Tag Archives: Ti Lascio Una Canzone

CALINITTA by Daniela

And last night, we were able to see the entire duration of the Il Volo performance in La Notte della Taranta.
Here is the video and what was said:
Click image below to view the video.

View of La Notte della Taranta stage

On stage there are the musicians and Albano who leads the evening.
From behind the stage the voices of Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca can be heard shouting, almost singing, a phrase in the Apulian dialect (they ask who has olives to sell).
ALBANO = What a beautiful song!
PIERO = Hello Master. Good evening
ALBANO = I am still a student and I want to stay that way.
GIANLUCA = Good evening everyone.
IGNAZIO = (asks ALBANO) What do this phrase remind you of: (pronounce the phrase “who sells olives?”)
ALBANO = (I remind you that Albano was born and lives in Puglia) 
Meanwhile it reminds me of the autumn song, I called it, the November song.
It was the period of olives, of the olive harvest, a man always passed with a cart and shouted (he sings the phrase in Apulian dialect together with Ignazio)
IGNAZIO = Yes, I remember (Ignazio jokes, he was not yet born)
ALBANO = For non-Apulians, this sentence must be translated: “Who has olives, I have to buy them”, this was the message, and whoever had olives in the house, went and sold them, and that way, people got some money, of course. (peasant people always had at least one olive tree near home, in Puglia, the olive tree is very widespread, and when this man of the cart passed by, people sold him the olives they had picked from their tree)
But the beautiful thing was when I listened to Modugno (he wrote Volare) on the radio, on national radio, and finally he sang in the language, he finally sang in our language (Apulian), and there the pride exploded with all its violence, with all its beauty.
IGNAZIO = So let’s hope, with this next song we will sing, to make you even more proud of your land.
ALBANO = You know that I am proud to have you here beside …..
GIANLUCA = …. and we are happy ….
ALBANO = …. simply because I baptized these two (it refers to Ignazio and Piero, and by saying baptized it means that he has already had the opportunity to sing in pairs with them, during Ti Lascio Una Canzone) and to you (Gianluca) you I baptize this evening.
GIANLUCA = One day, sooner or later, we will sing you and I together.
But it is nice, I can say, that these events make it possible to spread a musical culture like this of the Taranta, and it is right that young people are attached to the roots of these great events.
But we must not lose this desire to carry on traditions, we too, as young people, are proud to be here tonight. (applause)
ALBANO = Do you sing now?
IGNAZIO = Now!
ALBANO = And I listen to you now !!
(Calinitta begins, beautiful song in Grico dialect, mixed between Greek and Apulian)

IL VOLO and Al Bano on stage

IL VOLO and Al Bano on stage

I found a text translated into Italian by Calinitta (Buonasera), and then, I translated it into English for you, to make you understand the meaning of the beautiful and sweet words sung by our boys with such ardor.
How sweet this night is, how beautiful it is
and I don’t sleep thinking about you
and here behind your window, my love,
of my heart I open my pains to you.
larilò larilò lallero …..
I always think of you,
because you, my soul, I love
and wherever I go, I will wander, I will stay
I will always carry you in my heart.
larilò larilò lallero …..
Yet you never loved me, beautiful,
nor did you ever have pity on me;
you never opened your beautiful lips
to tell me sweet words of love!
larilò larilò lallero …..
The stars from above are watching me
and with the moon they whisper in secret
and they laugh and tell me: “to the wind
throw the songs, they are lost .”
larilò larilò lallero …..
Good night! I leave you and run away
you sleep that I left sad
But wherever I go, I will wander, I will stay,
I will always carry you in my heart.
larilò larilò lallero …..

IL VOLO singing on stage

Really very good Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca to interpret this beautiful song.
Elegant in Dolce & Gabbana suits. I know well that many of you do not approve of sneakers, but you must understand, that here in Italy, Il Volo is accused of always dressing too much in a formal way and therefore sneakers are needed to give a youthful touch.
Ignazio has a long beard, I am not in favor of a beard in general, I prefer a barely hinted beard.
Their voices, that is, always magnificent.

IL VOLO singing with other performers on stage

Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero were then interviewed by the official page of La Notte della Taranta.
Here they are :
WOMAN = Let’s start from the basics, how do you say goodnight in Greek?
PIERO = Calinitta
GIANLUCA = Calinitta.
WOMAN = And then, how does this song go on ??? (Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero sing a verse from the song)
GIANLUCA = Right?
WOMAN = Quite right !!
GIANLUCA = So you (inhabitants of Puglia) all speak Grico?
WOMAN = In Greece-Salento yes!
IGNAZIO =(explains to Piero) When the Greeks come here on vacation, the local elders understand them, because the older ones still speak the Grico dialect.
PIERO = Great.
WOMAN = What do you think of La Notte della Taranta?
IGNAZIO = It is certainly one of the most important cultural events in Italy, and welcome, because I always say that Italy is a nation full of different cultures and traditions and certainly these events give space to make known their own traditions and culture, and therefore we are honored to be part of it, alongside ALBANO, an Apulian DOC, which has never forgotten its origins and there is also MADAME (young singer) who is a young woman, like us.
Hence the importance of carrying the roots, ALWAYS, in any situation, in any place.
WOMAN = It will be a rock Calinitta, according to Melozzi (the orchestra master)
GIANLUCA= It is a symphonic rock, which is also the secret of Queen (rock group), if we want to talk also musically about the history of the great artists who have always brought symphonic rock all over the world.
IGNAZIO = Calinitta Queeniana.
GIANLUCA = Melozzi is a great musician, moreover from Abruzzo, I am also from Abruzzo, I always speak of my land, sorry, and therefore it is nice that there is also a little of Abruzzo in this Taranta and I am proud of it.
WOMAN = Calinitta !!
PIERO = Ah, Calinitta ciao everyone!
GIANLUCA = Calinitta.

IL VOLO and Al Bano on stage

IL VOLO and Al Bano on stage

Only one song, unfortunately, but really beautiful and full of meaning and our young people gave a very beautiful and traditional version.
Furthermore, Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca certainly do not hide their attachment to traditions and origins. Well done.
But we have to run, let’s leave Puglia, Venice is waiting for us !!
Daniela

Credit to owners of all photos and videos.

Ignazio is a Beautiful Soul

If this story sounds familiar to you it’s because I had to write a similar story last year about our, Ignazio.
When I go on Instagram or Facebook and I see stories that hurt the guys, it upsets me. These are three of the nicest guys you’re ever going to meet in your life. It’s not just a career for them, it’s their life, their whole life. It’s what they’ve dedicated themselves to since they were teenagers. Everything they do they do for us the Fans. We as you know, aren’t just fans to them, we are family. They grew up with us and they know how important we are and, they do things every day to try to please us. Sometimes it’s a picture, sometimes a song or sometimes just their joking around. Then there are days, not too often, when they are quiet, they just hide themselves in their own lives. Lives that you and, I take for granted every day, they only get to enjoy occasionally. No, they can’t be out there for us 24/7 but they try their best to make themselves visible and available.
Even though we are like family to them, they do have families of their own. Families that they have spent so little time with over the last twelve years. The pandemic has been very hard on all of us. It was also hard for the guys because they had to leave us their fan family. If anything, there was some good that came out of this, the guys got to stay at home with their families. Since they were teenagers, they never had the opportunity to stay at home with their families for a whole year. And I think Ignazio expressed it best in an interview when he said, “if it wasn’t for the pandemic, I wouldn’t have spent those last (precious months) months with my dad.”
I chose to write about Ignazio this week because of some sad things that have been said about him on Instagram. I’ve had to do this on other occasions for Piero and Gianluca. This is a very important time for Ignazio. It’s a time when he needs to be near family and, among other things, to deal with the loss of his father. The purpose of this piece is to show you, those who don’t already know it, how, really, nice Ignazio is and has always been since he was a child!
Let me start by telling you about what Ignazio does for us with his music and what he contributes to the music industry.
If Ignazio did nothing more than sing for the rest of his life, he would be remembered as a singer who captured an audience at a very young age and continues to intrigue them with every passing day.

From the first time he stepped on the stage, he was a star. I remember watching him on PBS and thinking if he’s this good now, what will he be like ten years from now. Along with Gianluca and Piero these three, amazing, men have achieved in ten years what most men could only dream of achieving in a lifetime!
He is the voice that never ends! The voice that intrigues! The voice that takes your breath away! The voice that leads you to ecstasy!
But it doesn’t end there. No, there is so much more to be said about Ignazio and the best place to start is in his performances. He is the ultimate entertainer. He is the production. His presence is there in every aspect of the production. He is a prolific entertainer! He sees music! He feels music! He breathes music! Follow him around the stage. The little gestures aren’t just for our entertainment they are real movements within each song. Let me describe it as I have described it for you in the past:
Ignazio is known as the funny one and that he is! But is it really about the joke? Or is it more about the production.
I want you to think about the performance. We know these guys have amazing voices but, what if they got on the stage and for two hours, they did nothing but sing. I don’t think it would work. A performance needs the ability to move on. There’s no change of scenery and no intermission so how do you move the performance along? Ignazio! The joking he brings into the performance provides the levity to relive the seriousness of the performance. He brings a certain ease and suspense to the performance. The audience is always wondering, what will he do next.
But is it always about joking? I want you to think about what I’m saying. Ignazio is constantly moving around the stage. He’s dancing and keeping the rhythm. He’s swinging the microphone around and constantly nodding towards the orchestra, Gianluca and Piero. Is that the lead up to a joke? I don’t think so. Let me tell you what you are looking at. Ignazio is following every note that is sung or played on that stage. His mind is in motion. He is sensitive and passionate with music. He has the ability to see the music as it is happening. He knows where every instrument should come in and out. That’s why you notice little things like him smiling, nodding, pointing towards the musicians, Gianluca or Piero. He also grabs the baton from the conductor, sometimes to joke but more often to conduct. Think about him conducting the Asti Symphony Orchestra while Marcello Rota sang his tenor part. He wasn’t joking, he was conducting. And that’s why everyone was watching in amazement. And when it was over, they were speechless. Look at Michele Torpedine go across the stage to embrace him. He is in awe of this young man. You call him funny I call him brilliant! I am going to make a prediction here! Remember you heard it here first. Ignazio will compose a great operatic pop opera one day.

In an article by Ilvolovers Romania they commented: “Ignazio, for what he looks like and also for everything he sometimes hides, is an imposing, brave and authentic young man. Sensitive and passionate, his performance creates a hurricane of feelings for anyone who looks at him and listens to him. For him, the phrase “singing with the heart” is not a metaphor, it is a reality expressed in every gesture and makes us wonder what his eyes see when he sings.”
Let’s look at how Ignazio has helped aspiring young artist.
On February 2, 2014, Ignazio collaborated with singer Roberto Amadè in a project that resulted in a wonderful concert, the Amadè-Boschetto concert which was organized through the Cultural and Artistic Center “Ignazio Boschetto,” with the support of The Town Hall of Marsala. The Teatro Impero archipelago hall has long applauded this initiative which brought together several artists from Marsala.
Ignazio has helped many young people in their careers. In February 2014, Katya Pantaleo, a young singer from Marsala, won the Premio della Critica at Sanremo with the song “Come in paradiso” music, lyrics and arrangement by Ignazio.
On August 30, 2014, Chiara Cusumano and Giorgia Vassalo, The Duo Sisters, reached the finals of the Festival di Castrocaro, performing a song composed by Ignazio: “Paura d’Amare”.
And let’s not forget the beautiful song he wrote “Hablando de ti” that he has performed in concert.
And what about the theme song for the Rai Series Makari.

Let me add to this by recognizing Ignazio’s production company, Floki Productions. At 25 he started his own production company. Does this surprise you? It doesn’t surprise me. It makes a lot of sense to me.
Floki Productions I’m sure is Ignazio’s dream. So, where does the dream begin. Nico Arezzo!
In many ways Nico reminds me of Ignazio. He knows what he wants and, he goes after it. Nico was the first artist to sign a contract with Ignazio under Floki Productions.
Nico Arezzo and Ignazio
You will remember that Ignazio released Nico’s song Gorilla on June 30, 2020 (in the middle of the pandemic) in a “Live on Instagram.” Let’s listen to what Ignazio had to say about that:
“On Thursday night we were the first to do a high-quality sound live on Instagram.”
People wouldn’t dream of doing what Ignazio did. What a spectacular show!
While the music world was trying to restart, Ignazio, at age 25, made his debut as a producer. And what a phenomenal production it was!
Ignazio said, “Production has always been my dream. It started with an idea to give a chance to those who deserve a break,” Ignazio reminds us “as it happened 11 years ago to myself, Gianluca and Piero.”
Some of you may remember the interview I did last October with Ignazio’s teacher Ermelinda De Bartoli. (you can read the full interview “Watching Ignazio Take Flight” on www.ilvoloflightcrw.com)  Now I want to go back to that interview and pull out some of the questions and answers which will give you some insight as to who Ignazio really is:
Ermelinda and Susan De Bartoli
Excerpts from the Interview of October 2020….
Susan: Ignazio’s mother said Ignazio was always very serious and responsible! How would you describe him as a teenager?
Ermelinda: I met him when he was only 14 years old. He was at the beginning of adolescence and, he was always joking. He was very attached to his family. He grew up in Bologna because the family moved there for work and, at the age of ten he moved to Marsala when the family decided to return. In Marsala he attended middle school and two years of high school. At school he was playful and sociable, with a very open and modest character. He often told us about his passion for singing which he studied with a teacher. His life as a teenager was not hard, because, as soon as he started his career at the age of 15, his life changed due to the numerous commitments linked to his success and the new path taken with Il Volo.

Susan: Ignazio is very kind and compassionate. Was this something you noticed about him as a teenager?
Ermelinda: He was very generous and affable to everyone. In particular, he was very compassionate towards some pupils with disabilities, with whom he often conversed, holding them in high regard and showing empathy.
I remember an episode one evening after he won Ti Lascio Una Canzone, the whole class with me and another colleague went to the pizzeria. Ignazio was just fifteen and, when it was time to pay the bill, he came to me and said: “Professor, you are my guest.” I understood that in him there was so much kindness in his manner and in his soul, in this case, a kind gesture towards a woman.
Susan: When Ignazio was your student, he was already studying with Lilliana Adreanò. Ignazio said he had a great passion for soccer and, he loved to play every afternoon but, it had been less so after he started taking singing lessons. He said, “I had less free time and then no free time and I realized that singing was more important than all the rest.” How do you think Ignazio saw his future at that time?
Ermelinda: It is true to study singing he began to leave other hobbies. After Ti Lascio Una Canzone despite having been praised by these great Italian singers, who sang with him, I remember that he told all this with great modesty and simplicity and despite the fact that he had won he never spoke of great expectations nor did he delude himself, at least, until the moment in which Michele Torpedine and Tony Renis hired them after a short time, to form Il Volo. I heard the comments on him by experts such as Claudio Cecchetto and Al Bano who, when he told him that he had recently taken singing lessons, were amazed.
Another detail that I noticed is that while he sang, he always kept his eyes closed and he told me that he was doing it because having recently lost his grandfather, who he adored and, it was he who Ignazio thought of while he sang and, he sang with his heart.
Susan: Ignazio went from your classroom to Ti Lascio Una Canzone and immediately became a star. You told me after the Italian program, he just took off. You said you saw him take off! What was it like watching all of this happen before your eyes? Did it seem like it was all happening very fast?
Ermelinda: Of course, having seen him “take flight” in a short time and, see him pass by the school desks, and then on a stage was for me, as for all his companions, a great emotion and a source of great pride.
Susan: Did you see a change in Ignazio during this time?
Ermelinda: Ignazio was still at school, after his first success, and with all of us, he always remained himself … with a modesty and genuineness that still distinguishes him today.
Susan: During the performances Ignazio sang with some really great singers. Massimo Ranieri, Albano, Fausto Leali to name a few. These singers were in awe of him. Do you think that Ignazio understood what was happening to him?
Ermelinda: Yes, these singers were more than in awe of what they heard, they were astonished, something that Ignazio confirmed when we asked him.  And, to think that he was still a kid, and had not yet completed the development of the vocal cords.
Yes, Ignazio from the point of view of his singing ability had already understood in comparison with these famous singers that he had what it takes to become even greater.
Susan: How did your other students feel about what was going on in Ignazio’s life?
Ermelinda: His classmates were very happy and excited. Every Saturday night none of us left the house. We all waited to see Ignazio on TV … and on Monday when he returned to school, for the class, it was a riot and bursting questions, and also a source of pride to kids as they were, to have him as a companion … the little big star, their friend.
Susan: Did you every stop to think about how this all happened? How did a young man from a very simple family suddenly become a superstar?
Ermelinda: It often occurred to me that what was happening to Ignazio was a fairy tale … of those things that you think can only happen in fairy tales. He is a boy with a great talent hitherto unknown, from a very modest family but very united and with healthy values, he was able to tread the scenes of half the world … from his cottage in the countryside to a duet with Barbra Streisand and much more that we know.
The way in which all this happened is told by the facts that there was a first revelation of his talent and Ti Lasco Una Canzone, as we know, could remain there as it happens to many without getting anything else; then as he also said he had the luck of an intuition of the director who suggested to the managers Michele Torpedine and Tony Renis to form the trio.
Susan: How did you feel when Il Volo won Sanremo?
Ermelinda: When Il Volo won in Sanremo, that evening, in addition to the great emotion, I retraced the periods of when Ignazio was still young, always talking with humility about his first successes and I also thought that from the beginning I told myself that he was a phenomenon, so seeing him on that stage, the most important in Italy, was for me just as it was for all Marsala people.
Susan: Finally, what would you like to add about Ignazio that we haven’t already covered?
Ermelinda: I think I have said everything about him of what I know and what I have had the opportunity to perceive. When I talk about Ignazio, with others, I always say that he is very humble, modest and always very affectionate with the people who meet him. I still say: Ignazio, is a beautiful soul.
For Ignazio family is important. They are everything to him. So, please understand that he needs to be with his family right now. You like being with your family. How about posting some nice pictures of the Ignazio we love? Soon he will be in the limelight again. Until then, let’s remember, Ignazio is a Beautiful Soul! Respect that soul!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
If you would like to share a story with me, please email:  susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
To read more Il Volo stories visit us at www.ilvoloflightcrw.com

Credit to owners of all photos and videos.

Ricomincio Dai Tre ~ I Start Again from Three!

I was torn between calling this story “The Man in the Shadows” or “Ricomincio Dai Tre” (I Start Again from Three) because both titles would be so appropriate here. If you follow Il Volo, you certainly know who I am talking about in this story, their manager, Michele Torpedine.  At concerts we see a patch of grey hair and we all say, “There’s Michele.”

Michele Torpedine in a cream colored sweater with arms crossed

But who is this man? And where did it all begin for him?
“Ricomincio Dai Tre” is Michele Torpedine’s autobiography. I said this about the guys’ book and, I will say it about Michele’s book, “If you can read Italian, you need to read this book.” It was so good, I read it in one weekend. I will say a lot of the people he talks about, you probably will not know, unless you’re Italian. Having said this, it is a very good read!
Let’s start by first looking at how the guys came to know Michele.
The day the guys came together singing, “O Sole Mio” on Ti Lascio una Canzone, Michele was at the end of his career. For him it was truly over. All he had done for so many now seemed in vain. But with this vision before him, three amazing teenagers, he was able to see a new light. A light that would start the wheels rolling again. A light that would reveal truth. A truth that never before was revealed to him. A truth he searched for his whole life but would only find in his relationship with Il Volo.
What was this truth? For the answer, let’s go back to the beginning that is the beginning for Michele. Let’s listen to what Michele has to say about his humble beginnings….
In my story, you will find pieces of true stories of artists, such as Andrea Bocelli, Il Volo, or rather, among their stories, you will find mine, that of an Apulian child emigrated to Bologna, the boy who from a studio apartment in a small white house (the Apulian houses are often white), went to the oval room of the White House.
I loved the music, I still love it, the world of music, less.
I was born on 12th May 1952 in a small town in northern Puglia. I don’t remember anything about this place, because I moved to Bologna when I was 5 months old.

Michele Torpedine wearing a blue sport coat

My father was called Salvatore, he was a tailor, he was severe, hard.
My mother’s name was Titina, I lost her when I was 27 years old. I carried her down in my arms, wrapped in a sheet, to the mortuary chamber. She was 51 years old. Hunger, misery and cancer, this was her life, she struggled like a beast, then from one day to the other she fell ill and flew away in less than a year, I still haven’t managed to forgive her for leaving me so early.
In Bologna, we come in search of work and survival, we are poor, but really poor. We lived five people in one room.
At the age of 8, I started to work, with a shoemaker, straightening the nails that were extracted from the soles. At 12 I started working as a bartender, then as a waiter and bellhop.
My brother Nino, at the age of 17, assembled his first battery of drums (drum set), I, who was five years younger than him, began to follow him and learn. I began to work in the evening. I would go to the places where you can play. At the age of 14, I became part of a local orchestra.
At 16, my first dream comes true, a friend of mine called me on a Sunday afternoon and tells me that he was given the task of hiring six bands to open the Jimi Hendrix concert and asked me if I wanted to take part. I accept immediately, I was excited.
Our band is the last one to play before Hendrix enters. Bad fate because people couldn’t wait any longer so they threw booze and popcorn at us.
Things began to improve they call me more and more often.
One evening, all together, we go to see a concert of musicians playing with Ray Charles, the place is packed, that evening he is there too, Ray Charles, at a certain point they tell me they don’t have a drummer and they asked me to play. My legs were shaking, I was paralyzed with fear, but then I calmed down and played.
Michele says that the battery (the drums) is his life, not women, nothing for him is as reliable as a drum set. Michele continues…
Everything goes well, time passes, I was good, but not a genius, I understood that it is better to change.
One day someone proposed that I be a road manager, that is the one who contacts the local promoters, pays the musicians, takes the money, checks that everything goes well.
I plan a series of concerts for artists like Paoli-Vanoni, a great success, things are getting better and better, from one day to the next I became a millionaire, and people began to ask for me.
Michele Torpedine with black shirt and blue jacket
I started a partnership with Zucchero Fornaciari. He is good soul singer, nobody in Italy sings like that. Time passed and Zucchero became very successful, one day he came to me with a beautiful and sad song: “Miserere”, and he says, “this song should be sung with a tenor … let’s try to ask Pavarotti?”
Pavarotti was in America. I have to bring him a demo of the song so he can listen to it. I contact all the tenors I know but nobody wants to do a demo with Zucchero, join the lyric, with them pop was not contemplated by the classical tenors.
By pure chance, a friend tells me that in Tuscany, in a club, in the evening, there is a blind boy who plays the piano and is very good, he also sings tenor songs, his name is Andrea Bocelli.
It was the first time I met Bocelli. No one believed in him, not even himself.
Bocelli agreed to do the demo but, he was fearful because Pavarotti would hear it. He is very good and likeable. He sings the demo in a special way. I tell him to persist with music and he replies that he has won a receptionist competition and that the music will remain his passion.
I fly to Philadelphia to give Pavarotti the demo and, he immediately tells me that he will never sing a song of light music. I asked him to at least listen to the demo and he agreed. I explained to him that the boy who sings is not a tenor but a simple boy who plays for passion and Pavarotti asks me if I’m kidding him, because for years he hasn’t heard such a beautiful voice.
I go home and call Bocelli and I incredulously propose a contract to him. Bocelli doesn’t believe it’s all true.
Michele Torpedine with red microphone
At first it was difficult, nobody wanted Andrea. Too risky! There were always so many bad reviews in American newspapers, but people loved him, that’s the only thing he has always counted on.
The live reaction of the people was a show in the show. Andrea was a great interpreter of emotions he knew how to take on the feelings of ordinary people. This was its added value: to be a common mortal with a divine voice.
As to women, Michele says…
Women, I love them, but I’m afraid of them.  I can’t trust the exclusive relationship with a woman.  I am not so naive as not to understand that beautiful women are with me even for what I do, I am wealthy, I ride in beautiful cars and, I have some power. I never married, but I was almost married. How it ended makes me feel bad today. I was 30, she was from Bologna, beautiful and intelligent. We decided to get married.
I will only say, he cheated and, it was over! Too bad!
As with everything, Michele goes back to his mother….
My mother who I loved very much, left me early, too early, without giving me a way to show all my love for her. My mother could not share with me that little bit of success, of well-being, that I wanted to give her after so many hardships. I had everything from her, and she, she had no way to say with pride “That is my son”. I feel guilty about this.
But there is another woman who has always been important in my life, and it is my sister Liliana, a little friend, a little mother, and always with me even at work, especially in the most important moments.
I must admit that other female figures have been very important in my career. At the beginning, Cristina Gelsi, who followed me in the 16 years with Bocelli. And, now Barbara Vitali, omnipresent in all my activities, almost my alter ego, she lives traveling the world to assist Il Volo.
So, let’s talk about the guys and their relationship with Michele.
In an interview with La Vita in Diretta, Michele was asked, “What has changed, Torpedine?”
I have many enemies, which will increase after this book but, I met the right people: Gianluca Ginoble, Ignazio Boschetto and Piero Barone.
Two photos of Michele with IL VOLO, one younger and one current
Yes, as you can tell from the title of the book, when I met them and put them together as a trio, they were so young… to think that ten years have already passed! With them and with their families, good people, a relationship was born that goes far beyond the professional one.
Together we joke and laugh, then we get serious, enjoying worldwide successes: but the human side, their being real and clean, for me is an added value, which is priceless. And, especially in this environment, is a rare commodity.
So true! This is something we always say about the guys. Something we admire! Their integrity and values are priceless! We admire that they are able to remain grounded being in this environment.
Where there is gratitude, there is Il Volo! Michele continues…
It’s so hard to be told ‘thank you.’ For this reason, the boys, Gianluca, Piero and Ignazio are different: grateful, so much so that I had to tell them to stop making my name and thanking me during interviews or at the end of the concerts, everything seems prepared.
But, of course, we know it’s from the heart! That’s who Il Volo is!
IL VOLO and Michele Torpedine taking a selfie on a balcony in Milan with the Duomo in the background
Asked about whether or not Michele would “Fancy a family.” He replied….
I have no children or wife, I married music. Perhaps the ugly will come later when I turn around and find no one. But at the moment I’m fine with that!
We wonder what did Michele expect when he signed Il Volo?
Another great story started, a new story at a time when it seemed to me that there was no future for me, for my profession: a breath of oxygen in my environment.
After years of disappointment, loss of trust and gratitude, missing or denied, with Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca, Michele rediscovers the values of gratitude. Michele says….
The boys allowed me to really go back to my job.
So where did Michele begin with the boys? He started in a place where he always wanted to be.
Let’s start with trust because they trust me first of all; the administration of an entire world tour, with important figures to move on which I could take what I want if I were dishonest. But they trusted me and so did their parents, to whom, moreover, I have committed myself to teaching everything, the mechanisms, the things that move, the figures, the relationships. All.
So how does Michele describe this trust?
If I had to define the story of Il Volo with a dominant feeling, I would call it, Un Grande Amore – A Great Love!
Many have arrogated the merit of the success of the three boys, which is certainly the result of great teamwork, but it is above all the result of intelligence, humility and generosity of the three families who have not only never hindered my work as manager, but were supportive in the best way: Ercole and Lenora Ginoble parents of Gianluca, Vito and Caterina Boschetto father and mother of Ignazio, and Gaetano and Eleonora Barone who gave life to Piero.
To sum up his life, Michele says,
Many disappointments, mainly human and partly, even professional.
At some point, I found myself feeling more disappointed than ever with music, with the environment I mean. There was never gratitude around me. I found myself tired, eager for simplicity, for pure things. The horizon seems closed to me. One night I was at home, sitting on the couch, three boys, fourteen, fifteen, appear on TV. Of course, they are good, and if I tried to really put them together? A trio, here’s what I could do: Il Volo.
Michele Torpedine standing near a poster of IL VOLO
I think those three determined boys saved me from depression and from the desire to leave everything. Three teenagers, yes, but already great, in all respects. Already great since I first saw them: Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca.
How do the guys feel about Michele?
Let me answer that by going back to last October when Michele was involved in a lawsuit with Tony Renis. Renis accused Michele of violating their contract with the boys. The boys answered with this message about Michele.
We know you well. You have been by our side for more than 10 years. You have defended us from everyone, you have fought for us, you have taught us so much and above all you love us. You always made us understand who we should trust and who preferred to use us for their own interests and for their own personal glory. We are proud to have chosen you and to have renewed our trust, for 10 years, day after day. This is truth that no sentence can hinder. For the rest, just have patience: in the end the truth always comes. In life and in courts.
In concluding Michele says…
I started from a studio apartment in a small white house and passed to the Oval Room of the White House, received by Clinton and Bush. Who knows Ricomincio Dai Tre – I Start Again from Three may become a film!
Michele Torpedine sitting in front of a display of the book he wrote
Maybe it’s time for me to go back to my old career and write the screenplay!
What did we learn from this story? We learned Michele is a very sensitive man.
Before I conclude for today, I would like to talk to you about three friends of Il Volo ~ Fabio Ingrassia, Roberto Amade and Mariano Di Vaio. One of them had some great news for us this week.
Many of you know these men. I’m sure all of you know Fabio Ingrassia. Fabio has performed with the guys in, among other places, Verona. We have all seen him paint to music. It was so exciting to watch Fabio paint Charlie Chaplin while the guys sang, “Smile.” I wrote an article about Fabio, “Fabio Ingrassia…In Black and White Between Colors” (to read this story go to www.ilvoloflightcrw.com) Fabio graces us with his presence every day. We have the pleasure of watching Fabio and Maria raise Noah.
Fabio and Maria Ingrassia with their son, Noah, at the beach
I’ve spoken about Roberto Amade in some of my stories. In 2014 Ignazio and Roberto collaborated on a project in support of young aspiring artists in Marsala. This past year, I did an article about Roberto called, “Leri Cavour.” (www.ilvoloflightcrw.com) This is a restoration project that Roberto and his wife Isabel are working on. Roberto loves spending time with his family. Just this past week we saw Roberto and Isabel with their youngest daughter vacationing in Venice.
Roberto and Isabel Amade and family
And finally, entrepreneur Mariano Da Vaio. Mariano is on social media every day with his three sons. I sometimes wonder, who is the child and, who is the adult. I’m very impressed by how he communicates with his children. It is done in a very playful but intelligent way.  And he is teaching his children to speak English. This week Mariano gave us the great news that he and Eleanora are having a baby. Baby number four! Congratulations! We await the arrival!
Mariano and Eleanora Da Vaio with their three children

 

So, why do I mention these guys? There are other friends of the guys, we know Guiseppe and Eraldo Di Stefano friends of Gianluca and Dario Mirabile friend of Piero.  The reason I chose to talk about Fabio, Roberto and Mariano is they are the three who are married.
I look at these three guys and I see where in the future our guys will be! These three men are married to amazing women and, they have wonderful families.
This week Fabio said something that I think was beautiful. “Hold your babies until you can’t feel your arms anymore. Let them sleep in the bed until they’re no longer afraid of the dark. Kiss them to a ton of kisses. Tell them how beautiful and good they are with every little challenge won. They will grow strong and full of love. So, you don’t need to beg him for anything since he never missed it. These are not vices. They will know their worth because the tireless hug of your arms taught them love.”
This not only sums up Fabio’s family it also sums up Roberto and Mariano’s families. I say to all of you out there, especially all you, young fans, who are ready to move on in your lives and, consider marrying, follow these guys (on Facebook and Instagram) to see how great marriages work. They are all so hands-on in their families. There is so much love between them.
In an interview the guys were asked, “How is it to come home after traveling around the world. You come home and you are famous.” One of them answered something to the effect of, “You need to leave the fame at the door.”
This is the secret to why these three marriages are successful. They truly leave the fame at the door. They always put their families first. I see them interact with their wives and children and I say they are truly great examples for young people!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
If you would like to share a story with me, please email:  susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
To read more Il Volo stories visit us at www.ilvoloflightcrw.com
Excerpts from “Ricomincio Dai Tre” by Michele Torpedine. Interviews with La Vita in Diretta, Sabato Italiano, ilsussidiario.it and TV Zoom

Credit to owners of all photos.

 

How Strangers Became Brothers

Today’s story is about the guys meeting, ironing out the wrinkles, developing a friendship and becoming Brothers!
When these three young men started out, they were 15 and 16 years old. Think of being 15 or 16 years old and you have a dream, and someone tells you that that dream, needs to be shared. To fulfill that dream you have to leave your family, your friends, your home, you have to go to another country and, you have to share this journey with two people who you really know nothing about except that they had the same dream you did. You have to trust that the decision that was made by you and your family, was the right decision. If not, it’s back to square one! You’re going to be lonely and, you have to learn to survive without the people you love. So, you learn to lean on one another. That dependence turns into a friendship and that friendship into a brotherhood. It enabled them to trust enough to collaborate and perfect something truly amazing. Something that revolutionized the music industry. Let me go further by showing you a collaboration by these three amazing, very, very talented, young men that is so unreal that it boggles your mind. This is a collaboration of love. You will notice that the whole Orchestra is in awe and Giampiero Grani can’t stop smiling. Stop and listen to this performance of “Por Una Cabeza”.

Look at how they smile at one another during the performance. A smile that says yes that’s it! Their faces are ablaze! Their expressions let one another know that it works. And, finally, when it’s over, they are so excited they can hardly contain themselves. Look at how their faces are lit up! Their joy is shown in their amazing, smiles and their embraces! This says it all! They are brothers who love one another!
To help you understand this relationship better, I am including an article from October 10, 2019, which was translated by Daniela and, explains in the guys’ own words how they grew together.
The well-known Italian magazine SORRISI E CANZONI TV, dedicated the cover photo and presented a beautiful interview of Il Volo by Solange Savagnone.  But before we begin, let’s see what the guys were up to!
Budapest! The stained-glass window of the room overlooks a square in the historic center. Inside, in a secluded area, a group of people are in tears from laughing. Ignazio has just hit the center, on the third attempt, throwing a cap with his thumb into a mug of beer on the opposite side of the table.
Left to right: Piero (sitting on wall), Gianluca (standing) and Ignazio (sitting on wall) in Budapest
Gianluca, between a miso soup and shrimp in tempura, interrupts the jokes to greet a young Greek tourist who approaches to ask for a selfie. And while Ignazio sings the tune of a robiola commercial and Piero chats with his friend Priscilla Presley, Michele Torpedine uses his chopsticks from his Japanese dinner to present his first career in life, that of a drummer.
The scene seems crazy to us but it’s perfectly normal for the guys.
“We like to say that it is ten years of friendship! Music and loyalty are the most important thing,” explains Gianluca. “We are three leaders and sometimes it is not easy to live together, but we have grown together and, we have helped each other, both professionally and humanly. We are like brothers.” And that sums it up but it’s only the beginning of my article.
Gianluca, Piero and Ignazio in front of a wall in Budapest
The exact day in which their partnership was born was April 25th, 2009, the third episode of Ti Lascio Una Canzone. But of course, this is the part of the story that everyone knows. So, without delay let us go to the interview.
How have you changed since then?
Ignazio: In addition to changing physically, we have grown professionally. On stage, however, we feel the same adrenaline of the early days. Singing for us is not a job, but a passion, a fun, a way to feel complete.
The first time you met, what did you think of each other?
Piero: Ignazio was unpleasant to me. I remember him on the bus he was singing, but he was also the first one I tied with. Gianluca, instead, was in the group of dudes ……
Ignazio: I never thought about this, Gianluca was on the sidelines, but then it was natural to be together.
Gianluca: When you’re small and you’re on Rai1, you do everything they tell you. The program lasted nine weeks and we were rivals, a bit of envy was created and, in those days we exchanged only a few words. But the success we received was incredible.
What’s left of those kids?
Piero: Everything. We are always us and we have fun at every concert. We have the same passion and spontaneity of those times. Before going on stage, we laugh about everything. We do not follow a script. We help each other and we get excited a little. We are not spoiled. We have certain needs, just because we need them to stay healthy and do concerts well. The responsibility we have towards those who work with us, and the public, is enormous. If one of us gets sick and misses two or three concerts, it’s a disaster. So, to avoid the risk, maybe we avoid going to the disco.
Ignazio: Also, because we always sing live. This summer, for example, after the concert in Palermo, I didn’t go out with friends, because the next day we had another concert in Taormina.
Gianluca: Musically speaking, we are always in search of perfection, and we strive to grow and make people understand who we are.
Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio looking up inside a building
How can you grow as brothers without being brothers?
Piero: It was difficult, but lately our relationship has improved. Before, we were spiteful, now we openly say to each other, what is wrong. There is no grudge between us.
Gianluca: There is a difference between being together for work, or by choice. In the first case there is a little tension, when instead we are together to have fun, it is another thing, indeed we should do it more often.
You have very different characters. What is your way of living love, family, friendship and social media?
Ignazio: I am the least social of the three. I know it’s important to keep my private for myself. A little privacy, it takes. My character is particular, I am sensitive, but very strong and hard. I do everything, but you must respect me.
Gianluca: I am a little narcissistic because I need confirmation. In kindergarten, I always asked the teacher twice if I was good. And this insecurity, I brought it with me, until today.
Every day I speak to my parents, my dearest ones, my girlfriend. I vent with them, as well as with Piero and Ignazio. We love each other. On social media, if I put lots of photos, the fans are happy, the haters are a little less, but I continue to be myself.
Piero: We can’t hide anything between us. If I lie, they notice it. With the people I know and choose, I am very generous, open, sunny. But I only trust my best friend, my brother and my sister. I have a big flaw: for me, either it’s white or it’s black, I give you my heart, but if you do me a wrong, you’re dead.
Gianluca: I have learned that we must try to understand why a person behaves in a certain way. I never hold a grudge. Piero instead gets angry, for the criticisms and the free offenses.
Piero: In fact, before I used social media so much, now only for work things.
Left to right: Gianluca, Ignazio and PIero standing on a rooftop in Budapest
The secrets of your success?
Piero: The first is that we study a lot. The second is our manager, Torpedine, who has been following us for years. The third is the music we sing.
Gianluca: But talent and work alone are not enough, sometimes timing counts. To be recognized, you have to be special, and we were the first to perform at a very young age, in bel canto: this struck people’s hearts.
Who are the hottest fans?
Gianluca: Perhaps the South Americans. (Torpedine told us that in Mexico, fans broke through the window of the hotel where they were staying.)
Piero: But even in Bulgaria, they showed us unexpected affection. And the Japanese, apparently so rigid, go wild during the concerts and come to the front of the stage.
Gianluca: Let’s say that with our performances, we help the public to free themselves. We tend to make a very engaging event, not a serious concert.
How can you not let this go to your head?
Gianluca: With intelligence you cannot get carried away by the wave of success, but the people who follow you and the support of the family matter a lot. Staying attached to the origins is the most important thing. If you let it go to your head, then people will notice it.
What are you missing when you’re on tour?
Gianluca: Normal life.
Ignazio: Waking up at home, carrying the dog around, everyday life.
Piero: After the concert at the Arena di Verona, I went home one day and enjoyed that moment, like never before. I felt an immense pleasure in going to the laundry and to the yogurt shop: it was how I did it for the first time.
Left to right: Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca sitting on a wall with the river behind them
Do you want to try your hand at some other musical genre?
Gianluca: If we changed genre, we would no longer be us and people would no longer recognize our music.
In ten years, how do you see yourself?
Ignazio: Ten years ago, they asked us the same thing and we didn’t know what to answer. Our way of thinking has changed: so, I would have answered married, with children, today not. Situations change.
Piero: I don’t know, new artists are born every day, the future is a question mark. We hope not to disappoint the fans.
Who do you want to thank for what you are now?
Piero: If today we celebrate ten years of career it is thanks to the fans, we have grown together and we hope to celebrate with them 50 years of career!
Gianluca: We thank the musical heritage we have, the bel canto, which has allowed us to travel around the world.
Ignazio: Words are not enough to thank all those who deserve it. I say thanks to those who believed in us, Michele Torpedine, our manager, and those who work closely with us. And thanks to life, for what he has given us: voice and luck (words that are tattooed on Ignazio’s arm).
Piero: And thanks to Sorrisi for this cover and for having always supported us.
IL VOLO on the cover of Sorrisi e Canzoni TV magazine
How about when you are on tour or in your hotel rooms etc.
Piero: In the room I always ask that they cover the carpet with sheets, because I am allergic and, I must preserve the voice. I always have two suitcases, a big one with all the clothes and things I need (including Sicilian vacuum-packed almonds and natural tuna in a can) and an emergency trolley, with a second dress for the concert, for safety. And an agenda on which I record the commitments. Including this interview for Sorrisi.
Ignazio: When I’m on tour, in Italy, I always carry my guitar with me, abroad, unfortunately not. I go to the gym in fact we only choose hotels with a fitness area. In the room I relax as much as possible, maybe watching a soccer game on my mobile (I support Juventus). I also play football, as an offensive midfielder, and I’m pretty good. In fact, when I’m at home, every Wednesday, I go to play with friends. And when I can, I make two tennis matches with Piero.
Gianluca: I have no special requests and I adapt easily. I am very tidy, almost maniacal, I keep everything perfectly folded and, I even line up my slippers. I am lactose intolerant and pay attention to what I eat: rice, fish, vegetables, protein snacks and for breakfast pancakes with egg whites and peanut butter. Once a week we “go” with a pizza. I don’t smoke, I don’t drink and, I have never been drunk in my life, because I don’t like losing control. I train early in the morning and go for a run. Sport has changed my character. I have become more willing and disciplined.
Left to right: Ignazio Piero and Gianluca standing in from of a wall with columns with the river behind them
In the final chapter of their book, Un’avventura straordinario, La nostra storia (An Extraordinary Adventure, Our Story) the guys sum of their life story. I can’t think of a better way to sum up my story than by having them sum up their story as they did in their book where….
…. the true and only secret of the success of our three lives is told.
When they asked us to write this book, our first thought was, “Finally,” finally we can tell the truth.” In a three-minute interview you cannot tell a life, but in a book yes.  And that’s what we tried to do in these pages: tell our true story.
Which is a normal story, of three guys like many who had a great passion and were lucky enough to be able to transform that passion into what today makes them live and makes them famous.
Being successful is beautiful, it would be stupid to say no after we have so dreamed and desired, but you need to quickly understand something, and that is, that it is not only our merit.
The people who follow us have a large part of that merit.
And knowing it is what gratifies us the most.
It is wonderful to know that we have shared our emotions with those who listen to us.
That’s why we work, and that’s why we try to give everything when we sing, we live in a concert or recording studio. And that’s why we do our work always with the maximum of passion, so that we can create what for us is magic, the magic of emotion that passes from our voices to people.
Fans are the reason, the only real explanation of what happened to us from 2009 till today, the records, the tours around the world, the victory at Sanremo, what we are finally living in Italy.
During a concert we would like to embrace all the people before us, one by one, we would like to be able to say: “Thank you!” with our voices to all. And we want to thank them if we are in the studio to record, if we fill the halls in concerts, if we are in the charts, if we go around the world.
Our “fans” are everything!
…. for all we have done so far, let’s say thanks to those who have followed us. And we will continue our great adventure together!
I think their interview and the book have come together to show How Strangers Became Brothers!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
Staying in Hungry, today I would like to share with you a letter from Adrienn Gyorffy who lives in Hungry.
Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero on a rooftop with the city of Budapest in the background
Dear Ladies, Il Volo Flight Crew!
I have been reading your newsletter for a few months now, and first of all I would like to thank you for all the news and information you share.  I am a new fan of the guys, and thanks to Il Volo Flight Crew I have learnt a lot from them.
I am not an extroverted person so, I have not commented on the articles, news. But now I have felt an urge to share my story with you and to start a little diary of my last and next couple of days, just for fun, for myself. So, I share my story with you.  It might be interesting for you. A small piece from the other end of the world, from Hungary 🙂
Good to have you, hope you will enjoy my story.
Love, Adrienn

 

My journey to the land of Il Volo ~ Love at first sight
It happened sometime during the pandemic, when people lost their hope, and the well-known world of ours turned upside down. I was looking for something which is stable, predictable, comforting. And it was my childhood, the lovely memories of my first holiday in Italy…
I was about 8 in 1982, when for the first time, I stepped into the land of the “Poisonous WEST” over the Iron Curtain. To a child brought up in communist Hungary, it was like the Garden of Eden. The sun, the sea, oranges straight from the tree (we could get oranges and bananas only a few times of the year if my mom was lucky enough to get a few after hours of queuing, strictly for us, for the children. Even if she was yearning for a bite, she would never eat one as it was a great treasure), and of course Italian music.
So going back to my original story when I started losing my hope during the pandemic, I started listening to the music of my childhood, the music that my parents were listening to, Al Bano and Romina Power, Toto Cutugno, Ricchi e Poveri etc. It brought back all the lovely memories. I was searching on the web for all the old and new appearances of them, when I encountered this:

I was enchanted by the voice of the young guy. He was so cute, still his voice was a miracle. I could feel goose bumps all over my arms. So, I wrote a name into my browser: Ignazio Boschetto…… and I was lost or saved forever!
As I learned, he was not a little boy anymore, but a handsome young man, with two other remarkable young artists, Piero Barone, Gianluca Ginoble – Il Volo.
I have never been a fan type of girl. I learnt musical instruments and loved music and was listening to music all the time, when I was younger, but never had anybody I was rajong (crazy about). But now at the age of 47 it struck me, and specially the impact of their music on me. It brought back the energy, the hope, the love of life, the dreams one tends to lose as time goes by. It pulled me out from the egyszínű (solid) weekdays when I was operating as Mom only. I found my ego and have my dreams and desires back again. Their music has filled me up with vitality and it still does. When I am tired, feeling down or just lost, I listen to Il Volo and I am back to normal, or when I am feeling gracious for my life I also listen to the guys and, I get even closer to the One I have to say thank you for my wonderful life.
So here I was the new fan of Il Volo, reading all the news I could find about them, especially Il Volo Flight Crew, where I learnt their history as well. I was listening to all the interviews. Luckily the English ones were not a problem, but the Italian interviews shows their real personalities, so I decided to start learning Italian to understand them J And I also started to look for the concert venues to be able to see them live. You can imagine how furious I was when I found out at the spring of 2021 that they were in Hungary in 2019. But as a real fan (sometimes I feel like a teenager, they should be fans, not Moms with two children) I didn’t give up. Then the next obstacle was, that during Covid you cannot travel and besides all the concerts were cancelled, but miracles DO happen…
I was at Lake Balaton with my 10-year-old when scrolling the social media, I read somewhere that the only European concert which is not postponed is the one in Croatia. It is 5 hours driving from here…
I am not a spontaneous woman, especially not since I have had my children, but it struck me. I called my husband, saying that I have to go, sorted out the children with the help of my mom and bought the ticket 2 days before the concert. And YES, here I am, I am going to Il Volo concert to Opatija tomorrow!!! Whish me luck and will come back with the details of the concert soon.
The Concert in Opatija 4th July 2021
If you would like to share a story with me, please email:  susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
To read more Il Volo stories visit us at www.ilvoloflightcrw.com

Credit to owners of all photos and videos.

 

 

MARCHE IN SHOP WINDOWS and MORE by Daniela

On July 30th, during the event: MARCHE IN SHOP WINDOWS, the Cassero D’Argento award was presented.
It is an award that the Marche region awards every year to the citizens of the Marche who distinguished themselves during the year. The Cassero represents the fortification that was once the city gate.
Le Marche is a region bordering Abruzzo and is the region where the Frasassi caves are located.
This year, among the winners, there was also Il Volo. Collecting the prize were Gianluca Ginoble and Michele Torpedine. In the following video we will hear the motivation for the award.
MAN = Cassero D’argento 2021 international award to: IL VOLO.
(Gianluca and Torpedine go up on stage)
GIAN = (to Torpedine) Ignazio, you are old !!! 😁😁(laughs)
Good evening everyone and thank you.
MAN = Let’s get off to a good start ☺
Collecting the prize: Michele Torpedine and Gianluca Ginoble, that needs no introduction.
WOMAN = Who rewards?!!
MAN = The president of the Marche Region was particularly keen to deliver the prize: Francesco Acquaroli who is here with us.
Good evening president.
WOMAN = (reads the motivation) They are the group of Italian love songs, a success that never sets. Through their music, they interpret songs of the Italian and international tradition, with a classic style that completely revisits the concept of pop and modern.
After the overwhelming victory in Sanremo 2015, with the song Grande Amore, a song that was then confirmed third place in the Eurovision Song Contest of the same year, the group has consolidated its success to date with six studio albums under their belt.
GIAN = Thanks ! I’m so happy to be here.

Pensive Gianluca

MAN = I would start with the manager for a moment.
This is a number 10 night (the best).
They (Il Volo) score goals, translated in terms of international successes, but behind “the tips” (ie who scores goals), there is the number 10, there is the director who puts the great artists in the conditions of get the results.
GIAN = Torpedine is our Mancini, practically. (Mancini is the coach of the Italian football team that won the European Championships last month)
MAN = Exactly, that’s where I wanted to go. Does this parallelism fit, or does it not? There is talent, there is good work …
TORPEDINE = That’s how it is in football.
In the case of Il Volo, there is a good atmosphere together, things are thought together, indeed, I must say that many ideas, I steal them from them, and then maybe, I develop them well.
But it’s a nice team, we are all together.
GIAN = We are a cohesive group.
MAN = (to Torpedine) When did you start with them, did you imagine they would come to these moments? I think of the Verona Arena and I still shiver, because you enchanted the world on that occasion (he refers to the Morricone tribute).
TORPEDINE = Seeing them at: TI LASCIO UNA CANZONE, everything could be imagined except this.

Michele Torpedine with a laughing Gianluca

MAN = That is, Torpedine, the first impact was NO, we are not there!
TORPEDINE = I was sitting in front of the TV, I saw these three phenomenon children and I thought: let’s see for a moment …. they reminded me of the three tenors when they were small, they had the same size more or less, in the voice.
Then growing up, they put their talent, because when there is the material, it is easy to do our job, it is more difficult when there is not.
MAN = Listen Gianluca, I am thinking of the Verona Arena, but in how many wonderful places in the world have you sung.
To the caves (Frasassi), what effect did this enchanting place have on you?
GIAN = First of all, I am Abruzzese, but I particularly love the Marche (a region bordering Abruzzo), also because I am often in San Benedetto (a town in the Marche) which is half an hour from my home, or Civitanova (other town), and I love this wonderful land, let’s say that I also feel a little bit from the Marche region. (applause)
MAN = We are pleased.
GIAN = I am from Abruzzo DOC (it is the brand that means of controlled origin and is placed on local products), but also a little from the Marches.
I thank all those who have given us the opportunity to be able to perform in such a magical place (Frasassi) one of the most beautiful places in the world and not only in Italy, and that we really want to bring it also internationally, even if not it certainly needs introduction, but it is such an important place, so magical, with the music of Ennio Morricone sung by us, it is certainly a way to bring the vision (of the caves) to as many people as possible. So we are really proud of this work we have done with the Region (Marche) and thanks also to the President (of the Marche region)
MAN = Above all.
GIAN= Above all.
MAN = Rightly, the President wanted to be next to you right now.

Gianluca on stage

WOMAN = So President, you are in charge of tourism, these guys (Il Volo), are not from the Marche region, but they came to the Marche, to shoot a video of theirs, as a promotion of their world tour.
PRESIDENT = First of all, good evening everyone.
Let’s say that ours is an extraordinary region, and I believe that, discovering it more and more every day … to get here, tonight I went a little way and saw some glimpses (panoramas), a truly impressive heritage, maybe we Marche people should to be more aware of what we have and we will also have to be much more proud and then, of course, performers like these artists (Il Volo), who can greatly enhance our extraordinary heritage, is beautiful.
They have created a work of art in a work of art, and this happens, when culture, art, music, combine with an extraordinary work like that of the Frasassi caves, I believe there is a combination that can make beauty even more protagonist.

Gianluca and MIchele on stage

WOMAN = Perfect President. Congratulations, congratulations to all of you.
MAN = Here is the prize, thanks Agnes (the girl who brings the prize).
WOMAN = Give it to the President who hands it over. Torpedine, I’ll keep your microphone, do you still want to say something Michele?
TORPEDINE = No, thanks, I’ve already talked a lot.
(the President gives the prize to Gianluca and Torpedine, and they pose for the usual photo).

Gianluca on stage receiving award

MAN = Delivery of the prize: Il Cassero d’Argento. (applause)
WOMAN = Thank you, thank you, thank you very much from the heart.
MAN = Thank you for allowing this marriage of excellence.
Thanks and congratulations.

Michele Torpedine with Gianluca, Gianluca's Dad, Ercole and three other men

In recent days, another promo has also been released from the Facebook page of the Frasassi caves, here it is.
And then, below a short video with short interviews with Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca, during the shooting of the video inside the caves.
PIERO =  The goal for a singer is to convey emotions, to get something to people’s hearts.
I always say that it is not obvious, to receive affection from the public, to have many fans.
We are three privileged guys, but we feel a lot of responsibility on us, because when we think about the realization of a project, an idea, the first question we ask ourselves is, “Will it create some emotion, will it reach people, will they like it?”
IGNAZIO = Caves are magical places, where everything takes on a different magic.
Sharing this magical place with the maestro Vittorio Storaro (Italian cinematographer who will direct the video) was a great emotion.
GIANLUCA = The melodies of the great maestro Morricone are the protagonists in this wonderful setting which are the Frasassi caves.
We can say that it is one of the most beautiful experiences of our life.

FRASASSI CAVES, THE ENCHANTING NATURE.

But how beautiful and elegant are Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca? And how beautiful the caves behind them.
It will be a beautiful video !!

View inside Frassasi Caves

On July 31, in Naro (Piero’s town), an event was to take place in Piazza Garibaldi, in the presence of the public, where Piero would sing.
Unfortunately, due to the spread of the new Delta infections, the event has been suspended until a date to be determined. Sin.😑

Piero in an ad for Naro Fulgentissima

RAI 1 has decided to re-propose the tribute concert to Ennio Morricone on 14 August at 9 pm (Italian time), well I’ll know what to watch that evening! 😉
Surely many of you have already seen it, but I want to close with this beautiful and meaningful photo of Gianluca walking in the square of Montepagano, with his grandfather Ernesto.
How much sweetness in this shot.❤

Gianluca helping his Nonno across the piazza in Montepagano

And Ignazio ……….. will you say?
He seems that he is very busy with his new love affair with the dance teacher Ana Paula Guedes, during an interview Ignazio admitted that he was in love and that the story began in January …………but these are very personal situations of our guys, it is their private life and we just have to be happy for them. 😉

Ignazio with girlfriend, Ana

That’s all for now.
We have arrived in August, the holiday period, but this year very limited due to the continuous infections.
The situation here in Italy is good, because most of the people got both vaccines. There is a growing spread of the Delta variant, but for now, it seems thanks to vaccines, there are few hospitalizations and few deaths, thank goodness!
I hope that the situation is sustainable with you too.
A hug: Daniela Hug emoji

 

Credit to owners of all photos and videos.