It seems Christmas came early this year. I really wanted to attend the concert at the Valley of the Temples, but I have to be in Italy on September 16th, and I just couldn’t justify going to Italy so early.
I’m told the concert was spectacular. Could it be anything less? Afterall, it is an Il Volo Concert. I can’t wait to see the Special on December 24th on Rai and the PBS Special.
As you know I write a Christmas story every year and this year will be no exception. I always write about the family because this is the one time of the year that the guys put aside for their family.
For the guy’s family is family. And not just blood. When they first started out, they traveled with one of their parents. Sometimes a father and sometimes a mother. And so it was that the mother of one became the mother of three and so it was also with the fathers. Three families joined as one. But eventually the parents stayed home, and one person took over for all six parents ~ Barbara Vitali.
But now I’m getting ahead of the story….
As we all know, after the guys won Ti Lascio una Canzone, they embarked on the tour of a lifetime. Why do I say a lifetime? Because since the first time they came to America they have continued to come back year after year and each time they are as welcome as they were the first time.
Partof that first journey brought the guys to Los Angeles where, at the invitation of Quincy Jones’, they joined “We are The World for Haiti” a charity event. They performed alongside 80 other international artists including Celine Dion, Bono, Lady Gaga, Barbra Streisand, Usher, Natalie Cole, and more.
Il Volo were the only Italian artists to be invited.
The three voices from the background caused such a sensation that everyone was asking, “Who was that?” They couldn’t believe what they were hearing but, “Who were they?” Soon they would find out!
Barbara Streisand took notice of them and in 2012, she invited the guys to join her on her “Back to Brooklyn Tour,” which included twelve performances in the United States and Canada. They were not an opening act, no, they shared the stage with Barbara. To the guys this was a dream come true!
By 2012, only three years after they were joined together, they had become quite an item.
The guys were riding high, and they were preparing to record “We Are Love” at the beginning of 2013 but suddenly things changed. Not only their lives, but their whole relationship. Their lives took on a whole new meaning….
One night in autumn in Miami everything changed, and the guys would become brothers and Barbara Vitali would become a mother who they dearly needed and loved. Her actions along with those of Piero and Gianluca made them a family that night.
This is one of those sad stories, but it is a story that turned out well.
I’ll let the guys tell you about that night.
Let’s begin with Ignazio since it is his story….
After the tour we started thinking about the second album and if I remember correctly, in April the album was released and in August the new tour began, from Vancouver, Canada. We will never forget that tour.
In September there was an episode that marked the relationship between us guys. It united us even more and made us understand that we three are the strength!
Miami, September 24th, was an evening like many others. We decided to go out with a group of friends to one of the most “in” Italian restaurants in South Beach.
The evening started well. We were having a lot of fun. The owner knew us well. He had us sit in the club that was on the top floor of the building where only members went. There were about fifty people there. We had dinner and from that point I remember only when I got on the sofa and when I woke up.
Piero continues….
Each of us lives bad, unhappy moments, sad moments, but I think that day, that night in Miami was the worst of my life. I remember every little detail and in a hundred years I will still remember it. We were in a famous restaurant in Miami, which was a restaurant and a disco, and at some point, after dancing a bit, we went out to move to another nightclub with some friends. I got in a taxi with one of them. Ignazio got into a car with someone else who had a two-seater car. We made our way in the taxi to the disco, which was very close to the restaurant.
So, we arrive in front of the room and I state that we do not drink. A glass of wine at the table, yes, but always in moderation. Sometimes we like to joke and pretend to be drunk. That night Ignazio was doing it with me, like talking on the phone with his wallet.
I know him very well, but for a moment I thought he was really drunk, but the bad thing was that he was not at all, and we only found out much later.
So, the taxi leaves me in front of the disco. Ignazio and his friend drive around the block to find parking. I wait in front of the door to see them turn the corner and then come together.
At a certain point, I saw our friend coming, but I no longer saw Ignazio.
I say: Excuse me, but where is Ignazio?
The Friend: He took a taxi and went to the hotel.
Ah okay. But then I had a doubt! It came to me that flash of Ignazio pretending to talk on the phone with his wallet.
Excuse me:I’m going back to the subject,but did you really see him get in the cab and say the address.
The Friend:No, I left him in front of my car.
The nightmare started then. Do you know what nightmare means?
I pick up the phone, wait for three minutes – the hotel is close to me – I call the reception.
I say:Excuse me, have you seen the guy from 320 come back?
Reception: No, I do not know.
I call our friend, who had entered the disco, and I say to him:Take me straight to the hotel.
I got in the car, and I thought I would immediately notify Gianluca, who was still at the restaurant and was to join us at the disco. I almost called him, but then I thought: What if Ignazio is in the hotel? Better to wait to sound the alarm.
I arrive at the hotel and ask again:Did you see the guy from 320 enter?
Reception: No, I do not think so, we have not seen anyone here.
At three-fifteen in the morning not many people pass by the entrance of a hotel, among those few people if Ignazio enters, you notice him, he is not one that goes unnoticed.
I say:Excuse me, could you give me the key to the room and let me in? At least I can see if he is asleep.
Reception: No, we cannot give it to you.
We are in the same group. You know very well he is my colleague.
Reception: No, unfortunately for privacy we cannot.
I begged the gentleman, I begged him, but he did not give me the key.
I go up, I go to Ignazio’s door with our friend, and we knock.
Igna’! Igna’! We shouted, beat and shouted, but no one answered.
In that chaos, however, from under the door we saw that the light was on. Ignazio is in the room!
I seemed to see him sleeping on the bed, or at least I hoped it, I hoped so much.
At that point, the doubt came to me,What if the room is really empty and he’s in some corner of Miami that felt bad? So, I took my friend and told him:Let’s go back to the disco street and check around it. But it’s not that we only made the disco area, no, we made almost all of Miami up and down to find Ignazio. But nothing! Three hours and no results. I had anguish that took my breath away.
At that point I had to warn the others, and I started with Gianluca.
Gianluca….
It was not until six o’clock. My heart stopped.
I suspected something had happened because I had waited for Ignazio and Piero at the disco, but they never arrived. I thought they changed their mind, perhaps they were tired or something. Never, however, to think that it was such a serious thing.
At that time, when Piero called me, I was in bed, recently, but was in bed.
I did not even think for a moment that Piero was joking. It was too serious, and Piero is not the kind to joke about such things.
I said only:I wait you below, I dressed and went down to the hotel lobby.
You cannot imagine what I thought in just a few minutes when I waited for him.
It was the first time in four years that we did not know where one of us was.
It was a, very, bad feeling!
Piero continues the story….
It was at that point that, together with Gianluca, we decided to wake Barbara.
Barbara, we cannot find Ignazio. I told her.
It was half past six in the morning. We had not heard from him for more than three hours.
Barbara says:A joke?
No, we cannot find him.
We only worried about Ignazio, but Barbara then had another problem to manage. That morning at 9:50 we had to fly to New York because the next day we had a concert at Radio City Music Hall. And not just any show, sold out, and all our parents were going to New York and to Washington, our lawyers had arrived, and all those who work with us. And Michele, of course, because this was the most important concert of the whole tour.
Piero tells Barbara: However, I tell her, from under the door you can see the light, maybe he’s asleep on the bed, only they won’t give us the key to the room.
First thing, Barbara gets up, gets dressed, and runs to open Ignazio’s door.
She basically threatens the one at the front desk, so she goes to room 320 with a bodyguard from the hotel and they open the room.
Ignazio was not there: my world collapsed there. My blood is frozen.
At that point Barbara calls Michele in New York.Michele, there’s a problem Ignazio cannot be found.
Michele: It’s a joke.
From there Michele mobilizes everyone. He calls all his friends in Miami, everyone. Meanwhile, Michele also had to understand whether or not to cancel the concert and how to cancel it. I could not put my head around it, my only fear, and my biggest nightmare was the fact that Ignazio was not there.
Barbara, in the meantime, calls Flavio, another friend of ours in Miami and he arrives with his motorbike. Let it be known that Barbara has a fear of motorcycles, she had never ridden in her life. She got on the motorbike and went to the police station to ask if they had arrested a boy in a green shirt and then she went to all the hospitals to see if some ambulance had brought in a guy with a green shirt.
We turned Miami upside down there.
What was I doing?
Gianluca continues the story….
Piero and I took turns at the hotel, watching all the taxis and we hoped that Ignazio would descend.
Piero interrupts…
Every taxi that arrived, we prayed to heaven and earth.
And where was Ignazio? Time for Ignazio to come back into the story…
The police woke me up the next morning on the lawn of South Beach’s main street, telling me that if I did not get up, they would have to take me to jail. At 9:50 on that September 25th we had a flight to New York and, on the 27th we had the most important concert of the tour at Radio City Music Hall. The concert was sold out for a few weeks. There were six thousand people.
Time to wake up and I realize that everything is gone, my cell phone, wallet, and jacket. They had stolen everything. What do I do? And above all, what time is it? Something told me it was late. So, I start running.
But where are you going? I told myself at a certain point. I stopped to see where I was. I was between the seventh and eighth, quite the opposite of the restaurant and our hotel that was on the nineteenth. I definitely had to hurry up. So, I start running again, but the problem remained to understand what time it was.
I stop and ask a gentleman, who answers me:It’s 9:50, man!
The first thought? The flight! In the sense of the plane … Then I start to run, but this time like a bolt in the Olympics, but I realize that the hotel is too far. A taxi, a taxi was needed.
I glanced down the road and one was passing on the opposite lane. I start running wildly without checking if any cars are coming. Fortunately, there was no one. This street in Miami is always busy but, at that precise moment no one passed. Do we want to call it ass? (Luck)
Anyway, I get the taxi. Driving was an African American woman and I’m asking her to take me to the hotel. In fact, I do not even know how I could remember the name of the hotel.
Piero interrupts….
It was already 9:30, the plane was already gone, and Ignazio was still not found.
I was desperate. I no longer knew who to pray to or what to think. They have kidnapped him, they will have killed him, they will be threatening him.
Barbara arrived back at the hotel from the hospital and the police station without news.
So now I’m going up, riding on the bike with Flavio. What do I do? This time I start going around the alleys of Miami. The nightclub was on the Sixteenth Street. The hotel was on the nineteenth, so three blocks away, it was close. I asked every bum I met:Excuse me, have you seen a boy with a green shirt?
A dollar, I heard a lot of times. And while I was shooting there, Gianluca was waiting in front of the hotel for all the taxis coming hoping to see Ignazio descend, while Barbara had been on the phone for so long that she no longer knew who to call.
Hope was already lost in New York.
Ignazio returns to say….
When I arrived at the hotel, I saw Barbara and Gianluca sitting on a bench as if waiting for someone. Then I got out of the taxi and asked them:Excuse me, do you have any dollars to pay for the taxi? They both looked up together ….
Gianluca interrupts…
… I burst into tears; I started screaming. It was as if they had taken a weight off my shoulders that crushed me to the ground and prevented me from breathing.
Ignazio….
Barbara paid for the taxi and started to call Michele, who I later realized, in the midst of all that concern, also had to find a way to solve the problems that would have caused a possible cancellation of the concert in New York.
My mother, who was already there, had understood everything, because I did not answer the phone and she had news of what happened from Gaetano and Leonora, Piero’s parents and Gianluca’s mother.
Piero….
While I was riding on the Lincoln Road, with Flavio, my phone rings: it was half past ten.
Gianluca shrieked: He has arrived, he has arrived, he is here!
I scream from the bike to vent all the evil I had inside. I cried. Do you know when you run with the bike and you have all the tears? What’s this? And I punched Flavio, I gave punches from happiness.
We arrive at the hotel, and I see Ignazio in front of the reception with that blessed green jersey. He had gone out the night before with a blue jacket and they had stolen it, along with his wallet and cell phone.
What did I do? I called my mom because Ignazio was not well. I understood that they had given him something. My mother tells me to let him drink a lot of water and give him a spoonful of honey. And you see Ignazio lying on the bed and I with the spoon, you know when you give the syrup to your son? With the honey spoon to make him eat everything he could swallow.
Too sad and also hard to tell.
Ignazio….
The boys accompanied me to my room, they helped me take a shower because when I looked in the mirror, I realized that I was full of bruises and scratches on my face and body, some bumps here and there and I was also half lame.
The two of them together with Barbara had gone around Miami all night, from three thirty in the morning to ten, in taxis, motorbikes, between hospitals and various police departments to look for me, while I was sleeping in the fresh air on a green lawn.
That night they beat me with blows. They threw me right and left. But I had not gotten drunk, I had just accepted a drink that had been drugged without my noticing it. Do you know one thing? From that day on, if I go to a pub or a disco, I always ask for closed drinks, I have to open them myself.
My biggest rage of that night is I do not remember anything, as if they had cut the film of a camera roll and had it attached to a later piece. It’s not nice to not be able to remember.
Barbara, in the end, managed to move the flight, we left later and arrived at the hotel. Our parents were waiting outside, with shining eyes and the desire to hug us like never before. Shortly afterwards, my father arrived. He was stuck in London and, poor man, had to travel from London to New York without knowing if they had found me.
In the end it’s the result that matters. I can say that this experience made us grow a lot and made us want more good things for each other.
That concert at Radio City Music Hall was one of the most beautiful concerts we’ve ever done. We sang like never before maybe because we had just found out what it meant to lose everything in a moment.
During that concert Ignazio had a special message for the guys and everyone involved with Il Volo.
So here we are at the end of the story. The guy’s got through the night because they were a family! Three brothers looking out for one another and a mother who would not give up until she found her missing sheep and returned him to the fold. Becoming a Family wasn’t easy for the guy’s but when they realized their own strength they knew they had come to a new reality in their lives. They knew they could depend on one another, and they had a mother to turn to in difficult moments.
So, I began this story by saying Christmas will be different this year. Yes, Barbara is gone and the three have lost a mother and it will be very difficult to pass the holidays without her. But they have each other to lean on.
Very soon Ignazio will marry the beautiful Michelle Bertollini, and she will become a part of the Il Volo family and as each guy marries, the family will continue to grow! It’s the wheel of life! One gets off, one gets on and each one is a treasure!
For your listening pleasure the entire September 27, 2013 concert from Radio City Music Hall.
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
What I have written here are excerpts from the book the guys wrote about their lives. “Il Volo, Un’avventura Straordinario, La Nostra Storia.” (An Extraordinary Adventure, Our Story)
In the two photos below, you can clearly see all the people outside the cordoned off and darkened concert area. There are many people and all of them, even if from afar they attended the concert for free. 😉😁
An article from INFORMATISSIMO, the Newspaper from Putignano.
Il Volo a Monopoli: the dream concert organized by the Association. The Missing Piece
The event in Cala Batteria was a triumph and will remain in the hearts and memories of the spectators.
The fabulous musical trio of Il Volo arrives in Monopoli reaching the stage by boat, by sea. This is how the concert of the “Tutti per uno-Capolavoro tour” began, amid thunderous applause from the large audience in attendance.
A true enchantment among the musicians’ songs and other interpretations of immortal hits that have made the history of Italian music, with tributes to great artists.
Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero, the three Italians who bring the Italian “Bel canto” around the world, accompanied by a splendid orchestra, were able to truly excite that small but evocative part of Monopoli, Cala Batteria, the location that hosted this great show of the music and that the whole world could admire.
An extraordinary intuition therefore that of the Il Tassello Mancante Association, organizer of the event, the only date of the tour in Puglia. “The first to believe in it with us was Pasquale Vurro – the organizers declare – an authentic concert magician, betting on the uniqueness of this event just a few days before his painful death…”.
As further confirmation of the success achieved, the avalanche of post-event satisfaction certificates expressed on the Association’s Facebook page by spectators who also praised the high organizational level.
Il Tassello Mancante thanks the public present and all those who in any way made this event possible, from the sponsors to those responsible for complex but unique logistics such as that of Cala Batteria.
15 years after their debut, Il Volo will celebrate the musical milestone achieved with a world tour with a series of concerts, which will also take them to Dubai, Athens, Barcelona, Sofia and London in the autumn.
August 26 DIAMANTE
In the Calabria Region in the municipality of Diamante, a beautiful town on the Tyrrhenian sea, in the beautiful Teatro dei Ruderi.
In Diamante, there was also a special person in the audience and that was Francesco Boccia, the one who wrote Grande Amore and who with great pride films all the people who rejoice listening to his song.
Ruins Theatre. Closing like a “Masterpiece” with Il Volo
Record with Il Volo in “Capolavoro Tour – Tutti per Uno” at the Teatro dei Ruderi in Cirella. We receive and publish the press release.
Yesterday, in the archaeological area of Cirella Antica, an important page of history was written for the live show in Calabria with the concert of the Musical Trio that brought Italy into the world.
An unprecedented festival masterfully directed by Alfredo De Luca, created with the contribution of the Calabria Region and the patronage of the Municipality of Diamante. Yesterday, with Il Volo, the event that involved the entire Riviera dei Cedri, reached 45,000 spectators from all over Italy and abroad. A live performance that enchanted the entire audience present with over two hours of setlist, ranging from tributes to Lucio Dalla and Ennio Morricone up to the pieces that made the trio famous throughout the world such as “Grande Amore” and “Capolavoro”. The trio is made up of two tenors and a baritone: Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble. They were the first Italian artists to have signed a direct contract with an American major label, Geffen. A Diamante standing ovation with a riot of applause for the concert that concluded the 2024 summer program. Local musicians were also involved in the show, within the orchestra that accompanied the trio for the entire concert.
The artistic director Alfredo De Luca, together with the Mayor of Diamante Achille Ordine, awarded the prize for best live with orchestra to the artists who managed to combine a classical repertoire with modern style and arrangements, including pop songs revisited in a classical key. De Luca finally concludes: “An important page has been written in the live entertainment of our region. Very strong media impact for the entire national festival. A year of programming to stage 14 live shows with artists of national and international caliber, one after the other. A clear message that reaches everyone, Calabria can open the doors to the best live shows around. It certainly wasn’t easy, great credit for the organizational machinery goes to the police, who deployed all their skills, in ordinary and extraordinary hours, to facilitate the influx and outflow of all the public. The biggest thanks goes to the public, willing to reach the archaeological area by traveling many kilometers by car, on foot, by bus, by train or by taxi to attend the concerts, spectators coming from all parts of the nation and beyond. Accommodation facilities full until the end of August, dispelling the myth of the central part of the month being an important tourist figure.
We must always try to activate synergies to ensure that the regional territory grows more and more. Thanks also to the local authorities involved and the municipal administration of Diamante who contributed to making the event one of the most important of the South”.
The TEATRO DEI RUDERI published these beautiful words:
Il Volo enchanted the audience at the Teatro dei Ruderi with an evening of pure musical magic! From the power of the biggest hits to the delicacy of the most modern songs, the trio has demonstrated once again why they are among the best of their genre. Each song was a masterpiece of elegance and virtuosity.
And here are Ignazio Piero and Gianluca with the nice prize they received.
But let me say that one of the most touching moments of the concert was this, when two boys, Graziano and Mirko and I approached the stage and attracted Piero’s attention.
They asked to sing a verse from IL MONDO. And our generous boys didn’t have it repeated.
Enjoy this video and the skill of these two kids, who definitely don’t like rap!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Mirko published this photo with these beautiful words:
@mirkoofficialmusic Today I find myself writing these words with a heart full of gratitude. Realizing this dream, which I have nurtured for so long, is one of the most intense and fulfilling experiences of my life. There were moments when I thought it was just an illusion, an aspiration too great for me. But every time I doubted, there was someone of you ready to encourage me, to remind me how important it was not to give up. I know that the road is long and this is just one of the many stages that gives me the strength and courage to look to the future with enthusiasm.
Thank you very much to all of you. I look forward to continuing to share the successes to come with you.
THANK YOU SO MUCH Il Volo ❤️❤️
Truly a beautiful moment, thanks also to the generosity of Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio and the skill of Mirko and Graziano!! ❤️
August 27 Roccella Ionica
We are still in Calabria, in Roccella Ionica, a beautiful town on the Ionian Sea. The concert will take place in the Teatro al Castello.
The guys arrive for the soundcheck.
I attach to you these three beautiful videos recorded by the local television TELEMIA.
Grand finale for the Roccella Summer Festival 2024 with Il Volo: an extraordinary success.
The Roccella Summer Festival ended in style with the Il Volo concert, a highly anticipated event that sealed the success of this year’s music festival. After a season full of emotions, which featured prominent artists such as Biagio Antonacci, Annalisa, the Pooh and Mahmood, the Teatro al Castello di Roccella Jonica hosted the last unmissable date of the trio’s summer tour, entitled “Tutti per uno – Masterpiece”.
Il Volo enchanted the audience with a memorable concert, in which songs from their new album “Ad Astra” were performed, the first entirely composed of unreleased songs. This work marks an important stage in the artistic evolution of the group, which has been able to expertly mix unreleased pieces with the greatest successes of the Italian musical tradition and their consolidated repertoire. The live performance represented a true musical journey, celebrating the trio’s 15-year career, which began 2024 with the song “Capolavoro”, certified Gold after its presentation at the 74th edition of the Sanremo Festival.
Yesterday evening saw enthusiastic and warm participation from the public, who filled the suggestive open-air theatre, confirming once again the great appreciation for the event, created thanks to the collaboration between Ticket Service Calabria and the administration municipality of Roccella Jonica. The Roccella Summer Festival has established itself as one of the flagship events of the Calabrian summer, supported by the Calabria Region as part of the 2024 cultural promotion events, financed with Pac 2014/2020 resources and by the Calabria Straordinaria brand.
After this extraordinary closure, Il Volo will continue its summer tour with further dates in the most fascinating locations in Italy, and then move, in autumn, to the main European capitals and, in 2025, to the United States, Canada and Latin America. The Roccella Summer Festival, with a very high-level programming, has proven once again to be a reference event for the promotion of culture and music in Calabria.
Other shots of the evening.
Il Volo with the orchestra.
This video is also very nice for TV, turn on the subtitles.
And so three more concerts ended and I would say with great success and a participating and enthusiastic audience.
I’m so happy to see people so involved and read so many nice comments.🥰
Our three young men have to run further south, Sicily awaits them, there are the two concerts in Agrigento which I think we will know little about.
But we have resources, because a friend of ours from Canada is going to both concerts so…….😉
For now there is only a lot of controversy about these two concerts and as usual the Italian press is fueling these stupid controversies with sometimes grotesque articles which are mainly for the organization of the two concerts, but which consequently also affect Il Volo. 🤬
Fortunately, Il Volo and all the staff do not respond to these useless attacks, no comments from them who seem not to care about these inappropriate articles.
For the Il Volo tour it is the break time for the summer holidays, two weeks of relaxation for Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca.
But let’s try to see if there is any news from them.
IGNAZIO= Certainly the least social of the three, he has disappeared and I think he is taking advantage of it to complete the wedding preparations with his adorable Michelle! We respect their privacy and wish them all the best in the world. ❤️❤️
PIERO= He has always said that he loves taking his holidays in the sea of his Sicily and in fact, the only images that have been published show him on a boat while touring the Aeolian islands, off the coast of Trapani.
And then on a tour of the Fina wine cellars!🥂
The one who is causing the most talk is always GIANLUCA, certainly the most social of the three.
In fact, right after the tour break he immediately left for his holidays and sent us a video from the beautiful island of Santorini in Greece.
So Gianluca let us know his destination, but this triggered the VIP hunt that the gossip newspaper NOVELLA 2000 knows how to do very well.
The real question was: “But is Gianluca alone or with company in Santorini?”
Usually I don’t publish private news, but these photos and article were published in the newspaper and all the fan pages shared them, so I don’t think I’m violating Gianluca’s privacy.
So this is the NOVELLA 2000 article.
Gianluca Ginoble paparazzi in Santorini alongside a mysterious blonde (EXCLUSIVE)
In Santorini Gianluca Ginoble is spending his holidays in the company of a mysterious blonde girl. The photos and videos(to see the video you must go to the original article)
Santorini is the place chosen by Gianluca Ginoble for these holidays. The singer of Il Volo, however, was not alone, but in the company of a mysterious blonde girl. Who will it be? Gianluca Ginoble together with a mysterious blonde
Holiday time for many well-known faces, who are enjoying a bit of relaxation between Italy and abroad before returning to work, now Gianluca Ginoble has also been caught together with a mysterious blonde girl.
After the breakup with his ex Eleonora in 2023, Gianluca Ginoble to Verissimo during the last interview in June 2024, declared that he had turned the page: “At the moment I am very happy and I am loving”. He had not given further details about it, but there are those who think that he too has finally found the right person, even if he has never spoken about it publicly, so there is no precise information.
The Il Volo singer was at Nikki Beach in Santorini yesterday, but aparently he wasn’t alone, but someone else was present with him. From the exclusive images we have received, it is a girl whose identity appears to be unknown at the moment. In the video the two are walking, then we see Gianluca Ginoble turn towards her and ask her or in any case tell her something inaudible.
The witnesses present there tell us that Gianluca Ginoble and this girl seem to have spent some time. It is worth pointing out, however, that in none of these photos or videos the two are seen kissing, other than the fact that they are still very close, as pointed out by some who were there to spend their holidays. And here’s another photo showing them together…
For the moment, therefore, we don’t know much else about the singer and whether the girl accompanying him is actually his better half or simply a friend. We will therefore see if the artist decides to talk about it publicly or will continue to keep his private life away from the spotlight.
Ok, Gianluca himself told us during the last concerts that he was in love and so we wish him that everything is positive for him and surely soon, knowing him, he will introduce us to his new girlfriend! 😍😍
But Gianluca has also made headlines for another reason.
Do you remember Roberto Vecchioni, he is an Italian singer-songwriter with whom Gianluca did a beautiful duet with him at the Verona Arena and Gianluca also dedicated a beautiful letter to him with words written by himself.
On August 14th Roberto Vecchioni performed in concert in Roseto degli Abruzzi, Gianluca’s city and therefore it was impossible that Gianluca would not return to see his “silent professor”.
In fact he returned home and he went on stage with him, he said beautiful words for Vecchioni, I attached the video, activate the subtitles.
So, if you managed to read the subtitles, during the “letter” written by Gianluca, you will have heard the final sentence again: “And about my girlfriend, the love of my life, it’s my job, and I promise to continue to treat it with care.”
This phrase had sparked many comments in Verona because everyone thought of Gianluca’s new love, but instead it was just a quote from some words written by Vecchioni in one of his songs.
But this time, reading the letter, Gianluca slightly modified the words by adding something: “And about my girlfriend **who by the way is here this evening and whom I greet**, the love of my life, it’s my job, and I promise to continue treating it with care.”
So Gianluca admitted that he has a new girlfriend and certainly, knowing her character, he will soon introduce her to all the fans.
We therefore wish Gianluca and his new girlfriend a long journey of lasting love.😍😍
And then here is the song that Gianluca and Vecchioni sang together: CHIAMAMI ANCORA AMORE (Call me again love).
With this song Vecchioni won the 2011 Sanremo Festival.
The words of this song are very beautiful and full of meaning and therefore I propose the lyrics to you.
And for the boat that flew into the sky That the children were still playing That I would give him the whole sea Just to see them arrive
For the poet who cannot sing For the worker who lost his job For those who are twenty years old and are dying In a desert as in a pigsty
And for all the boys and girls Who defend a book, a real book So beautiful to shout in the squares Because they are killing thinking
For the bastard who’s always in the sun For the coward who hides his heart For our memory thrown to the wind From these lords of pain
Call me again love Always call me love That this damned night It has to end Because we’ll fill it from here Of music and words
Call me again love Always call me love In this desperate dream Between silence and thunder Defend this humanity Even if only one man remained
Call me again love Call me again love Always call me love
Because ideas are like butterflies That you can’t take away its wings Because ideas are like stars That storms don’t turn them off Because ideas are mother’s voices That they thought they had lost And they are like the smile of God In this spit of a universe
Call me again love Always call me love That this damned night It will have to end Because we’ll fill it from here Of music and words
Call me again love Always call me love Keep writing life Between silence and thunder Defend this humanity Which is so true in every man
Call me again love Call me again love Always call me love
Call me again love Always call me love
That this damned night It has to end Because we’ll fill it from here Of music and words
Call me again love Always call me love In this desperate dream Between silence and thunder Defend this humanity Even if only one man remained
Call me again love Call me again love Always call me love Because we are love
This post was ready to be disclosed when Gianluca published numerous photos of his holiday in Santorini, including the photo with his new girlfriend, even if we don’t see much of her. We don’t know her name, but I think Gianluca will soon let us know. So everything is clear and Gianluca wants to live his new relationship in the open and we are happy for him!!😍😍
❤️❤️
And that’s all for now.
As you can see there is always something to talk about.
Piero from Sicily will certainly be following the situation of the preparations for the two concerts that will be held at the end of the month in Agrigento.
Regarding Ignazio, we anxiously await some more news on his imminent wedding of which nothing has been leaked.
Where were we? The last three concerts before the August break.
31 July: Palmanova
The beautiful star-shaped city, with a polygonal plan with nine points, a fortified military citadel, in ancient times surrounded by walls, or rather bastions, and turrets or “armors” at the corners, truly remarkable.
NELLE TUE MANI
NESSUN DORMA
SUCCEDE
AMOR VIDA DE MI VIDA (Piero)
ALMENO TU NELL’UNIVERSO (Ignaazio)
LA CURA (Gianluca)
You all heard the unrest that occurred in Venezuela after the elections and before the song Hallelujah Ignazio made this beautiful and sweet dedication:
“If you allow me this evening I would like to personally dedicate this next song to everything that is happening in Venezuela, now you know that for me it is family (applause) and not all information reaches the world and this next song is for them, for those who have suffered , for those who are suffering, and for those who have unfortunately already left us, we would like to invite you to turn on your cell phone flashes because who knows, maybe they are seeing us from up there.”
In response, Michelle published this photo with this dedication:
“Thank you my love @ignazioboschetto for dedicating this song and raising your voice for our Venezuela!!!”
And now a delightful moment in the company of Olivia who brings us a sweet smile. 😍
GRANDE AMORE final piece
The regional news TG Friuli Venezia Giulia also talked about the concert (activate subtitles)
some photos
August 3: MONTE CARLO
The concert will be held in the beautiful Salle Des Etoiles.
The concert will be opened by Lara Ferrari, an Italian singer who posted the photo with this dedication:
“It was a great emotion to open the beautiful Il Volo concert in the splendid Salle Des Ètoiles of the prestigious Sporting Club Monte Carlo with my big brothers Sugarpie & The Candymen.
Thanks guys for the photo and the chat!”
Dinner is also provided for the public present and we all know that the Monte Carlo public is perhaps a little more demanding than the public that crowds out the various concerts, but I can say, after seeing the various videos that the public certainly appreciated the great skill singing and entertaining by Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca!
And this is it for the last three concerts before the two-week summer break, it resumes on August 24th with the concert in MONOPOLI (Bari).
But the news doesn’t end here, because Il Volo has announced new dates that it will hold in January in the sports halls in Italy, here they are:
So the concert program in Italy intensifies long before leaving to come to you in the US. 😉
But this is not the only news. 😉
A Sicilian city: Agrigento (which is also the province where Piero lives), is a candidate to be the Capital of Culture next year and therefore to promote the event they thought of filming a nice concert by Il Volo in the beautiful Valle dei Temples and exactly in front of the Temple of Concordia. This project has taken shape and the concert is scheduled for August 31st. Since the square contains few people, around 500, and the video is sponsored by the Municipality of Agrigento and therefore free, entry by invitation was considered and Il Volo therefore sent an email to those registered in the fan club to invite them to sign up. this opportunity. It’s truly a beautiful gift for anyone who can be present at this concert!!
Temple of Concordia
And this is the email that went to all the fan club members.
But, do you remember that Il Volo said they were going to film a PBS special filmed in Egypt with the pyramids? Unfortunately, the very tense situation in the Middle East caused this beautiful event to be cancelled.
It is also thought that this event in Agrigento could also be used for the PBS special, but this is not yet confirmed.
The Agrigento Notizie newspaper talks about two concerts, one on August 31st and the other on September 1st. It is also thought that this event in Agrigento could also be used for the PBS special, but also for the Canale 5 Christmas special, but these two latest news has not yet been confirmed, so we will follow developments.
Concert of Il Volo in the Valley of the Temples, 2 dates: it remains to be clarified who will be able to attend.
With the regional decree of recent days, the bureaucratic procedures are unblocked for an event that will be more advertising than musical.
The first details of one of the “highlight” events of the city’s preparation for the year of capital of culture 2025 are starting to leak out, albeit informally: the Il Volo concert in the Valley of the Temples.
An initiative that will in all respects be more advertising than musical in itself, so much so that in the decree signed in recent days by the Sicilian Region, with which 500 thousand euros are allocated to support the event, it is linked to the promotion on TV between Italy and the United States. This is because the concert by Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble will take place on two dates, August 31st and September 1st, in favor of cameras: a show will be filmed to then be broadcast on Mediaset channels during the Christmas period, The other one will be used for US TV.
What still needs to be understood is whether and how it will be possible for the public to attend the concerts. The location, probably the esplanade in front of the Temple of Concordia, will not be able to accommodate more than 400 people and it is not yet known how they will be selected: the hypothesis of an invitation-only event is the most accredited, while it seems very unlikely that an initiative of this type could be open access.
The economic aspect also needs to be defined: if it is true that the decree approved in recent days allocates 500 thousand euros with funds from the cultural heritage department, the overall cost of the operation should exceed one million euros, with other resources coming from national and regional governments as well as the archaeological park.
And this is all for the moment, I would say that our boys don’t have a moment of peace, I hope that at least in these very hot days of August they will be able to rest a little and regain their energy.
My Sicilian holiday went very well, I only went to Palermo and Cefalù. In Palermo I was staying right next to the Cathedral from where Il Volo sang on July 15th. From my bedroom window I could have seen them very well without even moving. It’s a shame that when I booked the days of my stay, nothing was known about this further commitment of Il Volo in Palermo.
But that’s okay, the important thing is to always have good and positive news from our beloved boys.
So often I write about the journalists who have no respect for Il Volo and treat them very rudely. But today I want to write about a journalist who is a champion for our guys.
Marino Bartoletti has always been A True Defender of Il Volo.
Marino Bartoletti is a true friend to the guys, often standing up for them on television and defending them before the Sanremo jury. A distinguished Italian journalist and writer known for his integrity and refinement; Marino deeply admires Il Volo. In the realm of entertainment and communication, he emphasizes that “the value of affection, esteem, and sincerity is immense. Human relationships and friendship hold great significance.”
To give you a bit of background, Marino Bartoletti is a renowned journalist, a profound music connoisseur, and an expert on the Sanremo Festival. Above all, he is a man of great culture and humanity.
In a January 2024 interview with Paola Stranges of italiani.it, Marino discussed his illustrious career and his latest book, “The Supper of the Gods.”
Marino explained,The Great Old Man is a creation that gives me immense satisfaction, reflecting a lot of who I am. It’s a story about a provincial boy who, even before he grew a mustache, wondered about the fate of our entertainment, music, and sports champions. I’ve envisioned the Great Old Man, Enzo Ferrari, who has spent over forty years in his world, contemplating a celestial dinner with people he admires, including those he has known and others he wishes he had met.
He continued, Ferrari, as the Great Old Man, sets up this ideal dinner in Olympus, even if his strong personality sometimes clashes with the other Great Old Man up there. Despite this, the dinner turns out well, with carefully chosen characters sharing true stories.
Paola:Sanremo is upon us for the first time in a different guise. Will the magic of music reach the audience from home?
Marino: …. After thirty years it will be the first time that I don’t go there, I will watch it from my home. Sanremo has to do it, they have been doing it for 71 years or at least it is the seventy-first edition. It started in 1951, it’s almost my age, I think I’ve seen almost all of them since the age of reason, I’ve seen more than thirty professionally. I am wary of those who distrust Sanremo because it means that they have not understood its social as well as artistic value. It is right that it should be done, not for commercial reasons which also exist, but for this very reason artistic value and for this social value that must be preserved. We think that just sixty years ago, the organizer threw some singers into the fray so there was someone who tore his clothes saying: “But who is this Celentano, who is this Giorgio Gaber, who is this Gino Paoli with dark glasses, who is this Milva, who is this Little Tony, who is this Pino Donaggio, who is this Umberto Bindi, who is this Edoardo Vianello, they were the ones who made the fifty years of history of Italian pop music next one. We old people have to be careful, at this moment I am seized by a flash of irresistible youthfulness.
In November 2017, during a book promotion event in San Lazzaro di Savena near Bologna, Marino was pleasantly surprised when Piero and Ignazio along with their manager Michele Torpedine, showed up to support him. Marino noted, Although Gianluca Ginoble couldn’t attend due to prior commitments, he sent a heartfelt message. It was heartwarming to see these incredible artists, who were performing in Buenos Aires and soon traveling to Miami and Kiev, supporting me despite their busy schedule.
Marino expressed his appreciation for their presence, stating,Their talent and dedication to promoting Italian music worldwide is admirable. They are preparing to release a new album after a successful tour in Central and South America. I always feel a deep sense of joy seeing them, not just for their talent but for who they are as people. They are genuine and wonderful individuals.
In April 2018, Marino had dinner with Piero and Ignazio at a tavern. He humorously remarked about Ignazio’s habit of blasting their CD in his car, saying the volume was so high it could be heard from the Madonna di San Luca Church (high on the hill) in Bologna. Marino reflected on their time together, appreciating their simplicity and enjoying their stories. He found it amusing when people who had never met them labeled them as ‘pretentious’ or ‘arrogant.’
Marino described Piero as more serious with unexpected bursts of irony, while Ignazio was a sweet trickster who, by the end of the evening, shared a video of a model airplane he built with his dad, humorously lamenting how it used to fly better when they had less money.
Marino also gifted the group a beautiful sketch by Giorgio Serra, affectionately known as ‘Matitaccia.’ He proclaimed, We all shared smiles. Please, keep being ‘bad’ in the eyes of those who don’t yet appreciate you. But never change! If you continue to achieve success worldwide, it’s simply a sign of your exceptionalism. Those who doubt you will eventually come around because you truly are BRAVI.
Marino admitted, Initially, I had some reservations about them. However, after meeting them during my book presentation, I was struck by their authenticity and courtesy. They were generous with their time and open to chatting with everyone present—qualities that are rare these days. Their compassion and skill make their global success well-deserved. Well done.
So, where did this relationship begin?
In an August 2019 interview with Luca Maggitti, Marino Bartoletti discussed Il Volo. Maggitti reflected on Bartoletti’s initial visit to Roseto, noting how this place had become special for him, particularly because of his connection with Gianluca Ginoble.
Marino said:Everyone knows of my respect for him, but it’s more than that—it’s a deep friendship and affection.
Maggitti then asked,What makes Il Volo so special? They’ve completed eleven consecutive world tours and continue to fill theaters everywhere. As a music expert and journalist, why do you think they’re so beloved and famous globally?
Maggitti also questioned why some journalists still fail to fully grasp their success and talent. He acknowledged his own attachment to them as stemming from affection, friendship, and admiration, but also recognized their embodiment of great bel canto: skill, and the ability to showcase Italian genius abroad. He wondered why this same genius isn’t more appreciated in Italy and what more these young men need to prove.
Bartoletti:I could answer you by reversing the question, that is, by asking me how there are still people (even our journalist colleagues) who still do not understand, this success of theirs and their talent. I admit that I am attached to them by affection, friendship and admiration towards them, but they have everything that is asked of bel canto, skill, the ability to transmit the Italian genius abroad. But it’s the same Italian genius that should be better understood in Italy, and then I wonder, what else do these guys have to prove?
They are boys who have reached their tenth year, and sold out everywhere, even here in Italy. I can only say that I admire them very much, that I admire their “spirit of sacrifice” which is extraordinary, because they could “sit on their laurels”, instead they continue to improve, to improve. This year they were very good, even in Sanremo where they achieved third place, so very elegantly. I would like the Italian guys to look more like them, especially as the families of the Italian boys were more like the families of Gianluca, Piero and Ignazio, because I always say this publicly, that the strength of these guys is what they have behind them, family, culture, education, humility.
Marino has always been there for the guys, and they truly appreciate his friendship and his love and affection for them. He is by far A True Defender of Il Volo. We need more journalists like him.
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
For your listening pleasure, Il Volo in Moscow their Concert 2019.
Credit to owners of photos of videos and photos.
Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!
