The night of Christmas Eve was truly a magical night, a fantastic concert by Il Volo from Jerusalem enlivened the evening.
But I’d say go straight to watching the video of the concert and then I’ll give you my comments and you yours.
I was translating for you all the speeches that Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca made between one song and another, but today I saw that Donalee Dragna, administrator of the fanpage Il Volo American Fan Group We Are Love, published the entire concert with all English subtitles, so thanks to Donalee for the wonderful hard work and the Il Volo America Fan Group page that allows you to see and understand everything.
There is a small synchro problem, due to the video, in fact Il Volo sang live.
Enjoy viewing it, you will be impressed.
I have to tell you that I was speechless.
A wonderful concert, not only for the beautiful voices of Il Volo, but also for the solemnity of the beautiful place.
Breathtaking images and scenery, sharpness of video recording.
The elegance and fluency of our boys to sing and present is unmatched.
The lineup of songs is beautiful and appropriate, I listened with great pleasure to songs like TU SCENDI DALLE STELLE and AMAZING GRACE, and O TANNENBAUM, never heard sung by Il Volo.
I had the great pleasure of listening to AVE MARIA MATER MISERICORDIAE and NOTTE STELLATA and PANIS ANGELICUS beautiful, but rarely sung.
The words of the Patriarch of the Latins are beautiful.
The memory of Vito and grandfather Pietro by Ignazio and Piero is also beautiful.
And what about the wonderful piece, SILENT NIGHT, performed a Cappella in the basilica that houses the place of the Nativity, real shivers.
Magnificent, all magnificent and therefore we thank the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, Canale 5 and last but not least Michele Torpedine for these beautiful ideas.
On Christmas day, greetings also arrived from Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio who wished everyone a Merry Christmas, very much appreciated.
I await all your comments which will certainly be enthusiastic, I have no doubt.
A hug to all of you and good continuation of the Christmas holidays:
Daniela❤❤❤
I want to finish with these three photos that were published on Christmas day, moments in the family of our Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca.
Guys, you are adorable😘
……and the most adorable, Gianluca with his cousin’s children.
After a long wait, the book-signing event in Milan has arrived, in which I wanted to participate.
I had many expectations about this event, and some were met, but unfortunately not all, but first things first.
The meeting was in Milan in the Mondadori bookshop located in the beautiful Piazza Duomo.
Since I can’t go to any of the Italian winter concerts, i.e. Turin, Milan and Rome, I was hoping for a lot for this meeting, which was scheduled with a presentation of the book, some questions and answers and then the signing of the book.
Milan is close to Brescia, just over an hour by train, the meeting was at 5:30pm, so my husband and I left Brescia on the 1:30pm train.
As soon as we arrived in Milan, Piazza Duomo was revealed in all its beauty and sparklingly dressed for the upcoming Christmas.
The beautiful Galleria in Milan, sparkling with its beautiful Swarovski tree.
We immediately rushed to the Mondadori bookstore to buy the book, a necessary condition for having a pass for the event. I had already bought the book in Brescia and I brought it with me, with the intention of having it signed even that too.
The Mondadori bookshop cashier tells me that we have the pass for the second group, because the first passes for the first group were already sold out, and she tells me that the event for the second group will be after 6:00 pm, and there will be only the signing of the book, without being able to interact with questions to Il Volo. This annoyed me a little, I tried to protest, but the saleswoman told me that there were too many adhesions and they couldn’t do otherwise.
So I went up to the third floor, where there were already many fans in line and it was only 4:00 pm.
This photo was just the final and shortest part of the queue, back there it angled towards the longest part but which I couldn’t photograph from my seat.
I couldn’t queue, as my group was on the second floor, but I could at least talk to the people in line and say hello to some friends.
And so I was able to see and say hello to Judith from Canada, in great shape.
And then I also met Sophia, granddaughter of RoseMarie Paliobeis. Both Judith and Sophia will go to the concert at the Forum in Milan, how lucky!!
I also met Alessandra Composto , but we didn’t take the photo, sorry.
A friend of mine, Cinzia, tells me she has a pass for the first group and offers it to me, I gratefully accept, so I’ll be at the first event, and I queue up, it’s very hot in the library but I’m happy to get in earlier.
But a person in charge of the library arrives who informs us that there will be no book presentation event, but due to scheduling problems, only the signing of the book!! Oh no, what a pity, I was really hoping to have a chat with Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca and instead there will only be a quick signing of the book.
It’s 17:30 and the doors of the room finally open, where Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero are already waiting, I’m at the back of the queue and I don’t see the room. the people in front of me start calling out the names of the boys.
I was hoping to have a little talk with them, but it doesn’t matter, I’m already happy to see them.
And finally after a long queue, I can enter the room and they are there at the back, here they are, finally!!
As I slowly approach, I continue to take pictures.
How beautiful they are, Ignazio is very cheerful, Piero and Gianluca are wearing surgical masks.
At one point I see that Gianluca stares into my eyes, I’m still distant, but I have the clear feeling that he stares at me and recognizes me, he sees that I’m taking pictures, lowers his mask and smiles.
In the mean time I arrive right in front of them, I put my coat on a chair, to be able to take better pictures, while I wait for my turn. But a man from the library tells me: “Madam, did you know that you can’t take pictures?” and so I put away my cell phone, but now it was my turn.
They tell me that I have to stay there next to Gianluca.
I hand over the books to sign, and while they sign, I manage to say:
“Congratulations guys for all your tour and all your events. The book is very nice”.
Gianluca = “Thank you”
Ignazio = “Have you read it?”
Me = “Of course you two (Gian and Igna) did a good introspection. (the photographer takes the picture)
Greetings from Flight Crew, (they smile at me and the photographer tells me to carry on).”
That’s all I managed to say…………shame, but that’s okay. I had the feeling that they were serene, Ignazio was laughing, I felt Piero less present because he was on the opposite side.
I didn’t want to take advantage of the time, because shortly before the library security man complained to a woman who was taking advantage of the boys’ time and ordered her to go ahead.
It’s already dark outside.
I have to rush to the train station, because just today there are strikes by means of travel and I risk not returning to Brescia.
I leave the library, one last shot of the beautiful Piazza Duomo in the evening and off to the station.
I’m tired but also satisfied.
While I’m on the return train, I check the photos I took, not bad, I like them.
Then I find a nice photo of the boys on Facebook, there on the third floor of the library, right in front of the balcony from which they performed in 2019.
And finally this nice summary video.
After a long wait, everything ended quickly.
Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca in these days have already done a book signing event in Turin, then the concert in Turin then this book signing event in Milan and the following day there was the concert in Milan (I will tell you about the three concerts in another post). The day after the concert in Milan they went to Montecarlo for a private event.
Then they will quickly return to Italy, because there is the book signing in Bologna and then the book signing in Rome and the concert in Rome, and then the final event in Jerusalem.
You guys are a force, I don’t know how you can handle this.
In any case I am happy to have seen you, even if only for a few moments, but to have seen you all smiling and serene. A hug:💗💗💗
We understood why Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero chose the name Il Volo, (The Flight) because they are always traveling by plane, they move here and there, from one continent to another, who knows how many hours of travel they will have accumulated, really a lot.
And in fact, the photo posted on Instagram by Gianluca tells us that they are flying to Brazil.
But what are they going to do in Brazil? There has been talk of a private event, but surely they also participated in a TV show: São Paulo with Patricia Poeta where they promoted the new dates of the 2023 South American tour.
In the first video, Patricia presents Il Volo and they perform a song from Il Mondo a capella.
In this second video, Patricia tells the story of Il Volo, how they met in a talent show, she says they are two tenors and a baritone and they sing pop-opera.
It is almost always Ignazio who replies in Portuguese, he says that it is a great responsibility for them to sing their musical genre because they want to make it known to the new generations who may not know it, and Ignazio explains that they try not to lose the music of the tradition that is part of Italian culture.
Patricia compliments Ignazio who speaks Portuguese.
Gianluca greets Paula Fernandes, with whom they recorded GRANDE AMORE, then they talk about the 4 tour dates that will be done in Brazil in 2023 and at the end they sing GRANDE AMORE.
In this video Il Volo and Paula Fernandes :GRANDE AMORE.
And here are the four dates announced during the show:
March 8 and 9 – Sao Paulo
March 11 – Rio De Janeiro
March 17 – Porte Alegre
March 18 – Curitiba
A couple of photos taken in Brazil.
In the meantime, the dates of the book signing events have been confirmed here in Italy, here they are:
A book to read and listen… with the heart 🎵
🚀 The guys from Il Volo meet the fans for the presentation of the book “Il Volo. What I Carry in my Heart”, published by #RaiLibri
⏰ December 14 Feltrinelli Turin, Piazza CLN, 5.30 pm, Turin ⏰ 16 December Mondadori Megastore, 5.30 pm, Milan ⏰ 21 December Librerie.coop, 7.30 pm, Bologna ⏰ December 22 New Europe Library I Granai, 5 pm, Rome
………..and I will be in Milan!!!!☺☺☺
In addition, this nice and fun interview has been published which I translate for you.
Il Volo: Our selfies with Lady Gaga. Sharon Stone a true friend. The fans who try? Many
Who is it of the three who said “Hello!” to the Pope? Name out.
Piero:Who do you think did it? Huh?”
Gianluca:Okay, I confess it. But in 2014 I had just come of age, emotion betrayed me. However, His Holiness answered me “Hello”, as if nothing had happened. At the third meeting, in Panama, in 2019, I even asked him for a photo together. Done”.
Piero:I swear that in a few years I will write a book about our embarrassing moments .There are also those who, at the hearing in St. Peter’s Square, fell asleep behind sunglasses, next to Lewis Hamilton… right Ignazio?
Ignazio:“I woke up at 3 and a half in the morning to arrive in Rome at 7, I was destroyed, and my eyelids closed.”
A chat for four voices with Piero Barone (29), Ignazio Boschetto (28) and Gianluca Ginoble (27), or the three tenors (better, two tenors and a baritone) of Il Volo, a group born in 2009 in a talent show for children (Ti Lascio una canzone ). After that, with a victory at Sanremo 2015 in his curriculum vitae — adored or snubbed, with no middle ground — quickly enrolled in the “international star” category with guaranteed sold outs, in perpetual travel around the world: only in the last few months a frenetic tour between Canada, USA, Japan and Australia. To close with a trio of Italian dates (December 15th in Turin, 17th in Milan, 23rd in Rome) and with the Christmas concert from Jerusalem (Magical place), on the 24th in prime time on Canale 5.
On your phone you have a barrage of selfies with Lady Gaga.
Piero:Here we are, see? It must have happened five years ago, in the kitchens of a hotel in Washington.
And how did you end up in the kitchen?
Piero:There was a charity event with the Italian-American community. Outside people were going crazy, to be safe we hid in there with her. Gianluca and I, because Ignazio was sleeping as usual. Lady Gaga was very nice.”
And you’re very, very good friends with…
Piero: The great Placido Domingo, just met in New York. We always keep in touch with Laura Pausini.
Ignazio:And Sharon Stone. We met her in Montecarlo, we feel it all the time.
And one day in 2012, at the hair salon on Canyon Drive, Los Angeles…
Piero:We were on tour with Barbra Streisand. While they fixed my hair, I made conversation with a beautiful lady next to me. “You know, we sing at the Hollywood Bowl tomorrow.” “Congratulations, you are very good”. The hairdresser leaned over and whispered in my ear: “You know who it is, don’t you? Did you recognize her? It’s Priscilla Presley!” I returned the compliments immediately. And we invited her to the concert. From that moment, whenever she can, Priscilla comes to listen to us, a great friendship was born.
Do you like Elvis?
Piero: What questions: yessss.
Quick self-portrait of you as a child.
Piero: Very lively, too good, I hated solfeggio (voice practice) but now I thank those lessons. I deafened my brother who was trying to study.
Ignazio: I sang pretending that the curtain knob was a microphone.
Gianluca: At the age of 10 I was already asking myself existential questions. Who I am? Why was I born? What meaning will my life have? I found an answer to the latter: the meaning was given to him by music.
Three teenagers who meet overnight in America, under contract with Universal Music. Imagine if you had disliked each other.
Piero: Ignazio and I bonded immediately, between Sicilians. Then with Gianluca, it came naturally.
Gianluca:Everything went very fast, we didn’t even realize it so much. On the plane to Miami I looked out the window and I couldn’t believe it, total euphoria”.
Ignazio:The next day I had them take me to Mel’s Diner for an American breakfast.
Piero: I lived two parallel lives. There the parties with Beyoncé and Quincy Jones. Back in Italy, I didn’t tell anyone anything, for fear of sounding crazy, but I was terrified it would end.
In 2013 sold out Radio City Music Hall.
Ignazio: Only a year and a half before, standing in front of the entrance to the theatre, we dreamed, one day, of going up on that stage.
Gianluca: The important thing is to always go forward, to keep up with the times, otherwise it’s easy to end up like Nikka Costa. (famous child singer which was never heard from again)
Victory in Sanremo with “Grande Amore”.
Gianluca: Until then we were only well known abroad, not here in Italy, difficult to accept. It was the perfect opportunity, the revenge of bel canto which hadn’t had success at the Festival since the days of Bocelli.
Piero: An absolute joy. In Catania, many were waiting for me with placards, it was a beautiful party. Going home every now and then helps me find balance, makes me feel like the most normal person on the planet. In the summer I always go fishing with my friend Enzo, we go out by boat at five in the morning, I love to see the sunrise. Last time I caught a 5 kilo sea bass.
The Volovers, i.e. your wildest admirers, how far of madness have they reached?
Gianluca: There is someone who tattoos our names and surnames on his skin. Who follows us in every stage of the tour around the world. And who is waiting for us at home for hours.
Piero: One day, in the gym in Phoenix, I was running on the treadmill. Next to me was a girl who was training. Half past seven in the morning, I was still sleepy. Suddenly I focus on an inscription on her ankle. “It looks just like my autograph.” It was,” (if I’m not mistaken he’s talking about Marie)
Do they try?
Ignazio: “Avoglia…. (certainly..).” Who of the three hooks up the most?
Gianluca: We can’t say it ourselves.
Do they knock on the door in the hotel?
Ignazio: If I don’t know her I won’t open. And then I took a vow of chastity. (laughs)
Quarrels between you have we collected?
Gianluca: It happens in times of stress. But we have learned to control ourselves, before it happened more often.
Piero: In Santo Domingo, we were in the car, I didn’t feel well, I was sweaty. “Gianluca, come on, close that window, the draft is hitting me”. And he did, but then, a minute later he lowered it again, I would have killed him.
Gianluca: Yes, but it was 40 degrees outside and we didn’t have air conditioning.
Ignazio: I always eat last, these two often leave me nothing, not even rice. They are thin, but they eat anything.”
You have lost 34 kilos. How?
Ignazio: I closed my mouth.
Piero: We were at the breakfast buffet in New Zealand and… “
Ignazio: “No, in Kuala Lumpur».
Piero: Oh well, in any case Ignazio suddenly said to me: “I want to lose weight”. “Bravo, then come with me to the gym, train, work hard. And from that day on he became a sex symbol….
Ignazio: Now I’ve started training again after two years, I’ve put on 13 kilos again. Waivers? No. We eat healthy. Piero is intolerant to pork, so we don’t eat it either. And all three of us can’t stand dairy products.
It takes a beastly physique.
Piero: Travelling a lot, discovering the world is a privilege. I love running, wherever I go I ask the concierge and get advice on the best routes. Once Ignazio also came and I almost had to carry him back on my back».
Ignazio: In Matera, it was terribly hot, 7 and a half km of ups and downs.
Gianluca: I train in the gym and walk, I don’t run.
The worst flaw of the other two.
Gianluca: Piero is too rational, Ignazio too instinctive. Both touchy.”
Ignazio: Me? It is not true! Gianluca is too perfectionist, Piero stubborn.
Piero: Gianluca is long-winded, when he gets fixated on something he doesn’t stop talking until he’s convinced you, the next day I’m terrified of meeting him at breakfast and that he’ll start over.
Ignazio, on the other hand, keeps everything inside and at the last moment he explodes and says things in your face. It would be better if he spoke clearly from the start. And then he is late, forgets his appointments, falls asleep.
Ignazio: No, you’re a big pain in the ass.”
Mishaps on stage?
Gianluca: Ignazio fell and so did I, tripping over a folding chair.
Ignazio: It happened to me to go out on stage holding a cell phone instead of a microphone.
Piero: In Budapest, the twelfth piece Ave Maria, I start to sing but my voice does not come out. Ignazio looks at me wrong. He thought you were joking. I had caught a cold snap from a big fan that shot freezing air. We had to interrupt for about twenty minutes, the time to take some Bentelan. (medicinal)
Neither rapper nor trapper. Critics say that you make “old men’s music”.
Gianluca: It’s right to respect every opinion, criticism is good. But we go on doing what we like most, which makes us and millions of people happy.
Piero: Before, negative comments made us nervous, they were hard to digest, now they’re good for us. But there is a subtle difference between criticism and offense.
Fear that one of the three decides to break away and continue his career alone?
Gianluca: We are not a classic band with a frontman. But three singers, three leaders.
Piero: We know very well that our strength is the group. People want to hear all three together. And even if, during the concerts, everyone has their own space, we too know that united we are something else.
BREAKING NEWS:
Il Volo will be a guest on the TV show VERISSIMO with the sweet Silvia Toffanin, Sunday on Canale 5 at 4 pm. It will certainly be a nice and kind interview.
And finally, enjoy this promo video, which advertises the “Christmas in Jerusalem” event, it will be fantastic!!
And here it is their presence at Disney World for the Christmas event.
They are fantastic, what voices, what an atmosphere!!
For those who haven’t seen them here is their video broadcast yesterday by ABC’s “Magical Holiday Celebration”, where they sing “Adeste Fideles”.
Thanks to Il Volo HN for playing the video.
How wonderful, it is a joy for the ears and for the eyes, the finish is fantastic, very long.
And as for their clothes, we have received this confirmation, Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca wore ARMANI.
And here they are in this short interview.
But there is also a preview, thanks to the video of Melannie A. Pagàn Lopez, who was present in the audience during the filming of the song “Happy Christmas, War is Over”. Thank you so much Melannie!!
This video of Il Volo will be part of the program that will be broadcast on Christmas day.
Wow, a longer version of this beautiful song, very beautiful and very heartfelt in this particular moment.
Our boys are always nice and beautiful !
There is also news on the concert that will be held in Bethlehem, here is the announcement from Canale 5.
If you have seen correctly, the event that will soon be on Canale 5 is called “Christmas in Jerusalem” and not Bethlehem, perhaps there has been a small change in the place, but we are still in Israel.
Bethlehem Cathedral which contains the Grotto of the Nativity.
And the photo of the arrival at the airport, posted by Maestro Grani, with the comment: “Israel…….first time.”
The first instore for the book signing in Turin has been announced on December 14th, but I look forward to the announcement for Milan!!
I remind you that in December there will also be three concerts in Italy. In fact Piero has published the photo with him holding the newspaper where there is the photo of Il Volo announcing the concert in Rome!! Here it is.
How nice to see Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca having fun at Disney World, and in Israel Il Volo is thinking of something fantastic for us to see and hear.
And we can’t wait.
Daniela 🤗
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.
Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!
