Tag Archives: Radio City Music Hall

Through the Fields of My Mind

Via dei Gracchi

February 9, 2022 susandebartoli 16 Comments

As we get closer to the guy’s arrival in the United States I want to go back and revisit some of what they did in the beginning that got them to America!

You will recall how Piero and Ignazio were taking voice lessons and piano lessons and, Gianluca just sang for his own pleasure. Each one was approached in a different way to audition for Ti Lascio Una Canzone. What we will look at today is how each one was approached to audition and what that experience was like!

Let’s begin with where they were in their lives when they were called to audition…

Piero, when not in school, was busy with his voice lessons and his festivals. In November 2008 a phone call changed Piero’s life forever.

Piero’s singing lessons were not in Naro. He had a long drive to his teacher’s studio. It became increasing difficult for his father to drive him to these lessons so, Piero made arrangements with his cousin Giuseppe, to drive him and he made arrangements with the student who had lessons after him to drive back home. At the end of Piero’s singing lesson, he would wait for the student to finish his lesson so they could travel home together. This student lived near his paternal grandmother’s house.

Let’s let Piero explain what happened one day…

Usually, as the boy who gave me passage lived near my paternal grandmother, he always left me at her house where my father came to pick me up when he finished work. Only that evening my father was already at my grandmother’s and was talking on the phone.

‘Who was that dad?’ Was the first thing I asked him when he finished speaking.

‘Wait, let’s go home and I’ll tell you.’

It was strange that he was mysterious with me, but I always trusted him blindly and if he said ‘after’ he meant that it was okay. I was curious, for sure, but I waited calmly. We finish dinner, and daddy keeps his promise and tells me: ‘On the phone was a lady, a certain Isabella Abiuso. She is part of the casting of Ti Lascio Una Canzone, and she was given your name by the Tour Music Fest.’

Stop all and take a step back: what is the Tour Music Fest? It’s a festival that I did not want to do. It’s not that I was undecided, I wanted to think about it. No, I did not want to do it just because I won all these festivals, and I was a little tired. Yet it is a great European festival dedicated to emerging music born in 2003. It has several stages, runs throughout Italy and not just singers, but also bands and musicians participated. The stage closest to us was that of Cosenza. ‘I have to drive,’ Dad had told me. ‘We have a comfortable car, you sleep, and we go, you do not even notice.’ Twenty-four hours to do Naro-Cosenza, Cosenza-Naro. We arrive there, I sing, and they do not give me more news. But they gave to someone else.

Isabella Abiuso, one of the talent scouts who selected children for the broadcast, called the editors of the festival and asked for a name to try, someone interesting for that kind of television program. The organizers of the Tour Music Fest told her, ‘Mrs. Abiuso, here there is nothing that we can give, apart from a certain Piero Barone, which for us has not gone well because it is not the kind of music that we deal with, but he certainly has an innate talent.’ I was not sixteen yet, it was November 2008. ‘Dad’ I immediately said, ‘this Ti Lascio Una Canzone, I’d like to do it. Let’s try, why not?’

Let’s see what Piero had to say about the experience of the audition…

What do I remember from the audition? I remember that it was in Via dei Gracchi in Rome, that I arrived there with La Voce Del Silenzo and the unfailing Un Amore Così Grande and the suits that my father bought me, I felt like a king.

“Mr. Barone, we’ll let you know” they told Dad when I finished singing. After five days, the longest of my life, they call and say: “Prepare these five pieces for the next audition”. Those five tracks were:

Sei Nell’Anima of Gianna Nannini

La Voce Del Silenzo

Un Amore Così Grande

Voglio Vivere Così

Domenica è Sempre Domenica

The aim was to test me on different genres, of course, to understand which one was the most suitable for me. So, I get to the recording studio in Rome and start singing. Only shortly thereafter, they stop the music. The first so, the second and I was already demoralized, if a test does not make it even to the refrain, it’s not a good sign. The first thing I thought was that it did not go well. At the third track I attack the refrain, “Un Amore Cosi” …….and they stop the musical base. When I left the recording room and arrived in the mixer room, I found dad with my brother and a friend who had come to Cosenza with us at the Tour Music Fest, all three beautiful smiling, quiet. I died and they are happy. There is something wrong. Roberto Cenci looks at me and tells me: “Bravo, Piero, you are inside the program”. But I really believed it only when they brought me to the seamstress.

And how about Ignazio?

Ignazio was busy with his voice lessons and festivals but his experience with the festivals was very different from Piero’s. Ignazio has always been a person who believed in fair competition. It certainly is nice to win but he always felt that a person should win because they deserve to win. There was too much cheating and payoff going on. Young people were not winning because of their talent. It was very unfair for the other competitors who worked so hard to get to that competition.

Let me let Ignazio tell you the situation when Franco Fasano proposed that he audition for Ti Lascio Una Canzone….

I felt like a crap. No, not when they called me to audition, before I felt like a crap, so much so that I almost lost it that night when they talked to me for the first time about Ti Lascio Una Canzone. The fact is that competition after competition, year after year, perhaps because I grew up and became less naive – now I was fourteen – at a certain point in 2008 I realized that, as wonderful as it was, the music world was starting to give me the first disappointments: people who paid to see their child win, recommendations and various scams.

My problem is that I have always been for healthy competition, getting to the first place because really a person deserves to be rewarded as such. But it was not like that anymore. I did not want to participate anymore in any competition. I began to give up many proposals. I was in this terrible mood when, in September of that year, I was offered a competition in Caltanissetta, which was presented by the great Nico dei Gabbiani and had as president of the jury Franco Fasano, author and composer of songs like Ti Lascerò who won the Sanremo Festival, and also singer songwriter as E Quel Giorno Non Mi Perderai Più.

Instinctively I said no. I did not want to take part in any competition that could turn out to be made up. But after so many evenings talking to my family and Liliana, who was always present and always ready to give me some advice, I convinced myself. I am happy to say that there are no recommendations in that competition: I reached third place. But the greatest satisfaction was not the result. At the end of the final evening Franco Fasano took the stage, proposing to do a test in Rome – he did not promise me anything for sure – for a television program that, having seen the great success of the first, had reached its second edition. That program was Ti Lascio Una Canzone.

So, Ignazio went off to Rome for his audition. Let’s continue with Ignazio’s experience….

But I did not really believe it. I remained as usual with my feet firmly planted on the ground. I must admit, at first, I was a bit perplexed at the idea of going to the audition because, I have always been a pessimist, but then, we talked about it in the family, as we have always been used to doing, we said to ourselves: “Why not?” So, in the end I went to do the auditions in Rome, funded by mom and dad who, in the meantime, were continuing to make great sacrifices for me.

I arrived with mom and dad at via dei Gracchi, where the auditions were held. There were many guys like me who were hoping for something positive without expecting anything, trying not to have too many illusions.

At the beginning, I was also quite calm, it could not be much different from singing on stage. Anxiety began to rise as my turn approached. And here they call my name: ‘Boschetto?’ I got up and went into the studio where the boys were singing. There was, Roberto Cenci, waiting for me. He looked at me and asked, ‘Dear Boschetto, what are you letting us hear today?’ I had chosen Ti Cerchero by Gigi Finizio and Melodramma by Andrea Bocelli.

‘Thank you very much’ was the only thing Roberto Cenci told me when I finished singing. All there? But how was I doing? Was I okay? I had no idea but, climbing the stairs, Pannocchia, who was the manager who accompanied us, tells me that I have to study a song within thirty minutes. What song? The Winner Takes It All by ABBA. To help me there was Luca Pitteri, a vocal coach who collaborated with AMICI and who at that time worked for Ti Lascio Una Canzone.

They gave me a CD player and I started to listen and study the song, and after exactly thirty minutes they called me back, we went into the studio where Roberto Cenci was waiting for me. ‘Please, start’ he said, and the base started. I cannot say if I sang well, I do not remember anything other than the fact that somehow, they let me guess that I was inside the program, I had succeeded, but I tried not to build too many castles in the air as we returned home. What I did not know was that while I was inside singing The Winner Takes It All, outside my mother and Pannocchia spoke and he said: ‘Ignazio is in the program, madam!’ But they did not even tell me. Of course, I had a positive feeling, but how positive is the presentiment of one who is pessimistic.

Afterwards, like Piero, Ignazio wasn’t told anything. After a few days he was called back to Rome….

After a few days they called me back telling me that I had to go back to Rome. I did not know why but already the phone call filled me with joy. Maybe I had to take another test? I know it may sound strange, but I really did not know what to expect. Then in reality the reason for the summons to Rome was to tell me that I had been taken, I was in the cast of Ti Lascio Una Canzone.

And then there was Gianluca. Gianluca’s story is very different. You could say, unlike Piero and Ignazio who studied music in every spare moment of their day, Gianluca had a life. He enjoyed spending his days playing soccer and listening to Andrea Bocelli on his portable radio. He enjoyed being outdoors. Going to the forest with his brother and his friends and just singing for his own enjoyment. Gianluca never participated in the festivals. If it wasn’t for the Piccolo Choir of Roses, Gianluca may not have been discovered.

Let’s listen to Gianluca’s tell us how the Piccolo Choir of Roses got him the audition of Ti Lascio Una Canzone….

Do you see destiny? The story of Ignazio shows that things come and, you do not have to force them to arrive.

I only sang because it made me feel good, when I was singing, I was happy. Then what happened? I don’t really know. To tell you the truth, seven years passed from the casting sessions because it was 2008 when my father received a call from Licia Giunco.

It is difficult to explain who this lady is, an incredible woman, known throughout Italy for being the creator of an annual event called Sport for life, a great international ice-skating gala.

The reason for Mrs. Giunco’s phone call was my performances with the choir. “We have a great talent here in Roseto” she told my father. “Let’s bring him to RAI.” My father had never thought about it. My parents had never even imagined I would participate in competitions, let alone send me for an audition for television.

“Let’s try,” he replied to her. “It would be a great opportunity.” What dad thought was just a different experience, something that could make me have fun. Mrs. Giunco had made available to us her contacts: we talked to Franco Fasano, whom Licia knew, and he took us to the audition with Roberto Cenci for a broadcast of RAI. Maybe the idea that it was only a life experience to do, an experience that would allow me to sing for a while. My parents, as they had always been until then, did not force me in the least and, as enthusiastic as they were of the idea of what I could do, they completely left the decision to me. I had not the slightest idea of what awaited me, but I decided instinctively, with my belly, that yes, that audition I really wanted to do it.

I’m sorry for Piero and Ignazio, but I did not have to wait for a phone call to know the result of the audition for Ti Lascio Una Canzone.

Via dei Gracchi in Rome, I remember very well. It is in a fairly central area, in the Prati district and not far from the Vatican, a very long street full of very beautiful buildings….

When we entered, I realized that I would not be alone to support that audition. There were many other guys, all with their parents, a long line of people, but I was not worried because I was there just for fun, it was already an adventure.

When they called my name, I entered the registration room. Roberto Cenci was there. It was the first time I saw him. The impact was a bit so, because he has a very tough character, does not convey much sympathy at the first meeting. But the essential thing is that I start to sing I wanted to be a little alone to think, you know …. I had chosen The Voice of Silence. I remember it perfectly. I was thirteen – the first audition was in November 2008 – and I already had this deep, baritone voice.

I sang in the recording room and saw the others on the other side of the glass. There was Roberto Cenci, my grandfather was there with my mother, my brother, and my father, all in the other room. So, I sing and at one point, Roberto stops the music and says: ‘Stop all.’ ‘What happens?’ I thought. From where I was, I did not understand anything, I saw only the faces.

‘This boy’ continues Roberto, addressing my family, ‘he was kissed by the Lord.’ All I could see were only the faces of my parents and in my head, I kept asking ‘What’s up?’ And at a certain point I did not make it anymore and I opened the door, I went to Roberto, and I repeated: ‘What’s going on?’ I was small, I could not realize. My father, made a face, I do not forget, he looks at me and says: ‘Nothing, good!’

‘Congratulations’ Roberto tells me, hugs me, makes me sing another song, calls all the others on the staff. ‘Feel this baby, you feel like singing.’ I remember these scenes very well; I see it again. And I was very excited, I was very happy, I could not even sing, at one point I even stuck. Because I did not expect such a positive reaction from Roberto Cenci and all the others, producers, technicians and I do not know who else there was, that day, because Roberto had called everyone.

My mother and father never stopped smiling. My grandfather was very happy, if possible, more than when we left. My brother was small, but it was clear to him that it was a party. In the end, do you know until how late we stayed in that hall? Until nine in the evening, because Roberto Cenci called me back even after the audition to make me sing some more songs, to start making me try some duet. In short, when we said goodbye, I was exhausted, but I was bursting with joy.

From that day in Rome, I remember very well Ignazio’s mother. I do not remember seeing either Piero or Ignazio, but Caterina yes. During the audition they made us sing in a recording room, outside in the queue was Ignazio’s mother. Caterina heard the voice of someone singing, and she had listened to me. When I came out, she looked at me and said: “Congratulations! Bravo, very good!”. She heard me sing and she thought Andrea Bocelli was in the recording room.

So now we have all the guys accepted in the program but, we still need to get them together on stage.

From Via dei Gracchi the guys went on to Ti Lascio Una Canzone and we all know how that turned out! They won first, second and third place but the biggest win was Il Volo.

This was just the beginning of the journey that would lead them to the United States and around the world. Their name is known worldwide. They have become superstars! They have 4,500 fan clubs worldwide with over five million fans. Not bad for three Italian teenagers who came from families like yours and mine.

We await your arrival at Radio City Music Hall! And we will never forget your last performances there!

Radio City February 6, 2020 I Mondo ~ Un Amore Così Grande

Radio City March 4, 2017 ~ Caruso

Radio City September 27, 2013 ~ Granada

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

Article or Video Translations, General news

DOMENICA IN 2021 – PART 2 by Daniela

January 9, 2022 pitterpat0 69 Comments

Here I am with the second part of this beautiful interview.
I assure you that you will not be bored.

Enjoy the reading!!

MARA = Come back here. (long applause)
You are guys, but you have a great responsibility, because you have immense talent …

GIAN = With this song we also had the opportunity to show the beauties of our country with the Frasassi Caves.

MARA = Yes, there was the video.

GIAN = I also want to say this thing, because for us it was a great honor, to be able to work with maestro Vittorio Storaro, who is a “cinematographer” and not a “director of photography”, which is a small detail.

MARA = What’s the difference, for those who don’t know?

GIAN = There is a big difference. In America they say cinematographer …

MARA = …. three Oscars, he made all the films of Bertolucci (another Italian director who won the Oscar for The Last Emperor), Vittorio Storaro …

GIAN = … exactly three Oscars …. because every time it is a life lesson, not only artistic, but his wisdom has given us wonderful moments …

MARA = Sorry if I interrupt you, Gianluca, but I have a backstage video and I would like to send it and then you all can comment on it.

Let’s watch it together.

(the video of the Frasassi Caves backstage starts)

In the video: Gianluca’s voice = The melodies of the great master Ennio Morricone are the protagonists in this wonderful setting that are the Frasassi Caves.

Ignazio’s voice = Sharing this fantastic place also with maestro Vittorio Storaro was a great emotion.
(applause)

MARA = It is so beautiful that it seems unreal, it seems magical.

PIERO = Have you ever been there?

MARA = No, never been.

PIERO = Look, time stops there.

MARA = But where is this place, exactly?

GIAN = Near Genga, in the Marche region.

MARA = Ah, in the Marche.

GIAN = Yes, this place is one hour from my house, I’m near Roseto degli Abruzzi.

MARA = So did you know this place?

GIAN = Yes, I had already been there, because schools often organize trips with pupils to make excursions.

MARA = It’s a magical place, I want to go there.

PIERO = We had the privilege of having the caves just for us and Vittorio Storaro, to shoot the video.

MARA = Illuminated by Vittorio Storaro.

GIAN = Think about the power of Bel Canto, associated with a wonderful place, it is the perfect soundtrack, but then it allows us to join idols, like Vittorio Storaro, or as before, you saw us joking with Woody Allen, it is the prestige of Bel Canto. As you know it all started with Pavarotti, then with Bocelli, so we, humbly, always try to follow in their footsteps, to bring this kind of music higher and higher.

IGNAZIO = I’ll tell you an anecdote. In the caves, we were collaborating with the master Storaro, and he was still trying to get an extra emotion out of us. So when there were our solos, he would say to Piero: “Piero concentrate you, try not to think about anything, as if there were no one, the caves, the emotion …”

GIAN = He (Storaro) was also a director on that occasion, just for us.

IGNAZIO = …. “let the emotion out” …. ok, Piero, does his (solo), Gian does his, it’s up to me and I ask: “Give me some more advice, master …”

MARA = You are giving HIM to the master. (in Italy it is a sign of respect)

IGNAZIO = Absolutely … and he tells me: “Ignazio, forget where you are, it’s just you, the camera and nothing else around.” I followed his advice.

PIERO = He added “…and think of a person dear to you ….”

MARA = Think of a person dear to you?

IGNAZIO = Yes. The playback of the song was over and I cried and I cried for 15 minutes …

PIERO = He burst into tears.

MARA = Who were you thinking of?

IGNAZIO = Your Love is a song that means a lot to us, also because we performed in Sanremo three days after my father’s death, so it means a lot to us.

MARA = The memory!

IGNAZIO = By now, I associate that song with that moment and therefore I was in tears for 15 minutes.

GIAN = The whole album is dedicated to Vito ….

PIERO = … to Ignazio’s father.

On this occasion Ignazio proved to be a great man, because three days before our performance in Sanremo, we received this terrible news by phone, and we all expected a NO, from Ignazio, we thought we would stay at home. Instead he, as a great professional, arrived in Sanremo, sang, did his duty. He has my highest esteem. ❤ (appaluse)

MARA = Who knows how you were inside, love.

IGNAZIO = I think that the greatest happiness of a parent is to see their children happy.

GIAN = There was a backstage part that I would like to tell and that moved us all.

During the rehearsals Fiorello (co-host of Sanremo), approached Ignazio and hugged him for three minutes, they hugged tightly, I’m telling you, because unfortunately he also experienced the same situation ….. and by the way we say goodbye to the great Fiorello, hello Fiore !!

MARA = (turning to Ignazio) Were you far away, when your dad passed?

IGNAZIO = I was in Bologna, we were, there. Before, we talked about the pandemic, and the lockdown, there are positive sides, I was lucky enough to spend a year and a half with my whole family, and that’s what we hope all the young people, all the boys of our age, have done – have the opportunity to spend time with their families, and to understand how important their support is.

MARA = I think so.

PIERO = But in these years…. we have been together for 13 years …

IGNAZIO = We are together, that is, we work together ….

MARA = But there would be nothing wrong, Ignazio ... (being together can be meant sentimentally)

PIERO = No, no, we are together

IGNAZIO = Of bad, nothing, but Piero, it’s not that I like him so much. 😁

MARA = Are the two of them engaged? (Piero and Gianluca). About you (Ignazio) we learned that you have a girlfriend in Brazil …

GIAN = The two of them who ??

MARA = Not the two of you together, although there would be nothing wrong with that.

GIAN = No but imagine, there would be nothing wrong …

MARA = Do you, your fiancée, have it?

GIAN = Yes, yes, I do.

MARA = You have her! And you Piero?

PIERO = No, I …

GIAN = Piero no.

MARA = Is he single?

GIAN = Piero is single, the only single, that’s right.

MARA = He is in love with Bellucci, he is waiting for Bellucci.

IGNAZIO = Morricone was one of the most beautiful projects we have ever thought …

MARA = Do you want to change the subject?

IGNAZIO = Is it understood ?? 😁

MARA = You are smart, eh !!! But when you can, with aunt !!! (she means that the aunt, that is Mara, discovers the smart ones)

IGNAZIO = (He gets up and sings to Mara, hugging her) “I’ll take you and I’ll take you away.” (applause)

MARA = Come on, another film I loved is Sacco and Vanzetti, directed by the great Giuliano Montaldo, starring Riccardo Cucciolla and GianMaria Volontè.

PIERO = For this piece, we studied a lot, because we didn’t know so many things ….

MARA = Wonderful movie.

PIERO = The story is truly poignant, because unfortunately there is injustice.

MARA = Exactly. Great movie.

GIAN = We are here, eh !!

PIERO = I was telling her about Sacco and Vanzetti …

IGNAZIO = We felt a little lonely.

MARA = Here he is (Piero), I brought him to you.

PIERO = This song is called: HERE’S TO YOU. (applause, here’s to you begins)

(applause and standing ovation at the end)

MARA = Well, you wonderful ones! I just want to say that this is an important film, an important theme, it is the story of two Italians, two emigrants who were unjustly condemned, and we at this moment want to greet all our compatriots who cannot be here.

I + P = Absolutely.

GIAN = And it is also nice to remember that soon we will be on tour, from March in the United States, we start in RCMH on March 4th, and then we will reach many people who have been waiting for us for two years since the last tour that unfortunately we had to stop due to the Covid.

MARA = So you will reach our compatriots, and not only !! But then I will also say all the dates.

Let’s move on because there is another beautiful song.

PIERO = There are many (dates)

MARA = Yes, a lot.

PIERO = More than 100 concerts in six months.

MARA = But when are you leaving?

PIERO = March 4th …

MARA = And are you coming back?

PIERO = In December

MARA = Next year (2022)

PIERO = Yes, and we will sing in Italy, we will do concerts in the summer and concerts in the winter.

MARA = How long are you away?

PIERO = From March to December no stop, only 7-8 days in July

MARA = Are you going back to Italy?

PIERO = Yes, at home.

MARA = Love !!

GIAN = At least, a little sun, a tan, otherwise we will be pale, tired, with travel …..

MARA = Let’s go on, now they make you listen to another beautiful song, music ….

PIERO = What is it?

MARA = SE TELEFONANDO

IGNAZIO = Another of my favorites.

MARA = I like it a lot too.

PIERO = Do you know how it was born?

MARA = Maurizio Costanzo (he wrote the words)

PIERO = Yes, but Ennio Morricone was at the post office paying a fine, a bill, I don’t know what it was, he heard the sound of the ambulance, the siren of the ambulance “ta-ta …. se telefonando” and from there makes you understand the genius of the master Morricone.

MARA = What a beautiful song.

PIERO = Magnificent.

MARA = Why him, great musician, great author, but then this is a song that everyone can sing, in truth.

IGNAZIO = Absolutely. But then the genius of the master Morricone was that he was inspired by silence, for him silence in his works was fundamental …

PIERO = Determinant

IGNAZIO = I like to compose, and sometimes, removing is more difficult than adding.

MARA = It’s true.

IGNAZIO = The essential is something difficult to achieve. It can only be reached by those who are geniuses, like the maestro Morricone.

MARA = How wise have you become, aunt’s love. (she hugs Ignazio)

IGNAZIO = Mamma mia, I’m getting emotional!

MARA = Come on, come on, come on, SE TELEFONANDO, Il Volo!! (starts Se Telefonando)

(applause and standing ovation at the end)

MARA = IL Volo, on Domenica IN, which makes us spend the wonderful Boxing Day !!

Good, good guys, good, good guys (she applauds the guys).

Now I’m sending something with you, from here, from this position.
Last year was December 25, 2020, exactly one year ago, and where were you? In St. Peter’s Square ..

P + G + I = Yes, St. Peter’s Square.

MARA = With ???

PIERO = Nobody, there was nobody. Ours is a dream job, we are dreamers and we saw that surreal situation, lockdown, at home at ten, and we wanted to wish the whole country a Merry Christmas from there. We got organized, with the director of RAI1.

MARA = Stefano Coletta.

IGNAZIO = Let us wish him well for Santo Stefano.

G + P + I + M = Greetings director !!

PIERO = And so from there, we made these four songs, to wish a Merry Christmas, with St. Peter’s Square completely empty.

MARA = Let’s see it then. (start the video of Merry Christmas from San Pietro 2020)

In the video:
Gian = On this very special day, in which, even if we are close, we are forced to stay away, we wanted to find a way to wish you a Merry Christmas.

Ignazio = With music, in this extraordinary square.

PIERO = The hope is that Christmas, with its magic, can bring a smile to your homes, and warm your hearts.

MARA = How beautiful !! It’s beautiful, I think you have performed everywhere, but I think this was an emotion …… (addressed to Piero) at one in the morning did you tell me?

IGNAZIO = In fact there was still a curfew, so thanks to the Municipality of Rome, and the Vatican who gave us permission to be able to register it. So as not to create a crowd, we did it after curfew, we finished at 1am.

I want take this opportunity to reiterate that the mind that thinks these things is Michele Torpedine, who has all these fantastic ideas.

MARA = That we say hello to Michele (she blows a kiss), where is Michele? It should be around here!

PIERO = Do you think that Luciano Pavarotti called him (Torpedine) Great Boss, and he too (Ignazio), jokingly also called him Great Boss.

I’ve never done, it but I told him: “The day you make us sing in front of Pope Francis, I’ll call you Big Boss”, and now I have to!

GIAN = Behind every singer, there are people who allow them to be able to fully express their art, surely he is the person …..

PIERO = Can you turn the camera? He is there, behind … (Michele is nearby)

MARA = No look, let’s do one thing: “Come here, Michele, we’re talking about you”
(applause)

PIERO = Great Michele.

MARA = (drags Torpedine on stage). Sorry, they were talking about you.

MT = You know that these things embarrass me, I’m not used to it.

MARA = Come on. Listen, we are almost at the end of this beautiful segment, I don’t know how to thank you.

How do you handle these boys, Torpedine?

MT = How do you manage three dynamites like this, they go it alone, just say yes or no to things.

MARA = Now you all go, go around the world for months …

MT = Around the world, we hope that everything goes well with Covid.

MARA = We hope, we hope so.

IGNAZIO = We thought we would leave you with a Christmas song, since they told us that Christmas songs are sung until the Epiphany.

MARA = Come on, the witch is here. (herself)

PIERO = White Christmas.

MARA = White Christmas, Il Volo, and I take Michele away.
(White Christmas song begins)

Thanks guys, (applause), thanks, thanks. Happy New Year!

IGNAZIO = We want to thank you.

MARA = Thanks to you.

IGNAZIO = We wanted to congratulate you for the new year.

PIERO = We never had the opportunity to spend all this time together, you are really human !!

GIAN = Thanks for believing in us.

MARA = You gave me a great gift, guys.

IGNAZIO = And you gave us a great gift, because talking about each other, is not always easy.

GIAN = Best wishes to you too who are following us, hoping that it will be a 2022 of normality.

IGNAZIO = We wish you to collect all the most beautiful, unthinkable and imaginary fruits, because “nothing is impossible”.

MARA = And it’s true !!

GIAN = He is also international, him.

PIERO = Only optimism !!

MARA = Come on guys, but see you, you go around the world …

PIERO = See you in concert in Italy …

MARA = At the Arena ??

PIERO = In June at the Verona Arena and Taormina …

MARA = And so, see you in March. They go and then they come back: Il Volo !!!

I have no words after this beautiful interview, it was long, but not boring at all.

I believe that when our young men open their hearts, we only know of good feelings.

This is also what we like about them, their way of being, unites us and brings us closer and closer to their human side, they are not only excellent artists, there is much more.

What do you think?

Daniela

Credit to owners of all photos and video.

Article or Video Translations, General news

BEHIND THE SCENES by Daniela

October 14, 2021 pitterpat0 68 Comments

On Saturday 9 October, Il Volo was interviewed by Andrea Spinelli for Quotidiano Nazionale, in the beautiful Royal Palace of Monza, (near Milan), for the event – “Born again: Behind the Scenes, The Arts Beyond the Emergency” – dedicated to the difficulty of the total reopening after the Covid pandemic.

It’s a beautiful interview, very long with interesting questions and as many honest answers.

It will enrich you a lot to read what has been said.

Here is the video, and the translation.

SPINELLI = Good afternoon, welcome. Welcome to Il Volo, which we will now have here on stage.

With Il Volo we will talk about live music, the sector, at least economically, most damaged by this pandemic, and the one that, we never tire of saying, the first sector that closed, and probably the last that will reopen.

So I would invite Il Volo on stage. (applause)

PIERO = Hi

GIANLUCA = Good evening everyone.

PIERO = Andrea!

GIAN = That is, good afternoon.

SPINELLI = Welcome Piero, welcome Gianluca ….

GIAN = We’re not the only ones excited are we?

SPINELLI = No, no ….. Ignazio, welcome.

IGNAZIO = Thanks, hello.

PIERO = You must know that Andrea Spinelli, for us, is a particular journalist, because we are very fond of Andrea, and every time we do a press conference of a tour, of an album, we always ask for his presence, with the awareness that ……

IGNAZIO = He is the baddest.

PIERO = ….. with the most uncomfortable questions.
So today, for us, to accept this interview it’s really a big challenge, so Andrea, you have a lot of vent with us today!

SPINELLI = Thanks, but we will keep that for the presentation of the album on Morricone at the beginning of November.
Today we are talking about something related to concerts.

IGNAZIO = I can only ask one thing, if you can increase the audio in the microphone, on the stage, in the monitors, on the microphone of Andrea, because I don’t hear you.

SPINELLI = Can you hear me now?

IGNAZIO = Yes.

SPINELLI = Here.

IGNAZIO = Ok better, thanks.

SPINELLI = So, let’s start with a decade, which was to be celebrated in 2020, then 2020 + 1, 2020 + 2. How did you live it?

IGNAZIO = We are reaching 15 years. 😁

SPINELLI = That is?

IGNAZIO = Soon we are celebrating 15 years!
Well, there were two difficult years for everyone, here, more or less, we were was struck by something new to everyone.

Speaking of our sector, we have been at a standstill since 2020, since March 2020, we are not working, and we are more than happy to restart next year from America, which fortunately has started to reopen with full capacities.

So we will start in March 2022, (hesitant to say the year), I have lost the count of the years.

SPINELLI = March 18, 2022, Radio City Music Hall.

IGNAZIO = Yes, March 2022, we will start with a two-month tour of America at full capacity.

It is a fortune, but it is also something that makes us reflect: why in America yes, and in Italy, still today we are unable to have the confirmation of a 100% opening?

PIERO = More than anything else, today we have a great responsibility, because we try to represent all the artists.

Because today we read in the newspapers “100% theaters will open”, theaters, cinemas, but there is a lot of vagueness, because not all artists perform concerts in theaters.

There are artists who do concerts in clubs, there are artists who do concerts in stadiums, so in stadiums, how much percentage of the public can enter ??

We must regain the trust of the public, and give them the certainty of what they are buying, because today, a person is not sure to buy a ticket, because he does not know what he is buying.

In the sports halls nothing is known about the capacity yet. Yes, the theaters ok, for those who perform concerts in theaters, 100% capacity is fine, but there is still too much vagueness.

SPINELLI = Yes.
What does it mean to go on stage?
What is the meaning of music for you, of live music?

PIERO = I have read the biography of a great artist: Beniamino Gigli, a journalist asks him “What is music for him?” and his answer was:
“For me music is the fulfillment of a need, and at the same time, the maximum expression of our deepest joy”.

Today, reopening, returning to the stage, is not only an economic necessity, because many people clearly lack work, but it is a need, a need for those who make music, because they go on stage and sing, but also for those who listen.

I miss concerts, not as an artist, not as a singer, but as a spectator, I miss, going to a concert with friends, and clearly behind us (to those who perform concerts), behind the scenes ….. we have to thank whoever organized, (he refers to who organized this interview to talk about the people behind the scenes), thank you very much indeed it is a very nice event what you are doing …. behind the scenes there is a lot people, many people who do not work for us, but work with us, because behind a concert there is a team of many, many people and in recent months, we have clearly tried to turn on the spotlight for these people who are not seen, but they are human beings, many working families, and what are they doing today?

We must not hide, it is clear that an artist can survive two years without a job, if he has behaved well (if he has saved the money), but there are many people who work concert, for concert, and can only live if they work week by week, so it is no longer possible today not to give certainties.

SPINELLI = Well, I would like to ask you: “You give us an idea of how many people are following you on tour, who are working for you, on the square, because there is a world, behind you three.

IGNAZIO = It is difficult to count them.

For example, with us in March, from Italy, we will bring about ten people with us, even 15 people and in America there will be other people, so it is a group of people with a question mark. But I can tell you that behind a tour there are about 50 people, even 60 people, who work during the tour, before the tour, and in any case there are people who work even months before the tour, to prepare the production, the logistics. So the “behind the scenes” is a way of saying, because they move everything, and then allow us to go on stage on March 18th.

SPINELLI = Sure.
I put on my glasses because I would like to read some figures, because you reopened the road on June 5 with a great concert at the Verona Arena, and with live television with an amazing figure: 4 million 702 thousand spectators, with a very high share: 25 , 7%, and that means, to be clear, 1 million more than Amadeus did who won the next night (with another show), even better than the WIND (Seat Music Awards), so surely there was a lot of anticipation , for you, and perhaps also for this reopening.

What do you remember of the evening and what it meant in your year, to go back on stage and sing for a real audience, for an audience that was there in the stands.

GIAN = Yes Andrea, let’s say it was a breath of fresh air, we needed it, as Ignazio and Piero said before, as all of us who do concerts need it.

People were there in the Arena, happy to be able to return to the big events after a year and a half of practically silence.

Then on that occasion, we presented a very ambitious project, which is this tribute to the soundtracks of Ennio Morricone, which we will then take on tour from March.

It is clear that, after a year and a half, returning to the Verona Arena, live on RAI1, for us was a moment of great joy and in my opinion, one of the most beautiful concerts we have done, because it was really felt, there was the great thrill of looking the audience in the face, and finally being able to sing for all of them, after all this time.

This is the best thing for us.

SPINELLI = By the way, you have also won the “tyranny of capacity and curfew”.
You submitted a 55-page health protocol, but in the end you won. (Because that very evening for the Arena, the capacity was increased from 3000 to 5000 people and the curfew, moved beyond midnight to give way to who was at the concert to go home)

IGNAZIO = It was a tug-of-war between Salzano …

SPINELLI = Producer (of the concert)

IGNAZIO = Yes, it was a great tug-of-war, but we succeeded.
We often have many meetings with Ferdinando (Salzano) and the main topic is to give confidence to the citizen, because they are the ones who come to concerts, just as we go to other concerts and therefore we must have faith, we must start from something, we cannot always stay with the doubt “will everyone abide by the rules?” . We have to trust.

GIAN = It is clear that people are afraid, they are scared, as we said before, they do not have the certainty of entering a place, both outdoors and indoors, with various gatherings, even if there is a green pass (certification of the double dose of vaccine), and even with all the certainties, let’s call them that, it is a very delicate moment, but we must start again.

Now we have seen that the situation seems to have improved, it’s not like last year, so … let’s be confident.

IGNAZIO = Otherwise the solution could be, instead of writing Il Volo concert, let’s have a political meeting , so there are no problems …. no come on it was just a subtle controversy!

SPINELLI = Another thing, you have done 3 concerts around Europe this summer, I would like to ask you how you found each other, and the difference you found compared to the very, very strict regime that existed in Italy.

GIAN = I don’t know if you can say, but maybe Covid didn’t exist there, I don’t know, maybe it didn’t exist in those countries.

PIERO = We can be honest ….. we did two concerts in Croatia, and one in Bulgaria, and at the beginning we asked for restrictions, and the distance, but maybe it was the bull’s eye that didn’t show me .. ….. but there was no distance. (in fact in Italy there was a full place and an empty one, but, from them, all the places were full).

IGNAZIO = But there is a truth behind it, in those countries, unfortunately, the government does not pass the vaccine to everyone and the vaccine costs a lot of money and not everyone can afford it. This is the great and sad truth of those countries.

GIAN = The amazing thing is that it was a 5000 seat outdoor arena and all of them were ….

PIERO = The gates were opened 5 hours before the concert started, they had to have a proof of a negative nasal swab for COVID, those who did not have it, had a nasal swab at the time, so they found a solution, that’s the key, you have to find a solution, we must not stay there waiting in the vagueness of what to do, we must find a solution and I repeat, the news 100% of the theaters is not enough, and I say this on behalf of those who perform concerts in stadiums.

Why if I were to ask you now: did stadiums reopen them at 60-65%, (for sports competitions) and stadium concerts? Who can answer this question? And the concerts in the sports hall? Who responds to this?

SPINELLI = Reopenings have been indicated, certainly reopening for sport, they are valid for concerts up to a certain point, because clearly the context is different.

PIERO = But even in the outdoor arenas, we for next year in June, it is clear that our Italian tour will be around the summer-autumn of next year, however many of our colleagues have dates in February, January, March , and therefore they must know something.

We will perform concerts at the Ancient Theater of Taormina (in June 2022) and today with Salzano, he did not know how to give us an answer for the people, for how many people can come.

IGNAZIO = I would like to say something to make it clear to those who come to our concerts.

Many think “okay, you will get a little less but do the concerts”, but it is not really like that, because it is all a chain.

The chain consists of: ok the capacity, the cost of the ticket which varies from concert to concert, is given by the sum of production costs and logistics costs. Unfortunately, after Covid, we are realizing now that we are closing the budget for the tour in America, the costs have doubled. The price of the porterage cost that was after the concerts has doubled, so the costs have become double. If we fail to have a full capacity, even in the stadiums, the costs of the stadiums are unimaginable …

SPINELLI = Very tall …

IGNAZIO = If you can’t already make 100% capacity, it means that I have to increase the ticket to cover the costs, right? The problem is that the citizen, the boy, the girl, who comes to a concert, has to pay a ticket 150 euros, 200 euros (it refers to the cost of tickets for a stadium), how does he do it?

So it’s all a chain and that’s why we have to be able, in one way or another, to find a solution to reopen at concerts and not to make an artist earn, but to ensure that art, art that one person does, you get to more people. To make sure that the normality we had will gradually return, even if it will be difficult because it is all a process of trust. But for me, going to 100% can be the beginning of a return to normalcy and trust above all.

SPINELLI = Well, I’m starting from this, because yesterday on this stage it was said “normality?”, But we don’t want to go back to normality as it was before.

PIERO = Better than before.

SPINELLI = A normality in which we ran, we ran, sometimes without paying too much attention to the direction we were taking. How do you see this thing, what do you think?

PIERO = Objectively, this stoppage that took place allowed us …. we tried to look on the bright side, it was difficult, but we succeeded. We went to the recording studio and made an album, time allowed us to dedicate a lot of time to this, to make a fairly studied selection, in this case for Morricone’s album, so we had more time to work on the details, while before we could not. Before, it was too many concerts and too much work and little time to work on a project.

So when we say: “let’s go back as before”, we can’t wait to go back, but we will be back better than before, because the work has been much more painstaking, so give us the opportunity, just this.

SPINELLI = …. and about running ….

IGNAZIO = I let Piero run, he trains in the morning …. every morning he runs 10 km, I prefer to run in my dreams in the long prairies!

SPINELLI = Running, understood as doing many things ….

GIAN = That, don’t run as a run ….

IGNAZIO = I understood, I was joking !!!😁

GIAN = Ah

SPINELLI = All of you have been running for 12 years …

IGNAZIO = Exactly, we are a group, we are guys who run and we never stopped …

GIAN = …. flying …😁

IGNAZIO = Yes, we are guys who fly. Although, sometimes it took a break, we never took it. Calculate that we did the first 8 years in a row, we never stopped a month, to say, ok, we stop for ourselves. For 8 years we have never stopped. Running is good, it helps you to be active, but I think it is also important to stop. It is a little like Maestro Morricone used to say: “Silences are not a missing part of a music, of a composition, but they are that part that helps you, silence is music”, so it can also be stopping in life of each one, it can be that moment that makes you reflect on what you want from life, on the steps you are going to take, and I can tell you that this year and a half, personally, I do not speak as a group, personally it has served me a lot, as personal growth, how to get to know my family more, to be together with my origins, also made me understand how grateful I am to music, how good music does me, how much company it has made me in these two years. So stopping every now and then is good. We must not get used to stopping, but stopping is good.

SPINELLI = You have also become a producer, therefore, in short, you have also approached music from another side.

IGNAZIO = Yes, I’ve always liked it. Do you think that we, within the group, have our tasks, because if we all three did the same thing, three different ideas ….

SPINELLI = In fact, you are like POOH (another Italian group), everyone has their own role within the group, then maybe you explain them to us.

IGNAZIO = I personally prefer to take care of the studio part. Which means talking to the producers, the work that takes place inside the studio.

Gianluca is very grasped on the choices of the songs, on the ratings, on the intuitions of the songs and Piero does public relations, he is a born PR. (Piero laughs) He breaks the boxes guys, though ….

SPINELLI = I would like to ask another thing to the man of public relations, I would like to focus on your success which is an Italian success exported to the world. I am reminded of Madonna’s birthday (a couple of months ago) made in Salento (Puglia), and in the end they were all English, but she wanted AlBano (singer who presented the night of the Taranta), and AlBano told me that Madonna asked him to sing that Italian song “Caruso”, to understand what is the attachment that there is to our melody, also on the part of great international artists. Two days ago we were in connection from Berlin with the Maneskin (another italian group who won Eurovision this year) who said, obviously jokingly “our success is because we are beautiful, we are good and above all we are Italian”.

Here, how much is Italianness worth?

PIERO = We are aware that the results obtained, these long tours, are the result of patient work …. but our results are thanks to Italy, to the music we sing. We sing bel canto, the songs that are part of our culture.

When we go to America and sing the Nessun Dorma, O Sole Mio, but also Grande Amore, and we sing in Italian, people want to hear us sing in Italian, because already in America there are already those who do rock, rock was born in America, but bel canto was born in Italy, that’s why Italianness is the strength, it is our being, it is what we are, and when people hear Italy, but starting from music, fashion, food , Italy is the icing on the world, everyone dreams of coming to Italy, and we are aware that our strength is the music we sing, as it did in the past for maestro Luciano Pavarotti, as did Andrea Bocelli and continues to do, and we’re trying to follow that trail there.

GIAN = Then it is clear that it depends, we are talking about how Italianness is perceived abroad, because it is clear, if we talk about how Italians perceive Italianness, it is clear that it is different, because I who am, but all of us who are lovers of De Andrè, Guccini or Gaber (they are all Italian songwriters), surely, paradoxically AlBano is better known abroad than they who sing wonderful poems that have made the history of Italian music, is how we are perceived, at the certainly abroad. This is why Italianness is the melody, from this point of view, it is that, as Piero said, bel canto, this great strength that is appreciated by all.

SPINELLI = And that’s why it doesn’t exist, only RCMH on March 18th, but there are 29 more dates …

PIERO = Where?

SPINELLI = In America ….

PIERO = Yes, there are 30 dates in the U.S.

SPINELLI = Well, I mean, there are not only Italians who come, there it means that you have “taken” the American public, and this is the big difference with many other artists, who perform concerts abroad, but do not have the possibility to organize, to plan long and articulated tours like yours.

In Japan, it seems to me that you have something like 20 dates in play ….

IGNAZIO = We have often talked about this, we have also talked about it this morning and you know my thoughts well.

For me the Italianness, this word, is on a razor’s edge, on the one hand you fall from the chic (elegant) ….. sorry kich (tacky) and on the other you are cool, the Italianness famous all over the world .

Unfortunately, this obstacle is put up by people. I try to give you an example: if Italy wins the Europeans (football), we are all cool we are all proud, if Italy is “out” from the World Cup qualifiers, we have something to say.

I think that Italianness is something you feel, and I can tell you the truth, I discovered it when we participated in Eurovision. I have learned to love our flag, there hasn’t been a moment where I was more proud of being Italian, and I tell you sincerely.

The experience of Eurovision is a competition, and you are there to give prestige to your country, because in the end you are talking about Italy, you are representing Italy, and this Italianness is often mistaken for “pizza and mandolin” and singers who they sing Italian brigades, and there is nothing wrong, in the end, because if I think of all the greatest Italian immigrants in America, I feel like saying Dean Martin, I feel like saying Frank Sinatra, I feel like saying Perry Como, and Tony Bennet, so so be it !!

We are very fond of Italy and we will always be proud to sing the Italian repertoire, we will do it, now anyway with Morricone, we are proud to be Italian, because Morricone is an Italian and he is the greatest, and everyone knows him, in cinema he is a crazy thing. We also had the opportunity to meet at the film festival (Venice), Antonio Banderas, Tom Hanks passed by and when you talk about Morricone … and also recently we have collaborated with the maestro Storaro ….. they are names that: how do you don’t be proud of being Italian?

SPINELLI = Even to make you proud, to be Italian, just think of Eurovision, I still remember, arrived at the airport, in the taxi, while I was coming to the State Hall (Vienna 2015, Il Volo was in the race), the driver tells me:
“You are italian? “,
Yes,
“are you coming for Eurovision?”,
Yes,
“this year you win” (ie Il Volo), because it was clear that in any case, that was the feeling.
You collided with the prejudice of the juries (they gave low marks to Il Volo), which happened a little this year too, a little less than you, in fact we saw the result (the Maneskin won).

I mean this, the prejudice, there has always been, because in any case the winner creates some stomach ache, we have seen it in sport, we have seen it in music … the Maneskin win and take drugs (he refers to the fact that on the evening of the Maneskin victory, the foreign newspapers said they were addicted, the usual negative press), Jacobs wins and gets doped (Italian athlete first in the 100 meters Olympics and the press wrote that he was doped, always bad press ).

This also happened with you, when you went to America for the first time, if I’m not mistaken, everyone said: “Yes ok, this is the record, but then they won’t be able to keep that level”, and then you, on the other hand, during the various television broadcasts, you kept it.

IGNAZIO = Just a little thing, the answers are given with time and with facts, and we, as a group, have always tried to keep quiet about provocations and demonstrate, and we did it from the first Sanremo up to …. .before, from the beginning, then Sanremo and until today.

This is a thought that all three of us have, and thank you that we have this common thought, the desire to work, head down, and prove with facts. And then, frankly, when one is fine, with what he does and is satisfied, but we never stop, but we are satisfied, proud of what we are able to do together, the criticisms, people talk, but they will always talk, of everything.

PIERO = An artist, if he decides to do this profession, renounces his own “comfort zone” directly, so he puts himself on display and clearly, the others give an opinion.

Participation in Sanremo in 2015, we were a little doubtful, hesitant, and we have to thank Bruno Vespa, during a dinner he said: “Sorry guys, why do you have the doubt of participating in the Sanremo festival? You are not famous in Italy” … because we sang only abroad and in Italy everyone had forgotten our name …. “you have nothing to lose . If you finish last, you haven’t lost anything, you can only gain something. “ We are grateful to Bruno Vespa for his great advice.

SPINELLI = I would like to ask you something, if I can, if you like, could you give a hint to what you were doing in broadcasting in America, to show that in fact you were really harmonizers, people who knew what they were doing and those songs were truly made without artifice.

PIERO = Also because in America you can’t lip-sync, so you should know that in America, the “morning show” is fashionable, people wake up early in the morning, and the morning show is at 6 in the morning, the soundcheck at 5.30, you don’t wake up and go singing, you also have to warm up your voice. So my next door neighbor at 3.30am in New York, when I started vocalizing, 8 times out of 10, he would hit the wall saying “shut up, shut up” 😁😁😁 and I kept warming up my voice!

But in the morning shows, if you want to go back to your request, what do you want …..

IGNAZIO = What are you asking us? Sing or …..

SPINELLI = A harmony.

PIERO = Usually there are three of us. What is harmony? They may be wondering what harmony is ?? ….

GIAN = Everyone knows!

PIERO = Not everyone knows … (to the audience) do you know what harmony is?

IGNAZIO = When we are well together there is harmony.

PIERO = That’s right, that’s the one there. We have three voices, two tenors and a baritone. One makes the melodic line, the one everyone knows, the other makes the upper harmony and the other the lower one.

(turning to Ignazio and Gian) Can I make the melody ?? OK !

(Ignazio begins to sing the refrain of Il Mondo) ❤ (applause)

IGNAZIO = This isn’t just what we did on TV shows. I have memories, crazy images at the beginning, in the vans, which took us from the hotel to the television stations, in Germany, rather than in Holland. Do you remember? (he turns to Piero and Gian) we were doing the harmonies on Christmas songs, we were little ones and we were arguing “No, you have to do that, I have to do this” (he laughs), they are good memories.

PIERO = In 12 years, it’s amazing how our relationship has strengthened, day after day, you know, usually in groups, there are those who want to be the leader, those who want to be the first woman, in our group, this thing doesn’t exists.

As with any team, there is always a commander. We must say that our greatest fortune in life, the most beautiful, greatest thing my parents taught me, is to be grateful. We are grateful to a person who follows us from the first day we met, until a minute ago, at lunch, is our greatest advisor, our backbone. We often say this in interviews, but we will never stop thanking him, because he is the fourth member of Il Volo, he is the fourth artist and he is Michele Torpedine. (applause)

(Piero turns to Michele) I wanted to thank you in public, ….. we wanted, in the name of all three, to thank you in public.

IGNAZIO = Well, only he thanks you, not us, that is, let’s be clear …. (but then Piero corrected himself).

GIAN = I apologize if I speak little, but I have a headache that is breaking out. I apologize that maybe, I seem unpleasant, but I wanted to say it …..

IGNAZIO = It’s not like you look … we know … (he jokes)

GIAN = ….. I wanted to say this, because I don’t want to seem what I am not.

SPINELLI = No, Gianluca!

IGNAZIO = In fact, he first got out of tune, I don’t know if you noticed. (laughs)

SPINELLI = Another thing, in 10 years, thanks to this success, American success, you have met many people, here, I would like to ask you what were your encounters with extraordinary men that you have found along the way, famous and less famous. I would like a memory each.

IGNAZIO = I have an indelible memory, perhaps the greatest birthday present, I’ve ever had, and it was the first sound rehearsals with Barbra Streisand, when we toured with her. I want to tell you something, I don’t know if it can be told, but I always make a fool of myself, so I tell it.

When we were contacted to tour with her, we signed a contract, where we couldn’t look her in the eye, get too close, all these things here, these safety things.

In the end we didn’t respect anything, but not because we didn’t respect it, but it was she who didn’t respect it, she was the one who came up on stage and said: “Guys I cut my hair, you should too, cut a little here “, then we were talking about bra straps, do you understand? We talked about a lot of things, it’s incredible how, we so young, we knew by name Barbra Streisand, but in that period we documented ourselves on everything she did, as an actress, as a singer, as a director, we informed ourselves, we “discovered” her.

Touring with her, knowing who she was, who she is, and who she will be, because she will remain in history, you look at her differently on stage, and it is something that will always remain in our hearts, in our minds, all performances, all the time spent together, the rehearsals, the concerts, her saying “shut your mouth”, when maybe we were doing a high pitch, (he refers to their phrase during the tour), are things that I personally will not forget.

GIAN = But then we were little, and then we went through the most delicate period which is adolescence, the period of youth bewilderment, of kids who may not know what role they will play in life or what they will do. We recognized this vocation, which is the passion for singing that made us feel good. The support of our parents, who have always encouraged us to pursue this goal, which then came naturally, that of singing, because it made us feel good.
And then the luck of having met on a television program, in the same year, in the same edition, and then a series of lucky events, which then led us to reach these goals, with a great team, as Piero said, and therefore we are also privileged because we take nothing for granted, and this great privilege, as I said, is this of bringing this great musical cultural heritage that is bel canto, following in the footsteps of great idols like Andrea Bocelli, like Mario Lanza, that it all began at the time of del Monaco, it is a music that can certainly be said, an eternal music, and now we demonstrate, with this project with the music of Morricone, that we may pass from O Sole Mio, to the first sung version of The Ecstasy of Gold, with the music of The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, so this is also an artistic upgrade, which we try to have every time, project after project. And so we work hard for that too.

IGNAZIO = Beautiful …… but the question was: “Who is left to you ……”😁

GIAN = Yes, I wanted to get there ….

SPINELLI = (answering to Ignazio) I would have done it again later (the question)

GIAN = …… I also wanted to connect to your speech, which is also nice that we have this great relationship, and we have this passion in common …..

IGNAZIO = This was the preface ….😁

GIAN = One of my best experiences, I can say that is the one where I celebrated my 16th birthday with Paul Anka and we sang together “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” in Los Angeles, you realize, with the great Paul Anka, we were there in a restaurant in Los Angeles, who was friends with Michele and the whole team from the first album, so we were sixteen, we were little, actually I didn’t even know who he was, (Paul Anka), then oh well, they explained to me …. (laughter) …. but today I can tell you it was Paul Anka!

SPINELLI = Damn!

GIAN = And then, a memorable thing, when we were all three, we were singing in Panama, I get up, because at a certain point we were having lunch with the Pope: “Can we take a selfie like young people do?”, And the Pope : “Sure, yes yes, with pleasure, let’s take a selfie” (Gian imitates the voice of Pope Francis). So we can say that we also took a selfie with the Pope two years ago.

IGNAZIO = But I did the worst one, actually I should be ashamed, I called Woody Allen a saxophonist (laughter).

GIAN = This happens, you understand (addressed to the audience), when you pick up three children from school desks and put them on the other side of the world, rightly, from Marsala you ask yourself: “Who is Woody Allen?”

IGNAZIO = But wait, a sensational gaffe, but I didn’t tell him, I asked: “Is that the saxophonist?”, but no, but he plays the clarinet very well …

GIAN = No, the sax, so you got confused …

IGNAZIO = So I wasn’t very wrong.

SPINELLI = Now I ask the question to him (to Piero), but first about gaffe (he turns to Gianluca), “kid don’t worry …..”

GIAN = Ah, yes, that’s nice, because in 2011, we were working on the first record, and there was also a Morricone medley, made by Once Upon a Time in America and Malena, the medley is called “E più ti penso”.

We had to sing in Piazza del Popolo (Rome), with the Sinfonietta, the great orchestra of Maestro Morricone, there were rehearsals the day before and we arrive at this hotel, in this giant room, there were all the orchestra elements , with maestro Morricone who welcomes us.

You, imagine, we sixteen, fifteen, we arrive, with short legs, which then remained so ….

IGNAZIO = I’ve never had short legs! 😁

GIAN = ….. mine, I talk about me, not about you (laughs) at some point we arrive, the song starts with a note mmmmm, the double basses, and I was supposed to start “and the more I think of you .. . “and I don’t start, so the teacher does this, he gives the attack to the orchestra and I don’t start. I look at it and say “Ah, but you give me the attack?” (laughs). The first violin like this (imitates the surprised face). He (Morricone) turns and says: “Don’t worry kid, I’ll take care of it, I’ll give you the attack”.

This will remain in the annals …..

PIERO = If this is the effect that his headache has on him ….. I hope you have a headache every day.

GIAN = I have recovered, I have recovered, just take a look.

PIERO = I have two memories.

IGNAZIO = The first is Barbara D’Urso !! (Italian presenter)

PIERO = No, the first memory is in 2010 We Are The Word for Haiti, after 25 years they remake Michael Jackson’s We Are The Word, produced by Quincy Jones and Lionel Ritchie.
They chose many artists, including Barbra Streisand, Celin Dion, there were all, and as Italians, only us in the midst of the choir.

It was nice that day, because we found ourselves with many artists, you consider that we started from three small towns, two Sicilians and one from Abruzzo, catapulted in front of Quincy Jones ….. we had Barbara Vitali, where is (and points to her in the room) she is, I don’t know, who you are to us ….

IGNAZIO = Shadow.

PIERO = … has been with us for 12 years ….

GIAN = She is our shadow.

PIERO = She is with us every day.
Have you seen “The Devil Wears Prada” (film), when the manager walks alongside and points, this does what … she (Barbara Vitali) does this to us, she did this, because today, perhaps, we learned a little bit. However that day she pointed out to us: “That’s Barbra Streisand, that’s Quincy Jones, that Lionel Ritchie,” … and so on.

The second memory, the experience, for me, was the collaboration with Maestro Placido Domingo, in 2016.

SPINELLI = In Florence.

PIERO = (nods) The fact that he agreed to direct the orchestra on stage, and duet with us, was a great gesture, a gesture of trust on the part of Maestro Plácido Domingo and the beautiful relationship that was born with all his family.

And I, that project, I link it to a great meeting, which I had in my life, meeting with a great person that we will all carry (he puts his hand on his heart), who has a comfortable place in our heart. (applause).

SPINELLI = Question: How do you see yourself in 10 years.

IGNAZIO = Gianluca certainly hopes to see himself taller. I thinner…

GIAN = No, oh well !!
However, as we said before, we are three simple guys, from this point of view, we also try to give an example of responsible people, who have a certain lifestyle, who love what they do, are 100% dedicated to work, that have goals.

It is clear that today the “bad boys” has more effect, it comes more immediately, let’s say.

Many young people, even our age, get lost, because they do not give priority to study and many other things, but they give priority to easy things, which do not require sacrifices.

IGNAZIO = Or they are satisfied with the “citizenship income”, unfortunately.

GIAN = We want to give this example of guys who, thanks to perseverance and great ambition, we were able to obtain ….. also thanks to our team and especially to the family, to have the support of a large family, we are happy with education that they have given us, since we were little, and we always try to give this great example, of responsibility, of humility, we hope to be, and even in 10 years, we want to try to remain what we are, what we were also from children, and to always reach the goals and to always carry the name of our music, through our voices, our culture.

SPINELLI = We are in the pipeline, I would like to ask you another question: “Would you have sung in Sanremo without an audience, like the one celebrated in March?”

PIERO = This year, the fact that we were hosted in Sanremo was particular, unpublished to all of us, but I want to say one important thing, this year we sang in Sanremo without an audience….

SPINELLI = Singing yes, but being in the race is another thing ….

PIERO = But it’s the same thing ….

GIAN = There is the awareness of millions of home viewers …..

PIERO = In the events, it is clear that the public makes the difference, it gives you more energy, there is more adrenaline, but it was not lacking, and this year I must tell you that, it was a Sanremo without an audience, but it made us understand how strong Ignazio is, because this year was a special year for him, and he stayed on stage with us singing, despite the great loss…

GIAN = The audience was there, there was a special person who was there with us that evening.

PIERO = And this does us, does you (looks at Ignazio), great honor. (appaluse) ❤

SPINELLI = This is professionalism, this is a reason to be on stage to honor it, in any situation, even the most difficult.

IGNAZIO = If I can afford to say one thing. Often … we think about the people we no longer have, and unfortunately one thing, when it happens, you cannot control it, but I have learned in recent months that it is better not to have a person physically and feel them, than to have them and not feel them. Sure it will always be missing, but I feel it every day, it is with me every day and so, that’s okay. ❤

PIERO = To conclude, we thank you for having turned on the spotlight again for those who work in the field of entertainment, on behalf of all our colleagues.

We hope that everything will be resolved soon. Thanks.

SPINELLI = Thanks to Il Volo, thanks. (applause)

And finally, Il Volo has released this little video-clip from IL GIORNO.

And here is the translation:

PIERO = We read in the news, 100% open.

It seems that the world is back to the way it was before and instead it is not, because not everyone sings in theaters. We are here today to represent our colleagues, all the artists who perform concerts in stadiums, in sports halls, in clubs.

So we seek and demand a clearer answer.

IGNAZIO = We can’t wait to try again that emotion that only some spaces can give, and to finally return to being able to have fun, to be able to spend a carefree evening, without problems, without work.

GIAN = But we are confident optimists by nature.
Clear that the situation is improving and we are realizing it.

IGNAZIO = But, I’m a bit more controversial. We hope to have some answers as soon as possible, not only for us, but also on behalf of all the people who work alongside us and behind us.

PIERO = And also for the people who buy tickets, because we have to regain people’s trust, give certainty to what they are buying.

After such a long but articulated interview, where very beautiful things and very profound concepts were expressed, what can I say ….. I have the impression that journalists have understood that, when they want to have interesting interlocutors, never banal , deep and sincere, if they call Il Volo, they know they will get all this.

Gianluca, Ignazio, Piero, I am deeply proud to be a fan of yours, not only from an artistic point of view, but also from a human one.

Thank you for being who you are!

Daniela

And now, to finish, this beautiful video. ❤️

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10 Year Anniversary, Tour News

IL VOLO WORLD TOUR: RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL by Daniela

February 9, 2020 pitterpat0 28 Comments

The fifth stage of the Il Volo World Tour was certainly the most coveted stage for Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero.

How much emotion in remembering the first time these guys had hoped one day to be able to perform in THIS theater, and now it is their third time, and it is sold out!

Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca, very excited and beautiful and elegant in their velvet jackets.

Watch these beautiful videos taken by Nanktat whom we thank very much.

PEOPLE

SMILE

MAMMA

‘O SURDATO ‘NNAMORATO

TONIGHT

SHE’S ALWAYS A WOMAN

LOVE STORY

LIBIAM NE LIETI CALICI

O SOLE MIO

VOLARE

GRANDE AMORE

Nice photos, thanks to Deborah Georgini Beaupre. 😘

(Please click on each photo below to view at a larger size.)

In the audience present, in addition to our many friends, there was also Placido Domingo with the family, Gianluca himself announced his presence. 😊

Master Grani with Placido Domingo. 😊

At the concert there were also three friends: Deborah Georgini Beaupre, Jeannette Giglio and RoseMarie Paliobeis, beautiful in this photo together.😘

And here are some photos of our friends at the Meet & Greet:

Jeannette and Deborah

Judy Thurman

RoseMarie Paliobeis holding in his hands a sheet that says “HI , PIERO, IGNAZIO AND GIANLUCA, I AM ROSE MARIE FROM CLEVELAND OHIO MEMBER OF IL VOLO FLIGHT CREW”, how sweet you are RoseMarie! ❤️

And here is the RoseMarie review:

We went to the sound check. We were only 30. The boys came down from the stage to greet, shake hands and Gianluca hugged. We stayed and waited for the show. It lasted two hours and they sang all the old songs. None new. But nice!

And here the beautiful review of Elisa Marie, grazie mille!!

Hi Everyone!

I just attended the February 6th Il Volo sold-out Show at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. I love you Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero–you put on an awesome. wonderful, magnificent concert, with great songs, tremendous strong voices, humorous moments that I found myself jumping up and down from my seat to applaud you after every single song. The ending — Grande Amore was so thrilling. You related to us so well –when you said “We love you New York” I hope you heard us scream out that we love you back –a million times over, Please come back to New York as soon as you can.

All my love and appreciation–IL VOLO FOREVER!!

Elisa Marie from Warwick, NY

Even RCMH has passed.

After a long wait, everything ends in a few hours.

A great event and another nice concert.

The road is still long, Atlantic City next stop!