On Sunday 22 March, IL Volo was a guest on a television program conducted by Mara Venier, DOMENICA IN.
Of course, during the C19 period, the guests were not in the recording studio, but connected via Skype, each from their own home where they are confined.
At the beginning of the connection, the wonderful images of the success of the beautiful American tour are sent on TV. Sensational images, which made goosebumps.
Mara welcomes Piero from Naro, Gianluca from Montepagano and Ignazio from Bologna. Mara thanks the boys for being connected and says that they have recently returned.
Piero confirms that they had been in America since January, have been on tour for two months and have had to cancel the last three concerts to return to Italy. He says that from there they did not realize the situation that was in Italy.
Mara asks how they learned about the serious Italian situation.
Ignazio replies that being in daily connection with their parents who were here, they knew what was going on, and made the decision to return, when it was announced that flights to and from Italy would be canceled.
They thought about the many people who are on tour with them and who have families, children at home. And they (Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca) even since their returned, have not yet seen their families, because they are in quarantine.
Mara asks who of them is with the family.
Gianluca replies (the connection with Gian is not beautiful, his voice is breaking up) that he is in quarantine with his mother, who has been with him on tour. Now he and mom are in Gian’s house, he explains that the parents’ house is bordering on his.
Gianluca explains that the virus has totally changed people’s lifestyle, the right restrictions have been put by the government, to avoid contagion, therefore Gian turns to young boys, who must understand how important it is to stay at home, because nobody is immune to this virus, in addition to the respect for the enormous work that doctors, nurses and all the rescue personnel are doing, risking their lives every day.
Mara thanks Gianluca and hopes that, although there have been audio problems, everything has been understood.
Then she says that Il Volo is very popular all over the world, therefore she considers their appeal to young people important, also because, they too are young boys.
Piero says it is the duty of those who are part of the show, and therefore has more audiences, to make their support felt in these causes. He says that when arrived in Naro, he spoke to the mayor and felt her serious concern. Unfortunately there are people who have not understood the seriousness of the moment and try to avoid the rules.
These people, not very intelligent, have no respect for the gift of life and not even for the people who risk their own every day, to save the lives of our loved ones, especially the elderly.
Mara says it is so and thanks all three again for being in touch with her and says that they are the right people to give these messages.
Ignazio adds that, despite the inconvenience we all suffer from the virus, he realizes how much, everything that was taken for granted yesterday is actually very important, like a hug or a kiss. Today you think of it as a precious thing, a gift that life has given us.
On all the negative sides, there is always the positive to be found.
Mara says that she is experiencing this period like a nightmare. She says that until a month ago, the topic was to talk about the songs of Sanremo, and now we are experiencing all of this and when everything has passed, we will all be better people.
Then she sends the video of Piero and Jovanotti: NESSUN DORMA.
Piero says Lorenzo is number 1. To Jovanotti, Piero said that hospitals in Sicily are not well equipped, and would not be able to endure an epidemic, therefore with fellow Sicilian artists, they launched a fundraiser, with which they will buy equipment for hospitals. (remember that Gianluca and Ignazio are also supporting fundraising for hospitals in their area.)
Mara thanks again Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio and recommends staying at home and wearing a medical mask.
Ignazio adds, that one must stay at home, but one must not stay still.
Mara asks Ignazio how he spends his day and Ignazio says that they are all sportsmen, he trains, plays, sings, plays with the Playstation, then he has fun with his dog.
Gian adds that he is learning to play the piano, and then he is pampered by his mother, who is his treasure.
Mara asks Piero if he is alone or if he has his girlfriend and Piero with his hands makes the sign “zero”, and says that he has no girlfriend, he is in isolation alone, fortunately with the microwave, because he cannot cook.
Ignazio has tried several times to teach him without success, while Ignazio cooks well.
Mara asks Ignazio what he cooks, and he says that he likes to experiment with vegetables lately, since he is now vegan.
Gianluca says that he is not vegan and that he likes arrosticini very much. (Arrosticini are typically made from sheep meat, or lamb, cut in chunks and pierced by a skewer. It is cooked on a brazier with a typically elongated shape.)
Ignazio resumes the speech he had started saying that everyone must stay at home, but they must not stay still, because there are so many fundraisers to help, and therefore from home, you have to give your help and support these good things. Helping doctors and civil protection, giving what everyone can, with a small gesture anyone can be helped.
Mara thanks again Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio for this connection and sends a kiss to them. 😘😘😘
Grazie per le vostre parole: Piero, Gianluca e Ignazio.
Non avevamo dubbio del vostro buon cuore. ❤️
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Thanks for your words: Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio.
In these days of quarantine, there are live videos, between our boys and their friends.
This is Piero with Jovanotti. I state that Jovanotti, (also called Jova, but his real name is Lorenzo Cherubini) is a famous Italian singer-songwriter, rapper and disc jockey.
The live is very interesting and therefore I translate roughly for you.
Friendly greetings between Piero and Jovanotti.
Piero says that he returned three days earlier from the US where Il Volo was on tour, but they did not realize from there what the situation was like in Italy.
He is now in Naro, and is in quarantine. He says that quarantine stimulates creativity, he must commit the days, the mind, he takes advantage of it to study, and read.
Jova asks where the other two are and Piero replies that everyone is at home, Gianluca is in Abruzzo and Ignazio in Bologna.
Jova asks if there is someone at home with him and Piero replies that he is alone, that he has not yet seen his parents and his sister. Piero says that in America they didn’t have the feeling of what was going on, that if you put on gloves and a medical mask, maybe you looked badly.
Now also in the US the situation is different.
Now everyone looks to Italy, also as an example and then we receive many messages from all over the world of solidarity and we must be proud of this. Jova asks if they were on tour and Piero replies that they were on tour since January and they have had to cancel the last three concerts.
Piero explains how fortunately they managed to return to Italy, because he says that after Trump’s speech where he said he would close all flights from Europe, and for Europe, Alitalia, sent a completely empty plane to the US to take the compatriots who wanted to return to Italy.
Jovanotti says that Italians always show the best side when there are emergencies. He says it is in these cases that Italy proves to be a united country.
He says his daughter was also in the US for study and managed to catch one of the last flights.
Then he asks Piero if he is afraid.
Piero replies no, because he is convinced that we live in the safest country in the world, even if he admits that in Sicily, the health facilities (hospitals) are not exactly vanguard, but there are many people of good will. Therefore, by contacting some friends from Agrigento, they thought that, for now there are few cases in Sicily, but if the contagion were to come as strong as in Lombardy, the health facilities would collapse immediately.
And so he and these artists from Agrigento decided to start this fundraiser to help these hospitals. They will channel the donations to this bank account, but they will not give the money, but they will ask what the hospital needs and will buy it and give it to them. All coordinated with local authorities.
Piero says that the duty of the artists is to spread this initiative and says that today there are no records sold or concerts. Today there is only one concert, that of staying united and carrying out this great battle.
Jova greatly appreciates Piero’s speech and tells him that he is “great”. He remembers that they met quickly in a waiting room of the Catania airport and exchanged their contacts.
Then Jovanotti (who has many followers) invites everyone to follow this beautiful initiative, very important.
Then he tells Piero that he wants to hear his voice, he says that he knows that Il Volo sings all over the world bringing the Italian melody, especially the songs in Italian, and says that they are a rarity.
Piero replies that it’s nice to see Americans, even the Japanese, who get excited even if they don’t understand the words.
At this point Jovanotti asks Piero to perform the NESSUN DORMA.
Piero says that his neighbors will be tired of hearing him, as long as he always sings. Jova says they told him that the summer rental agencies have requests to rent apartments near Piero’s !!
So Piero shows the view from his balcony and Jova says it is a beautiful place, a real historical center.
Naro
Then he tells Piero that he appreciates Il Volo, because they also love to joke and play down their image, also lending themselves to slightly different interviews, such as the one they did with Fiorello, proposing Il Volo in a rock version.
Piero confirms that they try to bring the message of bel canto to the younger generation too.
Jova asks if they have ever sung in China and Piero confirms yes, in 2015, the year of the dog. Then they do a search and discover that when Piero was born, it was the year of the rooster, then they try, laughing, to make a symphonic version of Jova’s song.
A message from Fiorello arrives (on their video) and recalls a Sicilian song and immediately Piero sings a piece of it. Jova is not Sicilian and does not understand the meaning, so he asks Piero who tells him to ask Fiorello. (It has a mischievous meaning, that’s why Piero replies like this.)
There is also a message from Ignazio saying that they have abandoned him. Jova says no and asks where Ignazio is, Piero replies that he is in Bologna and that due to the jet lag he cannot sleep
So they talk about the importance of sleep to have a rested and fresh voice before the concerts, and Piero also recommends eating apples, and also cold water.
Jovanotti asks Piero if he ever met Pavarotti and Piero says that he missed by two years before their start as Il Volo.
(In this 2013 video there are Pavarotti and Jovanotti in a song by Jova, during “Pavarotti and friends.”)
So they talk about the performances on people’s balconies, these days, and confirm that it is the most beautiful thing, that those videos have gone around the world and that everyone imitates us for this, because it is the most beautiful thing in the world.
Piero tells Jova, that his dad, when he had the auto bodywork shop, put him on the hood of customers’ cars and had him sing UN AMORE COSÌ GRANDE and GRANADA.
Jova says that he is almost 54 years old, Piero’s dad, Gaetano, is only two years older.
Piero says that La Boheme is his favorite opera and Jova says he saw it a year ago at the Metropolitan.
Then Piero sings a piece of the Cavalleria Rusticana.
Piero confirms that he is studying to do an opera, but it takes months and months of study and tries to do lessons via skype with his teacher from Bologna.
Jovanotti tells him that when he debuts at the opera, he wants to be there, then asks if Gaetano wanted to be a singer, and Piero says no, but his grandfather was sincerely sought for singing and says that he and his grandfather have the same voice and he tells how his grandfather noticed his potential.
So Piero tells of the economic difficulties that his father has suffered, in order to take him to various competitions or singing lessons, and Jovanotti says they seem like stories from centuries ago, instead they are recent and very beautiful stories and Piero says that Ignazio and Gianluca also have similar stories.
Jovanotti concludes that now that everyone has time, they must use it to rediscover many things that are not done during busy days.
Then they say goodbye with affection.
Piero has also made specific messages to persuade people to collaborate to raise funds for hospitals in Sicily in the Agrigento area.
