How many different ways can you say Masterpiece! Capolavoro by far was the highlight of Sanremo! I know the guys didn’t win but what they brought to Sanremo was a winning team, a winning performance and the best video clip of Sanremo 2024!
It truly deserved the Casa Sanremo ~ Soundies Award 2024! And of course, compliments to Leandro Manuel Emede Director, Nicolo Cerioni Creative Director and Cardigan srl Producer of the video!
Leandro Manuel Emede said, “Thanks to the jury of music and film experts of Casa Sanremo and to the President of the National Syndicate of Italian Cinematic Journalists (Sngci) of the Silver Ribbons for choosing our video clip as Best Video Clip Sanremo2024.”
The award for the best video clip was presented by Vincenzo Russolillo to Il Volo. The idea of this award was born from Russolillo himself and the award represents the first award in Italian history dedicated to the video clips of a song competing at the Sanremo Festival and intended for record companies.
When presenting the award to Il Volo, Russolillo said, “Your work has been selected by a high-quality jury, chaired by Laura Delli Colli, President of the National Union of Italian Film Journalists (SNGCI) of the Nastri d’Argento.”
Russolillo continued, “from the stage of the Lounge of Casa Sanremo, I deliver the Soundies Awards 2024 Award, on behalf of the Municipality of Sanremo from the hands of Councillor Sara Tonegutti, together with a voucher for the production of the next video clip to be made in the territory of the Municipality of Sanremo.
The trio takes music to new heights through video, exploring the stars and the mysteries of infinity. A visual odyssey that combines the musical talent of Il Volo with the grandeur of space, offering a sensory experience that defies the boundaries of imagination.”
It truly was a magnificent video. Even when we didn’t know what the song was about we were enthralled by the video and when we finally saw it, we were totally floored! It went beyond words!
We knew it was the best video and their performance was A Masterpiece, and it should have sent a message to the press.
So let me back up a minute and tell you what we all know and certainly what the guys knew.
I know the guys saw the writing on the wall even before they entered the competition. I’m not saying that they must win because they are Il Volo; what I’m saying is you should be judged fairly.
Il Volo has never been judged fairly by the Italian press! More so than anything else, it hurts the Italian fans because the Italian fans love them! What Il Volo presented this past week was phenomenal. Their performances surpassed every other performance at Sanremo 2024! Their elegance! Their presence on stage! Their never-ending voices! Voices that touch our souls! Voices that give every song meaning because every song they sing comes to life with their voices!
People all over the world love these guys and yet a hand full of press choose prejudice to judge them instead of integrity! It begs the question, what did three teenage boys do to bring down your wrath and cause you to never find a kind word for them in fifteen years? Where is your integrity?
I truly wish Angelina Mango the best of luck. She deserved to win as much as Il Volo deserved to be judged fairly!
Let’s take a look at their first performance at Sanremo 2024 !
There were many interviews last week. In one of those interviews, the guys told us there will be a PBS special taped at the pyramids in Egypt in June. What amazing news! It seems this is what they were saying when they said they were preparing something nice for their American friends.
I thank Daniela for all the beautiful translations she did this last week. You can read all these translations in Daniela Perani’s column on Flight Crew!
I have just a few excerpts of interviews I wanted to bring to your attention.
Immediately after performing Capolavoro for the first time, the guys went to the Radio 2 box to be interviewed by Eva Stokolma and the journalist, Gino Castaldo. In the past, Castaldo has never had a good comment for our guys. One question Castaldo asked the guys summed up the interview and said a lot about their presence at Sanremo 2024.
Castaldo: I have a serious question. You have been international for a long time, you move from one stage to another, crazy performances from New York, the world is your audience. Is it possible that Sanremo is still so exciting for you who now have the world in front of you as spectators?
Ignazio: But you know better than us that around Sanremo there is a whole machine that rotates and it’s crazy, there’s a lot of work this week and if you’re not strong you risk being overwhelmed and sucked in by the anxiety and tension that the week takes its toll on you, after a year and a half of work, as Gianluca said.
Gianluca: It’s an emotional factor, we were born here, so we become children again when we go up on that stage, all those childhood anxieties reemerge as if it were the first time.
Castaldo concluded by saying, “Good work, have a good week.” A compliment from Castaldo. I’m surprised the guys didn’t faint!
Beyond the compliment, the answer to Castaldo’s question really says a lot about their performance at Sanremo. The emotions of singing on the Ariston Stage brings back beautiful memories of their first performance; a performance that also includes the “childhood anxieties,” as Gianluca said! If there were anxieties, I never noticed them!
The second interview with Eve and Castaldo really blew everyone’s mind. Listen to Castaldo’s comments.
Castaldo: I will tell you, and I was commenting on it, that your song grows with every listen.
Ignazio: Come on!! But this is great news.
Gianluca: Coming from Gino Castaldo (who has always been negative against Il Volo)…..thanks, coming from him it’s incredible.
Eva: But it’s the truth.
Ignazio: I have to say one thing, I had a lot of fun tonight. It’s something I immediately said to them (Gian and Piero), we hugged each other, and I told them: ‘Thank you because I had fun.’
So Castaldo is beginning to change his tune. Will other members of the press do the same. Don’t hold your breath!
After the first interview, the guy’s left Radio 2 and immediately went to meet Fiorello. You had to know this would be fun.
Of course, Fiorello said they had to sing. And what do they sing? What they sing every time they meet Fiorello. Their old go to Sicilian song ~ Tirichitolla.
As always the guys had fun with Fiorello!
Ignazio: I would say let’s spin the wheel and see what comes out.
Piero: Tell us about a Horror date.
Gianluca: When I met them for the first time in my life. Alright guys, let’s move on.
Piero: Dance….nooooo
Gianluca: But we don’t know how to dance.
Ignazio: I’ll show you.
Gianluca: Well done, well done, better if you sing!
Gianluca: Tell us about a surprise you loved giving or receiving.
Unexpectedly at the station, as soon as she gets off the train, you wait for her there with a rose in your hand…nice.
Piero: I don’t like surprises, neither giving them nor receiving them.
Gianluca: Can you tell us the worst joke you’ve ever suffered?
Piero: In Bologna I faked a burglary at home, I called my brother, he left work, came home and it was a joke. I’ll let you imagine what happened.
Ignazio: You’re an asshole!
Gianluca: How you love to show affection to others.
Ignazio: Gianluca bothering me.
Gianluca: Yes, I hug, pinch, kiss, I’m very carnal.
PIero: I dedicate the song Capolavoro.
Ignazio: He dedicates it and I sing it.
Piero: Can I do the last one? Tell us about a trip you loved taking. Guys, everyone go to Japan, it’s the best trip you can do in your life.
Ignazio: It will also be a little strange for those who go for the first time because the sushi tastes completely different from what we are used to.
The first time I thought the people had fallen asleep at the concert, but instead they were attentive.
Someone backstage says he’s going to Japan in March.
Piero: In March? We’re going in March too.
You saw, he said he’s changing the date.
Gianluca: If there’s a flight I won’t go!
But getting back to their performance. They followed Capolavoro with Who Wants to Live Forever.
Talk about a phenomenal performance. Together with guitarist, Stef Burns, the guys gave a version of Who Wants to Live Forever that even Queen would envy! When I heard what they were going to sing I had visions of a performance that would bring the house down! I was right to some degree! It certainly brought my house down!
When they performed Who Wants to Live Forever, it was flawlessly executed. They were being evaluated for their performance. These are the words of one of the journalist…
Il Volo’s “Who Wants To Live Forever” with Stef Burns: on the singing level they are, as always, impeccable. But there always remains that musical feel that doesn’t fit well with the tastes of the contemporary world. They always seem out of time. Rating 6.5.
So, I must raise the question, did the journalists and radio stations fail to recognize the mastery displayed in their performance? And, in the case of televoting, some switchboards did not meet the evening’s demands, leading to the unfortunate scenario where the votes of numerous fans were not accurately represented.
If the switchboard didn’t fail, would there have been a different result! I certainly think so! As to the press, the above comment says it all. You’re great but you’re not getting our vote! I think that sums up the press!
Their performance of Capolavoro and Who Want to live Forever certainly were the highlight of Sanremo even if the journalist refuse to recognize it!
For me Sanremo 2024 was all about Il Volo. As I said in the beginning it doesn’t mean you win because of you are Il Volo but, in truth, Il Volo was the winner for so many people! Their performance was unsurpassed. They were the highlight of Sanremo 2024 and that’s why they are A Masterpiece!
As to my feeling about last week. I think every performance, every interview, every photo taken was A Masterpiece! They brought joy to our lives and gave us moments that will live in our hearts forever. They were Sanremo 2024!
Before I close, let me quote from Capolavoro!
Truly! You were the only light to make sense And this life with you It’s a Masterpiece!
You are our Masterpiece!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and bring to you the next exciting adventure of Il Volo.
Capolavoro is available on all digital platforms including Spotify and Amazon Music
Who Wants to Live Forever is 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
To read more Il Volo stories visit us at www.ilvoloflightcrw.com and don’t forget to visit the Archives.
The auditions and rehearsals are over and finally, we have the guys together at the Ariston Theater and they are about to meet but before they meet, I want to tell you a little more about the journey they took to get here and what this new adventure will be for them but, even more so for their parents.
For Piero and Ignazio, great sacrifices were made.
We know Ignazio’s parents worked hard and gave up all they had to make Ignazio have the opportunity to have singing lessons. In the end, thanks to someone dear to them, Ignazio finds himself on the stage of Ti Lascio Una Canzone.
From a very young age, Piero worked endlessly for a classical education which would lead him to the stage of an opera house. Thanks first to his grandfather, who paid for the piano lessons, and the sacrifices of his parents, Piero found his way to the stage of Ti Lascio Una Canzone.
As we know, Gianluca never had singing lessons and never competed in any singing competition. He was discovered while singing with his choir and that led him to the stage of Ti Lasio Una Canzone. So, there was no sacrifice by his parents but don’t think this is where the story of sacrifice ends.
No, the story just begins on the stage of Ti Lascio Una Canzone. The Big Sacrifice follows.
But let’s begin with the fourth night of Ti Lascio Una Canzone.
With O Sole Mio in hand, the boys set out for night four of Ti Lascio una Canzone.
It’s April 25th, 2009, and these three teenage boys who only met a short time before are getting ready to turn their world upside down. They are one step from stardom!
The first time they sing together everyone is amazed. Who wasn’t amazed, Roberto Cenci! He knew exactly what he was doing. He realized by putting these three voices together he would create an amazing sound! How right he was!
So, let’s turn to Piero who will tell us how the guys first sang together….
I remember Roberto Cenci calling us all three to the center of the stage during the rehearsals.
‘Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio, come here.’
They start ‘O Sole Mio’ and we sing as we had divided the parts. Gianluca begins with the first verse and then it’s my turn, I attack with ‘Ma n’ato sole,’ (but another sun). This ‘Ma n’naaaato’ with the note kept so long and vibrated, as we still sing it today, was born in that first test because I learned, ‘O Sole Mio,’ by listening to the Three Tenors, that is Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Josè Carreras. And Pavarotti made those three words of refrain with a very, fast, but difficult beat. I did not have that technique, so I did it slowly. Then I asked: ‘Roberto, sorry, can I do it my way the ‘ma n’ato sole?’ He answers ‘Yes.’ And I say, ‘Unplug the orchestra when it’s time and come behind me.’
Ignazio tells us about the reaction to their singing it on that Saturday night….
That Saturday night there was a great standing ovation for us, with ‘O Sole Mio.’ I think that that performance marked the real starting point of our career.
When I had agreed to do the auditions, I was aware that it would be a great experience and would last only two months. But I never expected that we could get all this great success.
Gianluca puts the event in the history books…
The theater came down.
Piero on my left, me in the middle, Ignazio on my right. In the history of music no one had ever seen three children of thirteen or fourteen sing these kinds of songs. So, we must also thank Roberto Cenci because, if it wasn’t for him maybe today, we would not be here. It was nice, it was something…. How can I tell you? It was natural. I immediately enjoyed singing together, there was no problem.
But it was also all unexpected.
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.
Before the big night of O Sole Mio, the guys were already being praised by some very famous singers. These singers were in total awe of our guys. It seemed obvious that they were taking over the show! No one else could come close to them.
Piero did a duet with Al Bano.
Ignazio did a duet with Massimo Ranieri.
Gianluca did a duet with Riccardo Cocciante.
Ignazio did a duet with Fausto Leali.
Gianluca did a duet with Sara Pischedda.
Piero did a duet with Simona Collura.
In his book Ricomincio Dai Tre (I Start Again from Three) Michele Torpedine, their manager tells us what happened that night.
Alone in his apartment, Michele Torpedine was sitting on his sofa with the volume off on his TV. The show he was watching was Ti Lascio Una Canzone. He keeps looking at the screen and he suddenly thinks Ignazio reminds him of Luciano Pavaroti, Gianluca seemed similar to Jose Carreras and Piero is similar to Placido Domingo. He still had not heard them sing. Out of curiosity, he raised the volume and Michele says, “Here I am aware of another element, that is even more important than the first. The three casually put together to sing a song of the program possess an incredible vocality for their age.”
At this point Michele’s head is spinning. He’s thinking these guys are good and again repeats it to himself, they’re good! He thinks, “What if I try to put them together seriously? A trio he tells himself. Here’s what I could do….”
Michele says, “The next day I am a volcano. I want to talk to everyone: producers, managers, families.”
They all performed exceptionally well. They all came in first one night during the performance.
Gianluca won the first night with the song “Il Mare Calmo della Sera.”
Ignazio won the second night with “Quando l’amore Diventa Poseia”
Piero won the fourth night with “Un Amore Così Grande.”
And Gianluca won the final episode.
Piero and Ignazio showed great respect for Gianluca who won the final episode. They may have been disappointed, but you would never know it to look at their faces. Their reaction to Gianluca winning was beautiful! Look at the video….
And the biggest win of the night, they walked off the stage, Il Volo! Well maybe they didn’t have the name yet, but they were certainly on the road to stardom!
But this is just the beginning of the story!
We know that the guys got a phenomenal contract with Universal and began an amazing career. They went to America and all the rest is history!
In the beginning I told you that great sacrifices would be made not only by the guys but also by their families.
When I write about the guys I always think about the sacrifice they made when they became Il Volo. They left behind the best years of their lives. Their teenage years. They left their families and there were times when they weren’t home for months.
In the beginning they had a parent with them because they were underage but once they turned eighteen, they were on their own. We all realized that this happened to them, and we all thought this was a great opportunity but what a sacrifice they made. True but what about the sacrifice their families made. When one parent traveled, the other was left at home to care for the other children.
I can’t even imagine how the parent who was left home with the other children felt. Of course, you feel joy for your child but to say goodbye I’ll see you in a few months. That’s got to hurt. And the parent who went with him had to leave his other children at home. That had to hurt too.
This was a big sacrifice that was made by the parents but there were others who probably hurt even more. How about their brothers and sisters? I’m sure some of them didn’t even understand why their brother had to go away!
All around tremendous sacrifices. I remember Ignazio saying in his story that he didn’t see his sister for five months and it really hurt.
Yes, they went around the world and became super stars, but they paid a high price for it. The Big Sacrifice they made is now in the past. But I’m sure that the guys wished they could have back some of those years to spent time with their families. And I’m sure the families wished they had an opportunity to spend more time with them.
On the bright side of the story, they got to spend a year with their families during the pandemic. The Lord certainly had a plan with that pandemic!
One last note before I leave you today. I just started writing a new book and I need to take some time off to do my research. So, for the next few weeks I will post old stories on Wednesdays about the guys.
In the meantime, you can also read some of the old stories in the archives. Just go to www.ilvoloflightcrw.com and you can either go into the search bar and ask for a particular story or a story about a particular guy. Or go into Galleries on the top of the main page and pull up stories by the year.
I promise I will work as fast as I can to get back to you. In the meantime, Daniela will be keeping you up to date with all the latest news including all that is going on in Sanremo. The guys start rehearsals for Sanremo this week!
Be back in a few weeks!
Let me leave you with the first video of O Sole Mio!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and find some really great old story for you!
*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) This is just a small piece of each mans’ story. The book is written in Italian. If you can read Italian, I would highly recommend that you read it. It’s wonderful! If not, I can only hope that someday it will be translated into English. Or you can use Google Translate to translate it.
I also recommend you read their second book “IL Volo: Quello Che Porto Nel Cuore” (What I Carry in My Heart)
If you would like to share a story with me, please email: susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
I’ll start immediately by telling you that the second ALL FOR ONE concert (actually it is the first concert in Verona in 2023, but broadcast on TV second) was repeated on the evening of January 5th.
Here is the announcement.
And let me tell you, it was another hit with the public.
Once again Il Volo (in rerun) had the highest ratings of the evening.
Once again Il Volo gained support from its fans.
I am very happy with this result, as already said I believe that Il Volo is much loved, more than one imagines, and I am personally very happy about it.
It’s a more than deserved success.
Looking back at this concert I could really see how much rain we got, but we all resisted all the way, two and a half hours under the incessant rain, but what a thrill.
For those who want to see the entire concert again, I propose it again below.
A short interview by Rai Radio 1 was also published, taken backstage at the New Year’s Eve concert, I propose it to you and translate it.
MAN= And we greet as we embrace:
WOMAN= Il Volo.
MAN = Il Volo which is in the backstage of the YEAR TO COME (the Crotone concert), hello guys, hello everyone how are you?
WOMAN= Hi guys.
G+I= Hello
P= Hi, good evening.
WOMAN=How are you guys?
IGNAZIO= We’re fine, the temperature is also very good, so we’re comfortable.
WOMAN= Right?
PIERO= I didn’t understand where you are?
MAN= We are behind you, practically….
WOMAN= If you turn around…. (They are behind a wall, Piero turns around and doesn’t see them)
PIERO= Why don’t we do the interview together?
MAN= Why should you walk 200 meters towards us, among people….
GIANLUCA= We would also be willing to fly to you….
WOMAN= Then we’ll be waiting for you…
MAN = While you are flying, at least with your mind, I would like to ask you: Hallelujah is an incredible song, written by Leonard Cohen, it is a little profane, a little mystical, it is a good test, it is a pop song, but also suitable for your strings.
IGNAZIO= Yes, in recent years we have been singing it a lot in our concerts because it is a moment that we dedicate to those who have not made it in these past years, which have been unforgettable years in positive and negative ways and we make every time to dedicate this song to those who have been more unlucky than us, to those who perhaps didn’t make it, to those who have suffered and continue to suffer, so it’s always a very delicate moment. It’s one of those songs that you can give whatever meaning you want, because it’s such an iconic melody, so beautiful that you can give whatever meaning you want.
MAN= It’s true and then the text is very vast….
IGNAZIO= Yes.
MAN= ….it is not simply a sacred song, it is also a slightly profane song, so it brings together many different things.
IGNAZIO= Born as a profane song.
MAN= Of course.
WOMAN = Born as a profane song. Ignazio, guys, since we are talking about feelings, thanks to this song, what is the feeling, one for each of you three, that you want to carry with you into 2024.
MAN= Everyone has their own!
IGNAZIO= I personally am amazed, because being amazed is always a great emotion, therefore always being amazed.
WOMAN= Ignazio the amazement. Gianluca?
GIANLUCA= I think…..you go first, I’ll think about it a little…
WOMAN= First Piero.
PIERO= I’m thinking that the most important thing that I believe will save the world will be irony but above all kindness and I will try to cultivate kindness on a daily basis.
MAN= These are all important feelings that lead Il Volo to Sanremo where I believe you arrive with a positive momentum, at least with Amadeus it is no longer a real competition, but a way of sharing, I don’t know how you can experience it even as a competitor.
GIANLUCA= Let’s say that all artists like us and all people, we are never the same, we are constantly evolving, so we change personally but also artistically. There are nuances that we discover every day, every year, and that is what we want to show, this small evolution that now makes us what we are today.
We won Sanremo when we were 20 years old, we returned to the Festival when we are 30, we are still the same, with consistency, but with a few more nuances that allow us to show a new side.
PIERO= Oh yes, maybe for those who don’t know, or don’t remember, in 2024 we will celebrate 15 years of career in a few months and I believe it is the duty of three singers to celebrate them in music, so it will be a 2024 full of music.
GIANLUCA= But it is passion, which moves everything and allows you to express what you really are, if you can live from your passion, live a happy life, a life that allows you to express what you really are and our passion for music it makes us feel alive and that’s what we will bring to the Sanremo festival.
MAN= So let’s keep “passion” as the word that unites you in this, as it unites all those who listen to music, with passion, and also with the idea that with music you can make the world a little better for those who Listen.
IGNAZIO= Absolutely, in fact, we think that the adjectives, the emotions for next year are precisely: Passion, Kindness and Emotion, especially with the year we have experienced it is very important to send these messages to young people, with everything that has happened this unfortunately this year (he is referring to the wars).
WOMAN= Happy New Year guys!
MAN = Happy Flight guys.
WOMAN= See you in 2024, long live the emotion!
I+P+G= Bye!
GIANLUCA= At the festival with MASTERPIECE!
An interview with Il Volo was also announced and will be published by Sorrisi e Canzoni TV, which will follow all the Sanremo singers step by step.
Here are Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca arriving for the interview and Piero jokingly greets by saying that he didn’t miss the people from Sorrisi e Canzoni.😁
Photo shoot for Sorrisi e Canzoni TV.
Meanwhile, the cover of the weekly Sorrisi e Canzoni TV has been released with all the singers who will be competing in Sanremo.
I warned you that competing in Sanremo meant being subjected to very strong media exposure, there will be many journalistic and television interviews, and we really like this.
While waiting for the interview in the weekly SORRISI E CANZONI TV, which will be released on January 30th, here is a nice video interview done at Il Volo on the day of the first rehearsal of the song with the orchestra.
The question that was asked to Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero was: “How did the rehearsals for the song go?”
And here are their answers!
IGNAZIO= The rehearsals went terribly!! 😁
GIANLUCA= Let’s start well. (that means Ignazio is joking)
IGNAZIO= No, no, the rehearsals went very well, there was a crazy chemistry with the musicians, we already knew some of them, some were new….
PIERO= We know most of them…
IGNAZIO= Yes and we had a lot of fun, it’s nice to be able to sing the song that you’ve been working on for a year and a half, so it’s very nice to get here today.
GIANLUCA= Let’s say that we must never be guilty of presumption, in the sense that, when an artist stays in the studio for a year and a half, he obviously needs confirmation for the work done and therefore, seeing the positive reaction of the orchestra was for us a great achievement, there was also applause, so for us it was something wonderful and in fact we want to thank the musicians for their support, as Piero said, we know many of them….
PIERO= I haven’t spoken yet.
GIANLUCA= …..we have known many of them since we started our career and therefore it will be very exciting to be able to sing it on the stage of the Ariston ( It’s the Sanremo theatre) again.
PIERO= We’ve been working on this project for a year, it will be an entire album of unreleased songs. 2024 is an important year for us because we will celebrate our 15 years of career and this is also the main reason that we are returning to the Ariston stage, we thank Amadeus for giving us this opportunity because, as singers, the best way to celebrating your milestone in these 15 years means doing it with lots of music, with new music. After Sanremo, a big tour will follow, it will be a year of music, it will be a challenging year, but we are very, very satisfied.
IGNAZIO= No, the song was not created for Sanremo, the song was born out of the need to create our own repertoire, after GRANDE AMORE, after MUSICA CHE RESTA, we were planning to make an album of unreleased songs this year and in the end, between the various songs that are on the album came out CAPOLAVORO and when Amadeus invited us we said:
”This is the song for Sanremo”.
GIANLUCA= This is our third time in Sanremo, the victory in 2015 and then third, if I’m not mistaken, in 2019.
Let’s say that we want to show personal and artistic growth, not a new face, but obviously we are not the same people as when we were teenagers, so this personal change is transmitted, it also has repercussions in the artistic part, because we cannot be the same, somehow we must renew ourselves and there must be an evolution in both professional and personal life.
PIERO= Regardless of the world of music, I believe that each of us has an evolution, a personal growth, in any field, in any sector, so in addition to celebrating 15 professional years, there is also a personal growth and we care now to sing and send this message.
We often hear ourselves told that we are used to the Ariston stage, but it is completely different, we never get used to it, the Ariston is a particular stage, different from any other stage, we were born on that stage and still today we have to get used to it, and I hope this never changes because it is precisely that emotion, that adrenaline that never makes you stop seeing the world with different eyes.
Sanremo is only a month away and already the preparations and rehearsals are in full swing and amplifying the expectations for this event.
There will be a lot to read, to see, to listen to, prepare yourself for a full immersion in an atmosphere of music, gossip, beauty and often even controversy.
It’s Sanremo and here, we say: “Because Sanremo is Sanremo”!! 🥰
We received the great news on Sunday that the guys will go to Sanremo in 2024. This is what we were all hoping for, and we are all so happy that the guys will be Chasing the Lion again!
For the new fans and the fans who don’t know what the Lion is, I will give a brief description of the Sanremo Music Festival.
The Sanremo Music Festival, officially the Italian Song Festival is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony held annually in the city of Sanremo. It is the longest-running annual TV music competition in the world on a national level; making it one of the world’s longest running TV programs.
The award for winning the contest is a trophy of a Lion.
The songs selected in the competition are original songs (never previously published) in Italian (or in an Italian dialect), and the three most voted songs are awarded. Other special awards are also given, including the Critics’ Award, created ad hoc by the press in 1982 to reward the quality of Mia Martini’s song, and named after the singer in 1996, after her death.
Il Volo’s “Grande Amore” won the Sanremo Music Festival 2015.
During the final night of the song contest, held on February 14, 2015, “Grande Amore” finished in first place, receiving 56.1878% of the votes and won the competition!
So that is what the award is about and now I will tell you how the guys came to the competition and how they won it!
First let me apologize to the fans for breaking the story I’ve been writing the last few weeks. I’m sure Ignazio will not mind that I am not writing his next episode this week.
In order to understand how the guys came to do the competition, we must first go back to 2014 and understand what was going on in their lives.
Before I begin, I must tell you this is my favorite story in their book. The story as told by the guys is so interesting. They were young and they were very intelligent. They knew what they wanted and what they needed and went for it! Bravo! They stepped up to the plate and did what other groups could not achieve in their lifetime careers!
Since I am not writing Ignazio’s story this week, I will let him begin to explain what happened in 2013 that caused their decision in 2014….
Ignazio begins….
After the Latin American tour (2013) we started promoting the Christmas album.
My house began to fail me. Being four months away, changing cities, hotels and planes almost every day is not easy. From the age of sixteen, finding yourself catapulted into a world completely different to the one I was used to, was not a simple thing to manage. At first no, actually the first two years I thought ‘What a beautiful life!.’ Then I realized that ‘all that glitters is not gold.’
To get satisfaction and achieve the goals you have set yourself, you have to give up many things and work hard. Stay focused on your work. It’s not easy.
Many people say: ‘But these guys never get tired?.’ Well, yes, we get tired too, sometimes. Personally, there was a time when I thought only of friends. I wanted to go out, I never answered the phone, the emails, the messages, I was out of this world.
It was thanks to my family, to the boys and to Michele that I realized that I was neglecting what was always important for me: the Music!
Gianluca….
True, Ignazio is right. It was not easy, and neither is it now.
In those years, in 2012 and 2013, no one knew us in Italy, we were just the three children who had come from Ti Lascio Una Canzone.
But in America, in South America, in Europe we were very well known. And not only there.
After the release of our first CD, we went on tour even in places that none of us could have imagined we would go to: Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and New Zealand. In Singapore we also had a gold record with that first CD.
In 2012 we arrived in Norway, one of the few European countries that we had not yet touched. We participated in the concert dedicated to the Nobel Peace Prize – that year went to the European Union – in Oslo. A fantastic evening that allowed us to meet Gerard Butler and Sarah Jessica Parker, who were the presenters, and an artist like Kylie Minogue.
And then, in 2014 we were twice in Moscow, once guests in a concert by Toto Cutugno and once with a concert of our own, and at the beginning of 2015 we were in Beijing, guests of a TV program for the Chinese New Year.
So, before Sanremo, we lived two lives, two completely different lives. Abroad we were stars, and we came to Italy to rest. I took refuge in Montepagano, Piero in Naro, Ignazio in Marsala. It was nice to come back to ‘normal’ life.
Even if we felt that something was missing, that it was bad to be so successful outside of our country and not be able to have it in Italy.
Ignazio continues….
2014 was not our best year!
In fact, along with Eurovision, one of those things that I do not like to talk about, but we’re telling the truth, so let’s tell it all. That year the contract with Universal expired, so we started looking for a new record company.
Universal makes more pop, hip pop, rap and for us it was time to look for a label that would make a more classical and more suitable music genre for us.
It’s just that finding a new record company is not something you do in two days.
We did not sleep at night.
We talked with Michele about it until late in the evening to look for solutions.
The first thing that came to mind was to take charge of everything. Not that we could stop because we were looking for a new record company. We had earned and then we would have invested those profits on ourselves. So, we continued to work on the projects we had, new records and tours. We were planning a new tour in Canada and the United States for that summer. We could do it.
We learn that being brave has brought us luck because, after a few months, an email from Sony Latin arrived: they were interested in us.
Sony Music Latin, as you understand by the name, is a label of the record company Sony all dedicated to Latin music. And the label includes, to name a few, Gloria Estefan, Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin and Shakira.
After a few weeks and long negotiations, we went to Miami to sign the contract.
It was unique and emotional because we were underage when we were signed by Universal, our parents signed for us. This was the first record contract signed by our fist!
It was also at this time that Italy began to recognize Il Volo!
Ignazio continues….
Italy made us close in 2014 with a flourish. What started out very badly finished very well: with the Christmas concert in the Senate.
“…the hymn of Mameli was the heart-pounding one… singing in that place, with everyone singing along with us, including Giorgio Napolitano (President) and Pietro Grasso (President of the Senate).”
This is one of my favorite concerts!
We also want to talk about the thrill of singing in front of the highest offices of state! What twenty-year-old boy has something like that happen? It happened to us, and it seems to me a beautiful result, an honor.
The concert was on December 21st. You cannot imagine the emotional feeling to be called ‘guests of honor’ inside the Senate.
The fantastic Filarmonia Orchestra Veneta conducted by Diego Basso. Half the beauty of the song is in the orchestra.
We start with Christmas classics such as Adeste Fideles and White Christmas, but then there was also Caruso, Mattinata, No Puede Ser, Memory and of course our classic ‘O Sole Mio.
The most exciting moments? Everyone! But the hymn of Mameli was the heart-pounding one, the first song, singing in that place, with everyone singing along with us, including Giorgio Napolitano, (President) and Pietro Grasso (President of the Senate). It is one thing that I cannot explain.
And then, of course, the pleasure of shaking hands with the President of the Republic and of feeling that he knows Marsala, he has been there.
In short, in the end, instead of remembering it as the worst year of our lives together, 2014 brought us well: great changes and an important step towards Italy, towards home.
Piero begins….
Meanwhile, the first thing that comes to mind, after so many years of great success abroad, the greatest successes there has been, one wakes up one morning, indeed, three wake up one morning and decide to go to the Sanremo Festival.
When one is famous all over the world, there comes a moment when he must also be able to say: ‘Wow, they love me even in Italy.’ He must be able to say: ‘They also love me in my country.’
You go abroad and, during the interviews, you hear the fateful question: ‘You are loved even in Italy, right?’ and you have to answer no.
No one can understand how much we suffered in those moments.
Also, in meetings with Universal, in the United States, we sometimes tried to say: ‘Why do we publish concerts all over the world, except in Italy?’ We wanted the record company to try to support us in this sense too.
I remember that once, during a meeting with the president, I asked him for the thousandth time. And what does he do? He had a globe on his desk, I’m not joking, he gives it to me and says: ‘Turn it around, then stop it and find Italy at the first shot.’
The problem is that you have to look for it because it is a small country, very small compared to the United States and Latin America or Australia (and we have been on both of these continents). Then I got mad: ‘Oh, no, it’s my country, and the country where I was born, and the country where we come from, you cannot say it’s not important, do not think about it.’
For us, Sanremo was a decisive opportunity to let us be known to Italians, to say to Italians ‘We exist.’ And we are proud and really happy that our music genre was appreciated.
Operatic pop, it’s called, or pop opera, that is – just to be precise – a set of pop music and elements of lyrical music. And where was the lyric born? In Italy, belcanto is Italy.
It made us suffer that abroad we were loved and in Italy snubbed for something that is ours. And a bit like if the pizza was loved only abroad but not here.
Ignazio….
As they say, Piero? A prophet is not recognized in his own land, so we were snubbed, perhaps because they never had the opportunity to really know us and show, once and for all, who we are personally and humanly, as well as being singers.
Then, after a few months of night phone calls with Michele, towards the end of 2014, we finally decided: ‘new year, new life: we go to the Sanremo Festival.’
It must also be said that in the meantime in Italy people were starting to get to know us better as Il Volo, and no longer as the Tre tenorini, thanks to our friend Bruno Vespa who invited us to the Porta a Porta episode on November 20, 2014 on Rai One, we conquered the maximum, of the television ratings of the season.
Then, not to mention Piero, the fussy one, but we have never been three tenors, neither small nor big. Piero is the only one who is really a tenor. He has a more classic voice. Gianluca has a baritone voice, a warm tone. I am the most pop one. Let’s say that these are three different ways of expressing emotions but, we are not three tenors.
However, even if they began to appreciate us in Italy, the fear of participating in the festival was so great. Fear of giving way to people to say: ‘Here, now they want to come and do the phenomena here.’ The only way to not have to hear certain things was to win.
Personally, I did not believe it so much. I have always been a bit pessimistic; you know it by now. But who really believed we could do it, Gianluca!
Gianluca….
Not so much, I believed it very, very much, I felt it inside that we would have won.
I am like that, I’m not immediately enthusiastic about things, or rather of us three, maybe I’m the one who wants to think about it more, but if I have positive feelings, nobody stops me. Let’s say I have a certain sensitivity.
No one trusted, no one believed it. It was I who persuaded Piero to persuade Ignazio to go to Sanremo. Because? I told him: ‘Guys, if we go, we’ll win it, I’m sure, I’m sure.’
I do not even remember anymore how many times I heard it repeated, even from my father: ‘If than, they throw you out, you do not make long faces.’ But I if nothing, am stubborn to the end, and in the end, I convinced them.
Piero….
Yes, even if we thought about the participation really until the last possible day, we were not very sure. But then we said to ourselves: ‘Guys, make it or break it, in the end, we were not anyone here in Italy, at most we would not be anyone even afterwards.’
So, first problem solved: we go to Sanremo, It’s official.
But then there was the second problem: the song. True, Gian?
Gianluca….
I did not agree to go with that piece. If I think about it now, I’ll say to me that the next time I have to reflect better before judging, try to sing a song and then judge because we ‘change’ the songs, arranging them by cutting them on our voice, and I did not have this fact taken into consideration, despite the song on first listening was not very ugly.
Ignazio….
It’s not that we’ve heard only that, no. Do you think it is easy to choose a piece for Sanremo? We started to do a search and a selection of unpublished tracks. Our policy was: either we go with something strong, or we do not go right.
One day this song comes through Michele: Grande Amore by Francesco Boccia and Ciro Esposito, two Neapolitan authors. As usual, I am pessimistic. I listen to it and it does not make me crazy. Not even Gianluca was convinced. The only enthusiast was Pie …
Piero….
I loved Grande Amore! I did not believe that we would have won, but I was the one who pushed, I and Michele pushed for Grande Amore. Because the audition that we heard was not beautiful, but we imagined if it was made by Celso Valli! and I must say that he had guessed right.
Ignazio….
And I said it too if you let me talk.
I was saying, in fact, that Grande Amore was not as we hear it today. It was always called Grande Amore, but it was totally different. So, we start to think: who can produce the piece? And Michele calls the great Celso Valli. After several weeks of work in the studio, we managed to churn out a song that for us could have left its mark at the Sanremo Festival.
Gianluca….
That’s why when we left for Sanremo I was very convinced: we had the piece, the right project.
Piero….
He wanted to influence us, but we are superstitious …
Gianluca….
Every day at lunch and dinner with Michele and the president of Sony, I said: ‘Guys, we will win Sanremo.’
Piero….
Do you know what a week like this means?
Ignazio….
Piero and I were all day touching iron and the low parts. Gianluca was convinced that the little lion (the Sanremo award is represented by a lion) would be ours? And the two of us tried to keep the situation under control.
Gianluca….
What should I tell you? I am an optimist. They took it something like ‘he makes fun of us,’ but I felt it inside. I do not know why.
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 Una Canzone. 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.
But do you remember how we were dressed before? I remember that time at Una Notte per Caruso, in July 2009, it was the second time we saw Torpedine.
Michele arrives with another white Range Rover, not that of Jesolo, and as soon as he arrives we do not even say hello and we go to see the car. Let’s run, let’s open the car.
Ignazio immediately goes up to the car. We went crazy for the cars, one like that, we did not see every day. The day after we go for a ride in downtown Sorrento, a shopping trip, and we enter into Gucci. Michele spent almost two thousand euros and we with that written number at the counter, we exclaimed: ‘Mizziga! (Damn!) Two thousand euro!’ with wide eyes. And we still have those clothes, at least I personally still have them.
He had bought us a jacket, but above all the need for us to dress all in white and blue.
I had the blue jacket and the white shirt, Gianluca had blue trousers and white shirt, Ignazio the blue shoes and everything else white, Michele the blue jacket. And we took a picture in front of the hotel.
Gianluca….
We were just dressed badly to be the singers by trade, we were children, we came from families of workers. What could I buy? There was not even the need.
Piero….
And then you remember the restaurant? Afterwards we went to a restaurant near the sea. When we finished eating, the three of us took off our shoes and ran to the beach. Michele ran behind us telling us: ‘Guys, calm down. Guys, slow down.’
Ignazio….
Yes, but what does that have to do with it, Pie? We’re talking about Sanremo. What has Sorrento got to do with it?
Sanremo 2015, from 10th to 14th of February, we sang on the second evening, legs shaking, Gianluca’s birthday.
Video with English subtitles.
Among the many interviews, the diary that we kept every day for ‘TV Sorrisi e Canzoni’… We had fun with the diary!
It was a sort of ‘pill,’ a very few minutes, in which we recorded from the 9th to 14th of February (the last episode after the award ceremony). We told about some of the emotions we felt. For example, the time that Gianluca almost stumbles on stage or the happiness of seeing the audience get up and applaud the first night we sang Grande Amore. The recording then, went online on the site of the magazine.
What was I saying? Ah, yes, among the many interviews, the diary that we kept every day for ‘TV Sorrisi e Canzoni,’ meetings and press conferences …
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. I can 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.
You have to admit that is the most incredible story! Every time I read it I find something else about it that amazes me. 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.
The other thing that makes the story incredible is that they did it on their own without the support of the press.
Today things are really good for them in Italy. They have come into their own and much of the press is out there supporting them. As to the others, for the life of me I will never understand what they could possibly dislike about three amazing teenagers who won fame on the stage of Ti Lascio una Canzone.
They traveled around the world and won the hearts of every nation and then risking the possible of losing Italy forever, they took a big chance and finally won the hearts of the Italian people.
Welcome, guys, to Italy, your life, your home! No one is better than you guys! The Italians were always there for you; you just didn’t know it! And they will be there for you for the 74th edition of Sanremo! I can’t wait to hear the song! I have some idea about who it should come from, but I’ll keep it to myself for now! We are all cheering for you! As for me, you already won!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
Next we week we go back to our story and pick up Ignazio’s story and follow him down the road where he meets his fate.
For your listening pleasure and staying with 2014, I give you The concert at Taormina!
*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) This is just a small piece of each mans’ story. The book is written in Italian. If you can read Italian, I would highly recommend that you read it. It’s wonderful! If not, I can only hope that someday it will be translated into English. Or you can use Google Translate to translate it.
I also recommend you read their second book “IL Volo: Quello Che Porto Nel Cuore” (What I Carry in My Heart)
Just in time for Christmas, the guys released a new EP 4Xmas Amazing Grace, O Tannenbaum, Feliz Navidad and Happy Xmas (the War is Over) order yours now on Spotify, Amazon, etc.
If you would like to share a story with me, please email: susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
To read more Il Volo stories visit us at www.ilvoloflightcrw.com and don’t forget to visit the Archives.
This story took me a very long time to write. Why? Because it shows us how between 2020 and 2023 the guys changed not who they are but how they present themselves. It’s part of maturity, of course, but not entirely! After being together constantly for 11 years they suddenly found themselves communicating by phone. A very unique thing for them. They were never more than a hotel room away.
The Last performance before returning to Italy on March 11, 2020
Sometimes people write to me and say, you know these guys so well! No, I don’t. Have I met them? Yes! Do I have a personal relationship with them? On many occasions I have communicated with one or another. But no, I’m just a fan like you! But the research I’ve done over the years has given me the tools to write my Il Volo stories. And this story required a lot of research because I needed to find the turning point the new beginning When the Tides Changed!
When exactly did that happen? I think we have to go back 2020. I think of the day when the guys walked out the door and said I’ve had enough of this and started to live their lives again. On that day, it wasn’t about isolation, it was about what they contributed during the time of isolation. It was about working their way into a new life, a new beginning.
What the guys did during this time formed the framework for a new Il Volo!
Things changed; the world changed but above all we all changed in some way. As to the guys, they stayed home but they couldn’t stay without something to do.
And so, it begins ~ 2020
In May 2020, the guys joined other Italian singers and artists to make a statement about the people and their situation. They sang about all people all over Italy; perhaps all over the world. Ma il cielo e’ sempre blu (But the sky is always blue). No matter what happens, the sky is always blue! That’s true! It was a catchy tune and before you know it we were all singing it!
In July 2020 the guys performed at the Taormina Film Festival.
During the time when they were preparing for this event, the guys did fund raisers including one for Dolce & Gabbana! Which brings me to another thing that happened during isolation. The guys took on a new line of clothing. The Armani men went Dolce & Gabbana!
They were stunning in their new Dolce & Gabbana tuxedos!
At the Taormina Film Festival they sang a beautiful Sicilian song. E Vui Durmiti Ancora (And you sleep again!) When they sang it, they brought tears to our eyes and a beautiful sense of pride to the Sicilian people! An absolutely amazing performance!
In September 2020 the guys went to the SMA Awards….
When the guys arrived on stage at the SMA Awards, they had a message for the world and all the people in the industry:
Ignazio: 2020 will be remembered as the year where the world would be constrained to be turned off.
Gianluca: For the music employees the verb “turn off” means the end of the show, when the curtains close and it is the waiting moment for the next show, but this time the waiting lasted more than expected, the silence was unavoidable.
Piero: Now, the world is getting ready to start again! Now the moment has arrived to raise the curtain! Now, we will turn on the music!
This beautiful statement was followed by the performance of the evening. Their choice of “Nessun Dorma” sent an even stronger message. It says we may have to perform under these new world conditions, but we don’t have to change who we are or why we’re here. In this ancient Arena we look to the past while following the path to the future.
From their first note the whole arena lit up. Their voices were clean and crisp. Their presence was illuminating. Their notes rose above the Arena into the night sky to let the world know music is back! The final note of their song sent the final message. All three voices rose in unison and their voices sent forth a note that took our breaths away! It said We Have Returned! “Turn on the Lights!”
What is so amazing about this is, over the months since they had left quarantine, they had almost single handedly brought back the music industry in Italy. All the work they did after their quarantine moved things forward in Italy. This included their most important project the concert in Tribute to Ennio Morricone and the recording of their album by the same name.
The guys have Hit the Restart Button! They have played a major part in the restart of the music industry In Italy!
In October 2020, the guys surprised us with a press conference with the Mayor of Rome. The meeting set the wheels in motion for a phenomenal project, a Tribute to Ennio Morricone!
As you know the event was supposed to take place in Piazza Pio XII in the shadow of St. Peter’s Basilica. Due to the pandemic the venue had to be changed and the one million people who might have attended the free concert, were disappointed but, as always, the guys came through and on June 5, 2021, they held the performance of a lifetime at the ancient Arena of Verona! Who will ever forget it!
But we’ll get to that later.
This press conference was about a very ambitious project which included the genius of Il Volo and the music of Ennio Morricone. These four men, Il Volo and Ennio Morricone, have done extraordinary things in the music industry. Having worked together when they were teenagers the guys were the perfect people to present the legacy of Ennio Morricone!
On December 19, 2020, the guys went to St. Peters Square to record their Christmas Show. It was an exceptionally cold evening, and the guys were shivering as they sang. Behind them St. Peter’s Square was lit up and St. Peters and the Vatican shone brilliantly against the night sky! One light blared from the Papal residence. The light from the room of His Holiness Pope Francis. Together with Pope Francis we enjoyed a magnificent mini concert! Then the guys sent us a beautiful Christmas message!
Ten magnificent minutes at St. Peter’s Square. And this was their message to us!
In the middle of the video the guys spoke….
Gianluca: On this very special day in which, even though we are close, we are forced to stay apart, we wanted to find a way to wish you a Merry Christmas.
Ignazio: We did it in the way that best represents us with music in this extraordinary square where it seems like we are surrounded by two welcoming arms.
Piero: May Christmas with its magic bring a smile to your homes and warm your hearts. We will dedicate every note, every word on this Holy Night!
And at the end….
Gianluca: Merry Christmas
Ignazio: Happy New Year
Piero: Good life from Il Volo and Rai 1.
But there was one more message for the fans! The guys wanted to end 2020 on a high note!
How did they bring the year out? With a message from Verona!
Gianluca: Hello friends from Verona.
Ignazio: We should have seen each other in 2020, but we are ready to bring you a lot more music in 2021.
Piero: See you soon: Happy Holidays.
And so it is 2021….
On the last day of February, we got the sad news that Vito Boschetto had passed away! We were all shocked. We knew the guys were supposed to sing at San Remo but would they.
On a March evening when no one expected it, the guys including Ignazio stepped on the stage of the Ariston Theater and sang Your Love. We cried, the guys cried, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Without words it was understood that Ignazio did this to honor his father because he knew his father would want him to perform that evening!
This was the first sign of the true strength of Il Volo. A true brotherhood. From there the bond became stronger!
Your Love was and will always be the song that bonds us with the guys!
The other thing I remember very well about that night was that it was the first time we heard the song Màkari which was written by Ignazio for the Rai TV Series Màkari.
So we know Ignazio was writing during the pandemic.
I talk about San Remo and when I talk about it I have to say Carlo Conti played a big role in the career of Il Volo!
It seems every time there is a major event in their lives Conti was there.
In 2014 the guys made the decision to go to San Remo. As you know, at San Remo you must sing an unpublished song. When Michele Torpedine presented the song the guys chose, Conti said, “no they can’t win with that song.” Conti told Michele, “I know these two men who wrote a song I think is worthy.” Conti gave Michele the song and he presented it to the guys. As you know the guys didn’t like it, that is, everyone but Piero didn’t like it. Even though Piero liked the song, he didn’t think they could win with it! Of course, that song was Grande Amore!
On the evening of the award ceremony, it was Carlo Conti who said, “the winner is Il Volo.” Conti was very proud of the guys, and it was his great pleasure to present the guys with the Lion, top honors in the music industry in Italy.
As we arrive at 2021, we begin to see the results of what the guys did while they were in isolation.
First and foremost, they took on the Morricone project.
In June 2021, the guys did a concert in Verona. When I wrote about this concert I called it Phenomenal, because that’s what it was. Let’s take a look back at the Tribute to Ennio Morricone, where we witnessed an amazing transformation in their production. Not to mention the fact that it was their first Live Concert on TV with Rai 1.
This is where the tides begin to change….
I wrote about this concert, besides the superb performance by the guys, did you notice the interesting scenery? So different from what we are used to in an Il Volo concert. Spectacular scenery! And the videos that go along with each song. Such precision! Just amazing! Everything was so well thought out. Down to the last detail!
It’s obvious from this fantastic concert, while they were dealing with the pandemic, they were being very productive. Gianluca said, “We dealt with the pandemic productively, we tried not to give up. Young people must not give up the strength to believe in their dreams and pursue their goals.”
Piero reminds us that, “this is the first time we have performed a Concert live on TV.”
Yes, this is the first nod by Rai, but it wouldn’t be the last.
This was the first and only concert in 2021.
When the guys presented their songs they were presenting them in a new and different way. Each one told us what he always wanted to do in his solo and did it!
This is where it started. This is where individuality began to come into play.
They were mature, they were vibrant, they had come into their own individuality. They knew not what others wanted them to know, no they knew what they wanted, and this new idea of individuality was set into play.
They have matured in body and mind and their voices have gone to another level of magnificence!
Yes, we watched them grow but this is different. There’s a beautiful presence about them now. A certain elegance! After twelve 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! Twelve years of a lifetime! A lifetime full of wonders and experience which most entertainers will never have the honor of knowing.
In September 2021, we had an exciting week with the guys. They went from Melpignano to Verona and shared every amazing moment with us!
I cut this video to where the guys are. If you wish to see the full concert, I added it at the end of this story.
Albano awaits their arrival of the guys on stage. He tells us about the song. It is from the region of Apulia, the region where he was born. He says, “It reminds me of the autumn song. It is the November song.”
November is the time of the olive harvest, and a man would always pass with a cart of olives to sell to the people. Albano and Ignazio sing a phrase in the Apulian dialect (“Who has olives, I have to buy them.”) Albano said when Modugno sang in the Apulian dialect he was very proud of him. Ignazio said, “So let’s hope, with this next song we will sing, to make you even more proud of your land.”
Albano tells the guys, You know that I am proud to have you here beside me…
Gianluca responded, and we are happy ….
Albano (continues) …simply because I baptized these two.
Albano is referring to Ignazio and Piero who he performed with on Ti Lascio Una Canzone. I remember those performances and that Albano was in awe of both of them. Then Albano continues about Gianluca who he didn’t perform with at Ti Lascio una Canzone.
Albano says, And to you, (Gianluca) you I baptize this evening.
Gianluca responds, One day, sooner or later, we will sing together. But it is nice, I can say, that these events make it possible to spread a musical culture like this of Taranta and it is right that young people are attached to the roots of these great events. We must not lose this desire to carry on traditions, we too, as young people, are proud to be here tonight.
Next stop Venezia! Talk about an exciting event!
In the afternoon the guys attended the award presentations where they were presented as winners of the 78th Film Italy Movie Awards.
Upon exiting the building, they were interviewed by an unknown man…
Man: This is not San Remo this is the cinema exhibition!
Piero: But it seems a little like San Remo, we meet, all familiar faces.
Gianluca: We are preparing a very ambitious recording project which is a tribute to maestro Ennio Morricone. We had the opportunity to collaborate with Vittorio Storaro in a music video, so we are here in the company of a great master of cinema, Vittorio Storaro.
Ignazio:He chose our voices for a tribute of the video of Your Love, which is shot in the Frasassi Caves, and therefore it is beautiful, this is not the first time we have come here. It is always a beautiful atmosphere. Venice is a place that is stupendous.
We were so proud of the award they won at the 78th Venice Film Festival, but that was only the beginning!
Next stop Verona…
Do you ever feel when they’re in Verona, they are home? I certainly do. To me they own the Verona Arena. Every performance there is phenomenal!
They returned to the Seat Music Awards to sing their beautiful song, “Your Love” and to pick up their second award for the week!
At the SMA awards Carlo presented the guys with their DIVA award…
Carlo said:I seriously read the inscription: Arena di Verona Award for Il Volo, for the tribute project to Ennio Morricone, represented with great success right here at the Verona Arena, live on RAI1, and for the over 10 years of career, which led them to be known and appreciated representatives of Italian music in the world.
2022 what an amazing year!
The guys are back on the road and there was no stopping them!
Their first appearance in America put all the fans in shock!
White tuxedos!
I wrote a story called Drop Dead Gorgeous, and that they were!
And what did the fans do? They went everywhere. I was in New York, Phoenix and Los Angeles. We just couldn’t get enough of the guys!
New York
Me, Sana and Kathleen
Los Angeles
Anna, Me and Rose Marie
Kathleen, Annette, Sana, Me and Anna
My biggest fan ~ Maguerite Nourian and me
After they left the states, they went to Australia!
But that’s not all they did!
They wrote a new book!
Yes, they were busy and then there was 2023. First stop Japan!
Yuko Kato interviewed the guys. These are just two of the questions she asked the guys!
Yuko Kato: I heard that you recorded a live video at Kiyomizu Temple without an audience.
Piero replied:It was a great experience. We make music called bel canto, which is an Italian tradition, and thanks to bel canto, we can sing in many beautiful places. This is also true in Italy, and again we can sing in a very beautiful temple in Japan. Kiyomizu Temple is the most important temple in Kyoto and has a great history, so it was really an honor to sing in such a wonderful place. It’s a very small place, so we couldn’t let the audience in, but I hope you enjoy what we’ve done by watching the video. Personally, I feel that Japanese culture and Italian culture are very compatible. Anyway, it has become an unforgettable memory for a lifetime, and I will continue to talk about live performances at Kiyomizu Temple in the future.
Yuko Kato: How did you feel about performing at a Buddhist temple?
PIero: We respect all religions. In fact, before the performance, we asked the monk of the temple to offer a prayer. Honestly, I didn’t understand what was said. (bitter smile). But we also have a lot of respect for that.
After Japan the guys returned to Italy and began the year that would change it all.
So where are we today for one Armani is back! But more importantly, we are on the threshold of a new and absolutely incredible adventure!
When the guys stepped on the stage in Verona for a concert which would be filmed and produced by Rai, they brought along new ideas and new concepts.
The three men on the stage were different! They had new ideas, and they were ready to share them with us!
For one, the guys invited guests to perform with them. And the production itself was different! It was everyone’s concert not just Il Volo. As the night went on, each guy told us who they are, and what their music is about!
Gianluca ~ Rock! Ignazio ~ Pop! Piero – Opera! The new Il Volo!
Italy is now ecstatic with the programs! And Rai said new productions would follow.
But it’s not just a production it’s not the magnificence of what is going on on the stage. It was three men on the stage in a production with other entertainers, showing Italy, who they really are.
Italy always complained that their music was old but that night the guys showed Italy that you can have your old classics that the people love while sharing a new concept! A new individuality!
They put on an absolutely spectacular concert that blew the minds of the Italians, actually all the fans, and grossed phenomenal ratings on Rai!
They proved that each of them is a star in his own right! And that star shines individually and collectively with one another. Each man has a phenomenal voice and each song they sang was a phenomenal event, a new beginning! We watched and listened as the tides changed and they introduced us to three new men who are at the height of their performance! They wanted to introduce us to their minds and their music and wanted nothing more than to share these new concepts with us.
The project that was three years in the making finally came to fruition on that stage in Verona! The new concept, the new individuality that started in their homes during the pandemic came full circle on the stage in Verona When the Tides Changed!
Final Note to the fans (my friends): I know many of you are not on Instagram and Facebook. Yesterday I put up a message that I would like to relate to all of you.
Over the last few weeks many of you have written to me. Some of you wished me well and had very kind words for me. Many of you prayed for me! When I walked out of Memorial Sloan Kettering yesterday, I called my sister. I could tell she was worried when she answered the phone. I said: No Cancer! She was crying. She said I was just saying a prayer for you and when I said Amen, the phone rang. I said you have good connections with the Lord!
This last week was extremely stressful for me. It was your messages and your prayers that got me through it! You all have good connections with the Lord! Prayers do work, my sweet friends. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
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 I have included the Complete concert at Verona in Tribute to Morricone.
Verona concert June 5, 2021
Notte della Taranta 2020 Concert with Albano Full Concert
If you would like to share a story with me, please email: susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
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Credit to the owners of Photos and Videos
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