Certainly this interview with Verissimo had not been planned, because Il Volo was supposed to be on a promotional tour in China, which however has been postponed for the moment and therefore having some time available before leaving for Japan, Sunday 21 April (recorded on day before) we managed to have this last appearance on Canale 5 on Verissimo, the beautiful program hosted by the talented and kind Silvia Toffanin.
Here is the full video that I translate for you.
SILVIA= They are three wonderful voices, Piero Ignazio and Gianluca: IL Volo. (The boys enter to the tune of Capolavoro). Welcome back.
IGNAZIO= How are you?
SILVIA= Well and you? Piero, is everything okay? Welcome back to Verissimo. How beautiful.
PIERO= It’s always nice to see you.
SILVIA= Thank you. (they sit) How is it going? How are you guys?
IGNAZIO= That’s fine.
SILVIA= Is that okay? I see you in good shape.
PIERO= Very happy.
GIANLUCA= Today I wanted to be dressed a bit like you, did you see? We are two and two.
SILVIA= Two couples.
GIANLUCA= Let’s play doubles in tennis.
SILVIA= 15 years together..
PIERO= In a few days….in four days…
IGNAZIO= Not long left…
SILVIA= How have these 15 years been?
IGNAZIO= Well, it’s been 15 years, it’s 15 beautiful years, of sharing, of experiences, of personal and artistic growth, let’s say we can’t complain, that’s it.
SILVIA= An album AD ASTRA was released which is a beautiful name, what does this title mean?
IGNAZIO= There wasn’t one, we thought AD ASTRA…😂😂
PIERO= We were inspired by the phrase PER ASPERA AD ASTRA, through hardships and difficulties, great goals are achieved. Maybe we can’t talk about great sacrifices, because in everyday life we all face beautiful moments and less beautiful moments, but I believe that in the end it’s the journey that makes you enjoy the arrival. Perhaps this is also our strength, that of working every day for an event, for a concert, for a particular event, and then immediately think about the next one.
SILVIA= You never stop, do you..
GIANLUCA= No, because great results are achieved only with great sacrifices, nothing comes with minimal effort, which is the aim of this album which tells what we have become today after 15 years, we started when we were teenagers and therefore it is normal that perhaps the contents, the thoughts have changed and today we needed to record our first album of unreleased songs after a career, let’s say, based on covers, therefore on the successes of others, the songs of our tradition and therefore we are very proud of this project which began precisely from the Sanremo festival.
SILVIA= Which is truly a Capolavoro! Which by the way is the song that is contained….
PIERO= Yes, did you like it?
SILVIA= Very much! How have these 15 years been, how have you evolved Ignazio?
IGNAZIO= Definitely starting…
SILVIA= ….as kids…
IGNAZIO= …..as kids, having to share everything with two other people is not easy, especially…..
PIERO= Come on, it’s not easy, it’s beautiful…..
IGNAZIO= ……it’s not easy, it’s the truth, it’s beautiful, but it’s not easy and therefore in these 15 years we have also learned to live together, to understand each other and to clash….
PIERO= We have learned to tolerate you…
IGNAZIO= ….and from the clashes you have learned to tolerate me, because I tolerate you two..
SILVIA= Exactly, you see!
GIANLUCA= Support, even when….
IGNAZIO= Yes, it’s more tolerate than support, but…..(in Italian it’s almost a play on words: sopporto-supporto = tolerate-support)
PIERO= Do you understand that today I had to tell him to shave? He was coming here with a bum like that and I told him. “But take the razor and shave.”
SILVIA= Why? Are you in a white phase?
GIANLUCA= A Can Jaman phase (a beautiful Turkish actor with a beard very famous here in Italy)
IGNAZIO= No, it was a bit of protest…
SILVIA= But towards them?
IGNAZIO= But no, it’s to be a non-conformist.
PIERO= He shaved his beard twenty minutes ago in the dressing room.
SILVIA= Is he in Turkish version?
GIANLUCA = Exactly!
SILVIA= He (Ignazio) is Can Yaman (Turkish actor) and you (Gianluca) are Timothée Chalamet (actor from Dune, very famous).…
GIANLUCA = “De noi altri”….(dialect phrase meaning – of us others – is a way to reduce the comparison made by Silvia)
SILVIA= ….and you (Piero)...
PIERO= I can say…
IGNAZIO= Sorry, wait (to Piero)….who am I?
SILVIA= You are Can Yaman! He said it (Gianluca)
IGNAZIO= Can… who? 😳😳
SILVIA= He’s a Turkish actor. A bit like Antonio Banderas but better.
GIANLUCA= You met him in Venice.
IGNAZIO= I would be….
SILVIA= Like Banderas and Timothée Chalamet (Gianluca).
PIERO= Piero Barone, don’t worry, I like it, they won’t take me etc.
GIANLUCA= He doesn’t want replacement, as Battiato (Italian singer) said: “I don’t work on replacing myself”.
PIERO= I am looking for the best part of myself.
GIANLUCA= Exactly, that’s right!
IGNAZIO= But what is this, Psychology, or is it still VERISSIMO?? 😂😂😂
SILVIA= It’s: VERISSIMO but very psychological!!
But how do we get into arguments, bickering….
GIANLUCA= Every day…
PIERO= How nice it is to hear people talk: “IL VOLO IS DIVIDED” oh my…
SILVIA= But do you realise? A shock!!
PIERO= But what happened!!
SILVIA= Worse than Albano and Romina (two very famous Italian singers, husband and wife who are now separated both in life and in their career). This could be devastating!
PIERO= A national case!!
IGNAZIO= What happened? (he pretends not to know anything).
SILVIA= Did you separate and come to say it today?
GIANLUCA= I say one thing, being together every day, you forget that there are cameras and this shows that we are always ourselves, and that episode happened on the radio but….
IGNAZIO= But why is there so much confidence…
SILVIA= Between the two of you?
IGNAZIO= I wasn’t there….when I’m not there….
PIERO= Ask him where he was, ask him (Ignazio) where he was.
SILVIA= Where were you?
IGNAZIO= I fell asleep…
SILVIA= Ah, he wasn’t there!
IGNAZIO= But you see, when I’m not there everything happens!
GIANLUCA= He is a latecomer, he is an impressive latecomer…
SILVIA= But then you two made peace…
PIERO= A first plan please??
SILVIA = Close up for Piero!!
PIERO= IL VOLO DOESN’T DIVIDE, FORGET IT, RESIGN YOURSELF.👏👏👏
GIANLUCA= In reality we didn’t want to argue, absolutely, but even if that were the case, we’re okay with it. Imagine if there were cameras inside all Italians’ homes, imagine how many people argue without cameras.
SILVIA= You’re right.
IGNAZIO= But then there is such confidence between us that we can allow ourselves to say everything.
SILVIA= It’s an arranged marriage, some of you said this.
GIANLUCA= Well, it’s still a marriage, even if marriages are some compromises, you sacrifice a little “your individuality” to give it to others. They are compromises but for us….
IGNAZIO= Then you sacrifice yourself….
GIANLUCA= In the sense that in any case it is clear, when there is a success like this, and there is a constant love from the public that has supported us for so long…..
PIERO= But the lady just said (a woman from the audience): “Ignazio you are unique”…..and the other two????? 😂😂
GIANLUCA= the other two nothing….😁
SILVIA= But because there are groups, there are fanbases of Ignazio, Gianluca, and Piero who I see as silent on this topic, do you want to comment too? Arranged marriage but then you fell in love in the end?
IGNAZIO= But who??? 😳🤣🤣
PIERO= The three of us???😳
IGNAZIO= But who’s sorry?? 😂
SILVIA= It was born as an arranged marriage, Gianluca’s definition, right?
GIANLUCA= They put us together, yes yes….
SILVIA= They put you together, then in the end you fell in love, I mean, you had a good time together…
IGNAZIO= But no, we “ci vogliamo bene” (“love each other…”),
SILVIA= You love each other, period!
(for us Italians, “volere bene” is different from loving, “volere bene” means having a lot of affection towards someone, but love is only towards one’s partner).
IGNAZIO= We’re fine….let’s not spread ourselves. (he means let’s not exaggerate)
PIERO= There is a lot of respect, well, I believe that respect, above all respecting the private life of each of us, I believe is the greatest way to demonstrate love towards another person, in this case two other people.
SILVIA= So you manage, even when you are always together, to have moments of solitude, alone?
IGNAZIO= Absolutely.
SILVIA= You’re not always stuck together.
IGNAZIO= No, no. I personally am always the one who seeks solitude the most.
SILVIA= Loneliness…
IGNAZIO= But because I feel good in my solitude. Then in life you change, you meet and then you feel like sharing your loneliness with someone special and therefore it becomes an extended loneliness!
SILVIA= Which we will talk about later, in the meantime this is my gift to you for your 15th birthday, practically half of your life.
PIERO= Exactly half of our life.
IGNAZIO= You understand, don’t you?
SILVIA= I understand. Yes. (a video starts with various fragments of Il Volo’s career)
VOICE= Taking flight (in italian Il Volo) to transform destiny into the symphony of immense success.
GIANLUCA in video= We started when we were 14 years old, we met at the same time in the same place and our musical journey began from there.
VOICE= since that meeting Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero have never stopped, starting a story that has never known boundaries.
THREE VOICES ONE SOUL, THIS IS IL VOLO(it is said in Spanish)
The unstoppable talent of this trio was able to excite the whole world.
From 2009 to today, an incredible career, made up of sincere affection, applause and dozens of awards. Il Volo has truly opened its wings wherever it wanted, between collaborations with the greatest and breathtaking performances on memorable stages and as international stars they have also triumphed in Italy.
From Sanremo to Saremo, they have shown the versatile talent of those who know how to evolve while always remaining faithful to their essence. Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca hold firm to the values of an entire life.
IGNAZIO in video = We support each other, we help each other. ❤️
VOICE = They transform every day on stage, in a place where distances are canceled out in a single, infinite applause.
PIERO= In the end the common goal of all three is always Il Volo! ❤️
SILVIA= How wonderful!!
PIERO= Wow.
SILVIA= How beautiful! How many things.
PIERO= You have told a lot, in just a few seconds, but it is all incredible and perhaps the goal of all three is really to never lose this enthusiasm. In the end, in everything you do you must always find the enthusiasm to do things, whether big or small, but if you lose your enthusiasm I think you have stopped living, everything we have seen we have done with extreme enthusiasm and we can’t wait to leave, we will leave tomorrow for Japan, we will go on tour for two weeks and I already know that personally I will never feel alone, because we will all three go on a tour in the East experiencing the same emotions, listening to the same applause …
IGNAZIO= Wait while I read it to you (the Japan tour poster written in Japanese has appeared, Ignazio imitates Japanese speech) 😂😂
PIERO= ……and then think, what is the most beautiful part of Il Volo? Now we have two weeks of tour in Japan, then we will return to Italy and land directly in Verona to do three evenings on Canale 5…
SILVIA= Yes, how beautiful!! 🥰🥰🥰
PIERO= ….we have to face a mountain, three evenings are different from each other, but we know that it will go well…
SILVIA= And then there is always the relationship with your origins, I know that you have always maintained a bond with the land where you come from..
IGNAZIO= Don’t let him advertise Abruzzo, everything he says Abruzzo Abruzzo, Abruzzo…😁
SILVIA= He cares…
IGNAZIO= Maria (exclamation)
PIERO= Our origins are our safe haven, what makes us maintain contact with reality, because sometimes, some experiences can distract you a little…..
SILVIA= Especially when young..
PIERO= ….instead when you come home with people who love you for who you are, because they saw you grow up, I think this is the greatest privilege, all three…
SILVIA= But who knows what kind of shit they’ll do to you when you get home…
PIERO= No! They respect our everyday life. They also got used to this, they got used to it. It’s clear that after the Sanremo festival, they are all proud, but for all three, in our villages, he (Gianluca) lives in Montepagano in a village of … how many are you?
GIANLUCA= 300 souls.
PIERO= I live in the village of Naro in Sicily, it really is our home.
SILVIA= You have told a lot about yourself, you have all told a lot about yourselves, let’s see your emotions, then we have some arguments….
IGNAZIO= My goodness!
PIERO= I’ll leave him with you alone!
SILVIA= You too dear…. (another nice video starts)
VOICE= The voice of the singer seeks within itself the depth of an emotion to give to the listener. The most authentic feelings that become a single melody.
IGNAZIO in video = We lived the most important moments of life together and we grew up together, that’s it. ❤️
VOICE = United, thanks to those who were able to see a different light in them from an early age.
PIERO in video= My grandfather Pietro and my father discovered my voice, he never stopped believing in me.❤️
GIANLUCA= A mother, a brother, a father, a grandfather, will always wait for you. ❤️
VOICE = Together as a family, even in the face of the greatest pain.
IGNAZIO in video= I haven’t lost my father, my father is always with me, well, I like to think like that. He was my father but it’s a bit like he was everyone’s father.
Your Love is a song that means a lot to us, also because we performed in Sanremo three days after my father’s death. 🙏❤️
PIERO in video= Ignazio taught us a lot and I have to thank him for this, he is a strong man and we love him so much. ❤️
GIANLUCA in video= In my opinion, beautiful things are always born from pain. .
VOICE= And it is love that makes the strings of three souls united by the same profound values ring.
GIANLUCA in video= Love conquers all. 😍
PIERO in video= I see a beautiful future with children, in my opinion that is the reason for living. 😍
VOICE= To continue to grow, and to give everyone a new voice to today’s dreams.
IGNAZIO in video= It’s those things that happen to me once in a lifetime, when you meet a person who gives you the feeling that time stops, I no longer need anything else. ❤️❤️
IGNAZIO= (happy but embarrassed, gets up) Oh, hi, grazie mille! Thanks (to the public) Silvia it was a pleasure, see you next time.
SILVIA= No, dear, stay, stay, because love is a wonderful thing, right?
IGNAZIO= Love is a simple thing.
SILVIA= Who do I start with?
PIERO= From me definitely.
IGNAZIO= From Gianluca, start from Gianluca.
SILVIA= From Gianluca.
IGNAZIO = every two years we come and there is the bulletin.
GIANLUCA= It starts with you. It starts with you who are experiencing beautiful things, you have made a very important decision in life, eh!
IGNAZIO= What do you want to know?
SILVIA= Gianluca is helping me, you’ve made an important decision, why, is there a wedding or am I wrong?
IGNAZIO= Who, when, what’s happening??
SILVIA= Piero right? Are you invited to the wedding?
GIANLUCA= Do you forget?
PIERO= I accompanied him to buy the ring.
SILVIA=Did you accompany him?
PIERO= My goodness, what an effort!
SILVIA= Tell me!
PIERO= Anxiety, I had everyone….😳
IGNAZIO= But you were anxious, not me! 😁
SILVIA= For the proposal?
PIERO= I was more anxious than him! I swear.
SILVIA= You two alone?
PIERO= Alone.
SILVIA= In the jewelry store.
PIERO= The shop closed, in a private room, and I had to give advice…
IGNAZIO= Because I had quite clear ideas: “Piero, I have to buy this, I’ve already seen it, I want this.”
PIERO= We went together because he (Gianluca) lives in Abruzzo, we both live in Bologna, so he called me, “Will you come with me?”
SILVIA=And did you accompany him?
PIERO= Yes and no one knew. If he tells me that no one knows, I won’t even tell my brother. So I’ll let you imagine the effort I had, because I also find myself in difficulty, it’s a new experience for me to advise a friend which ring to get, I don’t know, do what you want.
IGNAZIO= Because I had to make him try it: “Piero, let’s see how it goes”.
PIERO= He made me try it.
SILVIA= You also did the proposal simulation.
IGNAZIO= No, no. But they are those moments that you share with a friend, an important person… we shared joys and sorrows, he was in Bologna, so who better to share this moment with than Piero and so I said: “Will you accompany me”, we spoke, we saw each other…..and yes, I’m getting married, I won’t tell you when, because obviously we are doing something intimate, very private, restricted, and what more do you want to know??
SILVIA= The bride’s name is Michelle.
IGNAZIO= Her name is Michelle.
SILVIA= It’s beautiful…
IGNAZIO= Yes, she is very intelligent, above all.
SILVIA= Here you see.
PIERO= Very good.
IGNAZIO= I can tell you that I think that any person reaches a certain point in life where…. we are three kids who have lived, fortunately life has led us to have both emotional and economic stability, and therefore I have always been the most dreamy one in the family, having a family, creating a family and when you meet a person who has the same wishes as you and who in any case has the same pleasure of facing and living life and growing together in life, there is no more beautiful step what can I say ok, let’s live it together, let’s grow together. 😍😍
SILVIA= What magic you are experiencing!
IGNAZIO= Yes. I’m very happy, I’m fine.
SILVIA= Is your mother happy?
IGNAZIO= Yes, well it’s normal, I think like any mother, right?
SILVIA= You obviously introduced her to him.
IGNAZIO= Yes, yes, yes!
SILVIA= And you? (to Gianluca)
GIANLUCA= So, there is a very nice thing, because one of the last times I came here, when you review the video from the past, there is a sort of judgment that you can give to yourself, because with a lot of unconsciousness I told you : “Come on, I’ll be back in two years and nothing will have changed”
SILVIA= Exactly.
GIANLUCA= Because then in that moment it is always nice to think that things last forever, when in reality everything can change, we change continuously, therefore, even the people who are with us in that moment can take a different path, or the things can also end.
So today, with a little less recklessness, I can tell you that things have changed, but I think it’s really important…..
IGNAZIO= I knew it, I said it.
GIANLUCA= …..that before making any decision about how I live my life, work on yourself, on self-love. Because love is an act where you have to abandon the ego, possession, jealousy, there are things where it is important to maintain a certain freedom from this point of view, because we do not possess anyone, and therefore over time, especially when we are little ones we don’t know what we want and we don’t know how to manage feelings like love which is one of the most important feelings in life and therefore there is personal growth and I have to tell you that right now I’m very happy and I’m loving, which is the main thing .
SILVIA= But who? But yourself or someone?
IGNAZIO= Himself, always.
SILVIA= Always.
GIANLUCA= I have to tell you that…
SILVIA= I didn’t understand, sorry…..
IGNAZIO= You understood very well, but no…..
SILVIA= So it ended up with the girl with whom….
GIANLUCA= I’m loving and that’s the beauty of it, I can’t tell you anything else but I’m in a phase where, from that point of view, it’s giving me a lot of serenity and helps you live everyday life in a lighter way .
IGNAZIO= Exactly what I wanted to say, which is what’s important to understand, “forever” doesn’t exist, it exists today, so today I want to live as well as tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow and that’s the fundamental thing .
SILVIA= (to Piero) Don’t be vague, you’re being vague, you’re looking around. Apart from the marathon, apart from running, is there room in your life for love?
IGNAZIO= He runs away, that’s why he runs, he runs away.
SILVIA= While running, maybe you meet someone running.
PIERO= No, that day when they explained this topic at school (love) I was absent.
SILVIA= It’s not true, so you’re alone?
PIERO= Oh yes!
SILVIA= You are alone and you run alone.
PIERO= So, I have to tell you that it’s such a delicate topic, that if you go looking (for love) you can’t find it, so if it comes, it will come on its own.
SILVIA= In the meantime, will you sing it, here it is, where are you? At the New York Marathon? (there is a photo of Piero)
PIERO= Yes.
SILVIA= At the New York marathon, like Gianni Morandi (Italian singer).
PIERO= I did it now, in November.
SILVIA= Recently.
PIERO= It was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life, it was a great goal achieved.
SILVIA= I imagine so.
PIERO= Yes because it was during the tour in Europe and South America, so between the tour and the travel I had to include training.
SILVIA= The training sessions.
PIERO= Now we have two years of touring all over the world, I promised myself not to participate in any marathon, we have to concentrate because doing a tour like the one that awaits us in Europe, in the East, 22 dates in Italy, that’s five marathons put together .
SILVIA= So now you’re off to Japan.
PIERO= I do the calendar part.
SILVIA= Go!
PIERO= The East in Japan, two weeks, we return with 4 concerts at the Verona Arena and 22 summer dates in Italy, then we will leave on tour in Europe: Madrid, Paris, Barcelona….
GIANLUCA= If you need a travel agency we are here because we can advise you on any…
SILVIA= Then there are three evenings on Canale 5 very soon to see…
PIERO= Yes, in May.
SILVIA= In May.
PIERO= We can’t say the dates but in May.
SILVIA= Soon, we’ll be there.
PIERO= We are about to arrive.
SILVIA= At this point, have a good trip guys.
PIERO= We already have the list of guests who will come on these evenings.
SILVIA= They will be super…
PIERO= We will surprise you, we thank you, we thank the guests, but above all I wanted to thank, and it’s not a figure of speech, but our audience who allowed us to celebrate 15 incredible years…
SILVIA= It’s true!
PIERO= If I had to really describe the term LOYALTY, I would associate it with our audience. 🥰
SILVIA= Who loves you immensely. Thank you. Congratulations (to Ignazio).
IGNAZIO= Grazie mille…
SILVIA= Happy wedding, happy tour, happy everything, long live Il Volo!
(final greetings, kisses, hugs)
But that’s not all, because a couple of days before Verissimo, Il Volo was interviewed by Malcom Pagani for an episode of THEY SAY ABOUT YOU. It’s an audio interview, but listen to it and turn on the subtitles.
DICONO DI TE
And then there is this beautiful interview published by the Repubblica newspaper. Nice questions asked by Silvia Fumarola, to which, as always, Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio responded with great sincerity.
Il Volo: They told us we were crazy because we were talking about meetings with the stars. Now let’s shut up.
Money is used to make loved ones happy, but beware if you become a victim. And we tell you our fears…
They don’t argue but discuss, they repeat that their passion for music unites them. They were teenagers when the group was formed in 2009, they all took part in the show TI LASCIO UNA CANZONE with Antonella Clerici. Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble became Il Volo.
Fifteen years have passed, several world tours, they were the only Italians invited by Quincy Jones to “We are the world for Haiti in 2010”, they won the Sanremo Festival in 2015 with Grande Amore, sold over 20 million records and sung before the Pope.
As Vasco Rossi put it, “I’m still here”. (Vasco Rossi is an Italian singer, a phrase from his song says: I’m still here). They grew up different in character, with their own dreams.
They have published AD ASTRA, ALL FOR ONE awaits them, the event concerts at the Verona Arena, on 9,11,12 and 13 May, the first three evenings on Canale 5.
The tour will continue until September, on 8 June at the Baths of Caracalla, on 4 July in Piazza S. Marco in Venice, in October a stop in the European capitals, in 2025 the United States, Canada and Latin America await them.
So you guys fight too. How are things?
IGNAZIO= Like all groups in this world we discuss, we have different ideas. A good thing, it helps to avoid being monotonous.
GIANLUCA= After Sanremo we had a lot of visibility. We have to be more careful, always with the cameras pointed.
PIERO= If there were cameras in Italians’ homes, who knows what would come out…..
What do you disagree with?
PIERO= Ignazio on how Gianluca and I dress.
IGNAZIO= Can I have different tastes?
GIANLUCA= We have changed. Sometimes you have to take risks to get what you never had, you can’t stay the same. There is comparison but let’s try to understand the other.
And what unites you?
PIERO= We respect the private lives of each of us. What unites us is the fact that we know what is best for Il Volo. For example, in ALL FOR ONE concerts everyone sings the musical genre that best reflects them, Il Volo are three personalities.
What if you had to define yourself?
PIERO= In my opinion the way we define ourselves is different from how others see us. We are never one thing, I am rational, but not only that.
GIANLUCA= Sensitive, at times instinctive. There are people you’ve known for years who never get to know you. It is also possible that a relationship that remained infantile was created between us, we met as children. It’s difficult to discover the other because there’s no intimate sphere, there’s always work involved.
IGNAZIO= I think I’m instinctive.
What scares you?
PIERO= What can happen tomorrow. And lose the urge to know the world, the curiosity.
GIANLUCA= It scares me to live without knowing who I am. Success is a consequence, but if I make money as an artist and don’t express my true essence, it’s not good.
IGNAZIO= Waking up in the morning knowing I can’t eat: diets. The real fear is losing enthusiasm.
The relationship with money?
IGNAZIO= They count. We don’t have the problem of making ends meet, we are very lucky. I enjoy life and have great respect for money. Many young people don’t have a passion, just the idea of becoming a millionaire.
GIANLUCA= I don’t consider myself materialistic, if a thief were to come to my house he wouldn’t find anything to say back. Collecting watches or cars doesn’t belong to me. I don’t spend 5 thousand euros on a bottle in a nightclub, it seems immoral to me when there are people who earn that money in five months. I spend it on travel, books, anything that enriches me as a person.
PIERO= I see them as a means to a comfortable life, and above all to make the wishes of loved ones come true. We must recognize the value of money, and never become its victims.
The most surprising encounter?
GIANLUCA= The one with De Gregori and Venditti (Italian singer-songwriters), unforgettable. To think that I listened to them in the car with my dad, we established a friendship, they told me about their lives, what inspired them in the writing process.
PIERO= The meeting with Woody Allen in New York didn’t seem real to me. And when I found myself singing “O sole mio” with Djokovic.
IGNAZIO= Barbra Streisand, life teacher. We only did one tour together, but the simplicity and dedication with which she does things have remained with me. Natural perfection.
Always traveling around the world, how do you maintain a sense of reality? Do you do the shopping?
IGNAZIO= I like it a lot, the absurd thing is when they look at me: is it him? I feel good at home, that’s my normality: I almost never go out.
Ignazio, is it true that you are getting married?
IGNAZIO= Yes. But I won’t say where or when.
Let’s go back to shopping.
PIERO= I exaggerate in everything, I see and buy with my eyes first.
GIANLUCA= I go to the supermarket, of course, and they look at me but only if I’m out. In Montepagano, my town in Abruzzo, no one stops, we all know each other.
For years you have had the reputation of being unpleasant: have you ever wondered why?
IGNAZIO= Abroad you have unique experiences, we found ourselves with Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, and maybe sometimes we made mistakes too.
In what sense?
PIERO= For us it was nice to share our life. We no longer say what we experienced in detail so as not to appear conceited or presumptuous. If we keep quiet, maybe it’s better.
GIANLUCA= We suffered because we started our career abroad, for us the saying “Nemo propheta in patria” applies. To demonstrate what we were doing, the problem was ostentation. They asked us: who do you see, what are you doing? And we said that we had met the big stars. We went to the festival and won. Too many things at once. Today we have grown, we are more mature.
Do you have a goal?
PIERO= We have our audience, mothers see us as children. For me, making young people passionate about lyrical pop.
IGNAZIO= Conquer people of our age with our songs.
GIANLUCA= Do better. Success came early, never take it for granted.
Ever dreamed of waking up as a soloist?
P+I+G= (in chorus) NO
IGNAZIO= We don’t even get to Fiumicino alone!
These three interviews are really interesting, every time we discover something new about them and every time they amaze us with their mature answers and their simplicity and genuineness.
This is all for now, meanwhile our tireless Gianluca, Piero and Ignazio have arrived in Japan, the tour is starting!!!
A presto: Daniela 🤗
Maestro Rota traveled with IL VOLO to Japan.
But since today is April 25th, and it is exactly 15 years since Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca performed “O Sole mio” together for the first time at TI LASCIO UNA CANZONE, and they were not yet Il Volo, we want to give them our best wishes for a happy continuation of this beautiful and long career!!!
I’m on the early morning train to the Cinque Terre and I’m thinking, how do I wrap up the last fifteen years? How do I summarize how these amazing men who came together as teenagers on the Ariston stage, rose to stardom in a short time and remained the success they are today? Maybe the best way to think about it is to think as they think and that would be to summarize it as they did. Their new album says it all. They’re Sitting on the Edge of the Universe.
Just think what they’ve done over the last two years. They’ve changed their style! They’ve changed their music! They introduced their individuality; they’ve shared the songs that are closest to their heart, yet they didn’t leave bel canto behind. They brought it along because, that’s who they are ~ Il Volo.
That’s who they were in the beginning, and that’s who they’ll always be until the end. But it’s important to recognize where they are now. They have all new never been heard before songs, new ideas. A whole new style, that I absolutely love! Let’s take a look at how they took this leap forward. You might call it a leap of fate!
Songs come and songs go but some never leave. Classics! Songs that are and always will be in the repertoire! O Sole Mio, Granada, Nessun Dorma, Il Mundo; these are the songs that they will always bring to the concerts, but the new songs are the ones that tell the truth. The truth about how they got to the edge of the universe where we find them in 2024.
Let’s begin with Frammenti di universo (Fragments of the Universe). To me, this song talks about three teenage boys who set out on a journey for life. What they saw and how they perceived their future! Along the journey they find strength, love and fragments of the universe and the experiences of life.
Now let’s look at how I see the lyrics….
This song evokes a sense of wonder and reflection on the interconnectedness of the universe and human experience. It begins by describing the beauty of the night sky, portraying celestial bodies as “suspended miracles” visible through the eyes of a child. The imagery of waiting in a courtyard hoping for something yet to come.
It explores optimism, likening the individuals to dreams carried by the wind and clouds drifting above. There’s a sense of empowerment in the “signs of the vast expanse.”
The car headlights on the road point to life’s journey where one must trust oneself amidst uncertainty.
It also touches on the enduring nature of love and the significance of fleeting moments in the vastness of time and space.
Let’s talk about Chiara di Luna (Moonlight)….
This song talks about miracles that come about whether by fate of luck. In the case of Il Volo, we know it’s fate. The moonlight is a metaphor for illumination, the guidance that will help them through the dark times. The hope that dispels the fears.
The soul is depicted by a feather which though delicate is very resilient. These guys certainly are resilient. The miracle of fate is certainly God’s hand in their creation and their coming together on the Ariston stage. As they grew, they learned, out there on their own, how to deal with life’s uncertainties and challenges.
In Moonlight, the lyrics seem to express a contemplation on life, love, and the mysterious nature of existence. The speaker reflects on his thoughts while looking at the sea, longing for someone, and pondering the unpredictability of life’s course.
The imagery of waves coming and going reflects the transient nature of life and relationships. Despite uncertainties and challenges, there’s a sense of resilience and hope portrayed, symbolized by the clouds parting and the night becoming a spectacle, dispelling fear.
The moonlight serves as a metaphor for illumination and guidance in dark times, with the soul depicted as a feather, suggesting a delicate yet resilient essence. The idea of being pieces of a miracle, whether by fate or luck, underscores the interconnectedness and wonder of existence.
It also talks about learning and growth through living, with the acknowledgment that sometimes choices are limited, yet there’s still a glimmer of light and possibility. Love is portrayed as a healing force, capable of saving and restoring.
There’s a sense of wonder, resilience, and the enduring power of love and connection, even amidst life’s uncertainties and challenges.
In Saturno & Venere (Saturn & Venus) we get to the heart of what the guys went through every time they left home and the loved ones they left behind. Especially the girls they left behind. As their career grew so did their desire to find love and, in many cases they did, but the difficulty of leaving a loved one behind goes to the heart of this song!
These lyrics seem to express feelings of longing, frustration, and heartbreak in a relationship. The speaker reflects on the inability to fully connect with the other person, despite their efforts to do so.
There’s a sense of distance and separation portrayed, with the speaker on one side and the other person on the other side, unable to bridge the gap between them. Words are held back, promises are made but not kept, and there’s a feeling of being left hanging by the other person.
The metaphor of the other person being like the universe, a big question mark, underscores the mystery and complexity of their relationship. Despite the pain caused by their absence, the speaker still feels a deep longing for them, symbolized by the need for the sun to start again, implying a desire for renewal and hope.
The lyrics depict the tumultuous emotions experienced in the aftermath of a failed relationship, with a mix of resignation, longing, and a reluctant acceptance of the other person’s significance in their life.
To me, Opera talks about their career. Their fifteen years together. You can liken the song to a woman but for me the drama and the multifaceted experiences speaks of their career. The song says, even with all the problems they stood together. In the end the challenges, the ups and downs, are still beautiful, like an opera. Yes, they are saying there is beauty in the music. Well, we all know that. Life is beautiful because of Il Volo!
These lyrics celebrate the beauty and complexity of life, likening it to an opera—a grand, dramatic, and multifaceted experience. The repetition of “opera” emphasizes the significance of life’s unfolding drama.
The speaker reflects on the passage of time, noting that despite the challenges and ups and downs, they have never lost their partner. They attribute this to their ability to make the best of difficult situations and to recognize what truly matters, even with their eyes closed.
The imagery of dodging rain and lightning together, like two boxers, suggests the resilience and unity of facing life’s adversities. I acknowledge that life can be scary at times, but they find comfort in the understanding that it is as beautiful as an opera—a metaphor for the richness and depth of human experience.
The speaker recalls moments of strength and resilience, laughing in the face of fear and surviving despite hardships. They find beauty and meaning in the wrinkles of their mother’s face and in the ordinary moments of everyday life.
Despite the challenges and occasional pain, the speaker concludes that life is still beautiful, like an opera, with its extraordinary songs and moments of illumination. The repetition of the phrase “It’s like poetry, like music” emphasizes the artistic and profound nature of life’s experiences.
It celebrates the richness and complexity of life, acknowledging its challenges while finding beauty, resilience, and meaning in the midst of it all.
Capolavoro, Masterpiece, is truly a masterpiece! When I first heard this song I said, “If I didn’t know better, I would think this song was about Ignazio and Michelle, But, of course, we know the song was written before Ignazio started dating Michelle. I think of Ignazio singing All By Myself, and then there is Michelle. But you have to wonder, how is it these things keep happening to these guys. It’s like a story that plays out every day of their lives. A plan; God’s plan!
This song expresses deep emotions and experiences related to love and connection. The imagery suggests a profound sense of discovery and transformation upon meeting someone special, symbolized by the metaphor of falling from the sky like a masterpiece.
It conveys a sense of awe and gratitude for the presence of this person, describing them as the only light that makes sense and portraying life with them as a masterpiece. There’s a contrast between feelings of being lost and the sudden appearance of this person, bringing clarity and meaning to the speaker’s life.
It celebrates the idea of finding love unexpectedly and the profound impact it has on one’s existence, turning life into a masterpiece of shared experiences and emotions.
So this is how I see some of the new songs. It’s the summation of fifteen years and the prelude to the future. It shows the force that was leading them. The force that led three teenagers to the Ariston stage. The force that took Michele Torpedine to the end of his career only to find himself sitting on a couch looking at a silent TV and finding truth before his eyes. Knowing at once this was what he was looking for his whole life.
Even though the guys did not write the songs, they certainly had some input perhaps this is why these songs can be likened to their lives.
When the forces of fate came together, there was no stopping the wheel!
When we’re born, we step on the wheel of life, and we move forward to our fate!
If you spin the wheel of fortune, where would it land? Would it follow your path in life? It should because that wheel is spun by the hand of God. In the case of our guys, God was always the force behind the guys and obviously behind Michele! On the Ariston stage? On a living room couch? On the edge of the universe?
So, it seems the universe they created is their step into the future! A future that will be as totally amazing as their last fifteen years! The music may be new, and the style may be new, but their hearts remain as always, old hearts that love their fans who have followed them for fifteen years and will follow them into this new universe!
So, let’s take our place Sitting on the Edge of the Universe, and follow the guys to the future!
Happy 15th Anniversary!
For you listening pleasure….
Radio Italia Live Speciale Sanremo su Radio Italia Tv il 14-02-2023
If you would like to share a story with me, please email: susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
Anyone who follows Il Volo certainly knows their manager, Michele Torpedine. At concerts we see a patch of grey hair and we all say, “There’s Michele.” For those new fans who don’t know Michele, get ready to follow a young boy to the great stages of the world and onward to the White House.
But who is this man? And where did it all begin for him? This is a man who rose from poverty to become one of the most important managers in Italy. Michele Torpedine is A Self-Made Man. If you want to find your way to stardom, you need to catch his eye. Il Volo not only caught his eye they caught his ear, and they brought Michele back to life.
“Ricomincio Dai Tre” is Michele Torpedine’s autobiography. I said this about the guys’ books and, I will say it about Michele’s book, “If you can read Italian, you need to read this book.” It was so good, I read it in one weekend. I will say a lot of the people he talks about, you probably will not know, unless you’re Italian. Having said this, it is a very good read!
Let’s start by first looking at how the guys came to know Michele.
The day the guys came together singing, “O Sole Mio” on Ti Lascio una Canzone, Michele was at the end of his career. For him it was truly over. All he had done for so many now seemed in vain. But with this vision before him, three amazing teenagers, he was able to see a new light. A light that would start the wheels rolling again. A light that would reveal truth. A truth that never before was revealed to him. A truth he searched for his whole life but would only find in his relationship with Il Volo.
What was this truth? For the answer, let’s go back to the beginning, that is the beginning for Michele. Let’s listen to what Michele has to say about his humble beginnings….
In my story, you will find pieces of true stories of artists, such as Andrea Bocelli, Il Volo, or rather, among their stories, you will find mine, that of an Apulian child emigrated to Bologna, the boy who from a studio apartment in a small white house (the Apulian houses are often white), went to the oval room of the White House.
I loved music, I still love it, the world of music, less.
I was born on 12th May 1952 in a small town in northern Puglia. I don’t remember anything about this place, because I moved to Bologna when I was 5 months old.
My father was called Salvatore, he was a tailor, he was severe, hard.
My mother’s name was Titina, I lost her when I was 27 years old. I carried her down in my arms, wrapped in a sheet, to the mortuary chamber. She was 51 years old. Hunger, misery and cancer, this was her life, she struggled like a beast, then from one day to the other she fell ill and flew away in less than a year, I still haven’t managed to forgive her for leaving me so early.
In Bologna, we came in search of work and survival, we were poor, really poor. We lived five people in one room.
At the age of 8, I started to work, with a shoemaker, straightening the nails that were extracted from the soles. At 12 I started working as a bartender, then as a waiter and bellhop.
My brother Nino, at the age of 17, assembled his first battery of drums (drum set), I, who was five years younger than him, began to follow him and learn. I began to work in the evening. I would go to the places where you can play. At the age of 14, I became part of a local orchestra.
At 16, my first dream came true, a friend of mine called me on a Sunday afternoon and tells me that he was given the task of hiring six bands to open the Jimi Hendrix concert and asked me if I wanted to take part. I accepted immediately; I was excited.
Our band is the last one to play before Hendrix enters. Bad fate because people couldn’t wait any longer, so they threw booze and popcorn at us.
Things began to improve they called me more and more often.
One evening, all together, we go to see a concert of musicians playing with Ray Charles, the place is packed, that evening Ray Charles is there too. At a certain point they tell me they don’t have a drummer and they asked me to play. My legs were shaking, I was paralyzed with fear, but then I calmed down and played.
Michele says that the battery (the drums) is his life, not women, nothing for him is as reliable as a drum set. Michele continues…
Everything goes well, time passes, I was good, but not a genius, I understood that it is better to change.
One day someone proposed that I be a road manager, that is the one who contacts the local promoters, pays the musicians, takes the money, checks that everything goes well.
I plan a series of concerts for artists like Paoli-Vanoni, a great success, things are getting better and better, from one day to the next I became a millionaire, and people began to ask for me.
I started a partnership with Zucchero Fornaciari. He is a good soul singer, nobody in Italy sings like that. Time passed and Zucchero became very successful, one day he came to me with a beautiful and sad song: “Miserere”, and he says, “this song should be sung with a tenor … let’s try to ask Pavarotti?”
Pavarotti was in America. I have to bring him a demo of the song so he can listen to it. I contact all the tenors I know but nobody wants to do a demo with Zucchero, join the lyrics, with them pop was not contemplated by the classical tenors.
By pure chance, a friend tells me that in Tuscany, in a club, in the evening, there is a blind boy who plays the piano and is very good, he also sings tenor songs, his name is Andrea Bocelli.
It was the first time I met Bocelli. No one believed in him, not even himself.
Bocelli agreed to do the demo but, he was fearful because Pavarotti would hear it. He is very good and likeable. He sings the demo in a special way. I tell him to persist with music and he replies that he has won a receptionist competition, and that music will remain his passion.
I fly to Philadelphia to give Pavarotti the demo and, he immediately tells me that he will never sing a song of light music. I asked him to at least listen to the demo and he agreed. I explained to him that the boy who sings is not a tenor but a simple boy who plays for passion and Pavarotti asks me if I’m kidding him, because for years he hasn’t heard such a beautiful voice.
I go home and call Bocelli and I incredulously propose a contract to him. Bocelli doesn’t believe it’s all true.
At first it was difficult, nobody wanted Andrea. Too risky! There were always so many bad reviews in American newspapers, but people loved him, that’s the only thing he has always counted on.
The live reaction of the people was a show in the show. Andrea was a great interpreter of emotions he knew how to take on the feelings of ordinary people. This was its added value: to be a common mortal with a divine voice.
As to women, Michele says…
Women, I love them, but I’m afraid of them. I can’t trust the exclusive relationship with a woman. I am not so naive as not understand that beautiful women are with me even for what I do, I am wealthy, I ride in beautiful cars and, I have some power. I never married, but I was almost married. How it ended makes me feel bad today. I was 30, she was from Bologna, beautiful and intelligent. We decided to get married.
I will only say, he cheated and, it was over! Too bad!
As with everything, Michele goes back to his mother….
My mother who I loved very much, left me early, too early, without giving me a way to show all my love for her. My mother could not share with me that little bit of success, of well-being, that I wanted to give her after so many hardships. I had everything from her, and she, she had no way to say with pride “That is my son”. I feel guilty about this.
But there is another woman who has always been important in my life, and it is my sister Liliana, a little friend, a little mother, and always with me even at work, especially in the most important moments.
I must admit that other female figures have been very important in my career. At the beginning, Cristina Gelsi, who followed me in the 16 years with Bocelli. And, now Barbara Vitali, omnipresent in all my activities, almost my alter ego, lives traveling the world to assist Il Volo.
So, let’s talk about the guys and their relationship with Michele.
In an interview with La Vita in Diretta, Michele was asked, “What has changed, Torpedine?”
I have many enemies, which will increase after this book but, I met the right people: Gianluca Ginoble, Ignazio Boschetto and Piero Barone.
Yes, as you can tell from the title of the book, when I met them and put them together as a trio, they were so young… to think that ten years (now fifteen years) have already passed! With them and with their families, good people, a relationship was born that goes far beyond the professional one.
Together we joke and laugh, then we get serious, enjoying worldwide successes: but the human side, their being real and clean, for me is an added value, which is priceless. And, especially in this environment, is a rare commodity.
So true! This is something we always say about the guys. Something we admire! Their integrity and values are priceless! We admire that they are able to remain grounded being in this environment.
Where there is gratitude, there is Il Volo! Michele continues…
It’s so hard to be told ‘thank you.’ For this reason, the boys, Gianluca, Piero and Ignazio are different: grateful, so much so that I had to tell them to stop making my name and thanking me during interviews or at the end of the concerts, everything seems prepared.
But, of course, we know it’s from the heart! That’s who Il Volo is!
Asked about whether or not Michele would “Fancy a family.” He replied….
I have no children or wife, I married music. Perhaps the ugly will come later when I turn around and find no one. But at the moment I’m fine with that!
We wonder what did Michele expect when he signed Il Volo?
Another great story started, a new story at a time when it seemed to me that there was no future for me, for my profession: a breath of oxygen in my environment.
After years of disappointment, loss of trust and gratitude, missing or denied, with Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca, Michele rediscovers the values of gratitude. Michele says….
The boys allowed me to really go back to my job.
So where did Michele begin with the boys? He started in a place where he always wanted to be.
Let’s start with trust because they trust me first of all; the administration of an entire world tour, with important figures to move on which I could take what I want if I were dishonest. But they trusted me and so did their parents, to whom, moreover, I have committed myself to teaching everything, the mechanisms, the things that move, the figures, the relationships. All.
So how does Michele describe this trust?
If I had to define the story of Il Volo with a dominant feeling, I would call it, Un Grande Amore – A Great Love!
Many have arrogated the merit of the success of the three boys, which is certainly the result of great teamwork, but it is above all the result of intelligence, humility and generosity of the three families who have not only never hindered my work as manager, but were supportive in the best way: Ercole and Lenora Ginoble parents of Gianluca, Vito and Caterina Boschetto father and mother of Ignazio, and Gaetano and Eleonora Barone who gave life to Piero.
To sum up his life, Michele says….
Many disappointments, mainly human and partly, even professional.
At some point, I found myself feeling more disappointed than ever with music, with the environment I mean. There was never gratitude around me. I found myself tired, eager for simplicity, for pure things. The horizon seems closed to me. One night I was at home, sitting on the couch, and three boys, fourteen, fifteen, appear on TV. Of course, they are good, and if I tried to really put them together? A trio, here’s what I could do: Il Volo.
I think those three determined boys saved me from depression and from the desire to leave everything. Three teenagers, yes, but already great, in all respects. Already great since I first saw them: Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca.
How do the guys feel about Michele?
Let me answer that by going back a few years when Michele was involved in a lawsuit and the guys were asked about their relationship with Michele over the last ten years. The guys answered with this message about Michele.
We know you well. You have been by our side for more than 10 years. You have defended us from everyone, you have fought for us, you have taught us so much and above all you love us. You always made us understand who we should trust and who preferred to use us for their own interests and for their own personal glory. We are proud to have chosen you and to have renewed our trust, for 10 years, day after day. This is truth that no sentence can hinder. For the rest, just have patience: in the end the truth always comes. In life and in courts.
In concluding Michele said….
I started from a studio apartment in a small white house and passed to the Oval Room of the White House, received by Clinton and Bush. Who knows Ricomincio Dai Tre – I Start Again from Three may become a film!
Maybe it’s time for me to go back to my old career and write the screenplay!
Well Michele maybe I should go back to my old career, and we can write that screenplay together!!!
What did we learn from this story? We learned Michele is a very sensitive man. A determined man! A Self-Made Man!
So, you might ask, why this story this week? Last week I wrote about Fifteen Years of a Lifetime. And for me it seemed appropriate to talk about the man who introduced the world to Il Volo and stands alongside them every day!
The man who looked up at a TV screen, saw three teenagers on the stage of Ti Lascio una canzone and even before he heard them sing, knew he had found his new beginning!
The wheels that turned in Michele’s head that night can only be described as La Forza del Destino (the force of destiny)! The continuation of the same force that was leading Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca! The force that led them to the stage of Ti Lascio una canzone, at the same moment in time!
By the next morning, Michele had already put all the pieces together to lead them down the road to Stardom!
That is the genius of Michele Torpedine!
A phenomenal career for Il Volo and a new life for Michele!
God’s plan completed!
Next week we bring all the stories together to begin the celebration of the fifteen years together.
See you in Milan on Sunday!
For your listening pleasure – Il Volo Takes Flight – Live From the Detroit Opera House 2011
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
Excerpts of this story are from “Ricomincio Dai Tre” by Michele Torpedine. Interviews with La Vita in Diretta, Sabato Italiano, ilsussidiario.it and TV Zoom
And as promised here are all the lyrics of AD ASTRA and all the translations.
Let me start by saying that, as you know, I heard them live at Radio Italia and I liked the songs immediately.
Now, calmly, having to translate for you, I have savored the beautiful lyrics and the excellent accompanying music, we are certainly not talking about backing tracks created on computers and with few musical instruments, here we are talking about real orchestrations.
If any of you think that the beautiful voices of Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca are not valued, you are wrong, the live voices can be heard very well and certainly have a more pop sound, but always highlighting their particularities.
I think that certainly the one who has had to suffer the change the most is Piero, but don’t worry, we will hear his lyrical voice in concerts and solos and then he has yet to realize his dream of singing an entire opera.
I also remind you that Ignazio Piero and Gianluca admitted that three songs were written with the feelings of each of them and so try to guess which songs are. I’ll tell you what I think:
Gianluca = L’INFINITO Ignazio = SUCCEDE Piero = OPERA
Since shortly before the album was released, our guys on Tik-Tok released short videos explaining the songs, I thought I’d attach and translate them.
Enjoy, now you can sing along with them too.
PER ASPERA (intro)
PIERO= PER ASPERA opens the album. Somehow it sums up this sonic journey, with this instrumental overture, of this wonderful album, which is entitled AD ASTRA.
GIANLUCA= It’s a contemporary classical symphony that embodies a bit of the meaning of our new album, the great opening of this album in a sonic, emotional journey, which describes our emotions that we have experienced in the last year and half.
IGNAZIO= It was a great musical research, we combined the sound of the orchestra, the strings with electronic music, with slightly more pop, British music, we combined many influences. It’s a very interesting record.
CHIARO DI LUNA
GIANLUCA= CHIARO DI LUNA is a song that celebrates life. It’s a majestic pop beat, very compelling with these overwhelming strings and we can actually say that, thanks to this song we want to describe life and its eternal presence, in a very strong way, which is our message, especially with this of our disk.
PIERO= In some way the text speaks of daily human frailties, but it invites us to reflect on the beauty of life.
Guardo il mare sulla riva Penso a te, dove sei? Come stai? Un’onda muore e un’altra arriva Come te, come me, come noi Vedi, la vita è strana Che non sai mai la trama Quando non hai più scelte A un passo dalla fine come sempre Poi le nuvole si aprono E la notte è uno spettacolo Fa svanire la paura L’anima è una piuma al chiaro di luna E noi, dentro quest’attimo Siamo pezzi di un miracolo Per destino o per fortuna Risplendiamo ancora al chiaro di luna Persi in mezzo alla corrente Nelle strade di un’altra città Tra i ritorni e le partenzе A cercare nella gеnte quello che ci manca e non ci serve Vedi, la vita è strana Vivendo la si impara E quando non hai più scelte A un passo dalla fine come sempre Poi le nuvole si aprono E la notte è uno spettacolo Fa svanire la paura L’anima è una piuma al chiaro di luna E noi dentro quest’attimo Siamo pezzi di un miracolo Per destino o per fortuna Risplendiamo ancora al chiaro di luna Al chiaro di luna lasciarsi illuminare Al chiaro di luna sentire quanto vale Restare uniti mentre tutto cade Sappiamo noi come si fa E le nuvole si aprono Per salvarsi, basta un battito È l’amore che ci cura L’anima è una piuma Al chiaro di luna E noi dentro quest’attimo Siamo pezzi di un miracolo Per destino o per fortuna Risplendiamo ancora al chiaro di luna
MOONLIGHT
I look at the sea on the shore I think of you, where are you? How are you? One wave dies and another arrives Like you, like me, like us You see, life is strange That you never know the plot When you have no more choices One step away from the end as always Then the clouds part And the night is a spectacle It makes fear disappear The soul is a feather in the moonlight And us, inside this moment We are pieces of a miracle By fate or by luck We still shine in the moonlight Lost in the current In the streets of another city Between returns and departures To look for in people what we lack and don’t need You see, life is strange By living you learn it And when you have no more choices One step away from the end as always Then the clouds part And the night is a spectacle It makes fear disappear The soul is a feather in the moonlight And we are in this moment We are pieces of a miracle By fate or by luck We still shine in the moonlight In the moonlight let yourself be illuminated In the moonlight feel what it’s worth Standing together while everything falls We know how to do it And the clouds part To save yourself, all it takes is a heartbeat It is love that heals us The soul is a feather In the moonlight And we are in this moment We are pieces of a miracle By fate or by luck We still shine in the moonlight
CAPOLAVORO
Io che sto seduto dentro a un cinema A sognare un po’ d’America e un po’ di casa tua E mi chiedo sempre quanto durerà Questo amore infinito che infinito non è Io che mi sentivo perso, una vela in mare aperto E all’improvviso tu, tu Cadi dal cielo come un capolavoro Prima di te non c’era niente di buono E come se, tu fossi l’unica luce a dare un senso E questa vita con te è un capolavoro Guarda come sta piovendo, ma è stupendo averti qua Maledetto tempo che ti da e poi ti porta via Io che mi sentivo perso come un fiore nel deserto E all’improvviso tu, tu Cadi dal cielo come un capolavoro Prima di te non c’era niente di buono E come se, tu fossi l’unica luce a dare un senso E questa vita con te è un capolavoro Cadi dal cielo come un capolavoro Prima di te non c’era niente di buono E come se, tu fossi l’unica luce a dare un senso E questa vita con te, sì la mia vita con te È un capolavoro
MASTERPIECE
Me sitting inside a cinema To dream a little of America and a little of your home And I always wonder how long it will last This infinite love that is not infinite I felt lost, a sail on the open sea And suddenly you, you Fall from the sky like a masterpiece Before you there was nothing good And as if, you were the only light that made sense And this life with you is a masterpiece Look how it’s raining, but it’s wonderful to have you here Damn time that gives you and then takes you away I felt lost like a flower in the desert And suddenly you, you Fall from the sky like a masterpiece Before you there was nothing good And as if, you were the only light that made sense And this life with you is a masterpiece Fall from the sky like a masterpiece Before you there was nothing good And as if, you were the only light that made sense And this life with you, yes my life with you It’s a masterpiece
FRAMMENTI DI UNIVERSO
GIANLUCA= FRAGMENTS OF UNIVERSE is perhaps the song that best represents this metaphysical journey of ours.
We wanted to transcribe our personal, emotional and artistic growth into songs and this song perhaps represents our growth in a much more evident way. It’s a song that put us to the test, it’s a song where we tell what our sensations are, our emotions, but above all that we are “fragments of the universe”.
PIERO= It touches on universal themes, it’s a bit like the search for happiness, and we brought it to music
IGNAZIO= It’s one of the songs that comes closest to Britt-pop, it was a very beautiful experiment…
PIERO= Also vocal.
IGNAZIO= …also vocal for the first time, I can’t wait for you to listen to it.
Scende la notte, tra gli alberi Brilla la luna, e i pianeti Appesi, come miracoli sospesi, sospesi Dentro agli occhi di un bambino Tra la reti dei cortili Aspettando la felicità, la felicità Siamo sogni nel vento, siamo nuvole Sorrisi che resistono alle lacrime Potessimo un’ora, da ora Rubare il mantello agli eroi Siamo segni nel cielo, siamo fulmine La strada sotto i fari delle macchine Qui a chiederci ancora, se ancora Possiamo fidarci di noi Frammenti di universo È forse il canto di un angelo O è solo pioggia sui vetri Poi ci sentiamo più fragili e indifesi, indifesi Come i fiori sui balconi Gatti sotto i temporali Se piovesse la felicità, la felicità Siamo sogni nel vento, siamo nuvole Sorrisi che resistono alle lacrime Potessimo un’ora, da ora Rubare il mantello agli eroi Siamo segni nel cielo, siamo fulmine La strada sotto i fari delle macchine Qui a chiederci ancora, se ancora Possiamo fidarci di noi Frammenti di universo Di silenzi e di cose non dette Frammenti di universo Che si giurano amore per sempre Siamo sogni nel vento, siamo nuvole Sorrisi che resistono alle lacrime Potessimo un’ora, da ora Rubare il mantello agli eroi Siamo segni nel cielo, siamo fulmine La strada sotto i fari delle macchine Qui a chiederci ancora, se ancora Possiamo fidarci, possiamo fidarci di noi Frammenti di universo Frammenti di universo, uoh
FRAGMENTS OF THE UNIVERSE
Night falls among the trees The moon shines, and the planets Hanging, like suspended miracles, suspended Inside the eyes of a child Among the nets of the courtyards Waiting for happiness, happiness We are dreams in the wind, we are clouds Smiles that resist tears We could an hour from now Steal the mantle of heroes We are signs in the sky, we are lightning The road under the headlights of the cars Here to ask ourselves again, if again We can trust ourselves Fragments of the universe It is perhaps the song of an angel Or is it just rain on the windows Then we feel more fragile and helpless, defenseless Like the flowers on the balconies Cats under thunderstorms If it rained, happiness, happiness We are dreams in the wind, we are clouds Smiles that resist tears We could an hour from now Steal the mantle of heroes We are signs in the sky, we are lightning The road under the headlights of the cars Here to ask ourselves again, if again We can trust ourselves Fragments of the universe Of silences and things left unsaid Fragments of the universe Who swear love forever We are dreams in the wind, we are clouds Smiles that resist tears We could an hour from now Steal the mantle of heroes We are signs in the sky, we are lightning The road under the headlights of the cars Here to ask ourselves again, if again We can trust, we can trust ourselves Fragments of the universe Fragments of the universe, uoh
SATURNO E VENERE (feat. Irama)
PIERO= SATURNO E VENERE is among the most pop songs on the album.
It’s a romantic ballad in which Irama’s voice fits perfectly, harmoniously, with our voices.
GIANLUCA= I believe it is an authentic song, because the most beautiful things are born when there is mutual respect, and that is what happened with Filippo – Irama. I believe the key that can open people’s hearts is precisely this contrast between Irama’s cry of suffering and our vocal power.
IGNAZIO= The experience in the studio was very beautiful and interesting. It’s the first time we collaborated in the studio, we wrote in the studio with an artist and doing it with a friend, as Gianluca says, is always more beautiful and therefore we are very…
GIANLUCA= Proud.
IGNAZIO= …very proud and happy with what came out.
Facciamo giri all’infinito Senza riuscirci a prendere Io qui e tu dall’altro lato Come Saturno e Venere Parole che si dovevano trattenere Promesse un po’ troppo grandi da mantenere Lo vedi, io fino ad oggi ci ho provato, con te Per me sei come l’universo Solo un grande immenso punto di domanda E mentre piove sul cemento io rimango qua Mi lasci in bilico E ora, ora, ora, ora Forse precipito e sento il cuore sottosopra E tra un miliardo di altre persone Soltanto tu che mi togli il sole che ci vuole Per ricominciare ancora Ho camminato all’infinito Fino a sentirmi debole Con una mano sul tuo viso Soffiando via la cenere E credi che mi basti un attimo Per cancellare tutto di te Fino a gridarlo in faccia a un angelo Che sono solo E tu sei come l’universo Solo un grande immenso punto di domanda E mentre piove sul cemento io rimango qua Mi lasci in bilico Ora, ora, ora, ora Scusa se scivolo e sento il cuore sottosopra E tra un miliardo di altre persone Soltanto tu che mi togli il sole che ci vuole Per ricominciare ancora Mi dimenticherai E mentre mi odierai Io ti cancellerò Ma non ci riuscirò Bastava così poco Ora, ora, ora, ora Sottosopra E tra un miliardo di altre persone Soltanto tu che mi togli il sole che ci vuole Per ricominciare ancora
SATURN AND VENUS (feat. Irama)
We go around endlessly Without being able to catch us Me here and you on the other side Like Saturn and Venus Words that had to be held back Promises a little too big to keep You see, up until now I’ve tried, with you To me you are like the universe Just a big huge question mark And while it rains on the concrete I stay here You leave me hanging And now, now, now, now Maybe I fall and feel my heart is upside down And among a billion other people Only you who take away the sun I need To start again I walked forever Until I feel weak With a hand on your face Blowing away the ash And you think all I need is a moment To erase everything about you Until you shout it in the face of an angel That I’m alone And you are like the universe Just a big huge question mark And while it rains on the concrete I stay here You leave me hanging Now, now, now, now Sorry if I slip and feel my heart upside down And among a billion other people Only you who take away the sun I need To start again You will forget me And while you hate me I will erase you But I won’t succeed So little was enough Now, now, now, now Upside down And among a billion other people Only you who take away the sun I need To start again
L’INFINITO
IGNAZIO= L’ INFINITO is an emotional journey, where through music and words, they try to touch, to touch, to show all the nuances that may exist in a relationship, when a person is willing to do everything, even to stay together with another person.
GIANLUCA= I think this is the most intimate song on the album, where in some way we want to show that with our voices we don’t necessarily want to look for virtuosity, but also a certain emotionality and intimacy that perhaps we have never shown in our songs.
La nostra storia è una sfida Il giorno prima diciamo: “Ti amo”, quello dopo: “È finita” Anche a dividere il cielo dal mare c’è sempre una riga Invece tra di noi qualche stupida parola Una frase detta male, siamo tutti ragazzini E la vita è vera scuola Se l’infinito con te è una strada stretta Girerei il mondo in bicicletta E quando sarai triste, pur di sentirti ridere Farei qualsiasi cosa, cosa, cosa Come aquiloni che sfidano l’altezza Assomigliare ai fiori se poi cadremo a terra Gridare le canzoni e perdere la voce E dopo litigare, solo per fare pace E scusa la mia presunzione Ma non esistono altre due persone come noi La nostra storia è una sfida Così preziosa e così delicata, un Picasso a matita Che a rovinarlo, ci basta soltanto passarci le dita Ma non rinunciamo mai a metterci alla prova Se l’infinito con te è una strada stretta Girerei il mondo in bicicletta E quando sarai triste pur di sentirti ridere Farei qualsiasi cosa, cosa, cosa Come aquiloni che sfidano l’altezza Assomigliare ai fiori se poi cadremo a terra Gridare le canzoni e perdere la voce E dopo litigare solo per fare pace E scusa la mia presunzione Ma non esistono altre due persone Che come noi sanno ridere e piangere Che stanno insieme e non c’è niente di simile Per far sorridere te farei qualsiasi cosa, cosa, cosa Come aquiloni che sfidano l’altezza Assomigliare ai fiori se poi cadremo a terra Gridare le canzoni e perdere la voce E dopo litigare solo per fare pace Scusa la mia presunzione Ma non esistono altre due persone come noi
THE INFINITY
Our history is a challenge The day before we say: “I love you”, the day after: “It’s over” Even dividing the sky from the sea there is always a line Instead, a few stupid words between us A phrase said badly, we are all kids And life is real school If infinity with you is a narrow road I would travel the world by bicycle And when you will be sad, just to hear you laugh I would do anything, anything, anything Like kites that defy height Look like flowers if we then fall to the ground Shouting songs and losing your voice And then argue, just to make peace And excuse my presumption But there are no other two people like us Our history is a challenge So precious and so delicate, a Picasso in pencil That to ruin it, we just need to run our fingers But we never give up on testing ourselves If infinity with you is a narrow road I would travel the world by bicycle And when you will be sad, just to hear yourself laugh I would do anything, anything, anything Like kites that defy height Look like flowers if we then fall to the ground Shouting songs and losing your voice And then argue just to make peace And excuse my presumption But there are no other two people Who like us know how to laugh and cry That they’re together and there’s nothing like it To make you smile I would do anything, anything, anything Like kites that defy height Look like flowers if we then fall to the ground Shouting songs and losing your voice And then argue just to make peace Excuse my presumption But there are no other two people like us
OPERA
PIERO= The protagonists of OPERA are two boys who dodge rain and lightning as if they were two boxers.
There is a lot of energy in this song and in singing it we will also try to convey it live.
GIANLUCA= It’s the song that perhaps absolutely represents pop-lyrical 2.0 on this album.
IGNAZIO= Yes, let’s say, the influence of the title can bring us back to what our career has always been, what we are known for, but listening to it is exactly what you don’t expect.
GIANLUCA= OPERA is the meeting between our past with a look to the future. The orchestra in the foreground, but with a rhythm that can surprise.
We had never used this rhythm in our songs, pounding, almost a very suggestive up-tempo and almost “makes you dance”, and therefore it’s a way to show that pop-lyrical music has no limits from every point of view.
Opera, opera, opera Opera, opera, opera Giorni, mesi, anni E non ti ho mai perso Sarà che siamo bravi entrambi A prendere il meglio dal peggio E a riconoscere ogni volta Ad occhi chiusi ciò che conta E a schivare insieme pioggia e fulmini Come due pugili E anche se spaventa un po’ Comunque so Che la vita è bella come un’opera Un canto straordinario che si libera In una semplice giornata anonima E per te, per me, anche se A volte brucia, almeno illumina Prima che il vento poi ci porti via È come una poesia, come la musica Perché la vita è bella come Un’opera, opera, opera Opera, opera, opera È una follia È come una poesia, come la musica Perché la vita è bella come L’ho vista ancora ridere in faccia alla paura L’ho vista sopravvivere, anche se a volte è dura Nelle rughe di mia madre, nelle case e per le strade L’ho trovata e l’ho sentita scorrere Su di me, su di te E anche se spaventa un po’ Comunque so Che la vita è bella come un’opera Un canto straordinario che si libera In una semplice giornata anonima E per te, per me, anche se A volte brucia, almeno illumina Prima che il vento poi ci porti via È come una poesia, come la musica Perché la vita è bella come un’opera Perché la vita è bella come un’opera Un canto straordinario che si libera In una semplice giornata anonima Perché la vita è bella come Un Opera, opera, opera Opera, opera, opera È una follia È come una poesia, come la musica Perché la vita è bella come Opera, opera, opera
OPERA
Opera, opera, opera Opera, opera, opera Days, months, years And I never lost you Maybe it’s because we’re both good To make the best of the worst And to recognize every time With eyes closed what matters And to dodge rain and lightning together Like two boxers And even if it scares a little However I know That life is as beautiful as a opera An extraordinary song that frees itself On a simple anonymous day And for you, for me, even if Sometimes it burns, at least it illuminates Before the wind takes us away It’s like poetry, like music Because life is as beautiful as A opera, opera, opera Opera, opera, opera It is madness It’s like poetry, like music Because life is as beautiful as I saw her laugh in the face of fear I’ve seen her survive, even though it’s hard sometimes In my mother’s wrinkles, in the houses and on the streets I found it and felt it flow About me, about you And even if it scares a little However I know That life is as beautiful as a opera An extraordinary song that frees itself On a simple anonymous day And for you, for me, even if Sometimes it burns, at least it illuminates Before the wind takes us away It’s like poetry, like music Because life is as beautiful as a opera Because life is as beautiful as a opera An extraordinary song that frees itself On a simple anonymous day Because life is as beautiful as A opera, opera, opera Opera , opera, opera It is madness It’s like poetry, like music Because life is as beautiful as Opera, opera opera.
IL MONDO ALL’INCONTRARIO
IGNAZIO= IL MONDO ALL’INCONTRARIO is one of those songs that idealize a perfect world, an ideal world for everyone.
PIERO= In some way the text is a text of hope, especially in a historical period like the one we are experiencing now. We try to give a positive look to the future, we have tried to describe it with the text of IL MONDO ALL’INCONTRARIO, hoping that it can be a good omen for an ever better future.
GIANLUCA= It’s an overturned world where we are invited to look beyond conventions, somehow we find the stars under our feet.
There is also a poetic inspiration in all this, which wants to send an important message.
Trattieni il respiro In piedi su un filo Il mondo è impazzito E noi dobbiamo correre per non cadere Ci vuole equilibrio Il buio è cattivo Nel sole fa il giro Gioia e tristezza sono fasi alterne Immagina potessimo cambiare noi le ombre del destino Togliere al fondale le conchiglie E fare annegare le ingiustizie Sarebbe straordinario Un mondo all’incontrario Dove noi, dove noi parliamo E le stelle le calpestiamo Sarebbe straordinario Gridare in uno stadio Dove noi, dove noi vinciamo La felicità, la felicità Trattieni il respiro Tempesta in arrivo Se chiedi a un bambino La guerra è un gioco che si perde sempre Ti immagini potessimo cambiare noi le ombre del destino Aprire le finestre nelle stanze Fare entrare il cielo e le speranze Sarebbe straordinario Un mondo all’incontrario Dove noi, dove noi parliamo E le stelle le calpestiamo Sarebbe straordinario Gridare in uno stadio Dove noi, dove noi vinciamo E te lo immagini se avessimo due ali Sorvolare il mare come gli aeroplani Per capire da lontano se esiste un piano Per tutti questi esseri umani Te lo immagini sparissero le lacrime E si potesse solo ridere E ogni errore lo perdoniamo Un mondo all’incontrario Sarebbe straordinario Gridare in uno stadio Dove noi, dove noi vinciamo La felicità, la felicità
THE WORLD IN CONTRARY
Hold your breath Standing on a wire The world has gone crazy And we have to run so as not to fall It takes balance Darkness is bad In the sun it goes around Joy and sadness are alternating phases Imagine if we could change the shadows of destiny Remove the shells from the bottom And to drown injustices That would be extraordinary A world in reverse Where we, where we speak And we trample the stars That would be extraordinary Shouting in a stadium Where we, where we win Happiness, happiness Hold your breath Storm in arrive If you ask a child War is a game that always loses Can you imagine that we could change the shadows of destiny Open windows in rooms Let the sky and hopes in That would be extraordinary A world in reverse Where we, where we speak And we trample the stars That would be extraordinary Shouting in a stadium Where we, where we win And can you imagine if we had two wings Fly over the sea like airplanes To understand from afar if there is a plan For all these human beings Can you imagine the tears disappearing And we could only laugh And we forgive every mistake A world in reverse That would be extraordinary Shouting in a stadium Where we, where we win Happiness, happiness
SUCCEDE
IGNAZIO= Surely if we have to think about the elegance and delicacy of this album, SUCCEDE is one of those songs.
It’s a song that talks about love, one of those slow loves that you don’t notice and come suddenly.
GIANLUCA= Yes, it is a poem set to music that has great emotion and as the text says at the end, “love cannot be seen, but it happens”, so when it happens suddenly, without ever looking for it, it is even more beautiful.
PIERO= So you can safely dedicate it to the person you love.
IGNAZIO= When you see Michelangelo’s name (producer) on SUCCEDE you think: “Oh God what is this?”
PIERO= More than anything else the name of Michelangelo is associated with Il Volo (Michelangelo is an Italian producer who deals with very different music from that of Il Volo).
IGNAZIO= It was a beautiful experiment and we were surprised, because Michelangelo did a great job when the prod arrived and we were shocked.
GIANLUCA= He managed to sculpt in marble….
PIERO= (he sings a verse from a song by Michelangelo)
IGNAZIO= We recorded this in the studio so that Michelangelo had it, like he does with rappers.
PIERO= And I did it for him in a symphonic version!
Io non lo so Come si vince la paura Mi perderò In una notte senza luna La pelle piena di ferite Ma vive meglio chi sorride A me con te succede Io non lo so Cosa mi aspetterà domani E tremo un po’ Come nel vento i tulipani Ma dopo arrivi piano piano Un terremoto, un uragano Come le gocce sulle pietre Perché l’amore non si vede, sì, però Succede Che ci sia solo il temporale in fondo fa lo stesso E questa casa sai che resterà per sempre un posto Dove tu potrai tornare Dove io potrò tornare Perché l’amore non si vede, sì, però Succede Io non lo so Dove ci porterà il cammino Perché non ho Un buon rapporto col destino Ma tra le cose inaspettate Come una pioggia in piena estate arrivi tu Succede Che ci sia solo il temporale in fondo fa lo stesso E questa casa sai che resterà per sempre un posto Dove tu potrai tornare Dove io potrò tornare Perché l’amore non si vede, sì, però Succede Va tutto bene se stiamo insieme Niente, non esiste niente che ci può far male davvero E, giuro, mi vedrai tornare E so che ti vedrò tornare Perché l’amore non si vede, sì, però Succede
HAPPENS
I do not know How to overcome fear I’ll get lost On a moonless night Skin full of wounds But those who smile live better It happens to me with you I do not know What awaits me tomorrow And I’m shaking a little Like tulips in the wind But then you arrive slowly An earthquake, a hurricane Like drops on stones Because you can’t see love, yes, though Happens The fact that there is only the storm at the end does the same And this house you know will always remain a place Where you can return Where I can return Because you can’t see love, yes, though Happens I do not know Where the journey will take us Because I haven’t A good relationship with destiny But among the unexpected things Like a rain in the middle of summer you arrive Happens The fact that there is only the storm at the end does the same And this house you know will always remain a place Where you can return Where I can return Because you can’t see love, yes, though Happens Everything is fine if we are together Nothing, there is nothing that can really hurt us And, I swear, you’ll see me come back And I know I’ll see you come back Because you can’t see love, yes, though Happens
WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER
AD ASTRA (outro)
(I couldn’t find the video of the guys explaining AD ASTRA (outro), so I’m attaching this review made by the newspaper NewSic.)
AD ASTRA (outro) is a rebellious song, devoid of rules and conventions. More than just a song, it is an experience that challenges the boundaries of music to become a modern work of art. A progressive suite that constitutes the outro of the album, but which at the same time suggests that it is not the end, but rather a new beginning. The perfect embodiment of the idea that creativity is born from contrast, just as the very structure of the album suggests, which invites you to reach for the stars despite the difficulties encountered along the way: per aspera ad astra just a handful of stars in your pocket.
Quanti passi fai Proprio come me Senza darti mai Risposte all’invisibile Risposte all’invisibile Qualcosa ci accomuna, non lo vedi? Siamo milioni di atomi e desideri Sbattiamo come fulmini al tramonto E chissà perché siamo venuti al mondo Le gocce come lame sulla pelle La pioggia però, non spegnerà mai le stelle Mostrami tutti i tagli, le debolezze Tanto lo so che, in fondo, sono le stesse Le mie, le tue, le sue, con le stessе paure La strada non la sa nessuno Quanti passi fai Proprio come mе Senza darti mai Risposte all’invisibile Senza darti mai Risposte all’invisibile Risposte all’invisibile Continui a calcolare e a prendere la mira La vita è tutto quello che non pensi prima Una sorpresa, trovarsi a metà senza uno schema In fondo quelli come noi non hanno mai pace Toccano l’ombra prima della luce Come bambini fanno domande Messe da parte, autocondanne Tutto si, tutto si, tutto si scioglie Le nostre colpe qualcuno perdonerà Per aspera ad astra Solo un pugno di stelle in tasca Per aspera ad astra Un salto, io e te Per aspera ad astra Solo un pugno di stelle in tasca Per aspera ad astra Il dubbio e la risposta Per aspera ad astra Solo un pugno di stelle in tasca Per aspera ad astra Un salto, io e te Per aspera ad astra Solo un pugno di stelle in tasca Per aspera ad astra Il dubbio e la risposta Il dubbio e la risposta Per aspera ad astra
TO ASTRA (outro)
How many steps do you take Just like me Without ever giving you Responses to the invisible Responses to the invisible We have something in common, can’t you see? We are millions of atoms and desires We strike like lightning at sunset And who knows why we came into the world The drops like blades on the skin The rain, however, will never extinguish the stars Show me all the cuts, the weaknesses I know that, deep down, they are the same Mine, yours, his, with the same fears Nobody knows the way How many steps do you take Just like me Without ever giving you Responses to the invisible Without ever giving you Responses to the invisible Responses to the invisible You keep calculating and aiming Life is everything you don’t think about first A surprise, finding yourself halfway without a plan After all, people like us never have peace They touch the shadow before the light Like children they ask questions Set aside, self-condemnation Everything yes, everything yes, everything melts Our sins someone will forgive Per aspera ad astra Just a handful of stars in your pocket Per aspera ad astra A leap, you and me Per aspera ad astra Just a handful of stars in your pocket Per aspera ad astra The doubt and the answer Per aspera ad astra Just a handful of stars in your pocket Per aspera ad astra A leap, you and me Per aspera ad astra Just a handful of stars in your pocket Per aspera ad astra The doubt and the answer The doubt and the answer Per aspera ad astra
How sweet is this short video that contains the moments with the authors, during the composition phases, thanks Gianluca!
Your words that accompany it are also beautiful. ❤️
Ad Astra is the journey of all of us.
Not only the result of talent, tenacity and passion, but the courageous story of those who choose to descend into the depths of the soul.
Ad Astra wants to be the testimony of our history and that of all those who find in music a language to discover themselves and express the hidden part of themselves.
“Can’t you see something we have in common? Show me all your cuts and weaknesses because I know that deep down they are the same, mine, yours, with the same fears, no one knows the way…”
I hope that Ad Astra today can mean for you what is a symbol and victory for us: a harmony that can guide you towards new horizons.
Thanks to you who made all this possible. I love you. ✨
And this is the exact moment of the launch of the CD, midnight on March 28th, after singing on Radio Italia, the boys had dinner together with all the authors and producers, waiting for midnight to celebrate the release of AD ASTRA. How nice to see the camaraderie between our guys and their writers and producers!!
🥰🥰🎉🎉🍾🍾🥂🥂💫💫✨❤️❤️❤️
And now, after this long post, you know the meanings of the various songs. In my opinion they made a beautiful product both in terms of lyrics and orchestration. I want to hear your opinions, whether positive or negative, because it is not possible to please everyone. Write me your favorite song and the one you don’t like and tell me which songs you pair our favorites with. But I want you to be sure of one thing, that Il Volo from before has not been cancelled, it is always there waiting for us at the events where, as always, Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero will give their best, for us fans who adore them.
Before I begin, let me say the cover picture on this story is my all-time favorite picture of the guys and believe me over the last four years I’ve gone through thousands upon thousands of pictures. Why this picture? Because this picture tells a story about Fifteen Years of a Lifetime! This picture is worth not a thousand words but ten thousand words.
Look at how proud they are! The smiles, the joy of sharing the stage with one another. When you’ve come this far you have to look to one another and ask how did we get here? How did we, just kids, succeed, and how do we continue the journey? This is a story that has it’s roots in Naro, Bologna and Montepagano. Three young boys came into this world with totally amazing, totally unique voices. They each were one of a kind.
Let’s take a look back a minute to their beginnings….
How did they find their way to the Ariston stage at the same moment in time. La Forza del Destino or the hand of God? It’s all the same, it’s the hand of God. I think God had a plan and He set it in motion, and it all came together one night on the stage of the Ariston theater during the 2009 season of Ti Lascio Una Canzone.
I’ve written about this many times and what I am saying is something that the guys have said many times. Faith, divine intervention brought them together.
For me, I see the day they sang together for the first time as the day their destiny was fulfilled. La Forza del destino (the force of destiny). I call it as I see it! This was God’s plan! His hand was always guiding each of these boys. How else could you explain how they happened to be in the same place at the same time? We’re not just talking about three teenage boys with nice voices, we’re talking about three teenage boys with phenomenal voices. Very unique voices! Truly one-of-a-kind voices! Their voices are like no other voices in the world. Am I saying they are the greatest singers in the world? Yes! They are touched by the hand of God!
It wasn’t just that the voices were extraordinary, no, it was that they complemented one another. It was natural and it was apparent from the very first note that these voices worked well together and that their voices are in tune with one another. The first time they walked out on the stage, their fate was sealed.
So how is this possible? For me there is only one way to explain it! Before the Lord sent these three amazing men to earth, He said what this world needs are three voices that can bring joy to my people. So, He chose three loving couples and sent each one a son who would bring joy to the world through his voice!
Alone each voice is phenomenal. Together they are a symphony! Listen to their voices when they sing. Their voices come from every direction like a symphony orchestra that is forming the music around you!
I talked about their individual voices and discoveries many times. Usually when you talk about someone being discovered it goes something like, “I was standing on a street corner singing when….” No that isn’t what happened here. The reason they are so unique is because they were discovered as children. Very small children! Three, four years old. They really had those intense unmistakable voices very early on. A voice that makes you stop in your tracks and say, “Am I really hearing that voice coming from that child?” They were born with those voices.
Who could imagine that these three young boys who stepped on the stage of Ti Lascio Una Canzone would travel around the world, join renowned singers and immediately become a part of an industry which, in reality, is so hard to break into? Yes, it was La Forza del Destino that led them to America.
After singing with Piero and Ignazio Gianluca said, “I thought there were three hundred thousand boys singing like me, and instead that night I discovered that there are only two: Ignazio and Piero.” Of course, Gianluca was referring to the night they sang together for the first time on Ti Lascio Una Canzone.
What Gianluca realized in that moment was the uniqueness of their voices. So, let’s begin where it all began….
It is the fourth episode of Ti Lascio Una Canzone and the boys are given the music for O Sole Mio but in three parts. They thought it was strange because until then they were singing alone or doing duets.
They walked out on the stage, sang O Sole Mio and it was like they had been performing together for years. Absolutely flawless! Truly the hand of God. And so, it begins! And there is no turning back!
After that performance, things began to happen. Michele Torpedine would come into the picture and every big name including Universal would want to be a part of this great discovery!
Truly amazing things happened….
This video of them recording Tous le visages de l’amour brings us to the early days in the studio. So young but so talented! Listen to those amazing voices! Notes that take your breath away.
Ignazio recalls….
It was the beginning of 2010, our first time overseas. Destination Miami! What charm America! Everything was so different from Italy: the cars were different, the streets, the houses. I felt like I was in another world.
Immediately after Miami we went to Los Angeles. My first word? ‘Wow!’ Which was also what I said when I entered my room in one of the best hotels in the city, the InterContinental of Century City.
We were only three kids accompanied by our parents. We still did not know each other well. At the beginning I immediately started to connect with Piero. Perhaps because he is Sicilian like me and maybe because we always found the opportunity to make jokes and have fun. We especially enjoyed ourselves when we tried to make ourselves understood by people, since we spoke few words of English.
This was the first Photoshoot in LA. A Behind the Scenes treat!
But what were we doing in Los Angeles? We stayed there a week during which we were lucky enough to be part of the We Are the World 25 for Haiti with eighty of the most famous music stars in the world including Celine Dion, Lionel Richie, Santana and many others. After 25 years we all gathered together for We Are the World 25 for Haiti to collect funds for the earthquake victims of January 12th, 2010.
Can you even begin to imagine what it was like for these three teenagers to find themselves in the mist of some of the greatest entertainers in the music industry! I don’t think they even realized how amazing this event was and here they are a part of it! Remarkable, just like them.
In the beginning the idea of being one in three was something that the guys needed to learn about. They had to learn how to sing together. It was no longer this is your song, learn it and sing it. No, now it was, this is your part, your take, your phrase, learn it and sing it. They begin to understand how music and recording actually work. They were starting to learn about being three in the form of one. Sharing! And, if that wasn’t enough, they had to learn something even harder, how to get along with one another.
I’ve told you, in some of my stories, about the problems, the disagreements. This may seem unusual but in reality, it was not. You show me three teenage boys who can be thrown together and immediately like one another and totally agree with one another. No, that would never happen.
Soon things would change, America opened her arms and her heart to Il Volo….
PBS introduced Il Volo to America. You can say Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca grew up on PBS.
From their first concert on October 27, 2011, at the Detroit Opera House, they won the admiration of the American people and stole their hearts. PBS has been with the guys for every important event in their lives.
When they began, they introduced America to a new style of music. Operatic pop! A very different kind of music for teenagers. Their aim was to show young people how good this music is. They won over the children, parents and grandparents. They were an immediate sensation. America fell in love with them.
There’s no question that PBS played a major role in the career of Il Volo in America.
In 2013 the guys chatted with “Spotlight” producer Paul Larson just minutes before going on stage at Place des Arts in Montreal, Quebec. These were the early years. Larsen would come back seven years later to catch up with the guys!
In the beginning it wasn’t always easy for the guys but when they had a goal, they went for it! I keep going back to Ignazio’s words in the video, “This is Radio City! We hope, I hope, everyone hopes to go there to do a big concert for the American people.”
Back Then
What a dream! Who could possibly have thought that three Italian teenagers could have achieved this dream and stepped on to the stage at Radio City Music Hall and brought us all to absolute ecstasy with their voices!
And now!
Most entertainers want to perform at Radio City once in their lifetime! It’s a dream, it’s every entertainer’s dream! Our guys have done it year after year to sold out audiences! And every time is better than the last.
Five years had passed, and it was time to make a big courageous move….
Sanremo!
I’ll let the guys tell you what happened at Sanremo….
Ignazio….
The sixty-fifth edition of the Festival begins Tuesday, February 10th. We sing the second night, Wednesday the 11th. The strange thing is that normally my legs tremble before the performance, but mine trembled even after the performance! Perhaps too much adrenaline, it never happened before.
Piero….
Or maybe it was because we came back to the Ariston stage after going around the world. It was like coming home, because we experienced the beginning of our career here with Ti Lascio UnaCanzone. One thing that cannot be described: in Sanremo, in Italy, to sing and receive the applause of the Italian public. It cannot be explained.
Gianluca….
Can you imagine for me, this was also my birthday: I turned twenty on Ariston’s stage? Of course, I was moved in the end, and it was too much emotion to my sensibility to play bad jokes at times.
And then, we felt the pressure in the air. Even though I was optimistic, the tension was there.
Although we had taken care of the smallest details of the song, we had tried and tried again, and we had taken care of even the smallest details of the clothing. The first evening look more rock: total black with leather jacket.
Because when we do our work, too, the image matters.
Piero….
Count, of course that counts.
At this point the guys get off track reminiscing and Ignazio pulls them back to the story….
Ignazio….
Yes, but what does that have to do with it, Pie? We’re talking about Sanremo.
Ignazio continues….
Sanremo 2015, from 10th to 14th of February, we sang on the second evening, legs shaking, Gianluca’s birthday.
Piero….
And the criticisms we felt in those days? People at home voted for us, appreciated us, and journalists gave us votes that we thought were postponed until September, I also said this at the press conference after the victory. Five that flew (Bad votes given by critics). But we see that the criticisms have done us good.
Ignazio….
Can I do too, a criticism of you?
Piero…
Ah, tell me…
Ignazio
You interrupted me. I was about to tell the final. Can I continue?
In short, the final evening arrives, February 14th. I realize from the shirt that in a week we have eaten more than sung.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, I’m a boy who does not say cat if I do not have it in the bag, then until Carlo Conti said….
Piero….
And indeed, whoever wins does not know it until the end! Sorry, Igna Speak you!!!
Ignazio….
Until Carlo Conti said: ‘The winner of the Sanremo Festival 2015 is … Il Volo!,’ I said to the boys: ‘No, guys, we do not win, it’s difficult.’ And on the one hand I had Piero with shining eyes and on the other Gianluca with a smug smile as if to say: ‘Do not worry.’
Gianluca….
The truth is that I was right from the beginning, and no one has ever listened to me, ever. I believed it so much that, if you notice, maybe I’m the one with the least surprised look when Carlo Conti announces the winner. Then, of those moments, one remembers little, there is great confusion, emotion. It was a dream to be able to shout, ‘Thank you, Italy!’ from that stage. I looked at Sanremo as a child when there was Pippo Baudo, and I was there and won because people were on our side and it was a dream, I repeat even if I have already said.
The emotion was only when my grandfather told me almost in tears: ‘Who would have told me that in life I saw Modugno win at the Festival and then I saw you win.’
In short, Sanremo was just a dream that brought us many different emotions.
These three men proved you have to go after your dreams. This dream was different because it was not a dream that in the end would make them superstars; they already were superstars! Their dream was to follow their hearts and win the hearts of the people of Italy. That was the dream! It was the dream that would make absolutely no difference in their lives except for being close to the people they loved. So, they ran with it and started chasing the Lion until they caught him on February 14, 2015! That night they brought the Lion home along with the hearts of the Italian people.
In 2019 the guys decided to return to Sanremo. Their song Musica che resta ranked third at the Festival!
After ten years….
Just like the rest of the world, the guys had to postpone their concerts, go back to home and wait until there was some control over COVID-19. Their concerts were rescheduled.
As the guys go soaring into their second decade, they meet up again with Paul Larsen.
In the interview the guys said, “Larson invites us back to a simpler time, when “social distancing” was not a common term.”
Larsen’s second interview with Il Volo happened on January 30, 2020, backstage at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec. No one was talking about postponing shows back then. No one was wearing a mask. Larson sat less than six feet apart from the guys and chatted about their 10-year career, and their sixth PBS special, shot in beautiful Matera Italy.
Let’s move forward five years. So much happened over those years but most importantly these teenagers grew into amazing young men and the time came to expand their horizons.
In their first Raiuno live for TV concert in Verona, we noticed that the guys had matured in body and mind and their voices have gone to another level of magnificence!
We watched them grow but this is different. There’s a beautiful presence about them now. A certain elegance! After fifteen years they haven’t waned, they’ve increased in strength and intensity! There is a certain power in their voices that grabs you from the first note of the concert to the last.
Each guy has grown into his voice and is showing a maturity and style the likes of which men who are approaching the end of their careers can only have imagined!
Fifteen years of a lifetime! I use that expression a lot because each year was like a lifetime with them. They never seem to stop. Like in their last Latin American Tour. Not only were there concerts but there were also late-night recording sessions. Thanks to the genius of Ignazio who turned his hotel rooms into a recording studio. And when the tour was over, it still wasn’t over. It’s called bringing your work home. There were still the recordings to deal with. Yes, it’s a lifetime full of wonders. One can hardly imagine what goes on. The tour takes on a life of its own. It’s an experience which most entertainers will never know. Or should I say, “have the honor of knowing.” For our guys, work is honor!
For Il Volo, 2023 was about new beginnings! So now let’s go to where these new beginnings began. The best place to start is the televised concerts at Verona in May. The beautiful Frederica Panicucci who was the presenter of the Il Volo concert had this to say about what would happen that evening. “During the evening Il Volo will show unpublished moments with solos and duets they never performed before. It will be their way of showing their different personalities.”
Yes, Federica was right, that night was different because we’ve heard these voices before but not in the way we heard them that night. The guys introduced us to their personal feelings about their music.
A great example of this is in Ignazio’s words before both concerts:
In the first concert Ignazio said, “I’ve always loved great female voices….”
And in the second concert he said, “I will try to take a trip to the most beautiful female songs in the world tonight.
So let’s start with one of Ignazio’s solos….
So, it seems Ignazio still enjoys singing these (female) songs. And why wouldn’t he? He is the only one of the three that can sing that kind of song because they are songs that require a strong voice that is very clear, crisp and very lyrical and a lot of passion must be put into each song! I think I just described Ignazio’s voice! Let me add and, “very soulful!”
Next we met the real Gianluca in his rock mode and he introduced us to his feelings for Elvis, Sinatra, Dylan and the Beatles.
Piero brought us his perfect operatic voice. Whimsical and joyful. He has a great love and sincerity for this music. Opera is in his soul. He opens up that soul to us in these concerts with arias we have never heard him sing before.
During their solos, the other two guys sat on the side stage and listened. In these moments, we see the admiration these men have for one another. Truly amazing!
This was a nice way of presenting each of them.
I remember Piero saying, in his story, that when he did a solo he couldn’t wait for it to end when Ignazio and Gianluca would return. He has to love this new arrangement.
These concerts were different. They showed a beautiful evolution from where the guys were to where they are now. Their new direction! Their future!
This new arrangement is thrilling because there is a lot of feeling in the music. The songs they have sung from the beginning have always had feeling but in a different way.
Here we feel each man’s thoughts, ideas and mindset. In the soul of each man there is a longing to bring you their music unlike you’ve ever heard it before. It is the movement within their souls when they sing. They were restless to release these feelings and make you feel what they feel. They bring a feeling of sheer bliss to each note in each song. Think about expressing your feelings for someone you love. Put that to music and you have each guy’s mindset.
Amid a thousand points of light that sparkled like stars in the night sky, our guys were the brightest stars on the stage. They showed not just their love for one another’s music but their love and appreciation for the music of the other performers.
So where did this go? Individuality!!!
Their new concerts are giving us the opportunity to look into the heart of our guys through their music. It allows us to see them in a deeper and more personal way.
Their idea of “individuality” was not to dissuade you from one or the other. No, in fact, they want you to take a closer look at the other guy. Not to compare but to understand their individuality!
You may have found that some of the music they are singing now you like more than what they were singing or vis versa! It’s called taking a closer look!
Il Volo is magic, and that magic is on the stage, in the concert halls, in Arenas and Amphitheaters, on TV, in videos and CD’s but the true magic of Il Volo is in our hearts!
So it only made sense that in 2024, they would return to Sanremo in a new light in a new direction!
Their video won best video at Sanremo 2024! Their song should have won Sanremo! The song is spectacular! The voices are spectacular! They outperformed every entertainer at Sanremo 2024!
I know they went there with no great expectations. I know they wanted to celebrate fifteen years together on the Ariston stage, but they deserved to win! Some things never change. I know they were happy regardless of the results, as well they should be because they are the ultimate performers. When they are on the stage they give their all. And they have shared Fifteen Years of a Lifetime with all of us and from the bottom of our hearts we thank them!
And let’s not forget, Capolavoro went Gold!
Congratulations guys!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
The guys new Album Ad Astra is out. It’s available on Spotify, Amazon etc.
