After the beautiful Christmas performance of Il Volo in St. Peter’s Square, I followed with interest the various comments under the video published on YouTube by RAI.
Among the many compliments and some (but very few) comments of Italians who said that the boys are obnoxious and arrogant, I noticed a nice comment made by an Italian man Christian Panico, who I discovered to be an Italian singer with a tenor voice.
His comment went something like this:
“I don’t understand this aversion to Il Volo, they are good and I personally met Ignazio Boschetto, a nice guy, good and very helpful.”
I got very curious, it’s really rare here in Italy that other tenor voices compliment our guys, so I looked for other news on his Facebook page and here’s what I found.
Really many, many compliments Christian Panico, you have a beautiful voice . . . very beautiful your performance of Grande Amore!
This beautiful video is accompanied by these words from Christian: “The Italian bel canto in the world, the new generation that goes on and represents us. Three clean faces, three good guys, I like this thing! Well done, you deserve your success! Here is my little gift for you.”
Double honor to you Christian, who sincerely recognize the success and merit of these guys.
I read that you too have a story similar to theirs, you have a beautiful voice that deserves success, but you had to leave Italy to have it. You are known and successful in eastern Europe, but I admit that I, here in Italy, had never heard of you.
On Christian’s page, there is also a photo of the meeting with Ignazio.
And this is his comment on the photo!
“Curious about life! You are leaving for Iceland and who do you meet at the airport bar while we ask for a vegan croissant together? Ignazio Boschetto from Il Volo. Is he vegan too? He too is a tenor … He is also very nice and a very simple and humble person. He has all my respect for this, very helpful, we had a quick chat, they went to do a concert, I instead spent 12 days in Iceland, before resuming work on my recording project.”
Then I found this beautiful video.
Listen to the beautiful voice of Christian Panico in this beautiful “cover” of THE SOUND OF SILENCE, translated into Italian IL SUONO DEL SILENZIO.
And therefore, I decided to contact Christian Panico and asked him if he wanted to answer some of my questions. He was extremely kind and immediately accepted.
So here’s his little interview:
1) I know you accidentally met Ignazio at the airport. Did you already know him or was it your first meeting?
Hello! I did not know him and I have to thank my mother who recognized him even though he had a mask … We were in the airport and it was the first time I met him.
2) Did you also meet Piero and Gianluca?
Unfortunately no. Ignazio was on his way to them but I don’t like being intrusive even though I admit I would have liked to have a chat with them.
3) You wrote that Ignazio was immediately nice and helpful. What do you think about the fact that these guys are often accused of being obnoxious and arrogant, thanks to what our journalists have always written?
I only met Ignazio and seemed to be talking to a friend, very helpful and nice, a really nice surprise. In short, Il Volo are now among the most famous Italian singers in the world and could certainly be “full of themselves.” (But Ilvolovers know they are not!)
The journalists? I don’t know what to tell you … In no uncertain terms, maybe those who speak badly do it because they don’t take money, like those who speak well of those who make music, which I wouldn’t dare call music, like Trap, and the like. There are also those who write well about that stuff, so anything is possible!
4) As a vocal coach, do you think Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca have had vocal study commitments during these years? What do you think of their vocal background?
I am sure that they have taken lessons over the years. There is a vocal growth that is not just their own thing. I would be surprised to be proved wrong, but anything can be … Even Bocelli himself confessed to me in one of our meetings that he had studied and continues to study even now.
I don’t want to hurt others, but I think Ignazio is the most vocally gifted. I think Piero studies a lot and there have been significant improvements and that Gianluca has a very beautiful timbre, a beautiful voice quality.
5) Have you heard about the next project dedicated to “Morricone”, what do you think?
No, I didn’t know anything about it. In my interpretations, too, I paid homage to the teacher with a piece that is very close to my heart (I was also moved while I was singing it). Morricone’s disappearance was a great loss.
6)Would you give vocal coach lessons to Il Volo or have you already given them? In case, how did you find yourself?
They will certainly have more qualified and talented teachers than me, even if I have taught professional tenors from Japan to Russia, a country where I have achieved some success as a singer. I would love to sing with them, but also among us, for to have some fun, who knows … Never say never!
7) You have a beautiful voice and undisputed vocal skills, as well as heart, you also have a strong technique due to study, which today is rarely found in most young singers, yet radio and TV spur relentlessly to follow these singers often out of breath, what do you think about this?
They are killing the music! That’s all … Probably, those who decide and move the gears of the music world and beyond, want us stupid! There are no other explanations. Being a singer is a profession and as such must be taken seriously, you must be prepared and do it by professionals and not improvised.
Instead, now there is the fashion to see success, people with no art or part, as if they wanted us to understand that to become famous (and not singers, which is very different) you don’t need to be a good singer or have studied. I do not think that in 30 years we will listen to the music these gentlemen produce, on the contrary I am sure that we will listen to the great hits of thirty years ago, which we still listen to today. You draw the conclusions.
8) Il Volo had its first real successes abroad and then, consequently, managed to establish itself in Italy as well. You too have had a similar approach, you have been successful in Russia and in Eastern Europe and despite your skill you have often been hindered here in Italy. Why does Italy struggle so hard to recognize deserving people?
Il Volo had the opportunity to get off to a good start here in Italy with a television program that gave it visibility. I too was one of the singers of the great Paolo Limiti (a good songwriter and host of Italian music programs), whom I remember with great affection, a great professional.
I missed the period after the debut …… Il Volo had the TOP in Italy as management. I have not had the same luck, perhaps that is the missing piece for me in Italy. Italy is not a meritocratic country and honestly I have not understood how the music world works in Italy either. If I hadn’t been a good singer I wouldn’t have been successful in Russia or I wouldn’t have had 10,000,000 views with my Italian HALLELUJAH on Facebook. I am very sorry not to be able to break through here in Italy, in my country. I had to be born in another era.😑
9) What do you think of the current Italian music scene?
One word DRAMATIC!
Except for rare cases. The thing that leaves me speechless is to see that not even the Big of music, are no longer able to pull off real hits, as they did in the past.
We are experiencing the musical Middle Ages, as a historical period.
10) What do you think of talent shows?
Maybe I’m the cause of this situation ????
I think they are not meritocrats like those of other countries and I assure you that there are people who are very deserving talents. Indescribable talents … Back from Russia, I also tried to audition for some reality shows and you think that I didn’t even pass the first audition! I remember in particular one for XFactor and I want to tell you about it. I went from Rome to Milan to participate in the selection. They let me into one of the many small rooms and there was a 20 year old boy there, alone, without a microphone and he asked me to sing 60 seconds of a song, guess which one? “Grande Amore” by Il Volo.
After singing, he gives me many compliments and then tells me: “But they don’t take you anyway.”
Surprised, I asked him why and he replied: “Because we are looking for something different. Even today I don’t understand what this ‘different’ is.
This year I auditioned for ‘All Together Now’ and this time after four auditions, I arrived in the top 28 but in the end Ricci(program author), told me that I was good, nice but they were looking for “other” and he put me as a backup. Unfortunately for me it is fortunately for the competitors, no one retired. 😑
Mine is a very difficult job, but I love it, I love to sing, it is the truest expression of my soul. I am naked at that moment and I will never betray the music, which has given me so much. This is why I sing, if I am successful, I will be happy but only because more people can listen to me and because I will have the opportunity to do many beautiful things!
Greetings to all and ‘Hurray Il Volo’ , you are the Italian pride, keep it up!”
And since Christian Panico mentioned his Italian version of “HALLELUJAH” in his answers, I propose you listen to it, you will not regret it!
Grazie Mille Christian, it was nice to be able to interview you.
It was a real pleasure meeting you, you are a good artist as well as a good person, you have talent, you have technique, you deserve great success and we wish you so with all our heart.
Daniela
For those wishing to get to know Christian Panico better, here are his links:
An evening like so many, I scroll the television programs, and find nothing interesting.
Some images capture my interest, they are on RAI 5 and the images concern Sicily.
I stop to look at this beautiful island that I had the pleasure of visiting, far and wide, last year.
It is a beautiful program that combines images with beautiful verses of poets who have described these beauties.
At a certain point it speaks of Taormina and of the beautiful Greek Theater, and while an “off camera” voice describes the theater, in the background a music that I recognize well : UN AMORE COSÌ GRANDE, performed by IL VOLO.
With amazement I’m even more interested in it, it’s a cultural program and who thought that IL VOLO was suitable to decant its beauty.
I did not expect this surprise.
Daniela Ci, was able to reproduce the video of the moment in which there are our boys.
Look at it, it’s worth it.
I translate the background words, because they are really beautiful.
GUY DE MAUPASSANT 1883
The theater of Taormina is so wonderfully situated, that there is certainly no other comparable point in the world.
Where are the people who could do such things?
Where are the men capable of building, for the fun of the crowds, buildings like this?
Those men, those of the past, had a soul and eyes, which did not resemble our own.
In their veins, with blood, flowed, something that disappeared: love and admiration for beauty.
J.W.GOETHE Trip in Italy 1787
Beyond the high rock wall that rises to peak, not far from the beach, there are two rocks, connected by a semicircle, whose shape, whatever it was by nature, has been transformed by art, so as to make it a hemicycle amphitheater for spectators.
At the foot and transversely to the stepped hemicycle, the scene was built, joining the two rocks and thus completing a gigantic work of art and nature.
If we place ourselves at the highest point, occupied by the ancient spectators, we must recognize that never, probably, a theater audience will see something similar.
I had the chills, looking at those images, listening to those beautiful and appropriate words of the ancient poets and listening to the sweetness of our guys’ song ……. and you?
the interview IL VOLO Porta a Porta 2014 translated by Madeline Bugeja. From 23.20 to26.20
Part 4 is the feature about IL VOLO.
Nadia starts off the feature by saying, that it is 2009, and Ignazio Boschetto, Piero Barone and Gianluca Ginoble, perform for the first time as individual singers, on the talent show Ti Lascio Una Canzone hosted by Antonella Clerici, which then saw them perform as a trio, and that was the start of this fairytale, Italy falls in love with the three young tenors (TRE TENORINI) the three teen phenomenon, but beware if you still call them that (TENORINI) They are now IL VOLO, they have gone beyond our shores, and they have reached an incredible success over the ocean, thanks to Mr QUANDO QUANDO, Tony Renis they landed in America, and they become the first Italian singers in history to sign a contract with a major Americanrecord company.
They also were the first Italians to perform in the mega concert WE ARE THEWORLD for Haiti, along with all the great American stars, and personally invited by Quincy Jones, singing side by side with artist like Celine Dion, and others. IL VOLO bewitched and convinced even those hard to convince, they arrived at SanRemo, as super quests, and in the United States they are given standing ovations, they are hosted on all the great American shows, the likes of Good Morning America. Their 2011 tour turned out to be a huge success, and they worked on their second album, which has duets with Placido Domingo, and Eros Ramazotti. For the three, it is a dream come true, divided by music and international events, from the Christmas tree lightning in America to as far as Oslo, for the Noble evening there, and even here, at Porta a Porta, they managed to have success, where they had the second largest amount of viewers, next only to a popular politician in Italy, Bepe Grillo.
2014 opened up for them, by them being awarded the Billboard award in Miami, and by them performing at the Arena Di Verona, while their summer tour touched sixteen cities in America, they also confirmed an Italian tour, and it looks that the three will not stop here and that is for sure, because in the drawer they have, a tour in the east, and we will see a virtual duet with Elvis, on the stars 80th birthday, that will see IL VOLO, as the only Italian performers in the event, and as for vacations, well it seems they do not spend too much thinking of them.
END OF PART 4
Part 5 of the interview IL VOLO Porta a Porta 2014 from26.21 to 31.05
We hear the door bell, and we see Michelle behind the door, Bruno welcomed him, saying that he was their manager, and also a record producer, and here Bruno asked the boys, “ If I am your uncle, then what is he? A great uncle, Piero said. Michelle here said that he has been dreaming for twenty years, to enter from the door he had just entered from, Michelle said, that now he felt fulfilled and very happy this evening.
Ignazio here explained that with two of them coming from Sicilian families, they are used to having lots of aunts and uncles, as well as cousins. Bruno here said, that now was the time for someone to pay a debit, and he said “Ignazio” And Ignazio said “ Yes, well he” referring to Michelle here, Ignazio said that Michelle was an ex drummer, other than being a manager, Michelle here said, he knew he would bring that up, Ignazio continued to say that Michelle did songs with Gino Paoli, a famous Italian singer, and also with Orietta Berti, also a much loved singer in Italy, Piero, here said, that Michelle was the first on tour with Paoli, and with the Italian female singer Ornella Vanoni, and he played the drums, when Orietta Berti sang this song, so it is your turn again to hit the drums, Piero said to Michelle, we see a surprised Michelle stand up, saying but those were other times, and told the boys that they would pay for this, (LOL, terrible times ahead for our naughty boys) Ignazio said, that he would get ready, and Bruno told Michelle that it was just like riding a bicycle, one may not ride it often, but one never forget how to ride it, Bruno told him, to keep cool, and try. And Ignazio asked Michelle if he was ready, and we hear Ignazio singing this Beautiful Italian song, Quando l amore diventa poesia! When love become poem.
Translation of the lyrics of this song, by Madeline Bugeja.
WHEN LOVE BECOMES A POEM I SING, AND MY LOVE FOR YOU THIS EVENING BECOMES A POEM MY VOICE WILL BE A NOSTALGIC TEAR I WILL NEVER ASK YOU, WHY YOU WENT AWAY FROM ME FOR ME, ALL THAT YOU DO IS RIGHT I LOVE YOU, AND I WANT TO SHOUT IT BUT THIS EVENING I CANNOT EVEN BRING MYSELF TO SPEAK BECAUSE I WOULD BREAK DOWN AND CRY I SING AND THE SADNESS THAT IS IN ME THIS EVENING BECOMES A MELODY I STILL CRY FOR YOU EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOW MADNESS TO DO SO I WOULD NOT ASK YOU WHY YOU ARE NO LONGER MINE FOR ME EVERYTHING YOU DO IS RIGHT BUT THE VOICE OF THE SOUL SPEAKS softly YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, AND I WANT TO SHOUT IT BUT THIS EVENING I CANNOT EVEN SPEAK BECAUSE I WOULD BREAK DOWN AND CRY I LOVE YOU OH! OH!
End of part 5
Part 6 of the interview IL VOLO at Porta a Porta 2014, From 31.05 to 38.50.
After we heard Ignazio sing, Bruno said , IGNAZIO BOSCHETTO AND MICHELLE TORPEDINE ON THE DRUMS! Michelle seems to have enjoyed playing, from the smile on his face, but he still made a gesture with his finger, that he would deal with Ignazio later, Bruno went over to Michelle and hugged him, congratulating him, while saying that in his opinion Michelle enjoyed that. We see Michelle hugging Ignazio.
Bruno asked Michelle what type of character were the boys? Which of them is more capricious, and has it all gone to their head that not one, but ? Michelle said that you can never know when they are going to come up with a prank also, it can happen anywhere, but they are BRAVISSIMI (very talented) Bruno here told them to always be humble, like Pavarotti always was, and Michelle said that not one in particular is capricious, but all three, because they have ideas, Michelle said, artistically speaking, they know what they want, what results to obtain, they are still young, but they all have very mature minds.
Bruno asked Michelle about future projects, and Michelle said that they had several, because they had just changed the recording company, and Michelle said that they now have a new family, and we thing that they are more close to our project, that we have now, he said that they are counting on doing a world tour, of fifty three countries, it is big project, and now they will be off to Russia, Bruno said, fifty three projects, fifty three countries, but how does that feel? Bruno asked the boys, Ignazio answered and said, that it was not easy, and Bruno told Ignazio that he has to learn Chinese, and Ignazio said “I am Ignazio” in Chinese, Ignazio said that they picked a few words, here and there, when they were promoting in Asia, but a bit of Chinese I know already, said Ignazio proudly.
Bruno said that they were going to see some clips of the duets they had, and after the clips Bruno asked the boys what kind of character did Barbara Streisand have? What type of person was she? Was she the type who after singing, says “ SEE YOU AND THANKS” ? or was there something more? Piero answered and said, that they did twelve concerts with her, and she is a living legend, she gives out a different image, but she was just like an aunt, just like all the great stars, she is humble, very reachable, but the thing is, when she arrives the air changes, you feel it in the air, that there is something different, when she speaks, it is as if an angel opened it’s mouth Piero said, with emotion in his beautiful voice.
Bruno remarked that even a macho man like Ignazio, looks emotional, Ignazio here said, that he may look macho, but he is a softie in real life, unfortunately, concluded Ignazio, Bruno here said that Ignazio had a fragile heart, to which Ignazio replied, that not a fragile heart no. Bruno asked Ignazio, how many times did he fall in love, to which Ignazio asked WHAT! (And here please stop the video for a minute, and feast your eyes at the cute expression on his face) (OK, no problem-Marie) Bruno again pressed Ignazio, and asked him, How many times did you fall in love? I think it was Michelle, who said that it was Ignazio that fell in love the most, here Ignazio tried to avoid the question thrown at him again, by saying that the tour with Barbara, went very well, and we hear Michelle laughing, which makes me think that this man knows something we don’t, and Bruno made the question to Ignazio again, and Ignazio gave in, and answered that he fell in love only once in his life so far, Ignazio said that he does not get carried away fast, Gian said he does, and Ignazio confirmed, Piero here said, that for sure he was the one that would marry first, and Ignazio said in that in Sicily they say that one gets engaged, he said it in Sicilian, and Gian tried to pronounce that, Ignazio told him, that he would master that, when Gian will be born again a Sicilian.
Ignazio here said, that Piero was engaged, or going steady, and Piero and Michelle here told Ignazio not to say the girl’s name on TV, to which Ignazio said “ oh goodness no, that is private” Ignazio continued to say, that Piero was engaged and we returned home, Monday, on Thursday, Ignazio said, he met Piero, and Ignazio asked Piero how was everything, and Piero told him, ‘We broke up” Piero here explained, that with their life the way it is, that is the life they lead, makes everything more complicated, Piero said, because Piero said, turning to look at Michelle, Michelle here keeps us always on the move, said Piero making a face, here Ignazio said that Piero should tell Michelle to always keep them on the move, Ignazio joked business wise it makes sense Ignazio.
PIERO’S CONFESSION!
Piero confessed, that he was in love with a girl, and that maybe he still is, but he said that this was a period, where there were always many things to think about, and here Gianluca warned Piero, to be careful because she might be watching and listening, and Piero bravely told Gianluca that he knows that, Bruno told Piero that he can imagine this girl with tears running down her face, knowing he was talking about her, and here funny Ignazio broke the moment by saying “ Here Maria De Filippi should show up” and that made everyone burst into laughter, because Maria De Filippi is a host of a show that brings couples back together, Bruno here told Piero if he understood what he just said, that is that Piero said, that maybe he is still in love with this girl, and that Michelle keeps them too busy, for him to be in one place, Piero said it is not Michelle’s fault, Piero here said, that he thinks he is still in love with this girl, because he saw her again, and Piero said, “ I know that maybe I still love her, because when I saw her my stomach closed up” ( Piero is so sweet,) Bruno said, that Piero’s stomach will soon open again when he sings this song, that Placido sang.
Bruno told the boys that they were not born in 1990 when Placido did this, Ignazio said that he was born four years later, Bruno here said that it was a memorable evening, and during the world cup that at Caracalla, where the three tenors where performing that Placido sang this song. We see and hear Piero singing this beautiful song.
END OF PART 6
