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
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.
Just so you don’t think I’ve lost my mind; I’m doing this story in between black outs. I’ve lost my lights four times today. So, I decided to take an old story which happens to be my first story and post it so you will have a story this week. It’s four years ago this week that I wrote it!
I couldn’t get into my photos so there are none. I did get into videos, but the videos really don’t relate to the story but I’m sure you’ll love them anyway.
Four years ago, after learning that the guys were going home because of COVID, I started checking the fans pages to see what I could find out. What I found out was people were very concerned that the guys were going into the COVID zone, Italy. Little did we know that we would follow them.
Just Went Gold! Congratulations guys!
The guys did what they had to do. They left to be with their families.
I was not a person who went on fan pages. I was always too busy to stop and read all that people had to say. But suddenly, I wasn’t busy. In fact, I was completely shut down. No business, nothing! That’s what led me to start reading the fan pages. After a few days I realized that the fans were making themselves crazy over the guys going back to Italy so, I decided to write an article about it. I posted the article on Facebook and some of the administrators of the Il Volo fan groups started to message me. Can we post your article? Then they followed up with can you write another article. Well, I had nothing to do so I said yes!
At one point I received a message from Daniela Perani who asked if she could post my article on Il Volo Flight Crew! I said yes, and four years later I have my own column (every Wednesday) and the rest is history!
So, today, four years later, I am posting the original article which Daniela posted. I’ve included her remarks so you can get a feel for how this all went down! So here I am Talking About Our Guys ~ Four Years Later.
Daniela’s comment:
Reading, here and there on the various sites and fan pages, I found this beautiful article written by Susan De Bartoli. Several fan pages have recognized the goodness of this beautiful article by publishing it. Since maybe not all of you who follow Flight Crew may have read it, I thought I’d post it here too, and I asked Susan for her confirmation to do so. Here’s what she wrote.
Over the last few days, I’ve been thinking about how our lives have changed in just two weeks. It’s surreal! I try to distract myself but it’s difficult to get away from it all. So, I decided to focus on something else. I can usually get lost in my writing. You know before I started my travel business in 1990, I worked in the motion picture industry. I used to critique films. It was a good job but, I decided I wanted to do more with my life so, I quit my job and I spent two years writing. The best years of my life. So, where am I going with all of this?
Like most of you, right now, I spend a good deal of my day listening to those three amazing guys sing and I said maybe I should do a review of what’s been going on in their lives for the last 10 years. I think, over the last few days, I must have watched hundreds of video clips including interviews and some full concerts and now I’m ready to Talk About Our Guys.
Let me start off by saying these three young men are extraordinary! They are remarkable, exceptional, persons. And, they have revolutionized the music industry. Let’s take a look at each one.
Gianluca is known as the Velvet Voice! I don’t who coined the phrase but, that is right on. Let’s use our senses to understand what that means. Take a piece of velvet and hold it in your hand. Now take your other hand and gently pass your hand across the velvet. What do you feel? You feel a smooth even surface that is crisp with no breaks in it. The sensation is so good that you automatically go back and do it again. And every time it’s the same. It’s pleasing!
Now take Gianluca’s voice, let the notes pass into your ears, what do you hear? A crisp, smooth, even voice with no breaks in it. The note barely passes into your ear, and you are going back for the next note. It’s always pleasing!
Gianluca is a lyrical baritone. He is exceptional because he can sing from the lowest to the highest note in the baritone range. Most baritones are limited in range. Gianluca’s voice is huge. He has a very rich chest resonance which creates a feeling of depth and drama in his voice.
A baritone voice is very romantic, very pleasing to listen to and is always inviting. Most songs are written for baritones. Gianluca starts, almost, every song. Why? In order for a song to be received well you must draw your audience into it. Gianluca’s voice draws you in in a romantic way and you hang on to every note. He can mesmerize you with songs like “Mi Mancherai” where he reaches into the depth of your being. His interpretation of “Surrender” is electrifying.
But, when Gianluca sings, “She’s Always a Woman”, he takes your breath away. The highs, the lows, the emotion, the expression. His voice expands like nothing I ever heard before. He has total command of the song. You walk away with your senses lifted to another level.
Let’s talk about Ignazio, who I call the bridge. He is a lyrical tenor. He, like Gianluca, is exceptional because he can sing from the lowest to the highest note in the tenor range. And God knows he can, easily, hit the high C. Waiting for it and knowing it’s going to happen is so exciting! He brings so much to the production, and I’ll talk more about that later!
A lyrical tenor has a warm graceful voice which is bright and strong but not heavy and it can be heard over an orchestra. Ignazio’s voice is smooth, clean and clear, with an acute extension. His voice has the ability to increase the baritone voice of Gianluca while softening the spinto tenor voice of Piero.
Ignazio has many faces. He is very whimsical in his songs as in “Libiamo ne’ lieti calici” from La Traviata. In the aria “Una Furtiva Lagrima” from L’elisir D’amore, Ignazio makes you feel the innocents of Nemorino’s love for Adina.
In his dedication to Pino Daniele you hear an interpretation that is emotional and a delivery that is so amazing that you get the sense that Daniele wrote his songs for Ignazio.
Ignazio’s voice is the one that brings it all together!
I certainly look for every excuse to include one of my favorite songs. Nobody else can sing it like Ignazio! Just thrilling! “Quando l’amore diventa poesia.”
And finally, Piero. Piero is a spinto (meaning pushed) tenor. A spinto tenor has the brightness and height of a lyric tenor, but with a heavier vocal weight enabling the voice to be “pushed” to dramatic climaxes with less strain than his lighter-voice counterparts. His voice is warm, graceful, bright, and can be heard over an orchestra.
Piero has a powerful voice that easily reaches the higher notes. Every note that comes out of his mouth reaches us with such intensity and remains with us for a long time. It’s the voice that reaches out to you and demands your attention.
Think of Piero singing “E Lucevan le Stele” from Tosca. Or singing the beautiful Spanish aria “No Puede Ser” from A Tabernera del Puerto. From the first note Piero pierces your soul! His passion comes through in his music. Arias are very dramatic and, Piero brings all the drama of the aria into his performance. Always a showstopper!
Now let’s put the voices together. Gianluca starts most songs because he is a baritone, and most songs are written for baritones. As I mentioned he draws you into the song. Gianluca will sing (in most cases) to Ignazio and Ignazio to Piero. This is how the three voices become one. Select one of their songs. Now close your eyes and listen to them sing. What can you say about this song? You can say, that is Gianluca or Ignazio or Piero singing. In the progression of the song, you hear the voices blend to form a symphony for your ears. Their voices are very distinct.
Most groups sing and you hear just a song but with Il Volo you are surrounded by voices. And the individuality of their voices entices you and it stays with you. “Musica che Resta”. (Music that Remains) Think of what Piero says when he introduces one of the solos, “After we were together a while, we realized we had three different voices.” He wasn’t saying that they suddenly found out they had different voices he was saying we are Tres Voces un Alma (three voices and one soul) and, we need to show you those voices individually.
Let’s look at how they described one another when they first started out. I think Ignazio said Gianluca was the serious one, and Piero was the Intelligent one and Gianluca and Piero said Ignazio was the funny one. So, let’s take a look at that.
Gianluca, in most cases, is the spokesman for the group. I’m not sure if this is by chance or choice. He seems to always take the lead when they are in interviews. And he is constantly monitoring the conversation. A good example is the video that was going around recently. It’s the one with the story about the shrimps. The boys were appearing on a Spanish show and Piero was telling the story about Gianluca and Ignazio’s food fight, when they were teenagers, and he mistakenly used the Spanish word cama (bed) instead of the Spanish word cara (face) which turns the story from them throwing shrimps into one another’s face into throwing shrimps at each other in bed. Gianluca picked up on this and immediately corrected the mistake while Ignazio and Piero got hysterical laughing.
Piero is the intelligent one perhaps because he thinks everything through. In interviews he thinks before he speaks, and his answers are always intelligent. He’s very serious and you can tell he thought out the answer before he spoke. And I’m sure that’s what makes his performance so great!
And, Ignazio, the funny one. And that he is! But is it really about the joke? Or is it more about the production. Let’s turn to the production.
The stage is simple. One sign that says it all – Il Volo. There’s the orchestra. Guitars, drum, piano, violins and whatever other instruments are needed for the performance. I want you to stop and think about the performance. We know these guys have three amazing voices but, what if they got on the stage and for two hours, they did nothing but sing. I don’t think it would work. A performance needs the ability to move on. There’s no change of scenery and no intermission so how do you move the performance along? Ignazio!!! The joking he brings into the performance provides the levity to relieve the seriousness of the performance. He brings a certain ease and suspense to the performance. The audience is always wondering, what will he do next. But is it always about joking? I want you to think about what I’m saying. Ignazio is constantly moving around the stage. He’s dancing and keeping the rhythm. He’s swinging the microphone around and constantly nodding towards the orchestra, Gianluca and Piero. Is that the lead up to a joke? I don’t think so. Let me tell you what you are looking at. Ignazio is following every note that is sung or played on that stage. His mind is in motion. He is sensitive and passionate with the music. He has the ability to see the music as it is happening. He knows where every instrument should come in and out. That’s why you notice little things like him smiling, nodding, pointing towards the musicians, Gianluca or Piero. He also grabs the baton from the conductor, sometimes to joke but more often to conduct.
Think about Ignazio conducting the Asti Symphony Orchestra while Marcello Rota sang his tenor part. He wasn’t joking, he was conducting. And that’s why everyone was watching him in amazement. And when it was over, they were speechless. Look at Michele Torpedine go across the stage to embrace him. He is in awe of this young man. Ignazio is music! You call him funny I call him brilliant! I am going to make a prediction here! Remember you heard it here first. Ignazio will compose a great opera and will probably also write the libretto for it.
An early interview. Talking from the heart! Very sincere!
Let’s go back to the beginning. When these three young men started out, they were 15 and 16 years old. Think of being 15 or 16 years old and you have a dream, and someone tells you that that dream, needs to be shared. To fulfill that dream you have to leave your family, your friends, your home, you have to go to another country, and you have to share this journey with two people who you really know nothing about except that they had the same dream you did. You have to trust that the decision that was made by you and your family, was the right decision. If not, it’s back to square one! You’re going to be lonely, and you have to learn to survive without the people you love. So, you learn to lean on one another. That dependence turns into a friendship and that friendship into a brotherhood. It enabled them to trust enough to collaborate and perfect something truly amazing. Something that revolutionized the music industry. Let me go further by showing you a collaboration by these three amazing, very, very talented, young men that is so unreal that it boggles your mind. This is a collaboration of love. Stop and listen to this performance of “Por Una Cabeza”.
Look at how they smile at one another during the performance. A smile that says yes that’s it! Their faces are ablaze! Their expressions let one another know that it works. And, finally, when it’s over, they are so excited they can hardly contain themselves. Look at their smiles, their faces are lit up in joy and their embrace says it all! They are brothers who love one another!
Daniela’s final comment:
Susan, I really have to thank you for your nice words, you hit the mark in the description of Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero.
Thanks also for allowing the publication.
We will be happy to have your other posts if you wish.
A hug from the whole Flight Crew family.
Well, obviously, I continued to write for Flight Crew!
How do I see things now. I see the guys more mature with voices that are more amazing each day! The sweetness is still there, and they still share their lives with the fans.
Sometimes it’s difficult writing about the guys because they’ve lived a lifetime and experienced things that most entertainers only experience late in their careers. They are so young and have truly lived a lifetime of dreams. Since the column is called Through the Fields of My Mind, I must talk about the past. Sometimes I think, how many ways can I tell the same story and then, I read your comments and I realize it’s new every time and there is always someone who has never heard the story before. All in all, I still enjoy Talking About Our Guys ~ Four Years Later.
Now for you listening pleasure The Concert in Verona 2015
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
The guy’s new Album Ad Astra is out. It’s available on Spotify, Amazon etc.
If you would like to share a story with me, please copy email: susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
To read more Il Volo stories visit us at www.ilvoloflightcrw.com
In July 2016, after returning from the World Tour, Gianluca was presented with the Dean Martin Award from the municipality of Pescara.
What did Gianluca have to say about his life back then? Let’s listen to his words….
TRAVELING, DREAMING, SINGING. THREE SIMPLE WORDS THAT ENVELOPE THE MEANING OF MY LIFE. TRAVEL CHANGED ME. I AM NO LONGER THE SAME PERSON AFTER SEEING THE MOON ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD. DREAMING IS CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION AND ONLY THOSE WHO DO NOT STOP DOING IT CAN TOUCH THE SKY. SINGING IS MY LIFE…HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE…MY LIFE!
That truly sums up Gianluca’s life even if only in a simple way.
Even back then, I saw Gianluca as being a romantic. His life was all about his dreams and his love ~ That’s Amore!
At the beginning of the event, Gianluca received greetings from Mayor Marco Alessandrini who said, “one of the voices of Il Volo will receive the Dean Martin Award, during the presentation of the Awards in the Council Chamber.”
On Friday, July 22, 2016 the Council Chamber of the Municipality of Pescara, presented the 9th Dean Martin Award to Gianluca Ginoble.
Alessandra Portinari, president of the Dean Martin Foundation explained, This year’s edition of the Dean Martin Prize will be presented to a great artist from Abruzzo known all over the world thanks to his talent. The gala will be held on Sunday July 31st, in Piazza Muzii – Pescara. Many compare Gianluca Ginoble as the natural heir of Dino Crocetti (Dean Martin), not only in terms of vocal timbre, but for the stubbornness typical of the Abruzzese and for the perfection that they put and have put into their work. A necessary quality to achieve that American dream that first Dean Martin and now Gianluca have conquered.
Ginoble, with the other members of Il Volo, have enchanted stages all over the world and between a tour in Latin America and Europe on Friday we will have the honor of presenting him with the prestigious award.
At the age of fourteen with Ignazio Boschetto and Piero Barone participated in 2009 in Ti lascio una canzone, the Raiuno television program, but it is thanks to the intuition of Michele Torpedine, the manager who built the careers of Andrea Bocelli, Zucchero, Giorgia and Biagio Antonacci, that they have become an incredibly successful trio. Their debut album ‘Il Volo’ was released in Italy in November 2010 and obtained the ‘Platinum’ certification for sales and was released all over the world. In just one week, it entered the ‘Top Ten of the Billboard 200,’ dedicated to the best-selling albums in the United States.
From August to October 2012 Il Volo was engaged in a tour of 40 dates in the United States & Canada in the most important theaters of New York, Toronto, Boston, Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Montreal and many others, then participating as a Special Guest in the tour of Barbra Streisand in over twelve concerts, dueting with the great artist. On November 20, 2012, the second album, ‘We are Love’ was released, which includes duets with Placido Domingo and Eros Ramazzotti and an English cover of U2’s hit ‘Beautiful Day.’
On December 10, 2013, the three boys participated in the concert for the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, accompanied by an orchestra of sixty elements. An event of international importance that will thus close their year full of successes. In 2014, Il Volo was nominated twice at the Billboard Latin Music Awards, this time in the Latin Pop Albums categories Artist of the Year, Duo or Group (winning) and Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Duo or Group. During the event, they won the El Pulso Social award, intended for the artist who received the most attention on social networks during the award ceremony.
Il Volo won the Sanremo Festival 2015 with the song ‘Grande Amore.’ After a months-long tour in the U.S. and Latin America, Il Volo released it on July 1st.
By now Gianluca is used to dealing with artists of the caliber of Barbra Streisand and Oscar winner Luis Bacalov, at home in social events where he is portrayed with Sting and Bill Clinton, or sacred monsters who have changed music in recent decades such as Quincy Jones (producer of Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Miles Davis).
Gianluca has preserved the humility necessary to enjoy, in the rare moments of break, his Rose Garden, where he lives with his family, in the charming village of Montepagano, before returning to the beach, with mother Leonora, father Ercole, who left his job to follow him, and his brother Ernesto; he is also very close to his grandfather and no one in the village is envious of his success, on the contrary they consider him their ‘Maradona.’
We know that he loves sports, especially football, tennis and swimming; he has two favorite teams, Roma and Barcelona, while his idols are Francesco Totti and Lionel Messi. His favorite singers are many, including Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and Andrea Bocelli, while in cinema he prefers Nathalie Portman.”
Presentation of the Dean Martin Award to Gianluca July 22, 2016.
Announcer: The Dean Martin Award opened in Pescara with the awarding of Gianluca Ginoble of the trio Il Volo to welcome him in the council room of the municipality, here the young man from Roseto dedicated selfies and autographs during the ceremonies the video was broadcast of the victory of Sanremo 2015 and the president of Martin’s foundation Alessandra Portinari presented the HAT symbolizing the award.
Gianluca: I returned home to Abruzzo for a few days after seven months of tours. We started our world tour in Roseto degli Abruzzi on January 6th and there couldn’t have been a better thing than to return and receive this very important award especially from my idol.
I absolutely don’t want to be compared to Dean Martin. I’m just a 20-year-old guy who likes to sing, this is my passion. I’ve been singing since I was 3 years old with my grandfather,
Sure, sometimes I realize that we have reached a great level and above all also in the world with my two colleagues of Il Volo, Ignazio and Piero.
Sometimes I don’t even realize we’re all here together. I’m here to receive this award. I’m really happy and very excited.
Now let’s have some fun with Gianluca….
What better way to start than with Gianluca and his friends!
Next, this is a throwback video of the Abruzzo’s Prince, Gianluca singing classic covers with the guitar Master Giovanni Di Caprio.
This is Gianluca Ginoble
GIANLUCA GINOBLE’S PERFECTION
Anyone who knows me knows that I look for any and every excuse to listen to Gianluca sing Anema e core. No one sings it like Gianluca! This was in Taormina on July 21, 2014.
I love Gianluca singing Enrique Iglesias song El Baño.
And Gianluca’s amazing performance of Aranjuez at Washington DC’s Kennedy Center February 9, 2016.
Over the years Gianluca has thrilled us with his amazing voice. His songs hit home every time. There’s no question about his versatility. He’s brought us on a journey which began with O sole Mio and brings us to songs today like She’s Always a Woman.
He continues to thrill us with his charm and wit and phenomenal voice. How about how he makes us feel when he sings La Cura, totally amazing!
Today I wanted to take a different journey. I wanted you to know about how Gianluca was honored but I also wanted you to know how much he deserves the honors he receives. Not just this honor but many honors! I wanted you to see him having fun in between the music. Gianluca has great friends but none better than his partners Piero and Ignazio! They’ve taken this journey together and together they walk on. It’s been said so many times in the last few weeks, but I’ll say it again. Il Volo goes on because Il Volo is where all three guys want to be.
No matter what Gianluca sings, he makes us happy, and, That’s Amore!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
The guy’s new album Ad Astra will be released on March 29, 2024. Available For Pre-Order NOW! It’s available on all digital platforms including Spotify and Amazon Music.
If you would like to share a story with me, please email: susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
