Vito Boschetto, father of Ignazio de Il Volo, has died.
Vito Boschetto, father of Ignazio, Marsala singer of Il Volo, together with Piero Barone and Gianluca Ginoble, died on the evening of Sunday 28 February. The man died in Bologna, where his son lives, due to a sudden illness that left him no way out.
Married to Caterina Licari, Vito also has an eldest daughter, Nina, who ran a pizzeria for years. A close-knit family that has always supported their son far and wide throughout Italy, making him study until the success obtained with the broadcast “Ti lascio una canzone” on Rai Uno with the conduction of Antonella Clerici, aimed at the discovery of children’s talents. It is there that Ignazio Boschetto met the other two “tenorini” Piero and Gianluca with whom he will form Il Volo, which achieved worldwide success.
On March 3 Il Volo should perform on the stage of the 71st Sanremo Festival. But confirmations are expected after this tragic news.
Covid has nothing to do with it, it was a tumor, recently discovered, but unfortunately in an advanced state, which left Vito no chance for a regression.
I do not dare to think of the infinite pain of Ignatius who, we remember, did a good part of his travels and stayed abroad accompanied by his beloved father.
Unfortunately, the harsh reality is this and Ignazio, already shy enough for personal news, lived this last period of his father’s life, without divulging the news, living the pain together with his family, his mother Caterina and his sister Nina.
The Il Volo family also gathered around Ignazio and his family, but could only watch the events helplessly.
Gianluca today published a series of their photos and the last photo represents Il Volo in a moment of meditation, with Ignazio looking up.
ALWAYS TOGETHER. What can best represent the three of them, in every moment of life, even the saddest, ALWAYS TOGETHER.
Dear Ignazio, you are always so cheerful, so joyful, but now you have the agony in your heart, your dear dad is gone.
We Volovers hold you in a long affectionate embrace around you and your mother Caterina and your sister Nina.
Our prayers reach Vito who from above will guide you in your life, proud of you.
No words can be of comfort to you, but all our affection reaches you from the depths of our hearts.
A big hug: Il Volo Flight Crew
R.I.P.
The Flight Crew staff with all the fans will try to deliver to Ignazio and his family a floral message of deep condolences and affection.
My choice for Best Photo of 2020 is the picture of Ignazio and Fabio embracing at Fabio and Maria’s Baby Reveal Party! Take that picture, put it in a dictionary under the word “friendship” and no other explanation is necessary!
My story today is about the man behind the picture, Fabio Ingrassia! His life, his art, his music and his friendship with Ignazio and Il Volo.
Fabio Ingrassia was born on June 6, 1989 in Marsala, Sicily. He is a contemporary artist. He attended the Mazara del Vallo Institute of Art and the Fine Arts Academy of Palermo. He continued his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Palermo but without finishing his studies, thus embarking on a path full of obstacles and difficulty, at least in the eyes of the artist, but certainly not in the eyes of the public!
From an early age Fabio showed a love for art and colors. He is always looking for new stimuli and new artistic expressions. He says, “Art is the desire to live, to communicate, to discover and to admire… I live art in the shadows, in black and white between colors.”
The Il Volo fans know Fabio as a long-time friend of Ignazio and Il Volo but what they do not know is Fabio is a world-renowned artist. His works can be found in North America, South America, Japan, Russia, Mexico, Germany, Belgium and of course Italy.
Fabio’s journey took him from the small city of Marsala to the stages of America where he truly lived the American dream. He joined Il Volo on the Grande Amore World Tour with three performances in Florida.
In March 2019, in Miami, Fabio created one of the most important, music recording studio works “Latin Harmony” – a mural representing the singers who recorded in the studio of Emilio and Gloria Estefan.
Trivia: Did you know Fabio was in the “Noche Sin Dia” video with the guys? See if you can find him!
Fabio says, “Italy is my first source of inspiration. I love the Renaissance and I am lucky enough to be able to admire these masterpieces whenever I would like.” He says these masters are a source of inspiration for him however, among all the sources of inspiration, music is the one that most excites him.
Fabio has a strong admiration for Il Volo. One of the paintings that is a major part of his collection is “The Power of the Genius” where he represents Il Volo, “Three Voices One Soul.”
On September 16, 2018 together with the comedian Roberto Lipari, Fabio performed in front of 200,000 people on the occasion of the Pope’s visit to Palermo.
On August 19, 2020 Fabio and Alessandro Quarta performed at the Noto Music Festival. Fabio said, “We ‘created’ together a concert on stage, a carnal relationship with his violin, between sensuality, nostalgia and – sometimes – sadness.”
Fabio works in so many different art forms it would take not just a story but a book to write about all of it. From his sand paintings in which he is not just painting a picture but telling a story to his tattoo art.
The work of art that most of you have seen and which I truly admire is the painting he did for Domenico Dolce for 62nd birthday. It was magnificent. The painting is Fabio’s interpretation of the Moment of Creation for Domenico Dolce! In the tradition of the renaissance, he included himself and Maria in it.
He presented the painting on Instagram and asked the question, “What do you see in this painting?” Most people answered that they saw Fabio. But what he was referring to was Caravaggio’s technique of chiaroscuro. The use of light and dark to give bold effects to the painting.
Not only did he use this technique but, he incorporated baroque pieces into the painting, like the detail on the chair that Domenico is sitting on. Most artists consider these old techniques and don’t use them in their painting anymore. He has taken Contemporary art and incorporated these old elements and created a new art form.
Now I want to talk about his relationship with Ignazio and Il Volo.
Fabio and Nina Boschetto were classmates at art school and this is how he met Ignazio. He was a regular at the pizzeria.
In an interview, Fabio said, “I had the chance to see Ignazio’s passion growing, year after year. I remember the moment in which it became clear to me that success would be his path, and that it couldn’t be otherwise. When Ignazio, enthusiastically, showed me the video of the musicalStreetlight, to which he took part in, it was like a hurricane. He managed to draw everyone into his passion for music. One day you could find him studying singing techniques, another one playing the piano, and yet another one playing drums. As a friend and as a Marsala citizen I am very proud of his artistic path and of his successes.”
Let me tell you how I see their friendship. I see not just as a friendship but two brilliant minds that think alike. I think of Ignazio as not just a singer but as a whole production and I think of Fabio as not just an artist but as art itself.
What do I mean by this? Ignazio and Fabio are constantly creating. Constantly going to the next dimension. There is nothing Ignazio can’t do musically and there is nothing that Fabio can’t do artistically!
Before I move on to the part of the story, I know you are all waiting for, I would like to mention the incident when Ignazio broke his arm in Tampa.
The stage was narrow and Ignazio picked up a child and took him in his arms to take him to the center of the stage where Piero, Gianluca and the other two children were.
There were electrical cables on the ground and Ignazio tried to avoid them, but he tripped and fell holding the child. To protect the child, Ignazio twisted his body, so that his left arm hit the ground taking the full brunt of the fall while raising the child above his head to protect him.
Ignazio got up right away still holding the child in his arms and finished the song. At the next song it was clear that Ignazio had a broken shoulder but he managed to finish the concert. He left before the meet and greet. Barbara Vitali immediately took him to the hospital. In the next concert he had a sling on his arm and it remained on for two concerts. The most important thing was he needed to rest.
At that time, Fabio was in Miami and he immediately left to be with his friend. Ignazio’s spirits were low and Fabio kept him company and supported him until he was able to appear at his next performance. That’s a friend!
And now it’s time to talk about Verona! I know both of you and I wonder how Fabio does his magic in Concert. Fabio’s aim has always been to combine musical art with pictorial art… He says, “The combination of pictorial art and that of music is one of the ways to reach the viewer on a deeper emotional level.”
On September 24, 2019, Fabio performed at the Verona Arena during Il Volo’s concert. While the guys sang “Smile,” Fabio painted Charlie Chaplin.
This is when you meet the real Fabio! So, let’s listen to Fabio in his own words . . . .
“I was painting in my studio. Pongo and Peggy my dogs as usual were watching me from the glass door, ready for dinner. I was very nervous. I still had some panic attacks and the more I tried not to think about it the more I thought about it.
It was 7:00 pm and Ignazio called me and asked me to be a guest of Il Volo at the concert in Verona. I can’t express my happiness but in the best of my expression I said WOW!
From that moment on I immediately concentrated on the realization of my performance. What to do, on what support, easel, color.
After choosing the song and the character to present with Il Volo, I had to try and try again until I got the time and the result I wanted. I had to create a story, not a simple painting . . . a story that had a beginning and an end . . . The song was ‘Smile’ and I had to represent Charlie Chaplin. I liked the idea so much! I had read everything about Chaplin because one evening at dinner Valentino Picone made me fall in love with him by telling me of his importance in the world of cinema.
After days and sleepless nights, I found what I liked . . . I would start with the horizontal canvas by painting a Chaplin from behind in a countryside landscape, then I would turn the canvas, spin it and continue the painting until the face was blown up.
Time was short for such a large and complex canvas. I asked for more time but there was not much that could be done.
I tried the painting only once, in my parents’ living room. The proof was beautiful but, I was out with the time, I could not fit it within the four minutes I had available.
I did mental training on distances, movements and dimensions to maintain and I tried closing my eyes trying to simulate the realization of the painting, making it several times would have been too expensive.
I get the canvas, the easel and the suitcases in the car and Maria and I leave for Verona.
The next day I immediately went to the arena to set everything up and do a test, but the arena is outdoors so we couldn’t try the lights. I was worried, for my way of working I have to have everything 100% and that uncertainty gave me anxiety.
The evening comes, we are in the dressing rooms, Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca were rehearsing and I was getting paranoid about the lighting issue, I wanted to give 100% and not having control over that, it made me question myself. Ignazio calmed me by telling me that we should have fun and do nothing else. The concert begins, it’s freezing cold but, I go up on stage in short sleeves, the adrenaline rushing, I looked at the full Arena and for two hours I had goosebumps. Really incredible . . . indescribable . . . then my moment arrives ”Smile” begins. They place a light on me on the right of the stage and the magic begins. I forget about the 14,000 people behind me. My mental exercise was now real . . . the brush slips on canvas creating shapes, but the light is too strong and reflects my eyes, so I close them trying not to lose control and I create Charlie’s hat with my eyes closed. Three minutes are few but, in that context, they become even less, the canvas turns and my race against time becomes more and more fierce.
When the song ends and I turn the painting, the crowd is euphoric, Ignazio makes a speech that leaves me speechless, I hug the guys and leave the stage. I immediately run to the dressing room and lock myself in. I’m always very demanding with myself. I can’t enjoy the moment because I would like to do more, but then I check the phone and I had thousands of notifications, photos, videos, I see myself again and I understood that my message had reached everyone.
So, I ran through the backstage corridors of the arena and went to look at what I had done, look where I did it and for a few seconds I was satisfied. I took the brush and defined it with details.
Behind the scenes it was a competition to see who wanted to take the painting but, in the end, together with Ignazio, we decided I would take it home becauseit represented how two friends can share a dream together, having fun and thrilling the public.”
This brings me back to where my story began, The Baby Reveal Party!
If a picture is worth a thousand words, this would be the picture. The look on Ignazio’s face, the smile, the absolute joy he is feeling for his friends. I said this picture should be the picture of the year because it tells me that their relationship goes beyond a friendship. These two men have shared some very important moments together! On stage and off! They have both become Super Stars since their first meeting at the pizzeria and to me, they are more than friends, they are brothers!
But on January 5 Fabio cheered us up with this good news: “With great joy and emotion we announce the birth of
💙 NOAH INGRASSIA💙 3,650 kg (8 lbs.) of pure love 😍
Thanks to all.” 🙏🏻💙
Congratulations Fabio and Maria on the birth of your beautiful baby boy, Noah! God bless your beautiful family!
Note: To read more about Fabio, to see his, magnificent, artwork, videos and prints, visit his website atwww.fabioingrassia.com
So who’s tied to who (whom…whatever)? Can you make the matches?
G = Gianluca I = Ignazio P = Piero A = Connects to ALL of the above N = Connects to NONE of the above
Connects with…. (you get extra credit if you also know the names)
Answers:
__1.
1. A/I– It’s Loretta! One point for “All”. Two points for “Ignazio”.
*
__2.
2. P – Piero’s Brother, Francesco Barone.
*
__3.
3. G – Gianluca’s Grandfather, Ernesto. (Jane and I met him in Montepagano.)
*
__4.
4.N – Justin Bieber. Just…No.
*
__5.
5. G – Martina, Gianluca’s gal.
*
__6.
6.A – Myron Heaton. Is there another Fan Fare in our future?
*
__7.
7. I – Ignazio’s Mom, Caterina Boschetto.
*
__8.
8. A – Michele Torpedine, Manager, mentor, friend.
*
__9.
9. I – Franz, Ignazio’s dog. (You’re a good boy. Yes you are.)
*
__10.
10. A – Giampiero Grani. Il Volo’s Pianist, arranger, friend.
*
__11.
11. A/P – Our Mary Bohling. Take partial credit if you said All. One point if you said Piero.
*
__12.
12. P – Piero’s Dad, Gaetano Barone.
*
__13.
13. I – Ignazio’s sister, Nina.(Yep, Jane and I met her too).
*
__14.
14. N – Luciano Pavarotti. One regret of the Guys is that they never met him. He died in 2007. The Boys were 12, 13 and 14 then. They certainly would have won his heart too.
*
__15.
15. G – Gian’s mom, Eleanora Ginoble.
*
__16.
16. A – Fabio Ingrassia, artist and friend. Fabio drew the Boys picture on stage during several 2016 concerts.
*
Scoring:
14+ correct – You can move in with any of them. They won’t notice you’re not family.
11- 13 – You can move in but they will wonder why you’re there.
8 – 10 – You can live next door.
5 – 7 – You can buy pizza from Nina.
3 – 4 – Just stay in your own country, at home, in your room.
Let me tell you about Sicily. So different from northern Italy. Reminded me of Arizona or New Mexico – arid, warm, sunny. We even watched a gecko play on a sun baked wall while enjoying the warm breeze sitting in the shade of our Marsala Villa.
I digress…
Montepagano to Naples was our longest drive. We arrived in Naples in the late afternoon and happily gave up our rental car once we reached the city. Very crazy drivers live there. Here is a photo of the building across from our balcony and one of the plaza in the historic section of Naples. So representative of what we saw of the city.
Naples was just a stop over for us and we would see it again in a few days. We wanted to be ready for our early morning flight to Palermo. So, we walked a few blocks, ate at an outdoor ‘ristorante’ on a small plaza and went back to “Bruno’s Historic Home”.
Palermo..city of my ancestors. With the dazzlingly beautiful abundant mountain ranges on our left and the elegant Tyrrhenian Sea then the Mediterranean Sea on our right we knew we had made the correct decision to drive this amazing island.
Breathtaking barely describes the drive.
Marsala has houses that look like adobe. The Streets are wide enough for one and a half cars. Drivers will pass you anyway! It’s a wonder there are any Italians/Sicilians left alive! It’s not just that the streets are narrow, but the houses are all connected and right on the street. The streets are more like narrow alleys. No curbs. No sidewalks. Just a string of adobe walls. They park and live inside these.
The city turned out to be larger than we thought. A lot larger….I know that because we were lost there most of the time and drove around looking for our next stop-over. We gave up (so did Missy) and stopped at a small store. Naturally Jane and I were the only English speaking people around. Fortunately, “mi dispiace” (I’m sorry) and “guida” (help) were two of the Italian words I had practiced and ended up using the most…everywhere. Jane became an expert in Italian sign language, pointing at addresses on paper and making herself understood. We were saved, once again, by handsome Italian men (why did I ever leave?) One fellow called the owner of our B&B then hopped in his car and led us to meet her….another point for a gracious people. What a lovely place Villa Rustiko was! It had an equally lovely owner, named Matina. Who, by the way, sang with a Ignazio when they were in school.
What we were really waiting for was to meet Nina and we were about to do just that. She knew we were coming, so you can imagine how excited we were when we drove up to…
I think Nina’s smile is even more captivating than her brothers. Yes, I said that…just look… that’s Nina flanked by her happy helpers.
We gave her a gift from all of the Flight Crew.
She seemed to really like it and immediately put it on (her eyes light up like her brothers too!) Later when I asked to take a picture of her wearing it she brushed away the flour that had landed on the apron from her work. Now, didn’t that make it even more special?
Using some of Jane’s expert hand signals and a translator app, we spoke with Nina for a while. Then she made us a marvelous mushroom and sausage pizza.
I must tell you that I dreamed of this! Eating pizza at Nina’s! Life is good!
I’m sure Nina thinks I have a learning disability. All I remember doing was nodding and throwing my hands around a lot. I was, after all, surrounded by Boschetto DNA and wanted to gather up as much as I could. Jane wrote a sweet note for Nina’s brother on the back of our Flight Crew card. After about two hours and more slow conversation (that would be Jane..I was still flapping and gathering) we said our goodbyes and returned to our splendid Villa for the night.
Next I’ll take you to (shudder) Naro.
Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!
