name on a international game show!!!😉Carol
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Yes, Gail, being an avid Jeopardy fan for many, many years, I did see that episode and was happy to see our IL VOLO given as a clue, which the contestant got right!!! Hugs, Dol.
Thank you so mich for your article, i was so moved when i read the words and watched the videos.
I am so sorry, my English is so bad that i can’t find the right words to express my feeling. I knew il volo last year and i love reading your articles about them, but i ‘m so unconfident about my English that i never commented , but this article really touched my heart🥺
I really admire ignazio’s personality. when he is on the stage, performing, he can really bring me to another universe, which is his own universe of the music. His voice, his performance, how he fully engage to the songs, and the state of freedom, like he is flying freely in the music…all of these creat a magenic field that captivates me. For me, ignazio is a real artist, a genius, he can really “play with music”. He is definitely non just “the funny guy “, though he really have a great sense of humor, it is not all of him.
Thank you again for writing the beautiful words.❤️
Each of Il Volo have an unique personality of music. Ignazio’s voice is full of freedom, make me feel like flying in the sky. Piero’s powerful voice is like a sun in the night, always give me strength，Gianluca’s voice is warm and romantic, like Orange warm sunlight at sunset.They always give me goosebumps.
Renata, your English is very good and expressed yourself very well! I love the comparison of the guys to the sky and the sun and sunset! I couldn’t agree more. We are all so self critical but others are more understanding! Don’t be afraid to join in all our comments! Smiling, Carol sending you a 🤗
Susan – what can I say…. You brought me – almost – into tears as well bringing this story to the attention of us, who hasn’t been around for so many years and hence wasn’t aware of this previous post by Daniela. It went straight to my heart and had me reflect. And may I add – albeit being a very sensitive person myself – I am generally not easy at neither laughter nor tears but always analytical – so having me close to those tears say a lot…
It did indeed hurt to learn that Ignazio has been referred to as “a fool” – and, of course, it has made him sad. Ignazio is so absolutely in no way “a fool” – in the contrary. He is a wonderful, straight-forward man with a great heart and music in his voice and body. Everyone knowing him just a bit will testify to that. And should it really have been said/written with the less favorable interpretation of the word in mind – it is simply unforgivable! And this is here tears come to my eyes… This is true bullying and the words of simple and stupid people. Now my tears turn into anger! Having sad so, I do wonder if by any chance those people having used this word really have been familiar with its meaning? I am not going to make excuses for them – but being a foreigner myself with English not being my natural tongue, I have learned how difficult it is to express oneself fully correctly and using the right words and first and foremost how dangerous it is to use “humor” as humor is in no way the same in our different cultures. F.ex. in Denmark we use a lot of irony and sarcasm (meaning often saying just the opposite of what we really mean) and I have personally burned my fingers a number of times using same in correspondence with i.e. American collaborators who thought I was rude…). So what I am trying to say, is, maybe using the word “fool” about Ignazio hasn’t at all been meant in a negative way but interpretated by the receiver as same only? Do you follow me? I mean, I would use the word “fooling around” about people who acts a bit silly having a fun time. So with no deeper knowledge of the English language, I could probably end up saying a person was “a fool” when actually meaning “a fun person”. B.meghhim is above giving some very good examples of the very right meaning of the word “a fool” in the Shakespearean interpretation. Thank you for sharing that with us.
Susan you are indeed so right as to the fact that Ignazio brings a lightness to the guys’ performances with his creative and impulsive little gigs and jokes – it breaks up the seriousness and let the audience relax in spite of difficult arias being performed or profound words expressed. So an Il Volo Concert would never be the same without these unpredictable little stunts by our beloved Ignazio – at least we core fans will think so. A few times I must admit though that I have been wondering if Piero or Gianluca might have been a bit annoyed when “disturbed” by him dancing behind their backs, making faces or kissing them in the middle of a song – but yet again he is a “brother” and they love him for the person he truly is. So they are probably expecting it.
Having said all this – and loving Ignazio to bits – I cannot avoid to think though that there might be a bit of truth in some of it. Not that he is “a fool” – no way – but that “fooling around” and being “the clown” of the show or an interview is a bit of a way of getting attention. And that behind the mask of the smiling/funny “chown” there is an insecure little Ignazio who wants to be loved… After all when a little boy he was not exactly petite but rather “the fat boy” in the class and he must have endured countless of evil and hurting words in that respect and hence as a defense have put on the “happy clown mask” and been “the funny guy” in the class? Maybe I am all wrong, but… And when joining up with not the least Guianluca who has been giving a very handsome body and look as yet a gift from above it might not have been all fun being a heavy teenager with pimples standing just next to him… Hopefully, I am all wrong, but… And these days, albeit now as a regular sized and very good looking full grown man himself, well, Piero seems to have evolved into a very well trimmed and handsome young man too almost taking over “the bello guy label” of the trio, so well… Again, hopefully, I am totally wrong in this, but I sense that there is still a bit of putting on “the happy clown attitude” in his antics. In some of the jokes brought about in the recent Verona Shows he does pretend being the less beautiful and less popular guy in the trio – yes, as scheduled “jokes”, but…
Enough from me. I’ve now said my more than 2 cents here. Susan thanks a million for bringing this article to attention again – and thank you Daniela for the original post which truly is heartbreaking. All the best – Kirsten, Denmark
Thanks for finding this article originally written by Daniela, both of you are so good at what you do. I hate that anyone would call Ignazio a fool with all the things he has accomplished. I find his humor refreshing, he always makes me laugh but still appreciate the wonderful, goosebump music that these three bring to us. I am waiting patiently for them to return to Florida again, turning 81 next year hope it isn’t too long before they return. That is my one wish, to see them in concert again with a front row seat. Thanks to all the crew for your outstanding work.
Thank you Susan ❤️
Thank you so much for this. Your written portrait of the lovely Ignazio is exactly how I see him.
I would dearly love to see IL VOLO on stage, but I’m 80 and live in the UK, so I’m desperately hoping they will come here to perform someday soon. (Sadly I was unaware of them when they played in London before the Covid pandemic)
Dear Susan
I loved all the things you said about the boys in this story Gianlucas determination Pieros passion and Ignazio beautiful voice and his wonderful and kind personality
Love you cousin Jenny
Thank you so much for for your views on Ignazio. They are exactly as I would have said he was like. The first time I saw him was when Il Volo sang in Germany, Il Mondo. I just loved that young lad who was smiling all the time and seemed to love what he was doing. I feel he is a very sensitive person, and a very funny man. I would never call him a fool though, he knows exactly what he is doing and he has a wonderful sense of humour. I love the way he is always watching the orchestra and I feel he would love to be the conductor. like Mrs Lamb I would love to see them in concert but I am 83 years old and have cancer for which I have chemotherapy each month. I am keeping positive by watching Il Volo and especially Ignazio. I send all my best wishes to the boys, and hope they can all achieve their dreams. Once again thank you for the emails and the lovely stories. Always something to look forward to❤️.
Dear Maureen, I am truly sorry that you are so ill, however in these days medicine has made such wonderful strides. Sending you healing love and affection from across the pond in America. May God bless you with renewed health, Carol Orlando (Mrs., widowed)🙏🙏🤗🥰🦋
Thank you very much for a beautiful story. That’s the Ignazio I see. A young clever man, multi-talented, sensitive, with a heart of gold and an amazing voice. Reading this beautiful story I couldn’t stop the tears.
Yes, Susan, there is no one like our Ignazio in this world! He is certainly one of a kind, so humble, clever, inspirational, good looking, good hearted — and I could go on with more superlatives, but Thank God Ignazio was put on this Earth to make life for everyone, who sees his genius, find Life a little better for them. Thank you and Daniela for this wonderful article. Hugs, Dol.
Médiocre, comment peut t’on écrire de tels propos sur un jeune homme talentueux, humble, et très chaleureux avec son public et son entourage immédiat. J’ai vu le dernier spectacle à Vérone et au moment ou Piero interprête avec un autre artiste “le Miséréré”on voit Ignazio qui suit la musique depuis sa place en coulisse et il vit littéralement la prestation avec un baiser d’encouragement à Piero et on sent sa fierté de voir son ami briller par sa prestation……Alors qui est l’imbécile? ceux qui écrivent ou disent n’importe quoi pour tenter d’exister pour dissimuler leur médiocrité…HEUREUSEMENT IGNAZIO est au dessus de tout cela et son aura mondiale ne fait que faire ressortir l’imbécilité flagrante de ses rares détracteurs
Thank you Susan for that in depth nature of Ignazio. Loved your piece.
Dear Susan, I love that you go back through the archives to find these gems! Ignazio is special, one of a kind…..but a fool NEVER ! He is so talented, funny, kind, handsome and determined not only in his craft (s)…there are many(!) but in his giving heart. Everyone seems to talk about Gianluca being the handsome one…he is very handsome but good lord look at Piero and Ignazio…they are also gorgeous men. When I look at IL VOLO I see three beautifully talented and handsome men who all have hearts of gold, they strive for world peace, non violence, worry about the poor and underprivileged and clearly hurt when the rest of the world hurts. Not many, if any, men could carry off “MY HEART WILL GO ON” and all his “songs by women”, his feminine self is strong and evident when he sings….a beautiful thing to behold. I love all their hearts, voices and personalities and all they give to us through their music…such a splendid gift!
Thank you for your talent and Daniela’s, I look forward to reading everything you gals have to offer us and hope to meet her at a concert one day soon, I’ll see you in Ct.!
Love and prayers, Carol ❤️🙏🙏🦋☮️🎼🎤💖💖💖
Dear Susan, as I already told you, it’s nice that you bring back to light the things I wrote a few years ago and that our new fans or our new subscribers to the Flight Crew site may not have read and so I thank you very much for that, go ahead and bring it back to light, and then you have such a beautiful way of displaying, you always do a great job!!
A hug 🙂
Thank you Daniela! This story is what it is because of your story! It was a wonderful story then and it is wonderful now especially since I got to co-author it with you! God bless you my friend! We need to do more like this!
That is why I have also loved Ignazio so much. I could not have imagined Il Volo any other way, with out him adding so much more to their concerts. I love the way he breaks it up and makes everything flow. These guys are phenomenal, and each one of them are brilliant. His mother, father and sister gave him their all and raised him with these emotions. I love the three of them , but Ignazio holds a special place in my heart.
Thank you so much Susan and Daniela bi get very emotional when it comes to Ignazio. I can’t explain how deeply I feel he is just a great great person. I feel like he is such a regular person. I loved him best right from the start his personality and sincerity his passion and talent. His voice is just amazing. He always makes me smile and cry. I feel like he is an angel sent to cheer us. I’ve followed musical groups but these three are so great the way they respect and love us their fans is so heartwarming thank you again. ❤️
I love this article! I like him the best! Great voice and great person. He does not forget his roots!!!
Dear Susan & Daniela, Thanks so much for all your great complementary histories/writings about our favorite IL VOLO singers, especially about Ignazio.
You have complimented & defined the great singers so well:
Ignazio – uninhibited, unpredictable, humorous, lovable, consummate performer with musicalities that charm/seduce our soul;
Piero – the Italian God (Apollo or Jupiter) of polished, steady, professional, sustained operatic voice from the Heavens that hypnotizes us.
Gianluca – elegant, another handsome God, dreamy magnetic baritone voice that immediately captures our attention & ears;
In admiration of Ignazio’s “jestering” that enlivens & sustains every IL VOLO concert, I learned what you already know:
In Shakespeare’s Elizabethan drama plays, the fool is a very important character, employed to entertain a king, a duke or any rich person. The Elizabethan “fool” convention is the most insightful and intelligent man in the play, not to be confused with a clown: in Shakespeare’s time ‘clown’ was a simple rural man – a yokel.
The famous fools (Feste, in Twelfth Night; Touchstone, in As You Like It; Fool in King Lear; & Trinculo, in The Tempest) in Shakespeare’s plays, have two important functions:
1. They speak truth to power with no holds barred –where no one else dare do that, for fear of their lives – and they act like the chorus in Greek drama – commenting on the characters and the action for the benefit of the audience.
2. They are the wisest characters in the play. The other characters refer to him as ‘the fool’ and we usually know him as ‘the jester”.
And an apology for the brief Sound Check previews:
In reality, any public speaking/performance such as dance, singing, opera, stage shows, plays, orchestra, legal court arguments require great attention to details, memorization (singers memorize more than 300-600 songs), concentration and total focus – so Sound Check previews can become very disruptive to performers to speak to strangers & fans before major performances. Singers also need to save their voices for the over 2-hour concert singing. A free “Sound Check” should be enjoyed & treated as a courteous, kind freebie on the performers’ part. Sorry for the briefness.
Sorry for the long diatribe, but I truly appreciate your hard work and devotion to IL VOLO. Much much appreciation,
Thank you again for your hard work & dedication, meghinn
b. That was not a diatribe, as far as I am concerned, but a lesson for all of us who are not students of Shakespeare. I really appreciate your input and agree with you that Igna is definitely not a fool but knows just when there should be a little lightening (not lightning) of what is occurring on stage.
I hope to hear from you in the future as, as far as I can see from my records of fans commenting, you may not have written before. All the best and hugs, Dol (91 yr. old fan)
To b. Meghinn – Sorry, I was wrong about you not writing before this. I see you’ve commented at least four or five times before. Dol.
Dol has got her age wrong. Again. She is 19 backwards.
As for Ignazio, he’s the one that is going through life being his truest self.
Thank you for this gift of remembrance. Ignazio is just as you portray him. Many faceted, as you describe. He is my favorite, I think, for all the reasons you used to bring him to life. All three of the guys are special, each in their own way.
Thank you so much!
Gianluca is the best romantic baritone ever; Piero’s voice can give you goosebumps, but when Ignazio pours his soul into a song, time stops.
Hi, Penina! So nice to see you’re still writing to the Flight Crew. Was wondering where you were. Haven’t seen any comments for the longest time. Hugs, Dol
Absolutely!
How could anyone be so disrespectful as to call Ignazio a fool!! – I am really annoyed to think people could stoop so low as to say such hurtful things – this young man has many talents that will blossom over time – I feel privileged to hear his God-given voice – he will definitely become better as he matures – the best is yet to come. thank you Susan once again for your in-depth Editorial – much appreciated.
Thank you soooo much for writing about someone we love. You cannot imagine how much pleasure I derive from your writings about the IlVolo guys we care about. I love all of them but have a special place in my heart for Ignazio. Please continue to write even through the tears. Thank you again. God love and bless you both, Danielle and Susan. Love, Mimi 💚
I don’t know if anyone looks at the comments after the post has been up for awhile. But I wanted fans to know that IL Volo were mentioned on Jeopardy today in one of the questions.
Because some of your readers are as old as I am and because Jeopardy tends to be watched by older people I thought someone in our group might have seen it.
But this is another proof that they have arrived in case there’s anyone who doesn’t know.
Thanks Gail! I don;t have a TV at present–it conked out a few months ago and we decided we don’t watch it enough to warrant replacing it. I don’t miss it a bit! But that I would have liked to see! Did the contestants know the answer?
Penina, yes she did! It was beyond exciting to see and hear their name on a international game show!!!😉Carol
Yes, Gail, being an avid Jeopardy fan for many, many years, I did see that episode and was happy to see our IL VOLO given as a clue, which the contestant got right!!! Hugs, Dol.
Saw it, Penina, and was sooo happy to see our Il Volo given as a clue. Dol.
Thank you so mich for your article, i was so moved when i read the words and watched the videos.
I am so sorry, my English is so bad that i can’t find the right words to express my feeling. I knew il volo last year and i love reading your articles about them, but i ‘m so unconfident about my English that i never commented , but this article really touched my heart🥺
I really admire ignazio’s personality. when he is on the stage, performing, he can really bring me to another universe, which is his own universe of the music. His voice, his performance, how he fully engage to the songs, and the state of freedom, like he is flying freely in the music…all of these creat a magenic field that captivates me. For me, ignazio is a real artist, a genius, he can really “play with music”. He is definitely non just “the funny guy “, though he really have a great sense of humor, it is not all of him.
Thank you again for writing the beautiful words.❤️
Each of Il Volo have an unique personality of music. Ignazio’s voice is full of freedom, make me feel like flying in the sky. Piero’s powerful voice is like a sun in the night, always give me strength，Gianluca’s voice is warm and romantic, like Orange warm sunlight at sunset.They always give me goosebumps.
Renata, there is nothing wrong with your English. It’s very good. I know that other commenters on here will agree.
Your English and your words are beautiful! You have really captured Ignazio!
Aaaa thank you, Susan!❤️
Renata, your English is very good and expressed yourself very well! I love the comparison of the guys to the sky and the sun and sunset! I couldn’t agree more. We are all so self critical but others are more understanding! Don’t be afraid to join in all our comments! Smiling, Carol sending you a 🤗
Thank you Carol!your words are so sweet❤️🤗
Susan – what can I say…. You brought me – almost – into tears as well bringing this story to the attention of us, who hasn’t been around for so many years and hence wasn’t aware of this previous post by Daniela. It went straight to my heart and had me reflect. And may I add – albeit being a very sensitive person myself – I am generally not easy at neither laughter nor tears but always analytical – so having me close to those tears say a lot…
It did indeed hurt to learn that Ignazio has been referred to as “a fool” – and, of course, it has made him sad. Ignazio is so absolutely in no way “a fool” – in the contrary. He is a wonderful, straight-forward man with a great heart and music in his voice and body. Everyone knowing him just a bit will testify to that. And should it really have been said/written with the less favorable interpretation of the word in mind – it is simply unforgivable! And this is here tears come to my eyes… This is true bullying and the words of simple and stupid people. Now my tears turn into anger! Having sad so, I do wonder if by any chance those people having used this word really have been familiar with its meaning? I am not going to make excuses for them – but being a foreigner myself with English not being my natural tongue, I have learned how difficult it is to express oneself fully correctly and using the right words and first and foremost how dangerous it is to use “humor” as humor is in no way the same in our different cultures. F.ex. in Denmark we use a lot of irony and sarcasm (meaning often saying just the opposite of what we really mean) and I have personally burned my fingers a number of times using same in correspondence with i.e. American collaborators who thought I was rude…). So what I am trying to say, is, maybe using the word “fool” about Ignazio hasn’t at all been meant in a negative way but interpretated by the receiver as same only? Do you follow me? I mean, I would use the word “fooling around” about people who acts a bit silly having a fun time. So with no deeper knowledge of the English language, I could probably end up saying a person was “a fool” when actually meaning “a fun person”. B.meghhim is above giving some very good examples of the very right meaning of the word “a fool” in the Shakespearean interpretation. Thank you for sharing that with us.
Susan you are indeed so right as to the fact that Ignazio brings a lightness to the guys’ performances with his creative and impulsive little gigs and jokes – it breaks up the seriousness and let the audience relax in spite of difficult arias being performed or profound words expressed. So an Il Volo Concert would never be the same without these unpredictable little stunts by our beloved Ignazio – at least we core fans will think so. A few times I must admit though that I have been wondering if Piero or Gianluca might have been a bit annoyed when “disturbed” by him dancing behind their backs, making faces or kissing them in the middle of a song – but yet again he is a “brother” and they love him for the person he truly is. So they are probably expecting it.
Having said all this – and loving Ignazio to bits – I cannot avoid to think though that there might be a bit of truth in some of it. Not that he is “a fool” – no way – but that “fooling around” and being “the clown” of the show or an interview is a bit of a way of getting attention. And that behind the mask of the smiling/funny “chown” there is an insecure little Ignazio who wants to be loved… After all when a little boy he was not exactly petite but rather “the fat boy” in the class and he must have endured countless of evil and hurting words in that respect and hence as a defense have put on the “happy clown mask” and been “the funny guy” in the class? Maybe I am all wrong, but… And when joining up with not the least Guianluca who has been giving a very handsome body and look as yet a gift from above it might not have been all fun being a heavy teenager with pimples standing just next to him… Hopefully, I am all wrong, but… And these days, albeit now as a regular sized and very good looking full grown man himself, well, Piero seems to have evolved into a very well trimmed and handsome young man too almost taking over “the bello guy label” of the trio, so well… Again, hopefully, I am totally wrong in this, but I sense that there is still a bit of putting on “the happy clown attitude” in his antics. In some of the jokes brought about in the recent Verona Shows he does pretend being the less beautiful and less popular guy in the trio – yes, as scheduled “jokes”, but…
Enough from me. I’ve now said my more than 2 cents here. Susan thanks a million for bringing this article to attention again – and thank you Daniela for the original post which truly is heartbreaking. All the best – Kirsten, Denmark
Thanks for finding this article originally written by Daniela, both of you are so good at what you do. I hate that anyone would call Ignazio a fool with all the things he has accomplished. I find his humor refreshing, he always makes me laugh but still appreciate the wonderful, goosebump music that these three bring to us. I am waiting patiently for them to return to Florida again, turning 81 next year hope it isn’t too long before they return. That is my one wish, to see them in concert again with a front row seat. Thanks to all the crew for your outstanding work.