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
Ignazio’s world is a world of imagination where we are led Through the Fields of Ignazio’s Mind. It’s a world where you can breathe beauty besides seeing it! Where Ignazio sings of visions that can only be seen through his eyes.
Our amazing Ignazio wrote the theme song for an Italian Series called Màkari.
In his beautiful song, Màkari, Ignazio sings of the beauty of his country, his region of Italy, Sicily. Màkari becomes a fairy tale land where we find love and romance, intrigue and murder. Ignazio brings a yellow story (a mystery) to life through his words and leads us into a new dimension, a new reality.
His words transpose this wonderful land into a fairy tale land. A place where all dreams can come true if you believe.
For Ignazio, Sicily is not his place of birth but it’s the place where he hangs his heart! Ignazio was born in Bologna, but his soul was born in Marsala.
Within reach of Marsala, you find some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and scenery that can only be described through Ignazio’s eyes.
Visions of Sicily
Ignazio will tell you how at the age of 25 he has seen this beautiful land many times but for the first time he shares the beauty of this land with us through his beautiful song.
Sometimes I feel like I spend every day of my life writing about Ignazio! In the last three years I’ve written over 250 stories about the guys and, it seems as if half of them were about Ignazio and his projects. Because of all his projects in the past, I sometimes have written two or three stories a week about him, wearing many different hats. Entertainer, Lyricist, Manager, Entrepreneur! The amazing thing about it is, I can’t get enough of him! Ignazio lives in mind. I have an emotional attachment to him. I guess it comes from writing all those stories. With fictional characters, the writer develops the character but, when you’re writing about real pople, you come to a point where you are in their minds, and you feel their passions and emotions! And Ignazio certainly has lots of passion and emotion and I can feel all of it!
Some of the stories I’ve written about him were, Ignazio is a Beautiful Soul, A Man of Passion and Emotions, and Watching Ignazio Take Flight. A few years ago, I wrote a story called Ignazio’s Sicily. Today I want to go back to that story and relive some of its beauty for our new fans.
So, let’s step aboard the next ferry to Màkari and step into Ignazio’s imagination!
Land of Sages and Fools ~ Made of Devils and Saints!
As usual, it was Daniela Perani who made me aware that something new was going on. She sent me a video that said Màkari and I wondered what is this about? And then I clicked on it and heard Ignazio’s beautiful voice and I thought when did Ignazio record this? That’s when I realized it was a new series on Rai1 and Il Volo will be singing the theme song. And if that wasn’t enough, I learned Ignazio wrote the song. Our amazing Ignazio, when do you sleep?
When Ignazio told us two years ago that he had many surprises for us who would have imagined it would include a beautiful theme song? Truthfully, who better to write a song about Sicily and the region of Trapani than a native child! No, Ignazio wasn’t born in Sicily but, for Italians, you are who your parents are. Ignazio is Sicilian.
It amazes me that the young boy who went to Sicily kicking and screaming when he was ten, became the spokesman for Marsala, around the world, and now for the region of Trapani. Ignazio came to embrace the land of his parents and he loves all the wonders of Sicily.
Sicily is different than Italy. Yes, I know Sicily is Italy but, how the Sicilians live and, who they are is very different. Ignazio’s song invites us to take a better look at this other land in the south. It speaks of “a land of sages and fools, made from devils and saints.” Yes, that’s what Sicily is! They honor their saints while keeping their superstitions!
Ignazio invites us to live a new reality through his eyes. He invites us to see a different side of Sicily through his beautiful theme song, Màkari.
Ignazio begins his video by explaining to us his experience of Sicily as seen through his eyes. “It is a Sicily as told by a twenty-five-year-old who lived Sicily through stories, through images!”
This song speaks volumes! Where did the words of this song come from? Ignazio’s heart! There is something very mysterious about the song. Besides the fact that it speaks of a land of sages and fools made from devils and saints, it also speaks of truth! A truth as seen through Ignazio’s eyes.
Ignazio’s words allow us to see Sicily through tradition, home and love!
In the video, Ignazio talks about the summers he spent in San Vito Capo in the landscape of Màkari. What is it that draws him back year after year? Is it the “silence” of the land that screams for you to open your eyes and look around at the wonder of the landscape or, the traditions of the land that go deep into your soul?
It seems to Ignazio Màkari is joy and love and so he will never forget it! And what does that say! Simple! This is Ignazio’s story!!! His story of Sicily, the land he left to pursue his dream and the land he is drawn back to time and again.
Think about the words of the song! Is Ignazio talking about the writer who leaves his home and returns after a long period of time or the entertainer who travels the world? The similarities in his life and the life of the writer are striking, that’s why he was able to write such an emotional song! I feel like Ignazio wrote the song and then they made the show. His words are very enticing, they pull you into the story. They talk about all there is to know about Màkari and Ignazio tells the story, through the imagery of his words!
The mystery of it all is the relationship Ignazio has with this land! Having become a part of this land at the age of ten, it is amazing to me that Ignazio developed this great bond with Sicily. Yes, Bologna is his home but, Sicily is the place he comes home to!!!
Ignazio says, “it is an honor to talk about my Sicily through a fiction that tells the truth of this Sicily.” Ignazio loves that through all the mysteries and mystique of the program, the show speaks of love, which is something that he loves and, he loves that that love is combined with yellow (mysteries)!
Sicily is amazing for Ignazio because it’s different for him every time. He sees a Sicily that is always offering something new while being a part of something old. Always remembering what was while looking forward to what will be! This speaks to Ignazio’s soul!
Ignazio’s thoughts and emotions are everywhere in this song. In an interview with Inga and Claudio Gioè, the actor from Màkari, Ignazio reminds us of his words, in the song, about His Sicily. “Whoever comes to Sicily, cries twice,” (once when you arrive and, once when you leave). I think that sums up Ignazio’s feelings for Sicily.” I think the words of this song will be on the lips of everyone for many years to come! A Classic!
The final verse of the song is sung by Ignazio with a few beautiful words in Sicilian and he is accompanied by a classical guitar. “Sing louder but do it in silence because here no one hears us, sees us. This is a story a little curious, a little grumpy, it speaks to me of love. For traditions, for my roots, Màkari is home and my heart sings for you!” These are emotional words, very touching!
In the video below, with the translation that follows, Gianluca and Piero expressed their feelings about the project. Gianluca said, “I have anxiety waiting for this moment, so I renew my congratulations to everyone for this great project and we are delighted to be part of it.”
We also learned something very interesting in this video. We now know what everyone’s plans are for the future! Gianluca says he would love to be an actor. I always thought he would be a model. He certainly has the body and looks for it! But who knows maybe he will show up in one of the episodes of Màkari?
And Piero the sweetheart that he is, told us how proud he is of Ignazio and how happy he is to be a part of this project! Piero, all of us are very happy that all of you are embarking on this new adventure together!
Thank you to Daniela Perani for translating the video for us.
Ignazio: Let’s say it is a Sicily told by a twenty-five-year-old who lived Sicily, through stories, through images. Màkari is a landscape that I experience every summer because I have many friends in San Vito lo Capo and every summer I take the opportunity to return to this place.
It is a song that talks about my Sicily, land of sages, land of fools, made of devils and saints, but I have also seen some images from the series and this series is also about love, which is something that I love, love combined with yellow (they are detective stories).
It is a song linked to traditions, from how it speaks, and for us, at least for me who wrote it, it is an honor to talk about my Sicily through a fiction that tells the truth of this Sicily.
In days it will be available on all platforms, for those who want to listen to it. Sony is working to make it available on all platforms.
Gianluca: I also have a great passion for acting, so, hoping one day to undertake this journey as well, I wanted to congratulate all the actors.
We got to see some small parts, so I was also happy to be able to preview some parts of this fiction that we will all watch. We can’t wait, I have anxiety waiting for this moment, so I renew my congratulations to everyone for this great project and we are delighted to be part of it.
Piero: I am very happy, but all three of us are, to have married this project. In fact, Gianluca and I are very proud of Ignazio, of the work he did in this song, and it was exciting to record a song by Ignazio in the recording studio, to hear it in the commercial, every time it is exciting.
We want to thank Carlo degli Esposti, Marco Cingoli and Luigi Pinto for choosing us, it’s not something to be taken for granted.
In the final piece of the video there is a small verse of the song, which is accompanied by a classical guitar. Ignazio sings.
The text is in Italian with a few words in Sicilian, here’s what it says:
“Sing louder but do it in silence, because no one here hears and sees us, but Makari is home is joy is love. I don’t forget Màkari anymore.
Chista è na storia nu pocu curiosa nu pocu scuntrusa mi parla di amuri (Sicilian dialect – This is the story a little curious, a little grumpy, it speaks to me of love.)
For the traditions, for my roots, Màkari is home and the heart sings for you.”
One final interview. Claudio Gioè the star of Màkari and Ignazio are interviewed.
Interviewer: I know that maybe it has an important soundtrack the boys of Il Volo sing.
Claudio: It is the theme song they gave us which was written by Ignazio Boschetto who is precisely from those parts and therefore he almost felt called into question and sings it together with Il Volo. It’s a beautiful song that they really gave us.
Ignazio: Hi everyone. Well let’s start by saying I am, we are really happy to be part of a project like Màkari because it tells part of our Sicily. Here is the pleasure, we are Sicilians, and it is a landscape that I am used to seeing. I personally have many friends in San Vito Lo Capo and when I can, I always take the opportunity to go and stay for a while.
I am happy because I had the opportunity to tell through my song, what is seen in my Sicily. I told the story through images from my grandparents and family members. The song talks about a real and sad truth of devils and saints distracted discomforts. It tells that when one comes to Sicily he cries twice. Once when he arrives and once when he leaves. I want to congratulate Claudio for his art in telling it was fantastically. I also want to greet all those who have been a part of this fiction.
Claudio: Thank you from the top of their global popularity, they truly have always kept this great humility and I thank them very much and give them many compliments.
One final thought! Ignazio’s words in the song call out to many people expressing his feelings on many matters! I would like to go back to those last words of the song so that you can listen very carefully to Ignazio words! “Sing louder but do it in silence because here no one hears, sees us.” Think about it! Who is Ignazio writing about?
Màkari we’ve been waiting for you!
What an amazing song! Ignazio you never cease to amaze me. As usual you took my breath away, not just with your magnificent voice but with your beautiful words. No doubt they were from the heart. They truly hit home! They speak of where your heart is! And from the bottom of my heart I say, thank you for the song and thank you guys for the beautiful delivery!
One more thought! Màkari is a song that is written from the heart. Ignazio’s heart! As you know, Ignazio has a kind and compassionate heart and that is evident in this song. The song goes deep into the heart of those who hear it! The song is a story in itself. It supersedes the story. As we examine the words we see Ignazio throughout the story. It truly is Ignazio’s story.
Thank you all for following me Through the Fields of Ignazio’s Mind. And now for the full song with the words below in English!
You know how many times I’d like to leave from this land of devils and saints but Màkari is home, it’s joy and pain this is my land.
Land of Wise Men and Land of Fools of people who take heart, take it and give it! Whoever comes to Sicily, cries twice! Màkari is my home.
This is a story a little curious, a little grumpy, it speaks to me of love. For traditions, for my roots, but Màkari is home, and the heart sings for you.
Sing louder, but do it in silence, because here no one hears us, sees us, but Makari is home, it is joy and pain, Màkari I do not forget, I forget no more.
This is a story a little curious, a little grumpy, it speaks to me of love. For traditions, for my roots, but Màkari is home and the heart sings for you.
On more than one occasion Ignazio has sung Màkari on his Bosky TV. This is when Ignazio sang Màkari in Sicilian accompanied by Stefano and Peppe his two sidekicks!
Below are all the ways you can follow Ignazio’s CHATS. Of course, TWITCH is where most of the videos will originate.
As I mentioned, I am traveling in Italy right now and I find myself so busy between the Pilgrimage and my Book, I don’t have enough time to write my stories. So, I made the decision that I would go back and find individual stories about the guys and repost them.
I will start with Ignazio in the Land of Sages and Fools ~ Made of Devils and Saints!
In this story we find Ignazio, the Lyricist, presenting a beautiful picture of the land he loves ~ Sicily!
Ignazio is A Man With Many Different Hats and we feel ourselves drawn in by the lyrics of his beautiful song ~Makari!
This is one of my favorite stories about Ignazio. So, let’s go back in time to March 2021 and feel the sensation of a truly magical song from a truly magical man….
Sometimes I feel like I spend every day of my life writing about Ignazio! In the last two years I wrote over one hundred stories about the guys and, it seems as if half of them were about Ignazio’s projects. Because of all his projects, in 2020 and 2021, I sometimes found myself writing two and three stories a week about him, wearing many different hats. Entertainer, Lyricist, Manager, Entrepreneur! The amazing thing about it is, I can’t get enough of him! Ignazio lives in my mind. I have an emotional attachment to him. I guess it comes from writing all those stories. With fictional characters, the writer develops the character but, when you’re writing about real people, you come to a point where you are in their minds and, you feel their passions and emotions!
As usual, it was Daniela who made me aware that something new was going on. She sent me a video that said Màkari and I wondered what is this about? And then I clicked on it and heard Ignazio’s beautiful voice and I thought when did Ignazio record this? That’s when I realized it was a new series on Rai1 and Il Volo is singing the theme song. And if that wasn’t enough, I learned Ignazio wrote the song. Ignazio, do you ever sleep?
Ignazio, in 2020, you told us you had many surprises for us. This obviously was the collaboration with Rai1 you were talking about. Unless we have another surprise in store! We can only hope! And, in fact, there were more surprises!
Truthfully, who better to write a song about Sicily and the region of Trapani than a native child! No, Ignazio wasn’t born in Sicily but, for Italians, who your parents are is who you are so, in fact, Ignazio is Sicilian.
It amazes me that the young boy who went to Sicily kicking and screaming when he was ten, became the spokesman for Marsala, around the world, and now for the region of Trapani. Ignazio came to embrace the land of his parents and he loves all the wonders of Sicily.
Sicily is different than Italy. Yes, I know Sicily is Italy but, how the Sicilians live and, who they are is very different. Ignazio’s song invites us to take a better look at this other land in the south. It speaks of “a land of sages and a land of fools, made from devils and saints.” Yes, that’s what Sicily is! They honor their saints while keeping their superstitions!
Ignazio invites you to live a new reality through his eyes. He invites us to see a different side of Sicily through his beautiful theme song, Màkari.
Ignazio begins his video by explaining to us his experience of Sicily as seen through his eyes. “It is a Sicily as told by a twenty-five-year-old who lived Sicily through stories, through images!”
This song speaks volumes! Where did the words of this song come from? Ignazio’s heart! There is something very mysterious about the song. Besides the fact that it speaks of a land of sages and fools made from devils and saints, it also speaks of truth! The truth as seen through Ignazio’s eyes.
Ignazio’s words allow us to see Sicily through tradition, home and love!
In his video, Ignazio talks about the summers he spent in San Vito Capo in the landscape of Màkari. What is it that draws him back year after year? Is it the “silence” of the land that screams for you to open your eyes and look around at the wonder of the landscape or, the traditions of the land that go deep into your soul? It seems to Ignazio, Màkari is joy and love and so he will never forget it! And what does that say! Simple! This is Ignazio’s story!!! His story of Sicily, the land he left to pursue his dream and the land he is drawn back to time and again.
Think about the words of the song! Is Ignazio talking about the writer who leaves his home and returns after a long period of time or the entertainer who travels the world? The similarities in his life and the life of the writer are striking, that’s why he was able to write such an emotional song!
I feel like Ignazio wrote the song and then they made the show. His words are very enticing, they pull you into the story. They tell all there is to know and, Ignazio tells us a story, through the imagery of his words!
The mystery of it all is the relationship Ignazio has with this land! Having become a part of this land at the age of ten, it is amazing to me that Ignazio developed this great bond with Sicily. Yes, Bologna is his home but, Sicily is the place he comes home to!!!
Ignazio says, “it is an honor to talk about my Sicily through a fiction that tells the truth of this Sicily.” He loves that through all the mysteries and mystique of the program, the show speaks of love, which is something that he loves and, he loves that that love is combined with yellow (mysteries)!
Sicily is amazing for Ignazio because it’s different for him every time. He sees a Sicily that is always offering something new while being a part of something old. Always remembering what was while looking forward to what will be! This speaks to Ignazio’s soul!
Ignazio’s thoughts and emotions are everywhere in this song. In an interview with Inga and Claudio Gioè, the actor from Màkari, Ignazio reminds us of his words, in the song, about His Sicily. “Whoever comes to Sicily, cries twice,” (once when you arrive and, once when you leave). I think that sums up Ignazio’s feelings for Sicily.” I think the words of this song will be on the lips of everyone for many years to come! A Classic!
The final verse of the song is sung by Ignazio with a few beautiful words in Sicilian and he is accompanied by a classical guitar. “Sing louder but do it in silence because here no one hears us, sees us. This is a story a little curious, a little grumpy, it speaks to me of love. For traditions, for my roots, Màkari is home and my heart sings for you!” These are emotional words, very touching!
In a video, Gianluca and Piero expressed their feelings about the project. Gianluca said, “I have anxiety waiting for this moment, so I renew my congratulations to everyone for this great project and we are delighted to be part of it.”
We, also, learned something very interesting in this video. We now know what everyone’s plans are for the future! Gianluca says, he would love to be an actor. I always thought he would be a model. He certainly has the body and looks for it! But who knows maybe he will show up in one of the episodes of Màkari? And Piero the sweetheart that he is, told us how proud he is of Ignazio and how happy he is to be a part of this project! Piero, all of us are very happy that all of you are embarking on this new adventure together!
One final thought! Ignazio’s words in the song call out to, many, expressing his feelings on many matters! I would like to go back to those last words of the song so that you can listen very carefully to Ignazio words! “Sing louder but do it in silence because here no one hears, sees us.” Think about it!
Màkari we’ve been waiting for you!
I hope you were able to feel the sensation of this truly magical song written by a truly magical man,
A Man with Many Different Hats….
Makari (the English lyrics)
You know how many times I’d like to leave from this land of devils and saints but Màkari is home, it’s joy and pain this is my land.
Land of Wise Men and Land of Fools of people who take heart, take it and give it! Whoever comes to Sicily, cries twice! Màkari is my home.
This is a story a little curious, a little grumpy, it speaks to me of love. For traditions, for my roots, but Màkari is home, and the heart sings for you.
Sing louder, but do it in silence, because here no one hears us, sees us, but Makari is home, it is joy and pain, Màkari I do not forget, I forget no more.
This is a story a little curious, a little grumpy, it speaks to me of love. For traditions, for my roots, but Màkari is home and the heart sings for you.
See you on September 27, 2022 at Radio City Music Hall. If you didn’t already get your tickets go to www.ilvolomusic.com to buy them now!
Milan Concert 2016
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
Over the next few weeks, I decided I would write about the guys individually. Usually, when I do this, I start with Piero’s story, then Ignazio and then Gianluca. Sometimes I do it in reverse. And of course, Ignazio is always stuck in the middle. So, I’m going to start this series of stories with Ignazio!
Sometimes I feel like I spend every day of my life writing about Ignazio! In the last two years I’ve written over a hundred stories about the guys and, it seems as if half of them were about Ignazio’s projects. Because of all his projects in 2020, I sometimes wrote two and three stories a week about him, wearing many different hats. Entertainer, Lyricist, Manager, Entrepreneur! The amazing thing about it is, I can’t get enough of him! Ignazio lives in my mind. I have an emotional attachment to him. I guess it comes from writing all those stories. With fictional characters, the writer develops the character but, when you’re writing about real people, you come to a point where you are in their minds and, you feel their passions and emotions! And, Ignazio truly is AMan of Passion and Emotion!
Two years ago, I wrote a story called A Slice of Pizza with Ignazio on the Side! Obviously, it was the story about his mother Caterina opening her pizzeria and Ignazio starting his musical education. I want to briefly talk about this event and how Ignazio was discovered.
Ignazio tells us his family left Marsala to go north because work opportunities in Marsala were scarce. Nina was just about four and Ignazio wasn’t born yet. By 1992 Ignazio’s parents realized they did not earn enough to keep going so, they made the decision to make another move to San Martino on Agrine near Bologna. And, as Ignazio says, “that’s why I was born in Bologna.”
In 2004, the family decided to move back to Marsala. At first, Ignazio was not happy with the move. He loved his life in Bologna, and he was not open to starting all over in Marsala. But, like most ten-year olds, the moment you make friends everything changes.
Once the family was settled in it was time for Caterina to follow her dream but, let me let Ignazio tell you about that….
In 2004 there was a great change, the economic stability that mom and dad were looking for had arrived. Mom had regained her health and then what do we do? We return to live in Marsala.
During the first year we were back in Marsala, mom had gone back and forth every day to the center of Marsala to be able to secure her great dream: to open a pizzeria of her own.
In order to open the pizzeria, mom had to do certain things. First thing: she went back and forth to the office for the permits and all the bureaucratic things that she needed to do. Second thing: she used the ovens of friends and made pizzas. I remember it very well. She went from one oven to another and tried so many types of flour, she tried the dough, she tried so many types of mozzarellas so when she finally opened the pizzeria, she already knew how to prepare the right dough. It is different to make pizza in Bologna than making it in Marsala, take the word of a son and brother of a pizza maker: it is different because it depends on the humidity, the temperature and the type of flour. It’s not a simple matter to make a really good pizza.
So, mom did these two things alone, but to build the pizzeria physically the job was for a team and involved the whole family. My father with the savings accumulated over the years began the work. He was now working in a company that built wooden structures and being an experienced bricklayer, the dream could be realized, and the pizzeria could be built in front of the house.
For a whole year, in every free moment, my father dedicated himself to building the pizzeria for my mother and I loved to help him, so much so that when there were a few days of school vacation I went to work with him.
You will think that I tell you about the pizzeria under construction, but I am not a pizza maker.Of course, but if there had not been a pizzeria, perhaps I would never have started singing seriously.
While the pizzeria grew, a passion grew within me….
It was a passion for electronics and music. I had started to be part of the elementary school choir and my dad, who was more passionate about electronics than me, had bought me a mixer, a microphone and two speakers, with which we started doing the easiest thing that could be done with those instruments: karaoke. I really enjoyed singing the songs of Andrea Bocelli and Giorgia.
Finally, in 2005 the pizzeria was completed and, mom opened the Pizzeria dei Desideri.
Within a few months mom already had regular customers and since the pizzeria was right in front of the house, when I was singing at home, the customers could hear me sing. One day a gentleman said to my mother, ‘You know, my daughter is studying singing, why don’t you come with your son once? Even just to try.’
Like everything else, we talked it over within my family and everyone was enthusiastic about it. It was decided, I would go and see what this singing lesson was like.
I remember it as if it was yesterday, and instead ten years have passed!…. I was eleven. I wore a yellow shirt with green stripes, fashion was never my strong point. Arianna, the daughter of the pizzeria customer, who had heard me sing, and her mother and I waited, in front of the school for more than twenty minutes for Liliana Andreanò, the singing teacher.
Lilliana Adreanò, arrived in a grey Opel Astra. She got out of the car and immediately entered the school.
I was worried, almost embarrassed. Hard to believe, right? Even as a child I’ve never been the type to be speechless.
Lilliana begins to talk about music, what kind of songs I like to sing. It was already a strange thing because usually I just sang, no one asked me why and how.
You know, Liliana, I like to sing Giorgia’s songs. Lilliana said: ‘Strange for a kid to sing this kind of song. She asked, and which song of Giorgia would you like to make me listen to?’ ‘Gocce Di Memoria’ (Drops of Memory), I said. I didn’t even have a doubt. I start singing and Liliana was amazed by my extension but asks me to try a male song too.
I thought a little bit and then I said to her: sometimes I even sing ‘Con Te Partiro’ by Andrea Bocelli. I started singing and, when I finished Liliana told me: ‘Ignazio, this is your musical direction.’
(Ignazio at thirteen years old. What a voice!!!)
From that first lesson I began to study songs like ‘Il Mare Calmo Della Sera,’ ‘Un Amore Così’ Grande’ and all those that came to mind, and I liked it. It approached that genre that was not lyrical, it was modern music but with something classic. With Liliana, I found myself, very, comfortable. We understood each other immediately because she is a sociable person, simple, as are all of us in my family.
After several lessons, Lilliana proposed that I take part in a bullfight (competition) organized in Paolini. I wasn’t completely convinced that I wanted to get on a stage. Until that moment I had only thought about singing, but I had never seriously thought that all that singing one day could bring me into the spotlight. In short, I was afraid. Fear of making mistakes. Fear of not being able to face the stage, but just to gain mastery on stage, Liliana urged me to participate, and so in the end I decided to do it.
I was about to get on the bullfight stage. My legs were trembling, the butterflies in my stomach were no longer butterflies but crazy swallows.
I decided to participate with the song by Bocelli ‘Con te partirò’ (Time to Say Goodbye), a song that I had studied and re-studied with Liliana, but as soon as the music started, I had a terrible fear of forgetting the words. So, what did I do? I looked down all the time. So, the audience, the place, what happened around me while I was singing, it’s not that I do not remember anything, I just do not know because I only saw the tips of my feet.
Fortunately, however, I remembered all the words and it is not so obvious because sometimes it happens that I forget the words even today now that I have become professional, the emotion continues to take us despite everything and.…
I came in third.
So, the great sacrifice by Ignazio’s family begins and would not end until he stepped on the stage at Ti Lascio una Canzone.
The rest of the story is history but, Ignazio’s story doesn’t just end with Il Volo. As I mentioned in the beginning, Ignazio wears many hats.
If Ignazio did nothing more than sing for the rest of his life, he would be remembered as a singer who captured an audience at a very young age and continues to intrigue them with every passing day.
From the first time he stepped on the stage, he was a star. I remember watching him on PBS and thinking if he’s this good now, what will he be like ten years from now. Along with Gianluca and Piero these three, amazing, men have achieved in thirteen years what most men could only dream of achieving in a lifetime!
He is the voice that never ends! The voice that intrigues! The voice that takes your breath away! The voice that leads you to ecstasy!
Let’s pick up our story in March of 2020 when we find ourselves in our homes hoping that this pandemic would end soon.
It seems we all tried to occupy our minds, but Ignazio had the best ideas about how to pass his time. He sang with his friend Lidia Schillaci!
He also sang and joked with his friends Claudio and Annaandrea ~ I Soldi Spicci
And every day he was online talking with us.
In January 2020 Ignazio, at age 25 started his own production company ~ Floki Productions. Does that surprise you? It doesn’t surprise me. It makes a lot of sense to me.
Floki Productions I’m sure is Ignazio’s dream.
And how did Ignazio come up with the name Floki for his production company? He says….
I took the name of my label from the Viking shipbuilder Hrafna-Floki Vilgerðarson. As a fan of the TV series Vikings, Floki seemed like the right reference for the desire to get involved in this new adventure, because if you want to reach the continent from an island you can jump into the sea at the risk of drowning or invent something.
Working through a small label gives you the opportunity to follow means, believing in people even before the project and following them step by step in their path, discarding logic on the side.
So, where does the dream begin ~ Nico Arezzo!
In many ways Nico reminds me of Ignazio. He knows what he wants and, he goes after it. Nico was the first artist to sign a contract with Ignazio under Floki Productions.
You will remember that Ignazio released Nico’s song “Gorilla” on June 30, 2020 (in the middle of the pandemic) in a “Live on Instagram.”
How did I describe this event, Perfect Audio! 4 Cameras! A Crazy Band and, it was all LIVE ON INSTAGRAM!
Let’s listen to what Ignazio had to say about the event:
On Thursday night we were the first to do a high-quality sound live on Instagram.
People wouldn’t dream of doing what Ignazio did. What a spectacular show! While the music world was trying to restart, Ignazio, at age 25, made his debut as a producer.
And what a phenomenal production it was!
Ignazio tells us….Production has always been my dream. It started with an idea to give a chance to those who deserve a break.And Ignazio reminds us….as it happened 11 years ago to me, Gianluca and Piero.
Of course, Ignazio did not stop at Nico. In October 2021, Ignazio signed, Giada Luppi. You might say that name is familiar. That is correct because Giada won the Junior World Figure Skating Championships in Asuncion, Paraguay. Giada is not only a Championship skater, but also a singer!
Giada has a very clear idea about her future. “I will compete a few more years because I think I have already dedicated so much of my life to skating and then I would like to devote myself completely to music.”
With her debut single, in collaboration with Ignazio and manager Michele Torpedine, she entered what she hoped would become her career in the entertainment world.
In the video of her first single, La Rotta (The Route), Giada proves skating and singing are not incompatible activities. And the song Giada skates to, La Rotta, was written by Ignazio and Giada.
Does it seem to you that Ignazio knows how to pick them? Amazing just like him!
And then there were two!
Let me step back one moment to remind you about another production on Instagram. On May 17, 2020, Ignazio produced an event on Instagram and Facebook that really moved all of us. Ignazio along with Giampiero Grani, Alessandro Quarto, Bruno Farinelli, Gino De Vita, Pierluigi Mingotti and Andrea Morelli presented, “Almeno tu nell’universo.” Moments like this are few and far between. Only the genius Ignazio would come up with something this amazing. Bravo Ignazio!
In March 2021, I wrote a story called Ignazio’s Sicily, Land of Sages and Fools ~ Made of Devils and Saints! This story was about Ignazio the Composer and Lyricist!
It amazes me that the young boy who went to Sicily kicking and screaming when he was ten, became the spokesman for Marsala, around the world, and now for the region of Trapani. Ignazio came to embrace the land of his parents and he loves all the wonders of Sicily.
Sicily is different than Italy. Yes, I know Sicily is Italy but, how the Sicilians live and, who they are is very different. Ignazio’s song invites us to take a better look at this other land in the south. It speaks of “a land of sages and a land of fools, made from devils and saints.” Yes, that’s what Sicily is! They honor their saints while keeping their superstitions!
Ignazio invites you to live a new reality through his eyes. He invites us to see a different side of Sicily through his beautiful theme song, Màkari.
Ignazio did a video about Màkari explaining to us his experience of Sicily as seen through his eyes. He says, “It is a Sicily as told by a twenty-five-year-old who lived Sicily through stories, through images!”
This song speaks volumes! Where did the words of this song come from? No doubt! Ignazio’s heart! There is something very mysterious about the song. It speaks of truth! The truth as seen through Ignazio’s eyes.
Think about the words of the song! Is Ignazio singing about the writer who leaves his home and returns after a long period of time or the entertainer who travels the world? The similarities in his life and the life of the writer are striking, that’s why he was able to write such an emotional song! I feel like Ignazio wrote the song and then they made the show. His words are very enticing, they pull you into the story. They tell all there is to know and, Ignazio tells us a story, through the imagery of his words!
Ignazio’s words allow us to see Sicily through tradition, home and love! And that’s what Ignazio is really all about!
In the video about the song, Ignazio talks about the summers he spent in San Vito Capo in the landscape of Màkari.
What is it that draws him back year after year? Is it the “silence” of the land that screams for you to open your eyes and look around at the wonder of the landscape or, the traditions of the land that go deep into your soul? It seems to Ignazio, Màkari is joy and love and so he will never forget it! And what does that say! Simple! This is Ignazio’s story! His story of Sicily, the land he left to pursue his dream and the land he is drawn back to time and again.
Màkari is a song that leads us back to A Man of Passion and Emotion. It points its finger at the young boy who left Sicily to pursue his dream, but Sicily was never far from his heart. Ignazio expressed in this song all that he felt in life and all that he missed when he went away but he also tells us that he is never far from his family or far from his dreams. Through his images we know all of this is always in his mind and in his heart and he carries it with him around the world!
I would need twenty more pages to really tell all of Ignazio’s story. A truly amazing man!
Let me close with a quote from an article by Ilvolovers Romania: “Ignazio, for what he looks like and also for everything he sometimes hides, is an imposing, brave and authentic young man. Sensitive and passionate, his performance creates a hurricane of feelings for anyone who looks at him and listens to him. For him, the phrase “singing with the heart” is not a metaphor, it is a reality expressed in every gesture and makes us wonder what his eyes see when he sings.”
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
*Excerpts from: Il Volo, Un’avventura Straordinario, La Nostra Storia
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
As June 3rd approaches, we feel the excitement in the air? After two long years, the World Tour will begin. The fans are starting to assemble in Verona to welcome the guys! This has been going on since last week but, it will intensify as June 3rd draws near.
On June 5th, 2021, Ignazio’s message to the press was, “Finally, June 5th! You don’t know how long we waited for this day! How many days to think, to study, to develop ideas! How many days to hope it would come! Today is an important day for the entire music industry. We start singing in front of an audience!” Yes, they were the first to do a live concert in front of an audience in the ancient Arena of Verona.
You could hear the excitement in Ignazio’s voice! His words sent chills up and down my spine. His words said it loud and clear. We made it! Live is back! The event as you well remember was the “Tribute to Ennio Morricone.”
Can you imagine how the guys are feeling right now? They are so ready to go out and present their new World Tour, Il Volo Sings Morricone and more….
While we’re waiting for them to arrive at Verona, 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 will give us a hint about what to expect in their World Tour which begins on June 3rd.
Let’s go to the stage!
Besides the superb performance, 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 so well thought out. Down to the last detail!
The guys kept the set list a secret. They wanted to surprise all of us. Piero said, “As for the set list we like to keep it a secret. We will try to satisfy every need of our audience by always keeping the master at the center.” And that they did!
Remembering Morricone’s music and having our guys sing it is by far one of the most incredible things that can happen for us. An event that will never be repeated by anyone! Spectacular!
Piero went on to say, “The Concert will anticipate the album that will be released later.” ~ “Il Volo Sings Morricone”
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.”
He also went on to thank the Morricone family for allowing them to sing an unreleased song, written by Andrea Morricone, “I Colori dell’amore.” A very beautiful song!
Piero reminds us that, “this is the first time we have performed a Concert live on TV.”
Well guys you did an amazing job!
“We really appreciate the tribute to Ennio Morricone because as Ignazio reminded us ‘it is the only (concert) date scheduled in 2021.’”
I must say, the Morricone project kept them very busy. They had to select and study songs from the master’s repertoire. That was no easy task.
So how do you go about selecting the songs and fitting them to your voice. It’s very difficult! Let me remind you about something Ignazio said about recording a song. Ignazio explains, “…. a take is the recording of the single phrase that each of us sings when we record a song. We continue to redo it until we get the best version.”
Can you imagine going through all of Morricone’s songs and deciding which ones to choose? Remember a song that may be good for a baritone may not be good for a tenor. So, what do you do? You redo the arrangements to fit your voice. How? You take the song apart and then decide which part is able to accommodate a tenor or baritone. Not an easy task! Think about some of the concerts where the guys have sung a song as a group (the three) and then decided it should be a duet. Why? Because it is more suitable to two voices perhaps baritone and tenor or tenor and spinto tenor. You need to see how it fits your voice and how it relates. In the end it’s all about the delivery. Once you’ve taken the song apart, you must put it back together again. Shall I say it again, not an easy task! It takes months to rearrange this many songs and believe me these guys worked very hard for long hours and long periods of time, many, many months, to get these songs where they needed to be. Great songs, arranged to great voices!
Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about. This is the song “Se Telefonando.” It is a song that was performed by a famous Italian singer, Mina. It was released in May 1966. I want you to listen to Mina sing the song and then listen to Il Volo sing it. You will note that the words did not change. Just the arrangement changed to fit the voices of our guys.
Now the Guys!
So now you can understand what I mean by taking a song and arranging it to fit another voice. Without changing the words look at how the song has changed. The delivery is spectacular! Just magnificent!
The studio work was done. The songs were in the bag, and everything was in place. It was time for the guys to restart the live concerts! In essence, symbolically, restart the entire sector.
As to Rai 1, Claudio Fasulo explained, “For our flagship network it is an honor to host this date. Rai 1 wants to remember Morricone who has done so much for our culture through the many arts. I wanted three young people to do it that I admire so much. They were born into a talent, but they also teach us that talent is sometimes meritocratic.”
“Il Volo has the artistic and behavioral characteristics of Rai 1. It is no coincidence that in our schedules of great music, the trio is always present. Dedicating an evening to Ennio Morricone was a duty for us.”
Gianluca said: “For us it is a great journey, a wonderful adventure. A year after Morricone’s death we want to remember the master in the best way. We were born as child prodigies and after 12 years of career we can say that this project makes us proud and makes us feel more mature”.
Piero said, “At last, we sing. It’s been a tough year and there’s a desire to get on stage and bring all the workers in the show with us. I want to point out that it will not be the orchestra that will accompany us, but we will sing together.” Alluding to the long-awaited return to live.
Ignazio said, “Let’s go back to singing in one of the largest outdoor theaters in the world, finally safe. The ancient sayings are always the truest, hope is the last to die.”
In an interview given to the magazine Mio, Piero, allowed himself to go to a painful confession about the very hard period from which we come and, which now seems, fortunately, to give us a moment of respite. “Finally, we sing, after a year and a half. We could not take it anymore! Ours is a dream job. We are incurable dreamers. Every wish is finally coming to fruition. On June 5th we will give a message of hope, there is a great desire to get on that stage.”
And that is exactly what they did!
So, let’s turn to the master!
You can ask anyone if they know who Ennio Morricone is, many people will say no. But, if you ask them if they know the theme song from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” They’ll say of course I know it. Everyone knows Morricone’s music! They may not know his name but, they certainly know his music.
So where did our guys begin the concert? They began with the most famous of Morricone’s songs from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – “The Ecstasy of Gold.” Smart! This song set the mood for the concert. What they did with this song and, the other songs, is amazing!
Let’s talk about some of the music. Let’s start by asking the question, “What made Morricone’s music different? Why was it so popular? Why was he the most sought-after composer in the last 40 years? The answer is his arrangements and his style. Unlike anyone else in his time Morricone composed and wrote songs that reflected nature and reflected everyday life! In his music we hear the wind and the rain, the howls and the silence! Again, I will go back to songs like “Se Telefonando,” where we hear three notes in this song that represent the siren of a police car. He wrote about reality. How he heard it, is how he wrote it. He didn’t describe the event he used the event! When you write a theme song or compose a score for a film, it has to draw you in. It has to tell the story before you witness it.
Now I’m going to step out of the concert for a moment but stick with Morricone because I need to pay a compliment to Ignazio.
As you recall, the first time we heard the song “Makari” which Ignazio composed and wrote, was during a commercial break at Sanremo 2021. When I heard the song, I felt like there was something very familiar about it. Last night after I wrote about three quarters of this article, I was tired, so I went to bed. And, as it often happens with me, I woke up in the middle of the night and thought about something I want to say in my story. This is what came to me. I finally figured out what was so familiar about “Makari.” Ignazio wrote in the style of Morricone. Think about it. What is Ignazio doing for us in this theme song? He is painting a picture! Remember I said, it has to draw you in. It has to tell the story before you witness it.
Ignazio’s song invites us to take a better look at this other land in the south (Sicily). It speaks of “a land of sages and a land of fools, made from devils and saints.” It invites you to live a new reality through his eyes. This is exactly what Morricone does in his songs.
In a Morricone song you hear life! In Ignazio’s song you hear the sounds of Sicily. It is the “silence” of the land that screams for you to open your eyes and look around at the wonder of the landscape, of Makari, and the traditions of the land that go deep into your soul?
There is something very mysterious in the song!
Ignazio’s song sings about approaching Makari and, the colors of the island come to life. The houses, the people, it’s all there. It comes to life before you approach the shore! And that’s what I was feeling when I heard the song! It’s written very much like a Morricone song.
Ignazio, I said you are a great composer and, some day you will compose a great opera. This is the proof. You learned from the great masters about expression and intensity in music! I can honestly say, you are your own master, and you began your journey at the front door! Music is in your soul! Just amazing!
Now, let’s get back to the concert!
I’m not going to write in any detail about the songs. There were a few other articles which were written for Flight Crew which discussed the songs individually. I am merely going to name the new songs and where necessary, give you some details on how they came about.
“Your Love” from Once Upon a Time in the West, is a song we all are familiar with. It is the song that the guys sang at Sanremo 2021. As Il Volo fans, this song will be with us forever. There are tender moments attached to it. It is an absolutely magnificent song. No one else could sing it like our guys. I know it touches my heart not just because of the circumstances but because of the emotion and passion the guys have when they sing this song. It will always be a signature song for them and for us!
So, what did they need in this production, a good pop song, set to music by Morricone, “Se Telefonando.” As I already mentioned, “Se Telefonando” is a song that was performed by a famous Italian singer, Mina. The music was composed, orchestrated and conducted by Ennio Morricone to Italian lyrics by Ghigo De Chiara and Maurizio Costanzo. The song was written for an episode of the Aria condizionata a Sunday morning television program. The main theme of the song was composed around just three notes, taken from the siren of a police car in Marseilles.
At this point in the show, the guys did their solos. Where do I begin to talk about the solos?
As I said, I am not writing about the individual songs, but I will say that each of the guys’ solos were phenomenal.
Gianluca’s “Your Song,” Ignazio’s “Listen” and Piero’s “No Puede Ser” were exceptional experiences in a sea of amazing voices.
When I originally wrote about this concert, I did not include the songs but for this story I will. Let’s start with Gianluca…
What I will comment on is little Julian. Many critics praised him and so do I! See guys, this is how you were at 8 years old. Blowing everyone’s mind!
And of course Piero singing “No puede ser” is just so amazing!
Let’s go back to the theme song of “Nuovo Cinema Paradiso” from the film of the same name. At the end of the song there is a small exchange between our guys and Salvatore Cascio, the child, now adult, of Nuovo Cinema Paradiso.
This was followed by Raphael Gualazzi on the piano with Nina Zillio and our guys performing the beautiful theme song from the film of the same name, “Metti, una Sera a Cena.” Nina Zillio is always so charming, and the guys enjoy performing with her.
Next came “Here’s to You”, the theme from Sacco and Vanzetti. This was preceded by a reading of the story of the two unfortunate Italian immigrants, read by Giallini. For those of you who don’t know the story of Sacco and Vanzetti here is a brief summary:
Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were Italian immigrants, anarchists, who were controversially convicted of murdering a guard and a paymaster during the April 15, 1920, armed robbery of the Slater and Morrill Shoe Company in Braintree, Massachusetts.
A series of appeals followed, funded largely by the private Sacco and Vanzetti Defense Committee. As details of the trial and the men’s suspected innocence became known, Sacco and Vanzetti became the center of one of the largest causes célèbres in modern history.
Responding to a massive influx of telegrams urging their pardon, Massachusetts governor Alvan T. Fuller appointed a three-man commission to investigate the case. After weeks of secret deliberation, the commission upheld the verdict. Sacco and Vanzetti were executed in the electric chair just after midnight on August 23, 1927.
And so, we come to the end of the concert and the dedication of “Conradiana” to Vito Boschetto, Ignazio’s dad. “Conradiana” is a beautiful song written by Andrea Bocelli and Ennio Morricone. Very touching, very emotional and it certainly touched the heart of Ignazio and his brothers Piero and Gianluca, and I know it also touched our hearts.
In closing today let me say that the guys showed us their talent and their love in this concert. And they really dedicated it to us. When they were singing their song, to Sacco and Vanzetti, they were saying to us, their fans, “Here’s to You.”
I wrote about the staging of this concert so you will have an idea of what to expect in the upcoming World Tour. There will be An Amazing Transformation but they will not depart from their Bel Canto. They will add to what is great and make it greater!
See you in Verona on June 3rd, 2022, for the start of the World Tour ~ Il Volo Sings Morricone and more….
Visit http://www.ilvolomusic.com for a full list of concerts around the world. Find one near you and buy a ticket! It will be the best night of your life!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
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
Credits to the owners of photos and videos.
Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!
