A number of readers have been asking Daniela for a translation of Il Volo’s appearance on “Carpool Karaoke,” with Jake La Furia. It aired on Italian TV in April 2017, and was posted on the Flight Crew page on June 1, 2017. This translation is yet another episode in the continuing saga of “Looking Back at Il Volo,” that Daniela started this year, to keep us entertained while we wait for the guys to return to world touring.
The Italian Carpool Karaoke is a goofy reality TV show where celebrities get in Jake La Furia’s yellow taxi and have an opportunity to be funny and spontaneous as La Furia drives them around Rome. Of course, i nostri ragazzi (our guys) are masters of the art of funny and spontaneous, as we all know.
Some parts of the episode do not need translation. You just have to watch the antics, and you’ll double over laughing. Ignazio, sempre lo spiritoso, (always the funny man), is especially delightful and in his element here. That must be why they sat him in the front passenger seat (after a fight, of course).
If you want, the link to follow along is:
I’ll start the translation from where La Furia picks up the guys somewhere along Il Lungotevere. You can tell they had pre-planned that when Jake picks them up to start the show, a certain two of them would start arguing like Sicilians.
Some of the early puns about their name don’t translate fully to English, but everything else is hilariously self-explanatory. Also, as Italians typically do, Jake and the guys often talk on top of each other, so you can’t hear every wisecrack.
So here we go!
Jake: (To himself as he pulls up). “Yes, I really know Rome.” Then he sees there are three passengers waiting on the curb waiting to get in.
Piero: “I’ll sit in the front.”
Igna: “No, I’m going to.”
Piero: “No, I’ll sit in the front.”
Lots of scuffling as they fight over the front door: “Let go” “Let me in” “Stop arguing.” “All of you get in, already.” “Stay the way you are.” (Igna in front).
Jake: “So, when I saw I was going to have an episode of the tenors with me in transit (al volo). . .”
Piero: “That’s the same joke they make in the airport Who do you have on this flight (on “il volo”)? (Il Volo)!.
Jake: “That’s enough. Those puns are terrible.”
Igna: (Still being punny): “Or, I’ll tell you something on the fly” (“al volo”).
Jake: So, tell me how things are going. What are you doing now?
Igna: We’re going around (touring) a little, after finishing an American tour.
Jake: How did it go?
Piero: It was awful, sad.
Igna: Yes. It was rather sad, because we had to go and find people to fill the empty taxis. (You can tell this is not going to be a serious interview).
Gian: “You know what was the best thing? The only way, really, to be international singers abroad is to sing in Italian. Because if we sing in English, there are so many original genres that. . .”
Jake: Interrupts by starting a line from a smart-alecky pop song, which the guys immediately pick up on: “Il Dottore Dice Che Sono Malato” (The Doctor Says I’m Mentally Ill). You’re supposed to sing this thing really fast and race to the end of the chorus.
All of them, Jake included, break into a chorus of “Grande Amore,” while Igna yells, “What are you looking at me for?”
After they finish, Jake: “Madonna!” (Holy mother!) Then yells out the window to a passing lady with her shopping bags: “Ma’am, we have Il Volo here!”
They all yell “Ciao! Ciao grande!” (A big hello).
Piero: “Hello, ma’am.”
Gian: Not “Ma’am”, Miss.” (meaning Piero should be polite, as if she were young).
Piero: “What do you mean, ‘Miss’? She was at least 70 years old! Miss? Really?”
Jake makes a crack about women over 40.
Piero: “In America, A lady came up with her daughter to take a picture. The daughter, who was very proud of her mom, told us, ‘My mother loves you; we have listened to you since you were kids. Over her dresser, there is a picture of my father, who’s dead; there’s a picture of my brother, who’s dead; and your picture…’ I asked her, please take our picture off the dresser!”
Then they break into “Volare” while Igna and Gian play air drums. Gian: “Let’s go samba!” (As you know, Il Volo’s arrangement of this on stage, especially Gianluca’s baritone bridge vocal, is with a very catchy samba beat). Gian again: “This is where the Brazilians start dancing.”
(As you watch, you’ll notice that it isn’t only on stage that Igna closes his eyes and takes off; he even does it in the car.) Then he snaps back and switches to air flute.
Also, check out Jake’s face when Piero launches into un coro forte (full volume chorus) right behind his head.
Jake: Do you want to try your hand at “Mixed Up Names.” Do you want to mix up some names? Guys: “No.” Jake: “We’ll have a little quiz.”
Gian: “No that depends on…wait…” Igna, Piero: “We might make a bad impression.”
Jake: What were the names of the three pigs?
Gian: “Eolo, Mammolo, Struggiolo” (roughly: “Huff, Puff, and Knock it down”)
Piero: “Uncle Ciccio, Uncle Carlo and Uncle . . .”
Igna: “No, they were called: (he makes three distinct pig grunts, one for each).” High five from Jake. Igna wins!
(I’m with Piero. I actually had an Uncle Ciccio).
Jake: Exactly! The three magi?
Piero: “Gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Igna insists it’s “mirra” not “mirro,” for myrrh. (These of course were their gifts to the newborn Messiah. In Italian tradition their names are Melchior, Gasparo, e Baltazzaro. Jake should have asked me).
Jake: The three sailings ships? (There’s no need to clarify whose ships. This is Italy after all!).
Everybody: “Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria.”
Jake: The three of Il Volo?
Each of the guys names themselves with their own name first.
The three thank you’s? (Which would be versions of “grazie”)
Gian: (making it all up): Grazie, Graziella (a girl’s name), and…” Piero kicks in “Gran’ Luigi!” (Big Louie)
Gian: “So who’s Big Louie?”
Now they break into “Ancora.” Igna’s on air trumpet and high harmony. He grimaces and holds his stomach for the high notes as he often does when they sing this spontaneously on TV. Piero is now hanging out of the car door. (Yes, the car is stopped). Igna is yelling to look back there at him. They are now making puns on the title “Ancora” which mean “More, More” or “Again, Again.”
In order to stage the scene for more foolishness, Jake says he needs to stop for a moment to step outside of the car for a bathroom break. Gian, straight-faced says, “Not right out here with all these people passing by.”
Jake tells them he has to leave them alone for a moment; they should behave themselves; and he’ll be right back.
Gian: “Of course we will.”
When he leaves, the madcap mayhem starts. Igna blasts the radio for slam dancing in the seats while they dig some props out of the glove box, and Gian is calling the name of the American female pop singer whose song it is, while yelling “We’re waiting for you to come to Italy.” The car isn’t big enough for Piero’s dance. Have a look while the guys do the “circus clowns in the miniature car” routine, climbing over each other, changing seats, blowing penny whistles and clown horns, then rushing back to normal with straight faces, before La Furia gets back in.
Jake (climbing in): Everything OK?
Gian: Everything’s fine.
Jake: Did you behave yourselves?
Gian: We were just talking about work.
(Watch Igna when he realizes what he still has in his hand when Jake is belting himself in.)
Jake then asks them each to sing a stadium chant for their favorite team, but he wants them to use music not from the stadium. He asks Ignazio to show his favorite football team. Ignazio takes out a team scarf of his favorite club, Juventus.
Jake: Tell me the first song that comes to mind when you think of “Juve” (Juventus). Igna breaks into a Juventus Ale, Ale chant which he sings to the martial piece from the opera “Aida”.
Gian sings about team Roma to the melody of “Libiamo Ne’ Lieti Calici” from “La Traviata”, while yanking out the Roma red scarf (I have the same one at home). Then he cheers for the “Great Francesco” because he’s a fan of Francesco Totti (Numero 10). Then it’s Piero’s turn and Gian rolls his eyes while Piero hold up a San Siro stadium (Milano) scarf and sings his soccer fight song, at full volume again, to the well-known martial air from Bizet’s “Carmen.”
When they all start repeating “è la Carmene” (that’s from Carmen), Igna teases Jake for his pronunciation “è la carne?” (it’s the meat?).
The Jake turns on background music and they break into “Libiamo Ne’ Lieti Calici”.
Jake: So, guys, you have a great repertoire of [Italian] music of the 1960’s. What is your relationship with this kind of music?
Piero: “That’s the history of ‘light’ Italian music . . .” (Then Igna interrupts again)
Jake then teases: “I want you to hear what Piero does. First, he raises a raise a real ruckus (“Casino della Madonna”), then when the actual interview starts . . .” (Jake swipes his hand over his face and mimics Piero switching immediately to straight faced and serious about the music). Then Gian also mimics Piero’s serious voice and face: “This is the story of Italian music…” Then he tells Jake, “Go on, cut it out.”
Gian: “Anyway, Jake, the original project was of these three child prodigies with these unique voices who sang “O Sole Mio”, “Il Mondo”, and then we got somewhat trained in this style and that’s the way we came to be called “I Tre Tenorini” (the Three Little Tenors). Then we grew up and matured, and we became . . .
Jake interrupts “I Tre Tenoroni” (The Three Big Tenors).
They all start singing “Il Mondo” while grabbing and tickling Jake from the back seat.
Igna: “They’re doing that because you’re so soft.”
They guys are now playing around with some of the Il Mondo lyrics.
Igna: “You know that this song had no harmonies in it. When we sing it, we have our particular way with it. Now we’ll let you hear a harmony a capella.”
Even Jake is impressed at the spontaneous a capella 3-part arrangement and rephrasing.
Jake: “So there’s this issue that people call you the ‘young old people’, ‘young people who make music for old people,’ and they have beaten on you for that.” (Actually, he said an Italian invective, but I won’t translate it). “This is what I think. I want you do something that makes you seem very, very young.”
Note how the guys suddenly all switch to ghetto style rapper clothes, dark glasses, ball caps on backwards, bling hanging from their necks. They break into an Italian punk rock hit, complete with head-shaking slam dance, while Piero is complaining: “This is making my head spin.”
Igna starts ad-libbing rap with “elegant” lyrics of the caliber of: “My name is Boschetto, I eat rubber (gometto), I still wet my bed (letto).” (It all rhymes in Italian rap rhythm, and it goes on and gets worse).
Jake: “So, you’re back from your American tour. What happened?”
Piero: “We carried Italian culture there.”
Jake: “And tell me about the next dates.”
Gian (checking his cell phone calendar): “Three concerts in the Teatro Antico of Taormina, Naples, Palmanova, Piazzola sul Brenta, and Pula.”
Piero: And in Sicily we are doing our fourth date at the Teatro Antica di Siracusa. This will be our first time there. (An amazing place like the one in Taormina. 400 BC and still great for concerts. They really knew how to build them back then.)
Gian described these theaters as “these most beautiful structures, that we only have in our country.”
Jake checks with Igna on this.
Igna: “Yes, I confirm all of it.”
Next, they all sing “Mamma.”
Jake: “Guys, being with you has been a real bomb.” (Same as American slang) But I have to get to work.
Igna: “We brought you something.” (Gives him a copy of the Notte Magica CD).
Jake: “Thank you.”
Igna: “So, are you going to sell it on ebay or keep it?”
Jake: “No, I’m going to keep it myself.”
Gian: “Now, let’s go settle up.”
Jake: “Good luck on your tours.”
Here they make their goodbyes.
And of course, there’s the inevitable “selfie”, with Jake. Il Volo are the undisputed masters of the art of “Selfie-ing.” After all, they even did one this year with Il Papa Francesco. Clearly, even he was having fun with them.
The tour de force for the promotion of the new CD continues at an incessant pace.
Here are the images and video of the Rome instore Saturday, November 9th.
The arrival of Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca.
Fantastic, and among all the fans, we recognize our delicious Xinjie.😘
A nice event in Rome, but not everything ends here, SundayIl Volo was expected in Milan for the Mini Live, and how can they arrive from Rome? (these guys so haughty, like some press has sometimes described them?)
But by train !!
But someone waited for them at the station to give them a small video to be broadcast live on the TV program DOMENICA VENTURA.
Here they are. And while they are being interviewed, near Piero, in the station, he passes the video of the advertising of the concert in Matera, what a beautiful coincidence.
Nothing new is said in the interview. The man to whom Gianluca compliments, is a well-known Italian footballer Paolo Rossi.
And now radio promotions are starting. The first isRadio 102.5. Nothing important is said, but the boys are always kind and nice.
In this photo the boys are in the company ofZAC, one of the 102.5 radio speakers.
Nice mini video made with the 102.5 radio speakers.
But there is another radio waiting for the Radio Zetainterview.
Very nice interview, activate the subtitles because the translation seemed excellent to me.
But now here they are atRadio Italia for another interview.
Another nice interview with Radio Italia, nothing new is said, the stages of 10 years are retraced and Manola asks what their favorite song is and they say that the most representative is “Grande Amore”.
They talk about bel canto, and that they are ambassadors of Italy in the world, then about the new CD and the next tour in Canada-US, and then of the mini live event in Milan and the extraordinary presence of the people.
Manola asks how they manage to divide the parts of a song and they reply that there is no real division, only the verse is sung, which of the three can make it better, without any jealousy.
Piero says that they speak little of their beginnings, because as children, they were catapulted into an environment full of famous people in America and they didn’t realize this and when they tell it to others, they seem to say it to brag and the people does not believe that are truth, but there are photos to testify.
Then, Ignazioimitates Gianlucawho does something special with his ear and then says he is a nuisance.
Pierotalks about the two Italian dates and the 2020 tour.
Manola asks what kind of music they listen to and they answer a little of everything, because music is always beautiful and tastes must be respected.
Final greetings.
And here is another great news, on the EUROFANATICOSFacebook page, they did a long poll with a vote, to understand what was the most beautiful Eurovision song of the last 10 years and ……. Won IL VOLO, with “GRANDE AMORE”, all the finals where IL Volo was, were won hands down, and the grand final was won with 2600 votes, against 929 of the second classified.
CONGRATULATIONS BOYS !!! 😘😘😘
Mamma mia, these guys never stop, this is only the first part of the promotion, we will still have to follow:
~ Instore Bologna
~ Interview in Roxy bar with Red Ronnie (he said he has already taken away the juke box for Ignazio)
~ Instore Caserta
~ Concert on live TV in Matera
~ Live concert of Radio Italia (of which I will attend the recording as a public)
Surely you will remember that during the IL VOLO concert in Rome, we saw on video, two nice fans who came specially from Japan to attend the IL VOLO concert.
Here is the video that made them known to us, along with grandma Maura.
Their names are Yukio and Kumiko. In this video they say that they came to Italy for the concert and that they attended three concerts also in Japan.
They seemed really a very nice couple and so I thought I’d do an interview with them, to satisfy our great curiosity about everything about Il Volo.
So I contacted them via facebook and then email, and they were very kind to answer my questions:
“Hi Daniela, following are the replies of my wife and I, on your questions.”
The first question is certainly the simplest and most obvious: how did you come to know IL VOLO? How long have you been their fans? Was it an immediate pleasure or has it matured over time?
It was the morning of November 24, 2017. I happened to hear an Italian speaking voice on TV. I thought I must record it for my study immediately, since I have just started to learn Italian.
Later, I replayed the recorded program, it was the voice of Il Volo, three guys, and their witty answering with the TV interviewers was exactly full of my favorite Italian taste.
They sang Grande Amore!Sono molto commosso! (I am very moved!)
I was totally knocked out.
After my husband came back home, I showed him this video. My husband also loved it very much.
In this TV program, I found that there were two concerts in Japan, I really wanted to go to the concerts. I tried to find tickets for them, but the tickets in major ticket offices had been already sold out. But I decided, never give up to purchase. I called one of the offices of concert, Kawasaki, directly. The answer was “there are only two tickets remaining.” Lucky!
Of course, I bought them immediately. Il concerto era meraviglioso!! (The concert was wonderful!!)
Since then, we have become Il Volovers.
How many concerts did you attend?
Just before the concerts in Japan, 2017, we bought CDs and DVDs, “IL VOLO with PLACIDO DOMINGO (Notte Magica)”, commemorative album for Japan, and “Grande Amore”.
We listened to and watched the concert of Florence and Pompeii, which were contained in the DVDs. The videos ignited our dream to go to a concert held at Roman ruins in Italy.
After their concerts in Japan, we became the member of IL VOLO official Fanclub.
In line with the above and our willingness, I had been searching their concert in Europe by way of internet with a keyword of “I concerti Il Volo” in Italian. I found there was their dinner show in Monte Carlo, Monaco and asked the ticket agency in Monaco directly and got tickets.
While scheduling our trip to Europe, the official fanclub announced there were several concerts in Italy, 2018. We found we could go and listen to in Taormina, July 29. We had rescheduled and decided to go there. (Kumiko wrote)
In 2019 May, IL VOLO 10th anniversary tour started from Japan. Obviously, we planned to listen to their concerts except due to some blocked dates for us:
We attended the concerts described below:
May 13, YOKOHAMA – MINATO MIRAI HALL May 15, TOKYO – BUNKA KAIKAN MAIN HALL May 19, TOKYO – ORCHARD HALL
We brought handmade banners/flags and Japanese fans for these concerts to congratulate and send cheers to IL VOLO.
These good pictures were attached in this email.
In addition to these formal concerts, we attended/listened to following TV
recording/broadcasting programs as well as FM broadcast program:
**TV**:
On May 10, “Music station” produce by TV Asahi, is a live studio broadcasting by a set of guest artists, a kind of amusement show.
On May 14, “Utakon”. The program purpose produced by NHK is a wide variety of music genres, from enka and kayokyoku to pop, western music, and classical music, will be delivered to a wide range of people through live broadcasting and live singing.
On May 20, Daimei no Nai Ongaku Kai (Untitled Music Concerts) produced by TV Asahi. The program purpose is to challenge to integrate orchestra and music of different genres.
**Local FM radio**:
May 12, “Koyama Janet Aiko Botanica”. Inviting guests and talk to introduce on the current topic at noon time.
Finally, as you know, we attended Rome concert, June 26. (Yukio wrote)
We know that in Japan, IL VOLO has presented “Notte Magica”, while the concert in Rome, to which you have attended, is much more pop. Did you enjoy the concert in Rome? Your taste, is it more towards pop or more towards Notte Magica?
Yes, we enjoyed the concert in Rome, there is no discomfort for me. Even though the concert venue is not real Roman ruins, their performance was wonderful and the selection of the music from classic to pop was well-balanced. We were also very happy to hear new songs by Gianluca, Ignazio, and Piero.
As a matter of fact, we like to listen music from classic to pop very much. It may seem that I have no philosophy on music, Yukio sometimes listens to Flamenco guitar music.
As Il VOLO members say, their music is constantly changing and changing, so I’ m looking forward to how it will be changed in the future. (Yukio wrote)
Is there much difference between people’s reaction to concerts in
Japan and Italy?
It seems to me that Japanese audience want to listen to their music carefully and to get their message through their music. On the contrary, sorry to say this, in Italy while Il Volo sings, there are a lot of private language (talking) of the audience who is not interested in the music.
The reaction, applause, to songs seems to be the same; if the song is so emotional and touching, there is big applause.
In addition, there is one big obstacle between IL Volo and Japanese audience, that is language. Japanese audience can only understand the guys’ talk by the interpreter, even though she (Ms. Michiko Taguchi, who is an excellent translator for them, I believe.) translated the boys’ words with witness and changing voice tone depending on who speaks. In Italy, the guys could very easily communicate with the audiences, and back-and-forth of communication was speedy and comical.
What’s your favorite song ? (if you and your wife, have different tastes, make different answers as well.)
As I love too many songs, it is very difficult for me to choose just one song.
Therefore, I chose the following five songs: – E lucevan le stele – Grande amore – Music che resta – Ave Maria – Ricordami
(Kumiko)
I also pick my favorite 5 songs: – Il Mondo – Ave Maria, Mater Misericordiae – Musica Che Resta – Grande Amore – El Triste
(Yukio)
I hope these answers will satisfy you.
Thank you,
Il Volovers: Kumiko & Yukio
Dear Yukio and Kumiko, thank you very much for your kindness and for having accepted the interview.
It was not easy, I, an Italian, had to write in English and you, had to translate everything in your language to understand what I was asking you.
But in the end, we understood each other very well, our topic was music, and we all know that music has a single language and that of IL VOLO, unites people from one end of the world to the other.
During the concert in Rome, the boys sang, among the many songs, also “VICINISSIMO”.
Piero Ignazio and Gianluca, sang this song, with the company of some children and even a not-very-young person.
A very sweet video came out, which perhaps not all of you have seen, also before the song there are some nice dialogues, which I now translate to you.
Here is the video.
G= Hello baby, what’s your name? S= Sofia G = Are you happy to be here? S = Yes G = Love (meanwhile Ignazio raises a very small child on stage) Hello baby, what’s your name? E = Emma G = Emma !! I= Emma, who is your favorite? Don’t tell me Piero, otherwise I’ll go. So who do you like? P= (only Piero’s voice is heard) Emma, Emma …… (everyone laughs, I think Piero shows Emma a sign to say his name) I= (imitating the child)ACHILLE LAURO(Achille Lauro is a young singer who has been in Sanremo 2019, he is very disputed because it seems that in his songs he praises drugs.) (people laugh)
G= It’s nice to see people of all ages at our concerts, this is beautiful, and our goal is to get to everyone’s heart, especially even small children like these, we fell in love with this music when we had the their age, and it’s nice to see them here at our concert. I= (to Emma) But do you want to stay here during the next song? P= (Piero’s voice) I remind you that the last time you sang with a child next to you, you fell off the stage. G= Come and say hi to Piero, give Piero a little kiss. P= (he is sitting) Love, I do not move, otherwise I break my pants. G= (to Sofia) Do you want to be close to Ignazio? I= (to Emma) Do you want to stay here? (she says no, with her head), do you want mom? (Emma says yes with her head) I= (to Emma) But do you want to stay here during the next song? P= (Piero’s voice, in a tone of playful reproach) I remind you that the last time you sang with a child next to you, you fell off the stage.
They start “VICINISSIMO” and the two babies remain on the stage between Gianluca and Ignazio, while Ignazio makes Emma sit, some of the people tell him to be careful, so he makes a face that seems to mean, don’t bring bad luck. (remembers Tampa)
The video moves on to Piero, who is a little further away and while the image shows us Piero, a woman with dark glasses, approaches Gianluca and Ignazio, and will remain close to the boys for the rest of the song. Ignazio and Gianluca are very sweet, both with girls and women.
Eventually it will be discovered that this woman came from England to see IL VOLO, she made this trip because, for now, there are no scheduled dates in England. She is 99 years old, walks little and often uses wheelchair support, was accompanied in Italy by two other women (who are also seen on video) who take care of her.
Ignazio holds an arm around the woman’s neck affectionately, while Gianluca is always close to the two little girls. Piero is joined by two other little girls.
It is really a video of a unique sweetness, both for the words of this song, and in particular for the beautiful and spontaneous images.
These beautiful moments make us admire your personality even more.
Impossible not to be fascinated.
It was very hot the weather. And because I need to go to the soundcheck and my home is not a little near the Auditorium Parco della Musica, so I had to depart early. I was worried but everything went well I got the train->metro->tram smoothly and arrived at the place without trouble.
As I arrived early, I had time to greet a lot of Volovers that I met on the internet, on official FC, Twitter and Facebook. Moments full of love.
Then finally we could enter for the soundcheck! When we were still waiting outside, the soundcheck was already began! Heard the voice of Ignazio, then Piero, then Gianluca, from the stage not so far away, I was already so excited, almost to cry.
Then we got in. I got me a seat at the right side of the 1st row. Then sun saw almost gone but at my seat there was still sunshine! So, thanks to the sun I think maybe I was the shiniest one in among the fans XD. The position was like: me->stage->the sun, almost the same angle of the pictures Piero and Gianluca put on the Instagram. you can imagine how splendid the scene was when I was looking at the boys on the stage! Alessandro Quarta arrived later, so we were able to watch him play violin too!! For me, my seat at concerto was a little far away so thanks to the Fan Club I could watch them at a place close like this…
It was my first real concert, literally, not only for Il Volo, but the first time in my life. I had no idea what would happen but I made a fan with messages, precisely, it’s a 团扇（in Chinese “Tuán Shàn”, in Japanese “Uchiwa”, that means rounded fan）Because I think it is much more beautiful and easy to take in hand than a paper. (a designer’s insist) One side is “Io Sono Il Volover”, a message for all people, and another side “Piero❤26”, yes, it’s for Piero’s birthday.💕
It worked well I think! Everyone saw it, and many told me it was beautiful! And during the soundcheck, Ignazio asked the foreigner fans where are they from, I said I’m Chinese, and he began to talk to me in Chinese “你好！你好吗？” （Hello! How are you?）I was so happy (and amazed by his Chinese pronunciation, again) so I was smiling and nodding to him. Ignazio: “Why you don’t talk? You don’t speak Chinese?” At this moment, arrived the voice of Piero from another side of the stage: “She wrote Piero! She does not talk to you!” You two are fantastic!!!! I thought maybe Piero did not see it, but in fact he saw it clearly!
The soundcheck was short, they sang some songs, had fun, and then when they were done, the greeted each one of us and then left.
I was able to give Piero my little drawing as his birthday gift!! He took it, smiled (you all know how beautiful his smile is!), and carefully read the little message I wrote in. Liked it (?? maybe, I was too nervous to catch his reactions, but I want to believe…) Softly he said “Thank you”, then kindly asked the staff to take a picture of him, my work, and me! Ohh maybe he liked it!!
(me, my work. I hope Piero looked into the details, so that he can know how much love is inside…)
Then we got out, waited to re-enter. And I found the official shop! And when we got in I went there immediately! So I got the lovely designed T-shirt! Which Piero wears at every concert! I loved it when the first moment Piero posted it in a story on Instagram.
(I got two T-shirts, one for me, one for my dear Japanese friend. She got me a cap from the Japanese concert too!)
The sunlight turned gold, and we went in the Cavea Arena.
I thought my seat would be far away but in fact it was not! Cavea Arena is a lovely place that every seat is never too far! I can see the stage very clearly. Then the lights were on, and they started to test them, wonderful!
(Do you see the three rounded lights? I was so excited when they began to appear there!)
Lights on, then came the familiar sound of airport, it was so emotive, it was “Il Mondo”!! The first song of the first album, a flashback, it is absolutely the best song for the beginning of this 10th anniversary concert.
The setlist of the concert is perfect! As I imagined before, it was aMusica+ 10 years best setlist. I felt many times during the concert that this list was designed for me. Many old songs, I dreamed many times, but never expected that I can really hear them live. For me, they are “Io Che Non Vivo Senza Te”, “Ancora”, “No Puede Ser” etc. Now when I think of it, I’m really not sure if it was my illusion. And the collaboration with Alessandro Quarta was obviously epic! It was the best performance at Sanremo, so great that they do it again at the concert! They really know their fans well.
Solo songs!Solo songs are more than wonderful! Their choices really fit them best. Their characters, their voices, their worldviews…And it was deluxe to have 2 solo songs for each one. I waited to hear the solo songs, and then I heard them, so beautiful, I cried.
It was absolutely a very special concert, with a special date and special location. So we heard Happy Birthday to Pieroin their beautiful harmony and “Arrivederci Roma”, in Rome.
I really want to mention the scenography. We all agree that Il Volo’s performance is always perfect. Just like the boys say, it’s not only they three that do this job. And the part of scenography, sometimes mentioned less, is a very important. I always love their stages, not exaggerated, not noisy, simple and elegant but with carefully chosen colors emotional lights, everything is just right for them.
(When they sing, every color of the world turns beautiful…)
And the most important part…the Voices!! I knew…I knew they would sound much greater than the videos and CDs, but they still gave me this huge impression and emotion… All their voices in that night were in gold condition! For the first time I really realized how beautiful human voices (maybe I should say angels’ voices) can be… There’re something very special, powerful and magical that touches your heart softly. And I found out again how I am addicted to these beautiful voices. I held my breath, I heard, I shed tears.
(I didn’t take videos, but some photos, maybe this is my favorite shot.)
A very short night. For every fan like me, it would be always too short. It was a date that finally came after loving them for more than six years. With every song, my memories of the days with the songs and with Il Volo flashed back. But everything passed too fast. When it ended, I didn’t feel so sad but only amazed at that moment. But now, the date that I works hard and waited for months became the past, I feel some empty in my heart. It’s cruel that when a concert ends it ends. But I believe we’ll never stay too far, because we are always “Vicinissimo”. Also I have another date to wait, beyond the summer, in Verona…then all these sweet memories will revive.
Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!
