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
To read more Il Volo stories visit us at www.ilvoloflightcrw.com
It seems hard to believe that so much has happened over the last two years. We were in quarantine but that didn’t stop the guys from moving forward and making phenomenal strides.
`We watched the guy’s release “Your Love,” on the stage of the Ariston Theater, which was beautifully presented in a bittersweet moment, and with great Gratitude we thank the guys, especially Ignazio, for that performance.
We followed them to the stage of the ancient Arena of Verona where we witnessed the dawn of Il Volo’s new adventure and the magical moments that would shape the new beginning of Il Volo.
In my story “Phenomenal,” about the Tribute to Morricone in Verona I said: “If I wrote what I felt, saw, experienced in this concert, I would have to write a book!”
That is just the tip of the iceberg to where we are today! The truth is a book could be written about this event. Not only did we witness the guys first Live for TV Concert for Rai1, but it also marked the beginning of a new era in the life of Il Volo.
After the death of Enno Morricone, it made sense that someone would have to step up to the plate and record all his achievements for posterity! Who better to do that than Il Volo!
Back Then
In their teens, the guys sang with Morricone and their voices were and still are perfect for his music. Morricone has taken his place in the history of music and now Il Volo follows him down that path.
And Now
On their own, Il Volo has achieved worldwide fame! Since the first time they stepped on stage they won the hearts of people around the world. Every place they perform at you will find thousands of people waiting for them. Why? Because they deliver the perfect concert every time. It’s always about the delivery. It’s always about giving the fans what they want! Every performance is an event to be written in our minds that we look back on when we hear a certain song or remember a moment when they first touched our hearts! It’s a feeling you get. It’s not just a song, it’s their voices that capture our inner being and draw us to them! Many people will say, about other groups, “isn’t that a wonderful song” but with Il Volo they say what phenomenal voices. Gianluca said when he first heard “Grande Amore,” he didn’t like it, but he said what he should have considered was that “our voices change the song.” It’s not the song that changes, no, it’s their voices that make every song phenomenal! It’s how their voices draw us to them and to our past and important moments in our lives. Yes, all their music, all their songs are amazing but above all it’s the VOICES! And this explains their continued success worldwide! Three absolutely phenomenal voices.
I get messages every day from people who tell me how Il Volo has touched their lives. How they have helped them move on in difficult moments. Why is this? It’s simple! It’s because we are more than just fans to them, and they are more than just performers to us. They let us into their lives, as a part of their families! How did this happen? It happened because we were with them when they needed family and their family couldn’t always be there for them. In the beginning they traveled with their families but when they turned 18 that changed. At a time when young adults turn to their families for guidance, they found themselves away from home with no one to turn to. They learned how to allow their fans, who loved them, to play an important role in their lives. In a sense that we filled the void! They made us all one Il Volo family. That’s why when they lose someone dear to them, we grieve with and for them! That’s what family does! Sounds crazy, doesn’t it! Not as crazy as you think. Even though they may not have reached out to us in their difficult moments, they did know we were always there to support them, and they relied on that support to keep them going!
Let’s go back to the Arena and the Morricone Concert….
When I spoke about the opening of that Concert, I couldn’t help but talk about the intensity of their voices when they sang “The Ecstasy of Gold.” What force! But it doesn’t stop there! Watch how their bodies react to the music! They are in motion. Look at Gianluca! Watch his fist come at you! This is the punch, just the beginning. Listen to Ignazio ride the note that guides us into the story! Now we’re sailing on the wind! Piero intensifies the moment with his powerful voice that says the journey has begun! Follow us in this new adventure!
Their voices, their expressions, their movements blend into the background becoming a part of the movie behind them. They themselves felt this and they looked back from time to time to absorb what was going on behind them. The movie, the orchestra, the phenomenal lights constantly changing color and reflection! Just intense!
The soundtrack of “the Ecstasy of Gold” from the 1966 Sergio Leone film “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” is considered one of the most influential soundtracks in history. It was so important that it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It is one of the most well-known of Morricone’s themes and one of the most iconic pieces of cinematic score in history.
When the major video for the album, “Il Volo Sings Morricone,” needed to be produced we followed the guys to Sardinia for the videoing of “The Ecstasy of Gold” which brought back memories of American cinema in 60’s, 1966 to be exact, the year “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” was released! Some of the early American Western Films were made in Italy and Spain. Remember Clint Eastwood made many Italian Westerns.
The Morricone project in conjunction with the Storaro film has opened up so many new avenues for our guys!
Going forward, the name Il Volo will always be attached to Ennio Morricone. They will take their place next to one of the greatest composers of our times! They have taken their place in the Musical History of Cinema and will share their music with a music legend!
All of this is a part of our guys lives since the Morricone project began! And now they have found their place in the Golden Age of Cinema.
This concert was a restart to what the guys left behind in 2020 but even more so, it is a concert about a new direction. It’s about taking all that we love about Il Volo including and above all their bel canto and developing a new kind of concert.
On June 5, 2021, the guys had the performance of a lifetime at the ancient Arena of Verona! We will never forget it!
So where do we go from here?
For one, let’s start with the awards!
We witnessed the events of the Venice Film Festival and cheered for our guys when they won a Film Italy Movie Award.
And we arrived at the Seat Music Awards where they won a DIVA Award for the tribute project to Ennio Morricone.
The guys received an award from the Italian Red Cross, which was presented to them by Sarah Fergusson, in recognition of their commitment and awareness carried out and addressed to the public and to the new generation to whom they have dedicated positive messages and hope during the hardest period of their country.
This story wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t include this!
Looking at the picture of Ignazio holding the Red Cross Award, I was struck by something very funny. I remembered the story in their book about Ignazio and his friend Nicholas. It seemed Nicholas was the mischievous one and Ignazio followed him doing a good share of his own mischief. Let me let Ignazio tell you this story.…
In the official classification of the class, I was the second most mischievous. Nicolas was in the first place. But ours was an open challenge, a race to the last red cross. Now the question arises, what are the red crosses? The teachers invented this billboard on which they had written all the names of the students in alphabetical order and, they marked each student, according to their behavior in the classroom and their academic performance. There were two types of crosses: If you got good marks in the task in class or if you behaved well, if you did not run, did not shout, did not disturb during lessons and a whole series of “NOT” you got a blue cross.
However, if you got a bad grade or if you behaved badly, then you got a red cross. And evil was everywhere! Nicolas and I were the most popular! Our billboard line was a red fire specimen.
Ignazio did you ever think the day would come when you would want a Red Cross?
Congratulations guys on these and all the wonderful awards you won!
Just a few words about the album “Il Volo Sings Morricone” before I move on! After its release, I wrote….
This album is the genius of Il Volo combined with the genius of Morricone. It’s a leap forward and a throwback to the 50’s and 60’s. A time when musical theme songs and scores from movies where produced. When life was simple and, you put the kids to bed on a Saturday night and had a romantic dinner with your husband while listening to beautiful music on the record player. It was date night for parents! Such a romantic time in our American history! Today so much has changed but not romance. These very romantic songs will be shared between lovers but in a very different way, in a very different world.
These are melodies that are familiar to everyone but with a new energy. When I listen to these songs, I remember that night in Verona when they stepped out on that stage to present the first song of the evening, “The Ecstasy of Gold.” This song will go before them on their world tour leading the way to an exciting new experience for all of us. It will resonate around the world! Their presentation was the best presentation by far of any song of cinema, EVER! It vibrated and resonated throughout the world! And it will be talked about for many years to come!
This reawakening of Morricone’s music is truly amazing. What was missing from Morricone’s music was beautiful voices! Each song brings to life the genius of the composer, writer and singer. Unlike any other album made today this album will stand out because it presents a new and different idea! The songs are phenomenal. They’re romantic! And exciting! This truly is a leap in a new direction for our guys. Not a movement away from their music but a movement forward, combining all that makes Il Volo superstars!
Going forward, the name Il Volo will always be attached to Ennio Morricone. They will take their place next to one of the greatest composers of our times!
All that said, the music and the words are nothing without the voices!
This milestone in the life of our guys was realized at an important time in our history! Being forced indoors for so many months provided the opportunity to look to the future and see where their careers were going.
There have been so many stages in their lives. We’ve watched teenagers become young men and now we see men who have taken hold of their careers and catapulted it in a new and interesting direction.
I would like to remember another event that took place, in fact the first event which took place, during COVID. The Seat Music awards.
When they returned to the stage at the Seat Music Awards, they “Turned on the Lights! And Hit the Restart Button,” making way for the industry to reopen and entertainers to go back on stage.
Click Below
That evening Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca had this to say about the restart of the music 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’s saying 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 statement. 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.”
Our guys did anything and everything to try to keep the industry alive. Their concern for their crew was foremost in their minds. Their people needed to work and through their persistence, the crew was back on stage in June 2021 at the Tribute to Ennio Morricone.
And finally, a great interview!
You know how I love to include interviews in my stories. There was an interview that stood out in my mind during this time. So, I will include excerpts from “4 chiacchiere con il volo” (4 chats with Il Volo) with Marco Montemagno.
What I liked in this interview was the guys talked a lot about their relationship. They talk about how they’ve grown. What their priorities are and how they got to where they are. This is only a small part of the interview but, I think you will enjoy it.
Piero saidthere have been moments of tension and quarreling in the past, but since they have matured, this attitude has disappeared.
Indeed, he says, that if he thinks of the last time they disagreed, he must go far back, because lately they no longer argue.
A meeting point and a compromise to move forward, clearly as a group, caused them to create three roles. Each has his own role and, there are those who commit themselves to some other things. It is a fact that all three are a little good, bad and ugly but these days they are happy and, they have become three mature guys who above all have a lot of understanding of each other.
It is clear, they were three soloists put together and when one is small you notice the various facets. They are more instinctive now. The fear of being judged is no longer there. Between them today they get along because they have learned to know you cannot expect to change another person or at least think that you think the same way so, you change so as not to offend the sensitivity of others. They say the most important thing in their relationship is “Us Three.”
The fundamental thing all three have learned in these years is gratitude. Gratitude and being grateful to someone and, also grateful to oneself. This is what is important! It is important to recognize what others do for you. This is the thing that made them grow.
Of course, the guys always go back to 2015 when they felt this need to do something in their country because they feel the most beautiful thing for an artist is when you walk down the street and people recognize you. They don’t need to ask for an autograph. You know that look, that smile, they know who you are and, they congratulate you and that look is the most beautiful thing that can happen.
So, all this started from “Grande Amore.” As a results, Italy has joined the world tour. The guys always wanted to have some concerts in Italy. After Sanremo they began!
For the guys preparing for the tour is as important as the tour itself! When they start to prepare, they look at the deadline and they say in the last tour you were here, I was there and so now they better understand each other. So, they decide, what is a better way to work. How do you best express the movements?
Everything is based on experience. They know each other now and it is beautiful to share movements. They have a dynamic on stage and clearly there is an artistic director there. They talked about a meeting to plan and define the production for the American tour. The whole lineup with the conductor. It takes a lot of patience to arrange everything.
Marco asked the guys, “How do you do a tour and every evening bring it to a level of a fresh performance?” The answer….
Every night you must come to the level that one expects so you must love what you do and prioritize it!
They have an understanding between them and with a look they can say they are okay. If one feels bad, he can look at the other two and they will know how to help.
The guys explained, what they do is difficult. It takes a lot of perseverance.
The one thing they know for sure is, they have truly faithful audiences that have been following them for 13 years. They grew up with their audiences and it was really a new thing in the world to see three children as a bit reminiscent of the three tenors with the slightly big voices who sang the Neapolitan songs as well as singing Elvis.
They also joked with one another. Remember when Ignazio showed up with that bandage on his left eye. Ignazio pointed out the scar. It seems when they were playing one of their famous ping pong games, they were playing two against two. Gianluca shot a right, incredible, at a certain point he was standing next to Ignazio and Gianluca hit him. It looked like a crime scene in Turkey. Gianluca said he felt so bad watching Ignazio sleeping on the plane.
What I truly loved about the interview was it was very open and very truthful. The guys have truly grown in these last thirteen years. They have presented a united front, a true unity between brothers who love their music and love one another!
I would like to think that somewhere in the back of their minds our guys knew that someday they would be famous but, no that wasn’t the case they never knew that their love of music would bring them around the world and make them superstars!
Now we find them on a path to their 15th Anniversary together. I’m sure the guys are already talking about an album and a magnificent grand tour to mark the milestone. Whatever it is I’m sure it will be magnificent!
Every song they sing they sing with love! They have a passion for music which drives them to create and recreate themselves time and again. We never know what project is waiting around the corner and what surprises they have in store! Every song they sing they sing for our pleasure. Not a note will advance unless they feel it will please us! And they will continue to work their magic for years to come because to them it isn’t all about any one person, no, it’s always about, the three and their Gratitude for all their fans who are out their supporting them at every concert.
If you haven’t already booked one of the concerts, now’s the time to do it. We are less than three weeks away from the beginning of the American Tour. I will be at Radio City Music Hall in New York and the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. I hope to see you there!
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.
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
When I read Un’avventura Straordinaria, the story that I loved the most was the story of Sanremo. The decision by the guys to take on the Sanremo Festival. This story brought out their personalities, their differences and how they are so bound to one another that they could make the decision of a lifetime together even if it meant they could lose what was so important to them, their country and their people!
In our story today we witness the guys making some important decisions about their career. But before we hear about those decisions, let’s step back and see where the guys were in 2014.
2014 started out as a bad year. Their contract with Universal ended and was not renewed and they found themselves wondering what would happen next. This is when they stepped up to the plate and began to see Il Volo from the inside out!
After many sleepless nights, they approached Sony and asked to be under contract with them. Following some lengthy negotiations and, what seemed like an eternity, Sony put them under contract.
Then suddenly things were happening. They were invited to sing at the Italian Senate. This was an event of immense importance for them. It said Italy was finally noticing them so, it only made sense that it was time to take a giant step!
Time to go to Sanremo!
But this story doesn’t start with Sanremo, nor does it end there! Sanremo was the door opener!
They will tell you that the decision to go to Sanremo was a good one but, in contrast going to Eurovision may not have been their best decision. My reply, going to Eurovision was an excellent decision!
Let’s see how these decisions were made and what path they chose!
Sanremo 2015
The Decision
So where do you begin to make the decision. Well, you have to start with the decision itself.
Who’s in and who’s out!
Who’s in?
From day one, Gianluca wanted to go. He was so convinced that they would win that he never backed down from it. He had no doubt in his mind that they would win.
Who’s out?
Always the pessimist, Ignazio. He said “No, we can’t win. It’s too hard.”
So that leaves Piero! Piero at first was not on board but Gianluca persuaded him. Gianluca said, “No one trusted, no one believed it. It was I who persuaded Piero to persuade Ignazio to go to Sanremo. Because I told them: ‘Guys, if we go, we’ll win it, I’m sure, I’m sure’”.
Piero said, “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.’”
Decision made! It’s official the guys go to Sanremo!
Then there’s the second problem, the song!
At Sanremo you must perform an unpublished song. How do you begin to find such a song?
Now this is the part of the story that’s really interesting and sometimes funny! Oddly enough, the one who wanted this the most was the one who did not agree to the song. I so enjoyed listening to this dialogue between the guys. This is where we begin to hear the guys make important decisions together. They’re really good. When they begin, they’re not agreeing but as time goes by…. Well, why don’t I let them tell you how they finally got to Sanremo?
The Song
Gianluca: I did not agree to go with that piece. If I think about it now, I’ll say that the next time I must reflect better before judging, try to sing a song and then judge because our voices change the songs. We arrange them by cutting them on our voice, and I did not take this fact into consideration. The song when we first listened to it 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 to us 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: (interrupts) 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 it if it was made by Celso Valli and, I must say that we had guessed right.
Ignazio: (interrupts) 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 manage to churn out a song that could leave its mark at the Sanremo Festival.
Gianluca: (interrupts) 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 say: ‘Guys, we will win Sanremo.’
Piero: (interrupts) 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: (interrupts) 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.
So many interruptions! Ignazio, before he was interrupted, was about to tell us about the first night they sang.
Ignazio: The 65th edition of the Festival begins on 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: (interrupts) 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.
The Wardrobe
Gianluca: Can you imagine for me this was also my birthday? I turned twenty on the Ariston 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. First evening look more rock: total black with leather jacket.
Because when we do our work the image matters, too.
Piero: (interrupts) 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 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 Gucci’s. 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 interrupts: We were just dressed badly to be singers by trade, we were children, we came from families of workers. What could I buy? There was not even the need.
Piero: (interrupts) 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.’
At this point Ignazio loses his patience. “YES, but, what does that have to do with it, Pie? We were talking about Sanremo. What has Sorrento got to do with it?
The Performance
Ignazio gets the conversation back on track!
Ignazio: Sanremo 2015, from the 10th to 14th of February, we sang on the second evening, legs shaking, Gianluca’s birthday.
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. We talked 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: (interrupts) 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 a criticism of you?
Piero: Ah, tell me…
Ignazio: You interrupted me. I was about to tell the final. I can continue?
The Win
Ignazio: In short, the final evening arrives, February 14th. I realize from my shirt that in a week we have eaten more than we sang. 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: (interrupts) 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 had ever listened to me, ever. I believed it so much that, if you notice, maybe I’m the one with the least surprised look on my face 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 look at Sanremo as a child, when there was Pippo Baudo, and I was there and have 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?”
Taking the conversation back, I have to say, to me this was the best conversation we could listen to. They disagree, they find middle ground, and they agree but, most importantly they listen to one another and that’s what makes the bond so great!
In the end Gianluca said: “In short, Sanremo was just a dream that brought us many different emotions. Too bad it was not repeated also in Vienna!”
So, they gambled and, they won. They were happy and they finally felt accepted in their own country. It seems that everything worked out well but there’s a little piece of the puzzle missing.
The one disappointment they had. Or as Ignazio put it, “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.”
Many of you know the winner of Sanremo goes to Eurovision to represent Italy. After winning Sanremo and the popularity of “Grande Amore”, the guys were fairly confident they could win Eurovision. And to some degree, Ignazio believed it too!
So, let’s join Piero as he tells us about what happened at Eurovision….
Piero: Vienna, the 60th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, was a rather strange experience because we came as favorites. So, we were loaded, convinced! From February 14th to May 17th, the day we arrived in Vienna, we sang “Grande Amore” so many times that we convinced ourselves even more that we would make it. I mean, Gianluca and I, convinced ourselves while
Ignazio was pessimistic as usual. However, Gian, your presentiment this time is wrong.
Gianluca: But do you know what happened to Eurovision? Unlike Sanremo, the vote of the public was not as important as the Festival: fifty percent vote from home and fifty percent vote of the jury of journalists. And this put us at a disadvantage. But the public had voted for us, we arrived first for the people at home.
I cried when it was over. Why did I cry? I knew we had lost not because people did not love us, but for other reasons. Mom, I cried….
Ignazio: Do we really have to talk about it? I’m not so happy to talk about Eurovision because I do not have a great memory.
Piero: What a blow that night …
Gianluca: I started crying, then I looked at Piero, he too cried …
Piero: Gianluca in the end had convinced me to say: “We win, we win.” We had taken it in Sanremo, it could be that we would take it in Vienna, right?
Gianluca: Look, I guess because we won the televoting, I repeat it.
Ignazio: And I always am the pessimistic one, with my feet on the ground, saying, “No, guys, it’s hard. It does not say that we succeed.” Even though I had believed it myself a bit.
But it happened we came in third, behind the Russian Polina Gagarina, second with A Million Voices, and the Swedish Mans Zelmerlow who won with Heroes.
Gianluca took it very badly, he cried. Piero as well. Everyone took it very bad. What could I say? “Come on, guys, we got third, not everyone does that, the last one was Modugno.”
Piero: In the end, however, Gianluca and I looked at each other, a look as if to say: “Now what do we do?”, and a moment before we cried and the next moment we laughed. We had lost, what could we do? By now, it had happened.
Gianluca: We could not cry forever. And then, the public’s heart was ours.
Ignazio: Instead, the undersigned, after having done a little shoulder to others, the next morning I felt very bad, but very bad. For two or three days I was very bad, I threw it all out, later.
Piero: In life you cannot always win, that’s what we learned.
Where’s the beauty? Not all women can say yes to you. After that, how do you try to seduce one, if you already know that she will tell you yes?
So, when we came back from Vienna, many people in Italy asked: “Are you sad about the third place?”
Absolutely not, indeed we are very satisfied, but maybe even too satisfied, because our goal of Eurovision was to show us to two hundred and twenty million people. Even in Australia they saw us. But think how many are two hundred and twenty million people? A sea, is, a sea!
And can I tell you something? I have never loved the tricolor flag so much in my life. Knowing we were there at the Wiener Stadthalle with the roar of sixteen thousand people to hear us sing live and another two hundred million to see us at home, to know that we at that moment represented Italy for all of Europe is a great responsibility, however it is also a great stimulus to do it in the best possible way.
We represent Italy around the world with singing, with bel canto, and we believe we have done it better in Vienna. We put it all, we worked hard, we really gave our heart for this occasion.
It was a completely different experience from the others because it was not a competition between artists, it was a competition between Countries, it was a competition between origins, and we were there to defend our nation.
It was really very strong!
As Italy is a member of the Big Five, the guys went straight into the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest, which was held in Vienna on May 23rd, 2015. “Grande Amore” came in 3rd with 292 points but, they won the televote with 366 points and the Marcel Bezencon Press Award, as best song according to the collective voting of the accredited press. The extended play “Sanremo Grande Amore” was released in Italy on February 20th, 2015, and it was certified triple platinum by FIMI. They won the televote and the best song according to collective voting by the accredited press. The people have spoken!
This is how I see the situation!
What they saw as a disappointment I saw as a great achievement. Look at how far they came! They won the Latin Music Award, they won Sanremo and finally they won Eurovision (third is a win you know)! They saw Sanremo as the harder win. I saw Eurovision as the harder win because here they were representing something very dear to them, their country! As Piero said, “it was a competition between Countries, it was a competition between origins, and we were there to defend our nation.”
As much as they were disappointed in the Italians in the beginning of their career because they felt they were not on their side, they were never disappointed in their country. They loved it and brought it around the world with them but, Eurovision was the moment when they were able to say this is Italy, we are Italy! This is my country that I am singing my heart out for it and, I will always be there to represent it. And never has that been more evident than today. Look at what the guys have done for their country and the Italian people in just this past eighteen months. Bottom line, Eurovision was when the guys really came into their own.
Against all odds they pulled it off. The part of the story they missed was the Italian people. They were always on their side. Even when they were traveling around the world and hoping to perform concerts in Italy, the Italian people were always waiting for them. The press was against them but never the people. They wanted them home as much as they wanted to go home.
In Contrast the decision to go to Sanremo was good but it was even better going to Eurovision!
Time to go back to Sanremo! How about all those unpublished songs you guys are holding on to? Maybe there’s a winner among them!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
After six years the guys returned to the Ariston stage. They traveled around the world and stole the hearts of the people of the United States, South America, every corner of the earth. All the fame that any one person could want they had achieved. In six years, they did what most people cannot do in a lifetime! But all of this, which meant so much to them, at times, seemed lost because of what was missing. The joy was always lost in the pain which they felt in their hearts. They wanted to share it with their people, the Italian people. So, they decided to do something about it!
Off to Sanremo!
The pressure was tremendous. The doubts were there. Always there! Ignazio says, “No, we can’t win!” Gianluca says, “We win!” And Piero trying to keep the balance, “We were not anyone here in Italy, at most we would not be anyone even afterwards.”
So how do you begin to approach Sanremo when there is so much on the line! How do you get past the stress and the pressure?
The Video Diary!
TV Sorrisi e Canzoni asked the guys to do a diary of their days at Sanremo.
Since some people were having problems viewing all the separate videos below so we are posting the entire video here.
Day 1: February 9th, 2015
As Ignazio explains in the video, it was just a few minutes a day but, it was a “sort of pill.” It was the thing that kept them going when the pressure was on. “It was fun!” So much so that the guys said they would do it again! And it gave them the opportunity to talk directly to the Italian people and let them know how they felt about being home, experiencing Sanremo and sharing it with them!
So, let’s join the guys on their Sanremo journey.
Before General Soundcheck!
(The videos have English subtitles!) (Please click on each day’s photo to view the video diary.)
Day 2: February 10th, 2015
On day two Ignazio begins by telling us how the general soundcheck went and how it gave them the first beautiful emotions of singing at Sanremo! He also expresses how much he loves sharing these emotions with the other artist!
Piero tells us that he’s getting used to the video diary and he’s starting to like it! “It’s like writing in your diary at night!” He also tells us about his experience on the Red Carpet and experiencing the audience reaction to Il Volo.
Gianluca talks about the following evening when they will perform “Grande Amore” for the first time and certainly combine that with the fact that it’s his birthday!
After general soundcheck
Day 3: February 11th, 2015
Today Piero begins by telling us how he and millions of Italians enjoyed the opening of Sanremo. And the anticipation of singing for the Italian people this evening!
Gianluca tells us about the emotions, nervousness, and anxiety they are feeling. He anticipates something beautiful! And let’s not forget, it’s Gianluca’s birthday!
Ignazio is feeling all the excitement of the day. He says, “Today is our day.” He goes on to say, “Tonight is our turn!” He lightens things up by telling us about how the guys warm up before a show.
And then the final surprise of the video!
Singing for the Italian people!
Hey guys, why so serious?
I know the guys said we are all friends here but, it seems there were other forces at work! The Competition was fierce!
Exactly who is it they’re worried about?
Day 4: February 12th, 2015
The guys touch on so many facts and emotions in this video on Day 4. They are really into the Video Diary at this point and, they are learning how best to share it with everyone! They pack so much into such a short video.
Piero begins today by telling us that their desire last night was to smash on stage. (Smash meaning to be a hit!) And to give it their all!
Gianluca jokes that he wants to smash the peoples’ house. (Be a hit at Sanremo.)
Piero continues that the standing ovation and the applause was unexpected.
Ignazio jokes about a picture he saw, of Piero, on FaceBook. And asks, “Did you see it?”
Piero says no because I was too busy doing what we do before we go on stage. He explains their routine!
Ignazio picks up on it and explains other things they may do before a performance including the use of breadcrumbs. Interesting!
Piero tells Ignazio to explain about the song they will sing on this evening ~ “Ancora.”
Ignazio explains the difficulty of singing this song. He says this is one of the hardest songs to sing in the Italian repertoire.
Gianluca speaks about the new CD which will include “Ancora.” And they joke about the song.
Piero and Gianluca talk about how much they like the Video Diaries and how they will miss them when Sanremo is over.
A Standing Ovation!
Day 5: February 13th, 2015
Gianluca begins by telling us how beautiful it was to perform “Ancora” last night. He said it was a challenge but, it was very exciting.
They sang it with such ease I would never expect it was so hard to sing.
I tried to find a video with the full song, “Ancora,” at Sanremo. As far as I know, it doesn’t exist. So, I am including the one-minute video. This one-minute video took my breath away. Just amazing! Notice their expressions, their emotions, their passion! Look at how they share with one another! Their voices reach out to one another! Such joy in those voices! All of their performances are amazing but some of them bring you to tears! You can feel their emotions!
(Please click the photo below to view “Ancora”)
Piero says he thought, when he woke up this morning, he had some free time to walk but found out, there are no vacations in Sanremo. He directs his attention to Ignazio. He says Ignazio is angry because Gianluca wore his shoes. Ignazio ignores him.
Gianluca implies he’s not ignoring Piero, he’s just busy taking the sun. To which Ignazio replies, “I am letting the sun kiss me because the sun kisses good.” Gianluca asks Ignazio to let the people know what will happen tonight.
Ignazio says, tonight, we will again sing “Grande Amore.” But what follows is funny! I think at this point Ignazio doesn’t want to admit that he thinks they will win. We know till the end he said, “No we can’t win.”
Piero closes by saying “Guys, the last days of these diaries.”
Why did you put your shoes like mine?
Day 6: February 14th, 2015
Ignazio begins by saying how sad he is that the video diaries are coming to an end. The guys decided they would do the diary when they are working in the studio or on tour so they can share their day with the fans. He joked with Gianluca about how he tripped on stage. And Piero reminded him that his legs were trembling!
Gianluca talks about how unusual it was to have a standing ovation. It’s something you don’t see often in Italy. Of course, in America, they get a standing ovation for every song they sing.
Piero talks about how happy they were with the response of the Italian audience. He says again they will sing “Grande Amore” and he asks for the support of the people. He tells the people they will always be there for them.
Gianluca wishes everyone a Grande Amore (Great Love) for Valentine’s day.
Piero interrupts saying, after all the discussion about the shoes yesterday, today they dress with the same shoes, as yesterday.
Gianluca reminds him, every morning we dress the same, don’t we?
Piero reminds the guys that they forgot to thank Giorgio Armani for dressing them for the Sanremo Festival.
The guys close by sending a kiss to everyone!
Farewell to the Video Diaries!
So ends our journey to Sanremo. The guys won and now we must move on to our next adventure that can only be reached Through the Fields of My Mind….
There are a few people I need to thank for making this article possible. Daniela from Il Volo Traduzioni for the English subtitles. Daniela Ci from Il Volo Flight Crew for splitting the video. As always, I thank Daniela Perani and Pat Farley Ward for the Photos, Video’s and the wonderful layout of the articles. To read more Il Volo stories visit us at www.ilvoloflightcrw.com
If Sanremo was meant to be a tribute to Ennio Morricone it certainly didn’t turn out that way.
When the guys walked out on stage it was to do a tribute to Ennio Morricone but, when they walked off the stage, they had given the most amazing tribute to Vito Boschetto.
I can’t even imagine how they got through that very touching song. So appropriate!If Ignazio wanted to tell his father how he felt, he certainly couldn’t have said it better than with that song.
You could feel the emotion! You could feel the support for Ignazio! Many times, Ignazio had to hold back tears but, so did Gianluca! If ever there was a question of how these guys feel about each other, the question was answered at Sanremo. True brothers!
Isn’t it fitting that they began their wonderful journey on the Ariston stage and, they showed their true love for each other on that same stage? These three, amazing, young men poured out their hearts for the love of Vito. And Gianluca and Piero showed their love for Ignazio in their support for him in one of the most difficult times in his life. These guys are so strong for one another!
Ignazio is a, true, showmen! He knew the show must go on! And he knew that’s how his father would want it to be! No question this was a very difficult decision for Ignazio to make but, he knew there was only one answer. Yes, the show must go on! And when it did it was with such dignity, that it left us all speechless. Every performance they give is exceptional but when it’s also emotional it goes to another level. I don’t know about the rest of you but, I was in tears.
We have to remember these young men have been together for 11 years and so have their families. So, the loss goes beyond Ignazio because Gianluca and Piero are also his family. They were teenagers when they came together and, they are used to having each other’s parents traveling with them. They traveled for very long periods of time with Mr. Boschetto. He was a part of the Il Volo family so it’s only natural that they are also feeling the loss.
Vito you will be missed by your family but, you will also be missed by your Il Volo family with whom you shared many wonderful moments! And, the Il Volo fans, will miss you too!
Ignazio you made your father very proud. His love will always shine in your heart!
Your Love (Once Upon A Time In The West)
Ennio Morricone
I woke and you were there
Beside me in the night
You touched me and calmed my fear
Turned darkness into light
I woke and saw you there
Beside me as before
My heart leapt to find you near
To feel you close once more
To feel your love once more
Your strength has made me strong
Though life tore us apart
And now when the night seems long
Your love shines in my heart
Your love shines in my heart
Credit to owners of all photos and video.
Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!
Ennio
