This is another lovely post put together by Daniela! Grazie mille! 🙂 Glad everyone seemed to have a good time commenting on Friday’s post. Yes, I left it up there on purpose, since there were so many back and forth comments! 🙂
The new CD is finished recording and now …… they will DANCE !!!
In fact, Piero Gianluca and Ignazio are getting ready to shoot their video for the launch of the new CD, and they will dance on this record.
Do these guys have any idea what they are doing to their older fans? Me thinks they are trying to kill us all off? I can see the headlines now…. “Mature female, found dead – half naked picture of one of the Il Volo trio, found on cell phone!”
I would say that the workouts and the gym did really well for these guys.
Our puppies, perhaps better to say ugly ducklings, have become swans, of physiqued men.
But where is Ignazio? …….. certainly the gym is not his forte, also he is the one who is the more modest…
It has not been a long time, but what to say, the changes have been there, they were beautiful before and they are amazing now.
In these days there was Gianluca’s birthday. All the fan pages were invaded by beautiful wishes that started from all our hearts. Certainly there is so much love for this sweet boy. One of these comments has attracted me a lot, it is written by Maura Pucci who is a big fan of him, she is 84 years old.
On the occasion of his 23rd birthday…
In 2009 he immediately hit my imagination. Indeed, it struck me straight to the heart.
I was already a grandmother of ten grandchildren, two of them roughly his age. I was disconcerted, but also bewitched, by his deep voice, coming, incredibly, from a boy with an angelic face and dreamy eyes.
Almost nine years have passed and his voice has taken over time all the nuances that the age, still unripe, still not allowed. A versatile voice, so many different and easily distinguishable voices.
I think of the amazing WIRE OF VOICE that concludes the first verse of Notte Stellata, tenuous and subtle as a sigh, to WHISPERED PARTS of many of his interpretations, but, at the same time, to the DRAMATIC and THEATRICAL voice of Aranjuez. I think about the CARESSING and LIGHT voice with which he tackles the beginning of many songs, at the SOFT and SENSUAL voice of a true crooner, but also at the AGGRESSIVE voice of Delilah; I think of the POWERFUL and JOKING voice of Rossini’s Dance, the HOT and PASSIONATE of Musica Proibita, the POWERFUL and TRIUMPHAL of the “Vincerò!” by Nessun dorma. And I can not forget that DEEP and SOLEMN of the religious and / or Christmas songs, to which it gives the indispensable touch of majesty and sacredness. These are his voices … from concert. I add that CHARGE OF RHYTHM AND SWING, exhibited till now in particular interpretations outside the stage.
So many voices for a chameleonic singer, as was defined by an expert, an American vocal coach, who, after praising the excellent VOCALITY, added << … His voice is a tool >> More than singing, Gianluca interprets. Because he sings with all of himself, with his eyes, with the expression of his face, with the movements of his hands, sometimes even with the posture of the body. In one word, with FEELING. Does not give the feeling of doing a job, but a mission: to transfer to those who listen to the passion for music that accompanies him since he was a child. He brings on stage all the qualities that distinguish him in private life. Always in pursuit of perfection, he is PROFESSIONAL AND SIGNORY in behavior, but willing to “let go” when necessary; CHEERFUL AND SMILING, sometimes also VIVACY, never too exuberant, SPIRITUS, with measure, CONFIDENTIAL, but not as timid as it used to be, AFFECTIVE AND AVAILABLE with the fans. Even in private life, this is the quality that connotes it in every circumstance. It is in fact a boy ROMANTIC, SWEET, TENERO, CHARGE OF AFFECTIVITY, towards family members, friends, children, the disabled, and always AVAILABLE with everyone, even with the fans who visit him at home in his rare moments rest. Finally, I would like to underline it, HE is SINCERELY MODEST. I have not forgotten what he said in an interview, which, despite having had idols that sing, since childhood, and still having them, he found it hard to believe that he, in turn, became an idol for many people. This is “my” Gianluca, these are the qualities that I personally perceive in him: a son, a brother, a nephew, an ideal friend, beyond his indisputable qualities of singer and performer. Happy birthday, my boy! I wish you all the best in the world.
Here is also this! (works only in Italian) translation G rande Amore – Great Love I ncantevole sorriso – Lovely smile A nimo sensibile – Sensitive soul N aturalmente elegante – Naturally elegant L uce nel suo sguardo – Light in your look U nica dolcezza – Unique sweetness C arezzevole timbro – Caressing stamp A rmonia nella sua voce – Harmony in the voice G entilezza innata – Innocent kindness I deale amico – Ideal friend N on solo attraente – Not just attractive O cchi che parlano – Eyes that speak B ello anche “dentro ” – Beautiful also “inside” L ineamenti perfetti – Perfect features E ccezionale veramente – Truly exceptional
………really beautiful words wrote Maura for Gianluca, but you have understood who is the American vocal coach of which she speaks?
Thank you Daniela for sending this beautiful story. I’m wondering if it is Myron she may be referring to? 🙂
The guys have landed safely in Miami! They are “here” for a little while, even if we are not lucky enough to run into them, like the fans in Miami….
From Myron…
I had planned to wait for the new Il Volo album to review but I have been getting a number of emails and phone calls about the album that have inspired me to comment ahead of time. I will still do a review of the album later. Since all of the people that have written and many of you on this Flight Crew site that I have met at concerts or at the Il Volo Fan Faire conventions are friends I had the urge to share some ideas about your concerns for this coming album.
FORMAL VOICE TRAINING
First of all the basics: Gianluca, Piero, and Ignazio come from backgrounds that are founded in well-trained, formal voice work – private voice lessons. If you look at some of the concert or album reviews that I have written on this site (see Flight Crew archives) over the past 6 years you will see what factors are involved in the mechanics of good singing. It is not easy!
Our guys have that kind of formal work in spades! You may remember the tour they did with Barbra Streisand and how they had their vocal coach and she had her own. She started working with that coach 6 months prior to tour and had the coach drop in once in a while during the tour. This keeps the singing honest, true and high quality. For the Notte Magica concert in Florence that DVD had a “behind the scenes” video that showed the guys working with a vocal coach. As Barbra would probably say: you never stop needing a vocal coach if you want to do things right.
This kind of training will give them the prowess to handle any kind of music they choose to perform – including the Cuban-influenced Latin music that they are learning with Emilio Estefan.
CHOICE OF REPERTOIRE
From the beginning of their career the guys have chosen great music to sing and it has often been in different languages from different cultures: Italian (of course) , English, Spanish, French, and German. Some times they have gone back and redone parts of an album to sing a translated portion in Spanish that they had previously done in Italian or English. So a whole album in Spanish is nothing new. They have done it before and we loved it. Regardless, the songs they have chosen have been excellent and a person does not have to understand the meaning of the text to get the musical message from that song. Passion wins through in the end and these guys have great passion by the boat- load to add to those beautiful vocal instruments.
So now we have the guys working with renown producer, Emilio Estefan – husband of great singer, Gloria Estefan to produce this album. To get a little hint look at Gloria and her music history. She is a well trained singer and she has done not only Cuban – influenced albums but also, mainstream jazz, Broadway and Latin pop songs. She is superb in her wide variety. Recently, she released an album called “ The Standards” which features songs the guys have also done like Charlie Chaplin’s “ Smile” and she has a number of Frank Sinatra and Henry Mancini songs that are American standards on that album. Go to Youtube and look up Gloria and Smile. Give a listen. She is very good. I am telling you this because Gloria gives a hint about the kind of background not only she has but also Emilio. So I would say that the guys are in good hands. From what I have heard they are doing a song with Gloria. Great ! I hope they do other things with her. Some of the “guest” singers they have worked with in the past left much to be desired (compared to the guys) . Well they can’t all be a Barbra or a Gloria.
The guys have indicated that they want to explore different musical cultures. They have for the past number of years, done an excellent job of exploring their own Italian heritage and the classical background they share. Now, while they are still young, they want to branch out. This is a good thing. It does not mean that they have stopped loving the music they have done up to now. It does not mean that they are leaving those of us in mainstream USA behind. It just means they want to try new things and they want to take us along with them on the journey. Hopefully, tried and true fans will want to venture out with them on that journey.
Nothing can erase the great albums, PBS specials, and the concerts that they have done so far. Those events will always be part of their heritage and our memory. Will this new album be equally successful ? From what I hear they are doing a number of songs that are original – never done before – unpublished. That is gutsy and brave.
MUSIC STYLE
If you want to get a hint about the new album listen to some of Gloria’s Cuban/Latin pop albums. Of all the Latin American countries Cuba has had a very strong influence on North and South American music. This goes back long before the Castro government came in. Even in Hollywood you can see from the movies in the 1930s and 1940s that the influence is strong. Go to Youtube and look up Gloria and “ Conga “ have some fun.
IL VOLO RETURNS TO SANREMO – 2018.
I had a chance yesterday to watch a video of the recent Sanremo event. Il Volo was not in competition this time but, rather, guests to add some sparkle to the show. They sang three songs – one from the Notte Magica album and tour – one from earlier album and tour and a song that was not in the earlier albums. It was great to see them back there again. I will save this review for another time.
Thank you, Myron!!
A note from Jana…
And to all of you out there that are saying “that is not my kind of music – pshaw!” and shame on you! Remember that old “Life” cereal commercial? “Mikey won’t eat it, he hates everything!…” as they say… Then cut to “hey look, he’s eating it!” Well, to all of you “Mikeys (and Michaelas)” out there – just TRY it, you might LIKE it! I am not a personal fan of rap, or hip-hop, but if the guys are singing it, then I’ll listen to it. Remember, like Myron said, they’ve been singing this same type of music now for nearly 10 years! When was the last time you had a job, the same job, for 10 years? It gets boring after a while, right? Didn’t you want to branch out? Do something different? Change it up just a bit? That’s all the guys are doing! They have a long career ahead of them and they will probably try just about anything and everything in the next 20 plus years. Some of us may be under ground or on a shelf by then, but they will still be going strong! 🙂 Does anyone remember how many people said “I don’t like opera” when Notte Magica came out? I’m sure there were plenty! These guys are chameleons! But leopards, too! They may change their colors up once in a while, but a leopard can’t change its spots and we can’t change the incredible voices these guys have. Speaking of the animal world, they are also like zebras, where no two zebras have the same pattern of stripes – our guys are as unique and individual as they come, even amongst themselves! Remember, you are never too old to learn or appreciate something new! – jmv
I know we will all turn into “THIS” Mikey, real soon! 🙂
Leafing through here and there, I found these beautiful thoughts of a girl who met Gianluca on the beach of Roseto. Her name is Valeria, another Valeria, Valeria Tirelli and her favorite is Gianluca.
With his warm, velvety voice, he caresses the soul’s cords.
With his sweetness, with his kindness, with his generosity in wanting to give you a smile, a word, a hug, he steals your heart.
I’m really happy to have had the opportunity to meet Gianluca Ginoble.
Because I did not meet the famous singer, but he, Gianluca, the “normal” guy, the one who did not change (and I hope it never happens) from the huge, well deserved success achieved along with the other guys from Il Volo.
Together, they enchant audiences around the world with those wonderful voices. Meeting Gianluca face to face, he has enchanted me.
Impossible not to be touched by his way of being, so humble, so normal, or by his sweetness, which you perceive in every gesture, in every look, in every smile.
Gianluca is the furthest you can be from how, a bit all of us, we imagine are the famous people.
If, as happened to me, you have the good fortune to meet him outside of the official occasions, you feel on your skin of having in front of you, a very special boy. He is kind and helpful, curious and attentive to anyone approaching him to say hello, for a photo or an autograph.
Even if he is in a hurry, he does not deny a few minutes of his time to anyone, ever, going (and it is something that I would like to underline, having lived it in person) far beyond what would be “normally” due to the fans.
So I thank him for his time, for the photo, for the autograph, for those few minutes in which he spoke with us, treating us in a very exquisite way and giving us a precious moment to put in the album of memories.
I hope I’m lucky enough to meet him again.
I am convinced of one thing: only true great artists, and only those who have the merit of being beautiful souls, like Gianluca, are able to enter people’s hearts in this way.
And once they enter, they stay there forever.
Roseto Degli Abruzzi 20 August 2016
Valeria Tirelli is the girl in the center
********
Translated by Daniela
Credit to all owners of photos.
Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!
Happy birthday, my boy! I wish you all the best in the world.
