Sanremo ended recently but as we have yet to see, Il Volo was once again treated badly.
This situation was monitored by Michele Monina, a music critic journalist, who is not part of the Sanremo press jury, but is widely listened to.
In the previous post I attached a video where Monina was having lunch with Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca and where he complimented them on the more pop turn that Il Volo is taking and complimented them a lot on their performance of Queen (I remind you that Monina loves rock more).
Well, the day after lunch Monina published LETTER 43 on the blog, a long consideration which I will now translate for you.
The exaggerated bullying against Il Volo, guilty only of knowing how to sing
Michele Monina 02/13/2024
You may like their music or not. But a new shitstorm has been unleashed on Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca by journalists, professionals and “left-wing” intelligentsia. Which really doesn’t forgive the trio for having a repertoire that looks to the past, exalting the Italian spirit even abroad. Now, among other things, an album of unreleased songs is also arriving. Leave these guys alone.
Nobody touches Il Volo. Yes maybe. It seems that the three boys are always the object of criticism from almost everyone, despite there being a constant tendency towards political correctness, towards creeping do-goodism which pushes most to put on pink unicorn glasses whenever someone bothers to criticize someone something else, perhaps even harshly. They, however, fall into a separate discussion, where no one talks about media pillorying, shitstorms, bullying. Many music journalists who crowded the Sanremo press room gave off a boorish show of booing when they finally saw them enter the top 10. Yet they hadn’t bothered to fail them in their report cards, even if we’re certainly not discussing the judgment of those who deal with music for work – or rather: for work they deal with music during the Holy Week of the Festival, one might say, given that then in the rest of the year many people talk and write about sewing or flowers and plants.
Moreover, let’s not forget, those of Volo on their previous passage to Sanremo had not only been met with boos but also stadium chants and dances, when instead of going on to win they had found themselves third, in 2019, after Mahmood and Ultimo. Despite this, the three had always remained impassive and professional, unlike their colleague from San Basilio. (refers to Ultimo who had instead responded in kind against the journalists)
(in this video the press room rejoices because Il Volo is third and therefore cannot be first, there are several journalists who say “shit” aimed at Il Volo)
The bizarre idea that reviving the Bel canto tradition is “right-wing”
In addition to the journalists, however, more or less well-known people also joined the chorus, there to mock the project of these three young singers who arrived at Sanremo 2024 to celebrate 15 years of their career. Criticisms came especially from the left, where evidently this bizarre idea persists that re-proposing the tradition of Bel canto is something attributable to the right: who knows what someone like Giovanna Marini thinks, who has sunk the roots of her work in tradition, and is certainly not never been pointed out as something other than itself. Returning to them: Piero Barone, born in 1993, Ignazio Boschetto, born in 1994 and Gianluca Ginoble, born in 1995, had met during the talent show Ti lascio una canzone, hosted by Antonella Clerici, and from there they set off to conquer the world, with the stage of the victory of Sanremo 2015, with Grande Amore, undoubtedly fundamental.
They bring music that is a hallmark of Italianness around the world
You may not like their music: it tends to look to the past, given that up to now they have never published an album of unreleased songs, preferring to direct their singing towards that vast and now consolidated repertoire which goes from Puccini to O sole mio, passing through Granada or Frank Sinatra classics. Personal tastes are all legitimate, let alone, but all that remains is to rage against three very young people who, until proven otherwise, not only are not doing anything wrong, but are actually continuing to bring around the world a music that is Italian figure, is something miserable, as well as extremely vile. Because launching criticism on social media, but also practicing a not too different form of bullying in the press, as if we were talking about something reprehensible, is an operation that leads to nothing interesting.
In the sense: it does not expand a judgment, especially if repeated by machine, it does not analyze or deepen a possible critical point of view; it becomes just a cutting comment, moreover given on those who are undoubtedly capable of singing, a fact which may well appear irrelevant, but which ultimately should be the basis of the profession of a singer.
In the trap era, those who know how to sing almost have to hide
Be careful, we are not here to contrast the three guys from Il Volo with those who use autotune or something like that – these are specious discussions that we will calmly leave to Luca Jurman I (music critic) and other wannabes – but rather to try to indicate how, precisely in a broad discussion that foresees the possibility of making music even for those who cannot play or sing (trap in this provides too many examples) escapes for what anomalous reason precisely those who know the basics of singing and practice them even with excellent results it should be vilified and attacked. It seems – God forgive us for the quote from General Vannacci – a world in reverse, where those who know how to do something that was once considered basic today almost have to hide, or keep the own secret art, because the world would go in another direction. Here too, excluding a priori that there could be multiple directions, given that music can be expressed with rigor and precision, as Il Volo evidently knows how to do and intends to continue to do, it seems that a sort of homologated single thought wants to decide the dish of the day, imposing the same dishes on everyone, to be honest, often quite bland.
Their first album of unreleased songs will soon be on the market
And let’s say, let’s get to today, that Il Volo has been working for over a year on a project that intends to move the trio towards the contemporary, certainly not abandoning the world from which the boys come: they are not self-harming. In doing so they spent months and months in close contact with a team of authors, who on their three different voices – different in texture, colour, timbre, all fundamental characteristics in singing – wrote unpublished songs, soon to be on the market in what will be their first real album. An operation that they had already tested on the last tour, where in addition to performing together on their great classics, that is, on the great classics of the Italian Bel Canto tradition, they expressed themselves individually, distinguishing themselves and in some way characterizing themselves as individuals, all with that rigor we were talking about before, the same rigor they put into interviews, but also in making themselves available for selfies or autographs with their audience.
Political ideas stuck on the three boys
It’s sad to see them targeted, exactly in the same way that it was sad to see Geolier booed at the Ariston when he won the evening of duets: he is even younger (23 years old) and to take it out on those who are young, even more so if to do so he keeps that distance due to mobile phone or computer screens, is in effect comparable to bullying. Then, obviously, the criticism is there, even on the new, more pop turn of Il Volo, but the tones should at least be in the category of good taste, and if desired, also common sense. Because the writer is used to giving rise to even ferocious criticism, but always with irony and never going personal, while here the point seems to be precisely the three of them, Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca, and any form of patriotism confused for something halfway road between a Putinian nationalism and something that could, if desired, be attributable to the ideologies of the Brothers of Italy or the League (these are two Italian political parties)
Ideas stuck on guys who, until proven otherwise, shouldn’t have anything to do with kids (in the sense: maybe they think that way, but it’s not by singing classics or referring to that tradition that they intend to convey messages, and in any case doing so even when they try moving towards something else is wrong in its own right).
In the words of Anna Tatangelo, “when the person is nothing, the offense is zero”
However, if you feed the controversy to the masses who have the opportunity to act undisturbed on social media, you end up offering a sad spectacle that makes you uncomfortable. Every day we accuse others of incorrect attitudes, we defend the indefensible by brandishing like clubs the right not to fall into a shitstorm or be pilloried by the media, and then too often we end up being the creators of these incorrect behaviors.
All for the sole fault of being successful abroad, or maybe even just making music that we don’t like. It would be nice to be able to apply to them to the words of Francesco De Gregori (Italian singer) – who we imagine is appreciated by that segment of the intelligentsia who loves to mock them – paraphrasing the ending of the refrain of La leverage footballistica del ‘68: “The boys will also do if they have narrow shoulders.” But in reality, lucky them, it seems that Il Volo is made up of three bold young men who have already gained broad shoulders by performing on stages all over the world. So let’s opt for the more popular “cantate che vi passa”, because it is really true that the words should be calibrated on the mouth of the person who pronounces them, or to put it with the divine Anna Tatangelo, (Italian singer) “when the person is nothing the offense is zero.”
What can I say, he really “pulled the ear” of his fellow journalists, but let me explain a little about who Monina is.
Let me start by saying that Monina, at the beginning of 2015 but in particular in 2016, was a great detractor of Il Volo, writing very unflattering articles about them.
Then Il Volo presented itself again in Sanremo in 2019 and even then Monina was not accredited in the press room but, like this year, interviewed the singers separately but always within Sanremo.
So it was that in 2019 Monina met Piero, Ignazio and GIanluca for an interview that lasted a long time and in which our boys spoke heart-to-heart with Monina, describing the difficulties they encountered, talking about their musical studies and performing a strong musical culture, in particular from Gianluca, Monina also noting that they were polite people, they were not at all unpleasant or arrogant, and therefore Monina had a very good impression of Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca, so much so that from then on he changed his opinion.
Since then Monina has had the opportunity to write little about Il Volo, but shortly before Sanremo this year he mentioned them in a short article where he warned his colleagues journalists not to make that stupid and rude scene in the press room of 2019, but that if they had something to say to them, to have the courage to say it to their faces.
Now, this new long article seemed to me to be truly heartfelt in defense of Il Volo and I dare say that it is the only voice that has been raised in defense of Il Volo, because believe me, some journalists even in their lists of the various singers in Sanremo, they don’t even mention Il Volo, as if they hadn’t been part of the festival, so much so that I thought they were “the unnamed”.
As you understood by reading, Monina also tries to give a political explanation.
Honestly, I have never thought about this, also because music must be above political ideas, but if Monina writes this, there has certainly been some stance taken by journalists with certain political ideas.
Even more so, I am increasingly of the opinion that journalists should not vote in Sanremo.
Another journalist, Antonella Esposito, published Monina’s article on her page, adding her opinion.
Here it is.
I would like to respond publicly to the many questions I have received privately regarding the article published by Michele Monina. I will try to be impartial, without being “too” biased. (she loves Il Volo)
I won’t talk about politics and this is the important assumption from which I would like to start and I don’t think the political orientation of my colleague is even important. I found your article on bullying, because that’s what it’s about, courageous and also honest. Only fools do not change their minds and, net of past judgments – or worse – prejudices, it seems to me to be a lucid confession from someone who has known the artists and evaluated their technical skills, experience and education.
The conversion, if we want to call it that, must have started from the face-to-face meeting during a lunch at Il Villaggio Del Festival.
A chat beyond the permitted television times which allowed Monina and Il Volo to make a quick analysis of the current recording situation. It was agreed that music is hitting rock bottom, in terms of production, a slave to autotune, up-tempo and catchphrases. It’s no longer the time for songs and reasoned lyrics, but that’s fine too, after all, the market creates the logic of the market and in the end we end up singing songs that are all the same and – maybe we like them? – and we risk forgetting after a few months. Could educating about musical culture make a difference, since many young people don’t know who Prince is and don’t even know Michael Jackson? This is Gianluca’s proposal, but it is also another story and it is not yet the historical moment to address it. In the meantime, I would enjoy the opinion of an expert who has addressed an uncomfortable topic that is still talked about too little.
On Antonella Esposito’s page it was possible to comment and so I did and here is my comment:
I fully agree with what you pointed out and, as you wrote, Monina’s article was certainly courageous, but this is the intelligence of people who, if at first they had a wrong vision, do not continue to follow the herd, but they evaluate with their own knowledge the topic they write about, in this case Il Volo. In recent days I have read assessments and comments that go beyond criticism but are only designed to offend and this is ridiculous but also a sign of great degradation and rudeness, shame on some people.
Patrizia Ciava, who we know well here, also published Monina’s article on her page, with this comment:
“All-out defense of Il Volo by Monina who once called them “bimbiminchia” (a word that means childish and with a limited quotient), struck on the road to Sanremo, thanks to the fateful meeting with the boys in 2019. 😉 (She means that the 2019 meeting struck Monina, like a miracle, and made him change his mind about Il Volo)
Also in this case you could comment and my comment was this: “And thank goodness there are those who have the courage to admit they were wrong.”
And do you remember Sunday, when Il Volo was a guest at Mara Venier and there were also journalists who couldn’t ask any questions?
At the end of the Il Volo moment, Ignazio said to journalists: “Singers sing, not scream.”
Some newspapers picked up on this moment saying that Ignazio had said this against Lino Banfi, an elderly actor who was sitting near the journalists, but it’s not true!!!! He was referring to Andrea Laffranchi, a journalist who always writes very badly about Il Volo, in fact here is his report card from Sanremo and you will understand why Ignazio said so.
IL VOLO rating 5.
Il Volo or sung scream? They may have many fans in the world, but we take ourselves out of the club.
Maybe I bored you with this long post, but it was right that you too, on the other side of the ocean, knew exactly how the situation is here and how the press behaves towards Il Volo.
So you might think, but then why did Il Volo participate in Sanremo with these conditions?
As I told you, there was great courage on their part, but the media exposure that Sanremo offers is priceless and I believe that their victory was to reach an audience that otherwise would not have listened to them. Under the video of WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER there are many comments from young Italian males (before there were very few and only to insult) who have changed their minds about them, I’ll transcribe some of them:
@nicbellic9794 The absurd thing is that this cover will probably go around the world, especially in the UK and USA, but here in Italy they didn’t even reach the Top 5. The same goes for Santi Francesi who brought a legend like Skin to Sanremo and they too out of the Top 5. Now Italians want ballet music on TikTok, and covers like these are “boring” in their words.
@giankyclari1309 Italy doesn’t deserve these 3 phenomena, if it then puts other people in first position, and not for racist reasons, but because the 3 of them are worth more.
Singing the Queen song was an act of courage, fully satisfied by those who adored and adore Queen and Freddy.
@lorenzovecchiotti4668 Famous in every corner of the world, they sing magnificently, they really know music and not with a computer and autotune… Italy doesn’t deserve them
@pzunino59 Gives goosebumps, well done for those who loved Queen it was an absolutely unmissable moment. The world envies them and we don’t know how to appreciate them.
@thejontube1504 The only ones who can afford to pay homage to Freddy Mercury..
Il Volo at least deserve the victory with their piece MASTERPIECE, given that they would have deserved to win with this splendid interpretation of Queen!!!
No less important is Stef Burns’ guitar!!! Come on!!!!
@francescoplanb3567 I’m not a fan of theirs but this year I’m really appreciating them, they brought a great song and this cover is really well done, frankly I’m outraged that so much skill is so blatantly ignored!
@lauradesiere7471 I’m a rock “fanatic” and Volo isn’t my thing…usually, but the combination of Vasco’s legendary guitarist and their sublime voices made me want to film it. Touching sacred monsters like Queen and doing the song badly would have been a crime…instead you honored the song. Well done, I will buy your first album of unreleased songs. Damn, what rumors.
@MusicFed I’m not a fan of theirs but this performance was incredible. Breathtaking. Burns perfect solos and with the usual taste and style. The boys sang like a god and “with intention”, reaching all the difficult notes.
…………………and I could go on like this……..this is definitely the best victory of Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca!! 🥰👏👏👏
And that’s all for now, but last night Il Volo was on Radio Italia, and so in the next article there will be them on Radio Italia and other serene and cheerful moments.
Of course I’m waiting for your comments on the “bullying” against Il Volo, and sorry if I got on your nerves reading this.
I think everyone knows the final ranking of Sanremo, Il Volo came in eighth place.
I must say that given how the jury votes were going, I had doubted a worse result and instead they managed to get back into the top ten.
It was a beautiful dream, but there were many nightmares and not all of them were driven away.
Il Volo certainly deserved much more, not in terms of final position, but in terms of respect.
Respect for three young men who are excellent singers and performers, they have always been polite people, who worked hard, put themselves on the line, even though they didn’t need it, and therefore deserved everyone’s respect.
But let’s start by looking at their final night performance.
Well done, impeccable, as they have been in all these evenings.
After the performance of all the singers, the partial ranking is read which adds up all the previous evenings and so we discover that Il Volo is in place number 11.
Honestly, after the verdict of the cover evening, I thought they were positioned worse. So we all vote, and, despite there being a blackout of the switchboards due to the large mass of televoting, Il Volo manages to recover three positions and ends up in eighth place but out of the final games.
Perhaps if the switchboards hadn’t gone haywire, Il Volo would have recovered more votes from home, and they would have risen further in the rankings.
However, the thing that outraged me the most and I think I can say that it also annoyed everyone was the treatment given to the juries at the covers evening.
Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero paid a spectacular tribute to QUEEN, and it wasn’t easy, they did it very well and would have deserved first place and the consequent award for the best performed cover.
RAI has published the voting tables and here is the general ranking of the cover evening only, Il Volo placed ninth after a perfect performance.
But what did the juries evaluate?
The cover night was absolutely perfect, the singers had to be judged for the cover they were presenting. Is it possible that journalists and radio stations didn’t appreciate this masterfully performed piece? As for the televoting, also in this case there were switchboards that were not perfectly up to the task of the evening, the votes of many fans were not reflected.
But let’s review that beautiful performance together: WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER.
Without words!!!! A splendor. 👏👏👏
And now instead I offer you a comment from a journalist to their performance🤬 :
IL VOLO = “WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER” with Stef Burns: on the singing level they are, as always, impeccable. But there always remains that musical feel that doesn’t fit well with the tastes of the contemporary world. They always seem out of time. Rating 6.5.
And now listen to this short video of one of the hundreds of interviews, this one was with Stefano Fisico of Radio Number One.
I translate for you.
Only Gianluca and Piero are present. At the beginning I think Gianluca said Il Volo wanted to change and Piero seemed a little annoyed.
This piece is a preview and we will find the discussion later on.
PIERO= But can we always speak for all three? You want to be something else, you can be something else, but don’t speak for me. (The radio logo appears, then Gianluca says very interesting things for those who love QUEEN)
GIANLUCA= That piece was a great responsibility, because if you do it badly…….Freddy Mercury, Queen, consider that we also sent it to Brian May and he went crazy for our version. They are on tour in Japan. Otherwise, who knows, maybe he would have come too.
STEFANO= I’m convinced that you will do something (look at Piero’s face)
GIANLUCA= I must admit that we were happy to share the stage with Stef Burns, Vasco Rossi’s guitarist.
It was a different touch, because maybe people are used to seeing us in an almost too serious way, right?
STEFANO= Actually we can say that you are a bit like that.
GIANLUCA= Yes, we are like that, but we can be other things and so it’s nice that people appreciated it.
PIERO= Now I’m a little annoyed….
STEFANO= Oh, I want you to be a little aggressive…
PIERO= But can we always speak for all three? You want to be something else, you can be something else, continue to be something else, don’t speak for me.
GIANLUCA= No! You performed Queen last night and maybe people didn’t expect it.
PIERO= But we did it the Il Volo way. Speak for yourself!
GIANLUCA= Don’t get angry, you understand what I want to tell you….
STEFANO = ( he laughs) ….sorry, he hasn’t run all week….
PIERO= You understand, people think…the guys from Il Volo….”do you all sleep together???”…….(he means that people are convinced that all three do the same things, have the same tastes etc.)
There have been countless interviews, but I want to conclude the pages dedicated to Sanremo with some interviews in which important things were said and others that are funny. (turn on subtitles)
This is an extract from the Sanremo press conference.
So you guessed it, there will be a PBS special taped under the pyramids in Egypt in June. It will be amazing!!!!
I think that’s what they were saying, that they’re preparing something nice for their American friends, then of course there will be the tour.
In this conference they also said what their biggest regret is and was reported by the EUROFESTIVAL ITALIA newspaper.
“The only moment of bitterness, in these 15 years of our career, I think was Eurovision”, he then said, in the awareness that having represented Italy in that competition was something important. “At the time, few people in Italy knew what Eurovision was. When we won Sanremo and we were there, we really realized in those days the importance (of that competition, ed.) and how much it was felt by other countries, unlike Italy.”
Continuing, Piero then spoke of the disappointment that arose in having then learned, “after days”, the outcome of the vote, according to which “we had won the televoting – and among other things it was the first time that this had happened in the history of Eurovision”. This awareness therefore brought them “the only bitterness” with which they began. “We would have been very pleased to win, because we really felt that moment and gave our all.”
Another nice thing that was said is that on the new CD there will be a duet with Irama, (remember the beautiful duet they did for ALL FOR ONE?).
Irama also announced this duet. 🥰
This is a nice interview (turn on subtitles)
Il Volo plays loves me or doesn’t love me? 😂😂
IGNAZIO= I would say let’s spin the wheel and see what comes out.
PIERO= Tell us about a Horror date.
GIANLUCA= When I met them for the first time in my life.😂 Alright guys, let’s move on.
PIERO= Dance….nooooo
GIANLUCA= But we don’t know how to dance.
IGNAZIO= I’ll show you.
GIANLUCA= Well done, well done, better if you sing!😂
GIANLUCA= Tell us about a surprise you loved giving or receiving.
Unexpectedly at the station, as soon as she gets off the train, you wait for her there with a rose in your hand…nice. 🥰
PIERO= I don’t like surprises, neither giving them nor receiving them.
GIANLUCA= Can you tell us the worst joke you’ve ever suffered?
PIERO= In Bologna I faked a burglary at home, I called my brother, he left work, came home and it was a joke. I’ll let you imagine what happened.😂
IGNAZIO= You’re an asshole! 🤪
GIANLUCA= How you love to show affection to others.
IGNAZIO= Gianluca bothering me.😂
GIANLUCA= Yes, I hug, pinch, kiss, I’m very carnal.😂
PIERO= I dedicate the song Capolavoro.
IGNAZIO= He dedicates it and I sing it.
PIERO= Can I do the last one? Tell us about a trip you loved taking. Guys, everyone go to Japan, it’s the best trip you can do in your life.
IGNAZIO= It will also be a little strange for those who go for the first time because the sushi tastes completely different from what we are used to.
The first time I thought the people had fallen asleep at the concert, but instead they were attentive. 😂
Someone backstage says he’s going to Japan in March.
PIERO= In March? We’re going in March too.
You saw, he said he’s changing the date.😂
GIANLUCA= If there’s a flight I won’t go! 😂😂😂
Il Volo also received an award for their new official video for Capolavoro.
The award for the best video clip was awarded to the world-famous Italian group
10 February 2024 – Today, Saturday 10 February, the Casa Sanremo – Soundies Awards was presented by the Patron of Casa Sanremo and President of the Events Group Consortium Vincenzo Russolillo to IL VOLO, a much loved group in Italy and around the world, competing at the 74th edition of the Festival with “Capolavoro” (Epic Records/Sony Music Italy), a contemporary ballad that celebrates universal love.
Born from an idea by Russolillo himself, the award represents the first prize in Italian history dedicated to video clips of the songs competing at the Sanremo Festival, intended for record companies.
“Your work was selected by a quality jury, chaired by Laura Delli Colli, President of the National Union of Italian Film Journalists (Sngci) of the Nastri d’Argento. – said Vincenzo Russolillo from the stage of the Casa Sanremo Lounge, addressing Il Volo – I give you the Soundies Awards 2024, on behalf of the Municipality of Sanremo from the hands of Councilor Sara Tonegutti, together with a voucher for the production of the next video clip from be carried out in the territory of the Municipality of Sanremo”.
Il videoclip, prodotto da Cardigan S.r.l. – Sugarkane Studio e diretto da Leandro Manuel Emede it was chosen from among those that accompany the songs competing at the Festival by a jury of music and cinema experts.
The trio transports music to new heights through video, exploring the stars and the mysteries of the infinite. A visual odyssey that combines the musical talent of IL VOLO with the grandeur of space, providing a sensorial experience that challenges the boundaries of the imagination.
And here is the award-winning video clip of Capolavoro.
And now a nice roundup of beautiful and also funny photos.
Piero, Torpedine, Gianluca, Barbara and Ignazio ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
IL Volo with Loredana Bertè.
Piero, Gianluca, Ignazio and Diodato
With the mascots of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Gianluca and Ernie, with the three composers of Capolavoro.
I really believe that in any case our dear Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca also had a lot of fun in Sanremo, this is the spirit of friendship that must hover in all competitions.
Of course there were many bitter pills, but also many happy moments. and among these we remember Gianluca’s birthday, the day after the end of Sanremo.
And then on Sunday, after the Festival ended, all the singers were guests of Mara Venier on the “Domenica In” show, right there at the Sanremo theater, and therefore I propose the passage of Il Volo.
I will explain to you in a few words what happened.
Mara welcomes them with affection and when she discovers that it is Gianluca’s birthday she makes everyone sing happy birthday.
The kids enter and politely greet everyone, even the journalists sitting to the left of the screen
This show takes place every year the day after Sanremo and journalists can ask questions or even make compliments. The journalists with Il Volo in 2015 were biting and rude, in 2019 Il Volo did not attend the show, because due to the shouting and bad words from the press room, they immediately left Sanremo.
Mara shows a clip of the cover evening and compliments the boys. No compliments from journalists.
Mara says that they are international artists and bring Italian music to the world.
Piero specifies that it is not they who bring Italian music, but IT IS ITALIAN MUSIC THAT ALLOWS IL VOLO TO SING IN THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS PLACES IN THE WORLD.(Piero took away quite a bit of stone.)
Mara says that Italians are proud of Il Volo and thanks them for what they do.
Ignazio plays down because Piero was in front of him and Ignazio says: “Anyway, I’m here too” and makes everyone laugh. Mara apologizes because Ignazio felt excluded.
Il Volo sings Capolavoro!
After the song Gianluca resumes a discussion that the journalists had with the singer who entered before them and that is Geolier, who came second in the final, is the one who won the evening of the covers and the journalists asked him a few harsh questions and some of them defended him.
Gianluca says that being tough makes you grow and bring out the best (it almost seems like he’s saying that when they criticized Il Volo no one defended them and some journalists said they had to accept them because they make you grow. -Gianluca has saved himself a stone -)
The journalist in the front row (who first defended Geolier) turns to another journalist and says: “Have you seen that they are intelligent? Good and intelligent.”
Mara changes the subject by saying that Ignazio told her that he is getting married.
Gianluca says that he and Piero won’t sing at the wedding and then Cirilli who is an impersonator gets up and tries to imitate the three voices of Il Volo.
Mara gives the flowers to Ignazio who takes them to a girl in the audience. Hugs and kisses to Mara as she greets the boys.
Ignazio thanked Mara for always being sweet to them and hoping that their message of union and respect for their 15-year career has reached everyone.
Then he says goodbye and before leaving he says to the journalists: “The singers sing, and don’t scream.” (because some of them wrote that Il Volo screams…another stone removed)
Honestly, I felt a little embarrassed. The boys did well to make it clear that they are no longer 15 or 20 years old. In my opinion, I believe that they participated in the broadcast only for Mara, but with the obligation that the journalists did not ask questions, in fact, only to Il Volo, they did not ask anything.
I’m so glad our guys didn’t let their feet run over their heads. Well done.
A last interview done in Il Villaggio del Festival. The interviewer is a journalist and critic Michele Monina, who years ago was really very fierce in his criticism of Il Volo, particularly during the Notte Magica period. But then in 2019, Monina personally met Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca and they made an excellent impression on him. From that moment on they were friends. After Sanremo, Monina and Il Volo had lunch together talking about Sanremo. (turn on subtitles)
There are also some satisfactions, like this ranking published by vocal coach Salvatore Cilia – Voce al Top, those who know music appreciate voices!!
Sanremo has just finished, but I just think that they are still publishing the interviews done in recent days. Truly a week of exponential media exposure.
We will talk more about Sanremo, and there will still be some nice interviews, but for the moment that’s all and I want to greet you with this beautiful photo published by Il Volo.
Daniela 🤗
“We hope that our message of union and mutual esteem has arrived from the Sanremo stage, especially since a lot of respect is needed in a group.”
THANK YOU for being with us, once again, on this incredible journey.
I can say that I expected it and I also warned you about the negativity of the Press Office and the Radio, but that this reaching such a low point, I didn’t want to believe it. 🤬
Last night at the Festival, quality was not rewarded, not even the performance, much less the voices, the professionalism.But are we joking????
Even if we had voted from all over the planet, nothing would have changed, Il Volo is not even in the top 5 after having given an incredible performance together with Stef Burns, and for this they have to thank the journalists in the press room who have always had an aversion towards them and the Italian radio stations that NEVER pass them on.🤬
I’m still so angry that as I write to you I’m shaking with nervousness. 🤬
But what are we talking about?
For all those who haven’t seen it yet, here is the video of the wonderful performance of Il Volo and Stef Burns presenting WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER by Queen!!
Stratospheric, immense. ❤️❤️❤️
My goodness, what a performance!!!! Chills on the skin.
Let me start by saying that I was a QUEEN fan and here with IL VOLO, they were worthily represented. A very difficult song that requires an uncommon vocality.
But have you noticed how Gianluca modulates his voice??? Fantastic!
And Piero blended perfectly into this harmony, his voice was very recognizable.
What about Ignazio, the high notes are his forte and once again he proved it to everyone.
Stef Burns did his part, including some great rock guitar playing. 🎸
In the end a perfect fusion of sound singing harmony.
This performance absolutely deserved first place, especially considering the other performances.
But here is the ranking of the top 5!
What amazes me is the absolutely undeserved first place. 🤬
I have nothing against the Neapolitan song, but the Sanremo regulation has always prohibited singing in regional dialects, this year the regulation was modified to allow the Neapolitan song to participate. I knew he would have great support from the people, but here the support of journalists and radio stations was also needed, otherwise it is not possible that he could have reached this point.
I agree on second place, Angelina Mango (a young and good emerging singer) and also on third place with Annalisa (remember her duet with Gianluca), and also on fifth place, but I also absolutely disagree on fourth place, a ‘really unworthy’ performance!!
There were many boos when the first position was announced, also because it is not just a ranking, there is a winner who gets a trophy, the trophy for the best performance of the duets’ evening.
The winner sang again and was then rewarded, but there were many boos and people left the theater.
But this is not the point, the public’s disappointment is due but it’s time for the press room to stop voting and in any case the radio jury (placed this year) is another negative component.
This Festival is a great farce., I am truly dismayed.
There is nothing to do! 🤬
Let’s at least enjoy this beautiful roundup of photos from the evening.
It goes without saying that there is a lot of bitterness in the mouth, these prejudices from the press room will never end and the radios will never play their songs, nothing has changed.
For us they are the winners and anyone with good taste and ears to hear cannot say otherwise.
And tonight we start again, it’s the final evening. Of course, at this point, I don’t think Il Volo can rank in the top 5.
But they need all our support.
The evening will open with listening to the 30 competing songs. Il Volo competes with the number 5, so it is the fifth this evening, it will be around 10:00 in the evening (Italian time) in the end only the home jury will vote, therefore the televoting and therefore we must let Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca hear that there has always been their appreciation from home. It won’t help them climb the rankings, but it will help their pride, because they know they did an excellent job.
Then the general ranking of the 4 evenings will be drawn up and only the top 5 will continue the race.
Piero, GIanluca Ignazio, you are already our winners. ❤️❤️❤️……..everything else is boring!!!!
Sanremo, on the first evening, all thirty singers competed including Il Volo.
All songs are heard live for the first time (only journalists and orchestra players first).
The race is very long, Il Volo performs after midnight (the sequence is drawn randomly).
And finally they arrive… they come down the stairs, beautiful, elegantly different, dressed in Armani.
CAPOLAVORO
The final reception from the public was good, although I would have thought better.
The song is beautiful, quite catchy, I liked it .
I’m so excited for them, they’ve been waiting for media exposure like this for a long time and their performance of the beautiful song was the icing on the cake.
The more I listen to it, the more I like it and it gets into my head, it’s a true masterpiece.
I attach to you some comments published by a vocal coach who is really hard on some singers, he classifies them based on how the song is performed.
Il Volo are a cut above ALL! Tonight less set and managed entries with 10 and praise!
Immediately after performing the song, the boys entered the Radio 2 box.
At Radio 2 there are two hosts, the man is a journalist, his name is Gino Castaldo and he has never had good comments for Il Volo.
The presenter/journalist is EVA STOKOLMA, she saw the video of the BSMT interview and also commented……thanks Eva!!
I translated the video.
EVA= The guys from Il Volo have entered, stand where you want.
GIANLUCA= I’ll stand next to you.
EVA= It seems right to me, because next to Gino he really doesn’t deserve it.
PIERO= Gino stays close to us, so if he makes something wrong (he means his comments) he knows that we are not merciful here.
EVA= Crazy, (in the sense of very good) you were crazy, how did it go? How did you find each other?
PIERO= Well Ariston is always a confirmation, that is, you experience unprecedented emotions when you go on that stage.
EVA= And what is this emotion today?
GIANLUCA= It’s an emotion that is contained in three minutes of song after a year and a half of work, everything fades like this.
EVA= But the song remains.
GIANLUCA= The chorus, in our opinion, is singable and it’s the main thing, regardless of the genre, that we tried to do something more contemporary, but the important thing is to bring songs that people can sing.
EVA= But when can someone sing your song? Secretly, not in front of people (she means their songs have great high notes that few can do)
PIERO= I’ll tell you something, I bet that at least once in his life Gino hums it in the shower.
GINO= (he laughs) but this new one?
PIERO= No, not even the past one.
GIANLUCA= Let’s let Gino do this (Gianluca sings the chorus of Capolavoro….but Gino doesn’t finish it)
GINO= No, no, I would do it but…..
GIANLUCA= Gino would have sung a song from Il Volo!!!
GINO= I would do it right away but I’m as tone deaf. I have a very strong ear, if you drop half a tone I can hear it immediately, but not on me, because I’m out of tune.
GIANLUCA= Listeners, for those who are watching us on Radio 2, excuse me, let me tell you something……. we promise you that sooner or later we will make Gino sing with us. It’s a promise.
GINO= I have a serious question. You have been international for a long time, you move from one stage to another, crazy performances from New York, the world is your audience.
Is it possible that Sanremo is still so exciting for you who now have the world in front of you as spectators?
IGNAZIO = But you know better than us that around Sanremo there is a whole machine that rotates and it’s crazy, there’s a lot of work this week and if you’re not strong you risk being overwhelmed and sucked in by the anxiety and tension that the week takes its toll on you, after a year and a half of work as Gianluca said.
GIANLUCA= But it’s an emotional factor, we were born here, so we become children again when we go up on that stage, all those childhood anxieties re-emerge as if it were the first time.
EVA= Anyway guys I saw an interview with you where you talk about the crazy things that have happened to you around the world and the VIP folder. (the photo folder)
PIERO= Ah, the VIP folder, you saw the interview (BSMT)
EVA= You have so many stories, I would keep you talking for hours…
GINO= But they will come every evening, do you want….
EVA= We are waiting for you tomorrow too, who knows, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow (because the names of the singers who have to perform are drawn by lot on the very morning of the performance)
PIERO= Fortunately the police didn’t arrive the next day, after having told that (Piero refers to the BSMT interview)
GIANLUCA= We’ll be back. We will return here most evenings.
EVA= Is it a threat?
GIANLUCA= See you tomorrow or the day after.
EVA= True, you will only find out this tomorrow morning after the extraction. We give you a “lipo lip service” and we wait for you here at the microphones of Rai Radio2.
GINO= Good work, have a good week.
IGNAZIO= Thanks, bye everyone.
Then they go out to be interviewed by Fiorello.
Fiorello is waiting for them outside the Ariston Theatre, I think it is at least 03.00 in the morning. Piero, Ignazio and GIanluca haven’t gone to bed yet.
As usual Fiorello is very funny, I’ll translate for you.
Fiorello goes to meet them and hugs them tightly.
FIORELLO= Gentlemen, Il Volo, look at them.
P+I+G= Good evening
FIORELLO= Can I say that you are cooler?
PIERO= Thanks!
IGNAZIO= Well, let’s say handsome, he seems like a godfather (referring to Piero)
FIORELLO= No, no, he’s a guy. But you’re becoming like the Phantom of the Opera.
A curiosity, I followed you tonight, you (Gianluca), because when you sing you look up to the left.
IGNAZIO= I’ll tell you why.
FIORELLO= Why?
IGNAZIO= Because it’s his best side.
FIORELLO= Oh, really?
GIANLUCA= Do you know that I don’t know why? I don’t know, maybe I was looking at the sky.
FIORELLO= Do you feel cold?
GIANLUCA= A little.
FIORELLO= Listen, I challenge you to do something I’ll fly, so without trying, Grande Amore, only the final verse, he makes the chord (the pianist), only the ending.
PIERO= Do you have an F minor? (sing the final chorus of Grande Amore – applause)
FIORELLO= Gentlemen, we have woken up Bordighera. (city far from Sanremo)
IGNAZIO= But doesn’t anyone sleep here? (because everything happens in thestreets of Sanremo and people should sleep)
FIORELLO= Look who’s here, directly from TG2 Manuela Morino (a RAI journalist on the balcony)
GIANLUCA= Hello TG2
FIORELLO= Manuela Morino, if I throw you a ball will you take it? (he throws the ball)
So, now we’ll turn this way, if you give me a microphone, because what we would like to do is one of our strong points.
PIERO= OK
FIORELLO= It’s a song that brings good luck.
PIERO= In French?
FIORELLO = In Sicilian. He is from Abruzzo (Gianluca) but adapts (Piero, Ignazio and Fiorello are Sicilian)
GIANLUCA = I’m Sicilian too (he says it in Sicilian dialect)
FIORELLO= The song is titled……
PIERO= Excuse me.
FIORELLO= Go
PIERO= Don’t do the classic version, good, use bows, go slower.
FIORELLO = The song is titled TIRICHITOLLA
IGNAZIO= I’ll start. (they start singing Tirichitolla which is a song in Sicilian dialect with double meanings in the words, and which every time they meet Fiorello makes them sing it)
FIORELLO= Gentlemen Il Volo! Thanks guys, good luck.
GIANLUCA= Hello to all the guys inside the box.
FIORELLO= Thanks, thanks to Il Volo. An applause!
Naturally, I had already warned you that on the first evening only the Press Room jury votes and therefore the votes would not have been in favor of Il Volo, in fact only the top 5 classified are communicated, here they are:
This is how the first evening ends, but tomorrow we start again, only 15 singers perform, including Il Volo, here’s how they were drawn. Il Volo will perform fifth, and this time there is 50% vote from home and 50% from the radio jury.
My husband and I will be ready with our cell phones and will vote the maximum allowed, that is, 5 votes per cell phone.
And here we are finally at the second evening, where only 15 singers perform, including IL VOLO.
They arrive in almost casual clothes, different, simple, I like them a lot.
They sing very well, always perfect, but much more relaxed, you can see that they are having fun.
The more you listen to the song, the more it gets into your head.
I really liked them and the audience really appreciated them a lot.
What can I say: WONDERFUL, they truly are a MASTERPIECE!! 🎉🎉👏👏👏
At the end of the performance, Gianluca took the bouquet of flowers that they were given and ran into the audience to give it to his mother and he hugged his brother .. how sweet!! ❤️❤️❤️
Immediately afterwards they reached the Rai Radio2 station for the interview, Eva Stokolma and Gino Castaldo were waiting for them.
Greetings and hugs from everyone.
EVA= We can tune your song (you mean they can sing it even if they’re out of tune). Do you give us permission?
IGNAZIO= This song is either sung out of tune or not.
GINO= Then I have some chances.
IGNAZIO= It’s one of those songs you sing in the shower. It’s one of those songs that you have to sing out of tune and I was thinking about it last night, because yesterday you said that you don’t sing because you have a good musical ear, but…..
GINO= I’m out of tune.
IGNAZIO= And I imagined you in the shower singing it out of tune.
GINO= And it works the same!
IGNAZIO= Yes, it’s one of those songs you sing in the shower…
PIERO= Igna, what a bad image….
EVA= But why do you think about Gino singing in the shower, while returning home….
GIANLUCA= He imagines him relaxed in the shower...(because Gino is usually biting with his comments)
GINO= I will tell you, and I was commenting on it, that your song grows with every listen….
IGNAZIO= Come on!! But this is great news.
GIANLUCA= Coming from Gino Castaldo (who has always been negative against Il Volo)…..thanks, coming from him it’s incredible.
EVA= But it’s the truth.
IGNAZIO= I have to say one thing, I had a lot of fun tonight. It’s something I immediately said to them (Gian and Piero), we hugged each other and I told them: “Thank you because I had fun.”
EVA= How beautiful!
PIERO= It was nice.
IGNAZIO= To die for!
GINO= And when this happens, it gets to the public.
GIANLUCA= But in fact we are pleased to follow our path and to arrive with a new unreleased song, because for us it is very important to build a new repertoire, little by little, we are approaching something that for us anyway is……
GINO= So it will have a sequel.
GIANLUCA= It will have a sequel, so a record will be released where there will be 12 songs, among the most famous Italian producers: Luca Faraone, Michelangelo (Italian producers)…..
GINO= Every song….
IGNAZIO= There is also a duet that we cannot spoil….
GIANLUCA= Wait, we can only say that it’s a duet with one of the artists competing this evening!!
EVA= Wow, tonight….
GINO= So among these fifteen singers….
PIERO= We can’t say….
GIANLUCA= It’s an incredible piece!
GINO= So he’s among the fifteen tomorrow
IGNAZIO= I really don’t know!
PIERO= It’s true, we don’t know…
EVA= They don’t know…. (she laughs)
GIANLUCA= (turning to Gino) But are you coming to the album presentation??
EVA= Guys, why do you invite Gino when I’m your fan….
GIANLUCA= But you are already invited.
IGNAZIO= But it’s a given that you’re coming.
GIANLUCA= Never take Eva Stokolma for granted.
EVA= I’m taken for granted, oh well ok.
GIANLUCA= It is understood that you are invited.
EVA= Thank you, thank you.
What is the experience like being introduced by other singers competing this evening?
PIERO= Nice!
IGNAZIO= It’s beautiful, but thank goodness we weren’t introduced by Negramaro (they are a group of 5) otherwise we would have been a football team.
PIERO= But with Rose (Rose Villain who introduced them) there is a beautiful alchemy.
EVA= So it’s her. (the one from the duet)
PIERO= No, it’s not her.
IGNAZIO= I’ll tell you something nice that perhaps other artists have already told you.
This year there is an alchemy….it’s beautiful….and even with those we didn’t know.
For example, Alfa or Gazzelle (two singers from Sanremo), are wonderful guys.
GIANLUCA= Do you know how we will end this festival? The final evening is my birthday, we’ll have fun, come on.
EVA= But really? I bring you a gift.
GIANLUCA= Your presence.
EVA= How kind.
GINO= We have to listen to the song during the race.
EVA= We look forward to hearing from you on Friday. (duet evening)
GIANLUCA= Friday?
EVA= You will do something crazy.
GIANLUCA= Castaldo will fall in love with Il Volo on Friday! (Castaldo loves rock)
EVA= But who doesn’t love you guys!
Greetings and Hugs
At least this time Castaldo managed to pay some compliments to the boys who are always very kind.
It’s clear that Eva likes Il Volo!! 🥰
At the end of the race, the ranking of the evening. Naturally I gave all my possible votes to Il Volo (10), I was hoping a lot for this vote from home but I knew well that the radio jury would have been another cold shower and in fact Il Volo is not included in the evening’s ranking of the top 5 . What can I say, a big disappointment.
These are the top 5 ranked singers from last night.
And to really make you understand that Il Volo is always boycotted by journalists and radio stations, here is this comment posted by RAI.
I translated for you.
Among the uptempos the challenge is open, among the ballads Il Volo wins and has a victory song.
We know that they don’t make inroads into social media and that the press and radio are prejudiced against them, but that’s another matter.
And now a nice roundup of photos of our loved ones during the singers’ parade the day before starting Sanremo.
And at the party before Sanremo
and on the Vanity Fair cover!
This is how the first two evenings of Sanremo ended. This evening (Thursday) Il Volo doesn’t sing, they present a singer, and Friday will be the evening of duets, I can’t wait!!!
See you very soon!!
Daniela 🤗
P.S.
Our boys today at noon (8 February) had great satisfaction, meeting the first fans in an instore in Sanremo for whom they signed autographs on their CDs.
And hearing CAPOLAVORO sung by those people, I think, is their greatest satisfaction.
There is less and less time left until Sanremo and every day new interviews and videos are published.
Today I propose this interview to you in the GRAZIA newspaper.
Pay attention to Ignazio’s words. ❤️
LOVE PUSHES US FORWARD
After the victory in 2015, the three singers of Il Volo return to the Festival with the song CAPOLAVORO, which talks about the feeling that changed their lives.
When I meet the three guys from Il Volo, I can’t help but notice all their differences. In their way of telling themselves, of understanding music and the world. But at the same time I feel a unique, consolidated, respectful entity.
Fifteen years after their debut, Gianluca Ginoble, Piero Barone, and Ignazio Boschetto felt the need to focus on themselves. They did this by preparing an album that for the first time will be composed entirely of unreleased songs and in which they promise a new story that they will take on a world tour.
WHAT TIME IS THIS?
GIANLUCA= We realized that we have based our career in the past, on the strong roots of our culture that we have brought around the world. For the first time, however, we now feel connected to the present, with an eye towards the future.
YOU WILL BE COMPETING IN SANREMO WITH CAPOLAVORO. HOW WOULD YOU TELL IT?
IGNAZIO= We understood that this was the perfect song for Sanremo. Talk about love. When you are in a relationship, you stop and say: “This story is a Capolavoro”, I’m getting married next year and for me the masterpiece is exactly what I’m experiencing.
PIERO= It makes me think of that very strong feeling that grows inside you without you knowing it. When you realize you have it you need to externalize it.
GIANLUCA= For me, love is like jumping off Niagara Falls without a life jacket. You know that you rely on a person with the risk of experiencing incredible pain.
HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF BREAKING UP YOUR TRIO?
PIERO= Never. We have lived intense years, without ever stopping. There wasn’t time to even think about it.
BUT IT IS NOT OBTAINED.
PIERO= Yes, but there was a lot of effort. Today others only talk about immediate success achieved with the least amount of effort. It’s wrong.
GIANLUCA PARTICIPATED ON BEHALF OF THE TRIO IN THE EVENING OF GRACE FOR THE DAY AGAINST VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. IT’S AN EMERGENCY?
GIANLUCA= For many men it is difficult to admit that they have weaknesses, there is a virility that is so flaunted and which can lead to violence.
PIERO= Each of us should make our contribution, even in small things, not laughing at squalid jokes and perhaps pointing out to our best friend that he is making a mistake in using certain words.
There was the long-awaited Radio Italia interview (I don’t like Gianluca’s trousers at all, my opinion) 🤪
WOMAN= Let me dream right away. Where have you been lately around the world? You are always around, I watch the stories, I would like to do all the trips you do. Where have you been?
GIANLUCA= We’ve been around, we’ve had the opportunity to tour, travel, but returning to Sanremo is always an emotion, because we were born here artistically.
WOMAN= It’s true, this is what I wanted to tell you, what it’s like to return, after all these trips around the world, to such an important stage for Italy and not only and above all for you who this stage has given you so much.
IGNAZIO= We have realized that we are coming to celebrate our anniversaries, it will be 15 years, we celebrate 15 years this year and it is not easy, it is not easy to be together for 15 years (Piero and Gianluca protest), let me finish, it is not easy to stay together for 15 years always with the same enthusiasm.
GIANLUCA = (to Piero). See, you don’t have to interrupt him.
PIERO= (to the person filming) Can you cut this piece?? (laughs) 😂Is not easy.
WOMAN= So what is it that keeps you tied to this enthusiasm?
PIERO= Enthusiasm keeps us bonded, the desire that unites us to always do new things, never lose that passion for the profession we carry out, we consider ourselves three privileged individuals, because we do what we love, we do it every day, so we don’t there is something more beautiful.
WOMAN= And so we return to Sanremo, the piece is called MASTERPIECE, tell me a little about it, a little spoiler.
GIANLUCA= A small spoiler that can be done….more than anything it explains the feeling that is love, but told in a profound way, because sometimes you realize that you love, only when you look back, and sometimes you realize how special this person is, like how did I do without this person before I met them. Sometimes it’s as if it suddenly falls from the sky, but it can be love for a child, love in general, universal love, how important this feeling really is that moves the world.
PIERO= For us who sing it, each of us sings it in a different way, feels it in a different way, for me CAPOLAVORO speaks in a romantic way about hope, because maybe when you don’t find it in yourself, in the most difficult moments you hope for something outside of yourself.
WOMAN= So you hope something comes…..how you turn it is a nice message.
GIANLUCA= Yes, there are people who can really change your life. Growing up, doing introspection on yourself is important, to be able to understand, to recognize love as a feeling, then there are people who can enrich your life and make it better.
PIERO= It can be dedicated to someone, something, that feeling that literally changed your life, not just people.
WOMAN = Even a little awareness when you feel certain things. Guys, we were immediately a bit philosophical, but the piece requires it, because it actually has a beautiful message. I thank you, see you in Sanremo.
IGNAZIO= Thank you very much.
PIERO= Remember……it’s not easy.
WOMAN= With this enthusiasm, it’s not easy.
IGNAZIO= However you’ve seen, nothing has changed, they won’t let me talk. 😂😂😂
And then there is this which is not an interview, but a long reflection that makes you think a lot, a long tirade made by Luca Maggitti to the administration of the municipality of Montepagano and Roseto degli Abruzzi, read it and try to understand that it’s very ironic. I really liked it, well written Luca Maggitti, sometimes you need these “little digs”.
I remind you that Luca Maggitti is a journalist who lives in Abruzzo and who met Gianluca who was walking with his grandfather and they drank a coffee.
I bring you an old photo of Luca Maggitti and Gianluca.
Gianluca Ginoble – Il Volo THE AMBASSADOR OF ROSETO AND ABRUZZO IN THE WORLD RETURNS TO THE SANREMO FESTIVAL
In short: there is no two without three.
Gianluca Ginoble – from the ancient village of Montepagano in Roseto – will return to the stage of the most important Italian event in terms of occupying television, social media and any other space. Tens of millions of people in Italy will talk about the event (Sanremo Festival) and billions around the world will in some way be involved in the various references to the event.
Every time such a media circus takes place (all the media attention for Sanremo) I think of Gianluca sitting drinking a coffee in Roseto, speaking kindly to anyone who comes to say hello. And I have the image of a Ferrari left in the garage, for some souped-up Vespone to race in competitions where class and speed are needed. (Maggitti compares the kind and polite Gianluca to a beautiful world-class car, a Ferrari that is left in the garage, to race a Vespa, a famous Italian motorbike, remember the film Roman Holidays?)
Yes, because I ask myself: is it possible that Gianluca goes to Sanremo and no one in the Municipality (of Roseto) or Region (of Abruzzo) calls him – eight days before the start of the event – to congratulate him, incite him, encourage him?
Let’s be clear, we talk about politics and government at various levels and I certainly don’t expect the administrators to call him because they truly love the artist or his genre or appreciate this exemplary boy for education and culture, who has remained very polite despite a global success that we even have hard to imagine.
(Maggitti is really scolding the municipal administrators here, because Gianluca should be called not only because he is a great artist, but also because he is an exemplary boy in terms of education and culture, despite his great success)
I don’t expect this. Furthermore, I am biased because I have always respected him.
No, I want to be cynical and wretched to the core!
(Maggitti means that if they had been cynical, the administrators would have had to call Gianluca for at least other reasons, which he will now list)
If I were a public administrator – at various levels in Abruzzo, since Gianluca was appointed, years ago, ambassador of both Abruzzo and Roseto degli Abruzzi in the world – I would call him because Gianluca creates media hype. Because its social profiles generate more interactions than all those of the various municipalities, provinces and regions combined. Not to mention the Volo one.
I see Gianluca who for almost 15 years – in a few months it will be 15 – has spoken well (more: he speaks with love) about Roseto degli Abruzzi and Abruzzo, truly helping these territories to be known.
On the other hand, I don’t see equal interest on the part of those who govern, especially the tourist-cultural part of the territory. And I ask myself: why?
What is the point of this masochism?
A final reflection, remaining in Roseto, in the limited area of via Latini. And talking about tourism and – more generally – territorial promotion.
The part of via Latini that goes towards the sea, the one after via Nazionale, has a system of decorative lights at the top with the words of the famous “Nel blu painted di blu” (Volare) by Domenico Modugno. Good, great.
(He intends to remember that in the town of Roseto some lights have been installed with the words of Volare)
But, I wonder: we have Gianluca Ginoble who won the Sanremo festival at 10 years old, at his first participation, he chose to live in Montepagano di Roseto, where his roots are, he always speaks well of his birthplace and the territory, he is always available when it comes to visiting associations that work for the good of the area… and don’t we put “Grande Amore”?
Is it possible that it is so incredibly difficult to insert the words of “Grande Amore” on the “rambla” of Roseto degli Abruzzi (via Latini, in the part that goes towards the hill), perhaps by having him turn on the lights for the first time and have him sing alone and live a cappella the song?
Is it so difficult to respect an international pop star who lives where she was born and who has the only flaw of not being haughty? Not for him, I repeat.
He (Gianluca) now travels from Rai 1 upwards, from Canale 5 upwards, from Corriere della Sera upwards. (Maggitti means to say that the most important programs talk about Gianluca and Il Volo)
For us, for our struggling territory, for tourism with less than 100,000 visitors in two years… for the fact that no one queues there and that the very expensive VisitRoseto.it gets as many likes or visits as a site set up by a elementary school, to teach children to use the web.
Is it possible that we prefer to keep the Ferrari in the garage and go for challenges with the souped-up Vespone? But what’s the point?
Mayor Mario Nugnes, do you remember when I brought Gianluca Ginoble to the Oratory of the Campo dei Preti at the request of my friend Father Antonio Ghidoni, who wanted to meet him and who defined “Grande Amore” as a prayer, and in the homily invited the faithful to vote Il Volo?
Mayor, do you remember? You had frizzy hair and were tutoring in the afternoon, and Gianluca came to hug you (him, you!), telling me that you had been his afternoon teacher when he attended the Oratory?
If you don’t remember, I’ll put the photo from that day here.
Mayor, can we ask Ferrari for the favor of lending a hand to this little village, which is slipping more and more towards numerical inconsistency and which desperately needs a great recovery plan?
I don’t know if Gianluca Ginoble – who is preparing for yet another world tour on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Il Volo – has time, but I know for sure that a photo of him, a reel or a thought is worth the sum of all the sites’ efforts, little sites, pages and little pages of our parts.
And if I say this it is because I myself have found my articles about him translated into English, Spanish, Romanian, Portuguese and more, on the web. And I am a poor journalist who would never otherwise have been translated! 😂
I, for the umpteenth time, put these reflections into it. You rulers – at any level – will do what you believe. I only hope that you are illuminated by the beacon of the common good and real progress in your daily work.
Whatever the case, my best wishes to Gianluca Ginoble and Il Volo, remembering the emotions of the 2015 victory, when he turned 20 exactly on the day of his debut as a competitor at the Festival.
Dàje sìmbre fùrte, Gianlù! (Abruzzo expression to say: “Come on, always strong, Gianlù “)
(Another old photo of Luca Maggitti with Gianluca)
Who knows if it was because of the article published by Luca Maggitti that the municipal administration of Roseto woke up??
We want to think that it wasn’t the article, but today, Friday 2 February, there will be an award for our Gianluca in Roseto. 🎉🎉🎉
This is the motivation.
On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the birth of ‘Il Volo’ and in view of its participation in the 74th edition of the Festival of Sanremo, the Municipal Administration of Roseto degli Abruzzi organized a ceremony to pay homage to the Rosetano singer Gianluca Ginoble who was a guest in the Council Room, at 11 am on Friday 2 February. In 2015, Gianluca Ginoble was awarded the title of ‘Ambassador to the World of the City of Roseto degli Abruzzi’ and the other two members of the ‘Il Volo’ trio, Piero Barone and Ignazio Boschetto, were awarded the honorary citizenship of Roseto degli Abruzzi.
The ceremony, conducted by Francesca Martinelli, represented a moment to make the entire Rosetan community feel the affection towards Gianluca Ginoble, to relive his great career with him and to pay homage to him with a gift created for the occasion.
And here is the video of the awards ceremony.
The mayor expresses words of esteem and good wishes and Gianluca thanks everyone and tells little things about life in his town and the emotion he always has when he talks about his city which he will always carry in his heart. ❤️
And another video by a journalist, Luca Maggitti Di Tecco, from Il Messaggero who was at the event.
The administration gives Gianluca a jewel representing a Presentosa Rose and asks him to wear it also on the evening of the festival and Gianluca wears it immediately. Then Gianluca thanks and also wants to remember his brother Ernesto who collaborated with the team. 🥰
Then there was a really nice video by Antonella Clerici (she presented TI LASCIO UNA CANZONE) who wished Il Volo her “good luck”. ❤️
The guys from Il Volo are extraordinary, I met them in the first edition of TI LASCIO UNA CANZONE and they were put together, that is, they introduced themselves alone, Ignazio and Piero are Sicilian, while Gianluca is from Abruzzo. Since they were three “lyricists” even if with different voice tones, we formed this trio and it won all the episodes, it was really very, very strong. So it was clear that they had great talent, then it was Tony Renis who first brought them to the United States, then their manager Michele Torpedine understood their potential and first they had great luck in the United States, and then also in Italy.
I remember when they showed up at their first Sanremo festival with GRANDE AMORE, which was hosted by my friend Carlo Conti, I told him: “Carlo get ready because they will win the Sanremo Festival, I’m sure of it”, because in the televoting they were too much, too strong and also very good, then they were three young guys, people liked them, I knew their potential and in fact it was like that .
And now I wish them a big “good luck” for the next Sanremo festival.
As I have already told you, many newspapers of all kinds are talking about Il Volo.
This is a Gossip magazine, it talks about Il Volo’s girlfriends. I assure you that some are not reliable news, so I don’t waste time translating them.
Even the RAI news programs talk about Sanremo and therefore also about Il Volo.
WOMAN= Sanremo Festival, on the Ariston stage, among the competing artists Il Volo, with the song CAPOLAVORO, and on the cover evening, the homage to Queen. (a video starts)
MAN= Grown up, born on the Ariston stage at TI LASCIO UNA CANZONE, in the end you know Sanremo well.
PIERO= In 2009 we met at the Ariston, then we left and returned in 2015 with GRANDE AMORE, now, after 15 years, we are returning to celebrate this great achievement, which is both professional and personal.
MAN= Who knows what Ignazio was up to at 14 years old in the back stage of the theater.
IGNAZIO= But because I, sorry…..we combined all three. It was a way to grow quickly, because in the end we grew quickly.
MAN= CAPOLAVORO in Sanremo, isn’t it a bit risky to say it right away?
GIANLUCA= In fact we wanted to title it CAPOLAVORO in brackets perhaps…..
PIERO= Let’s hope….
GIANLUCA= Let’s hope. Obviously it’s not about us…
MAN= Queen for duet, this year.
PIERO= It will be a great moment to be able to share the stage with Steff Burns and we would like to thank Vasco Rossi (well-known Italian rock singer) for lending us his guitarist, thank you Vasco!
.……..and this is Vasco Rossi’s response!
Happy to lend my guitarist STEF BURNS to Il Volo in Sanremo…..on the cover evening….he will perform a Queen solo, WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER, I’m proud of him.
This interview on Radio Subasio is also very beautiful. Since at the beginning the questions are the same ones that are repeated several times, I start translating about halfway through the video.😉
RADIO SUBASIO
WOMAN=……do you sometimes argue too? Who is the most rebellious of the three? (Piero marks Ignazio with his hand)
WOMAN= Ignazio?
GIANLUCA= Every now and then it explodes, yes yes. But we have three completely different characters, but thank goodness it’s like this, because if we were the same, that creative spark wouldn’t strike, so everyone brings their own ideas, there are often contrasts but in the end we always manage to find the solution and the best for the group, well, this is important.
WOMAN= Of course, of course. But then in recent years a few things have changed in your life, we used to talk off the air, there are those who have coupled up (Ignazio), those who have exploded (Gianluca), what is the situation like, those who are single among you, do we want to say it?
PIERO= We have always tried to respect our private life and I believe it is also our duty, because we often say that we live two parallel lives, the professional life which takes up ten months of our life every year and our personal life, and we also want this to be the case. keep it.
WOMAN = It seems very right to me….
GIANLUCA= But anyway Ignazio is getting married!!
WOMAN= When Ignazio, when the happy event?
IGNAZIO = Next year.
WOMAN= So next year. Guys I wanted to tell you something else, in recent days we spoke with LA SAD (a punk group with colored hair that will be in Sanremo) and I asked them which artist (from Sanremo) they felt most in tune with and they told us Il Volo.
I even considered a collaboration with them and they said yes, absolutely.
How about? How do you respond to this proposal?
IGNAZIO= Well, they are young guys who…..
GIANLUCA= Young people, they are older than you Ignazio….(it’s true the members of La SAD are older than them)
IGNAZIO= Yes, but they are young kids in the sense of sending the message (Ignazio means that they are listened to more by young kids)
WOMAN= But can something be done?
GIANLUCA= It would be interesting, we recently met in Sanremo during rehearsals, a relationship of great respect was born, because everyone expresses their emotions in their art and it’s nice to see these differences. Everyone has space to demonstrate what they really are and we are all different, there is no right or wrong, better or worse, this is the beauty of music, so it will be wonderful to see these contrasts between Il Volo and La Sad, certainly in Sanremo .
WOMAN= Of course I agree, that’s why we’re very intrigued by this idea, this image of a collaboration between the two of you, have you ever seen it? I want to play a little game with you, to test your memory, if you agree.
PIERO= This worries me. 😁
WOMAN= Remembering the festival of a few years ago, for example Sanremo 2000, concentrate, Sanremo 2000…
PIERO= I was 7 years old….
WOMAN= You remember who won, even from hearsay, I will help you anyway because I give you three options…
IGNAZIO= Jo di Tonno (Italian singer).…
GIANLUCA= No, it was 2006…
WOMAN= I’ll give you the three options…
GIANLUCA = (to Ignazio) Jo di Tonno and I are the only people from Abruzzo to have won the Sanremo festival…
WOMAN= Oh yes, you see it!
PIERO= Do you know that I am the only Sicilian to have won the Sanremo festival?
GIANLUCA= Oh no, boy, he (Ignazio) is Sicilian…
PIERO= He’s from Bologna!
WOMAN= Guys three options for the 2000 festival, be careful: Gigi D’Alessio, Ivana Spagna or Piccola Orchestra Avion Travel? (All Italian singers)
GIANLUCA= Ah yes, “Sentimento” (it is the title of the song by the Piccola Orchestra Avion Travel)
WOMAN= Well done, great Gianluca, see what a memory! Instead, who was presenting the festival? Do you remember it? Who was there in 2000?
GIANLUCA= Fazio (an Italian presenter)
WOMAN= Good, you didn’t even need the help. Oh Gianluca, damn what a memory, well done, congratulations, you haven’t won anything, but thanks for being with us guys.
Good luck for the Sanremo Festival, we’ll meet again to hear about the fresh emotions we just experienced on the Ariston stage.
Thanks Ignazio, thanks Piero, thanks Gianluca.
Il Volo on the Sanremo 2024 stage, bye guys, thanks!
And to the happiness of many fans, this year’s summer concerts have been announced, all in Italy, here they are!! 🥳🥳🎉
But now the most beautiful interview, made by Gianluca Gazzoli for BSMT. There is the automatic translation and I urge you to activate it, because it is truly a beautiful interview, different from the usual ones, and to which our boys responded with sincerity and maturity and also with a lot of spirit.
To turn on captions click the gear button in the lower right corner of the video, then Subtitles. Then choose English from the list that appears.
The comments under this interview suggest that some people, seeing it, have changed their minds about how Il Volo has always been perceived (thanks to the Italian press)
Don’t miss this interview!!!
From school desks to the most prestigious stages in the world. Three boys who, at just 15 years old, have fascinated and conquered everyone with their extraordinary talent. Well yes, Il Volo passed through the BSMT.
An extraordinary career, started as teenagers and built with sacrifice, commitment and a lot of ambition. Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero told us how their lives changed suddenly, transforming them from simple fifteen-year-olds to world stars. Successes, family, friendship, recognition, surreal anecdotes, changes and much more. A chat in which their three very distinct personalities emerged and in which they indulged in confidences like never before.
FROM A WHOLE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE! IL VOLO passes through the BSMT
Certainly Caterina Boschetto’s words, at the beginning of the interview, contained a lot of truth.
“Know that if I sign your life will change, know that the responsibilities will become more, know that you can play but not like before, know that many things will change.”
I warned you that the media exposure of Sanremo is notable, and what I have reported to you are the best interviews of these days, but at every moment there is something new.
Very little left, how exciting!!
Daniela🤗
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.
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