The great evening of the first concert TUTTI PER UNO (ALL FOR ONE) broadcast by Canale 5 has arrived.
What can I say, a wonderful evening that kept people glued in front of the TV.
As promised, I’m sending you the video of the entire concert, which I hope you all can see.
I will try to translate briefly what is said and I will offer you some lyrics of songs that you don’t know.
But here’s the video, good vision, enjoy every moment. ☺
I want to tell you that this is the evening recorded on May 3, the one in which I was not present and therefore it was not raining.
But there is a small piece of the evening of May 1st and you will immediately realize from the rain you will see, and from the waterproof hoods worn by the people, surely the next episode will be much more focused on the rainy evening.
As I already told you, the concert begins with GRANADA, sung in three different musical styles and from three different places, which could not happen at the concert on May 1st due to the rain.
Seeing the Arena di Verona from above is a unique spectacle. The sets are beautiful and the stage presence of the orchestra and choir is really special and then there are them: Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca, unique!
After greetings to the public, GRANDE AMORE sets off immediately.
The first guests are the Pooh, an Italian band with a 50-year career behind them. They are very close friends of Il Volo, they love and appreciate them, years ago when Il Volo was just starting out, the Pooh invited Il Volo during one of their concerts and they sang together and the thing repeats itself tonight, Il Volo and the Poohs united by music and from the beautiful songs of the Pooh, fantastic.
Nicely, at the end of their performance, the Poohs give our boys some good advice:
1= We have never followed trends, don’t do this either and you will always be personal.
2= My advice instead is this, there are three of you, alone you represent 30%, instead together you represent 3000%, this is the strength of the group, remember this.
3= I believe that the Pooh’s real success was a little talent and a lot of passion, the same talent and the same passion that I see in your eyes and in your career, and this is a good sign for you.
Federica Panicucci, well-known presenter of Canale 5, is introduced below, it is the first time she has worked with Il Volo, but there is immediately a good understanding. Her presence will not be intrusive at all.
Ignazio is struck by the beautiful Federica and instead she calls applause for “these fantastic bearers of Italian music in the world”.
Federica explains that during the evening Il Volo will show unpublished moments with solos and duets never performed, just to show their different personalities. Ignazio explains that the three of them also have three different types of fans, mothers like Piero, Gianluca is “the one who catches the most” and children like him. 😁😁😁
Ignazio begins with the solo dedicated to Mia Martini, the good and late singer of this song. ALMENO TU NELL’UNIVERSO. ❤
Follows Gianluca who tells an anecdote of Elvis and then sings SUSPICIOUS MINDS. ❤
Closes the three solos Piero with “VIVA IL VINO SPUMEGGIANTE”, from the opera Cavalleria Rusticana.
This is followed by NESSUN DORMA.
Panicucci enters and asks Il Volo some amusing questions: She asks Piero if they hadn’t become singers what Ignazio would have done. Piero replies that Ignazio would have been a comedian, because when he arrives he brings good humor.
She asks Gianluca in which emergency situation he would never call Piero. Gianluca replies that he would never let Piero cook, because he doesn’t even know how to open a can of tuna.
To Ignazio she asks what is never missing in Gianluca’s suitcase and Ignazio answers the hair dryer and even heels, but then adds a book, because he always reads.
New guest, this time it’s a woman, the rocker Gianna Nannini who sings in a duet classic-rock with Piero: MERAVIGLIOSA CREATURA. ☺
There is a medley of Neapolitan songs: TORNA A SURRIENTO and O SOLE MIO.
A guest arrives, a young Italian singer-songwriter: Francesca Michielin who will duet with Ignazio. Before singing, both read beautiful words I think written by Francesca herself:
IGNAZIO= So, I want to open up, lay bare, tell you the crash of my heart. Sounds like the title of one of those romantic movies, doesn’t it? Which always ends badly.
FRANCESCA= Inside each of us, a chaos of voices resonates, some make us feel insecure, others invincible, some don’t give us answers, others confuse us, and then there is a voice that tells you the truth that we will only understand later.
IGNAZIO= Yes, then love arrives alone, it arrives alone. It’s useless to go looking for him, dressing like Indiana Jones in search of unobtainable love, no. Love comes by itself, and doesn’t show itself when you seek it.
FRANCESCA= One fine day you realize that he has always been there, around the corner, silently, staring at you.
IGNAZIO= Yes, it was right there, that person who, despite making you feel good, tried to push her away.
FRANCESCA= Let’s not waste time looking for something that doesn’t make sense, or holding back someone who doesn’t make us feel good, because in the end, what matters most is feeling good.
IGNAZIO= It’s feeling good.
FRANCESCA= And we deserve to feel good.
Then Ignazio and Francesca sing Billie Eilish’s song: WHEN THE PARTY’S OVER. ❤❤ Very sweet.
Follows: IO CHE NON VIVO SENZA TE
Another young and talented Italian singer: Annalisa who will perform a duet with Gianluca and will sing a beautiful SHALLOW. ❤❤ WOW, what emotions.
At this point in the concert a long piece of the concert I was at is inserted, it is clear from the rain.
The first song is MY WAY.
New guest a young Italian singer-songwriter: IRAMA. Gianluca begins a beautiful song called LA CURA (the cure) written by Battiato, another great Italian songwriter who wrote it for his woman, when she discovered she had a serious illness. The words are beautiful and Gianluca and Irama sing it from the heart. ❤
LA CURA
G= I will protect you from the fears of hypochondria From the disturbances that you will meet on your way from today From the injustices and deceptions of your time From failures that by your nature you will normally attract I will relieve you from your pains and mood swings From the obsessions of your manias I will overcome the gravitational currents Space and light for not to make old you And you will be cured of all diseases Because you are a special being And I will take care of you
I= I wandered the fields of Tennessee How I got there, who knows Don’t you have white flowers for me? Faster than eagles my dreams They cross the sea Above all, I will bring you silence and patience We will walk together the paths that lead to the essence The scents of love will inebriate our bodies The August calm will not calm our senses
G= I will weave your hair like the plots of a song
I=I know the laws of the world, and I will give them to you
G+I= I will overcome gravitational currents Space and light, not to make you grow old I will save you from all melancholy Because you are a special being And I will take care of you Yes, I will take care of you.
And now, Irama, Gianluca, Piero and Ignazio sing together the beautiful song written by Irama to remember his grandmother: OVUNQUE SARAI ❤
OVUNQUE SARAI
I= If you are wind, you will sing If you are water, you will shine If you will be what I will be And if you have time, I will wait for you Forever
G= If you are light, you will warm me If you’re the moon, I’ll see you And if you’re here, I won’t know But if it’s you, I’ll hear it
I=Wherever you will be, wherever I will be In every gesture I will look for you
I+G+P+I= If you’re not there, I’ll understand And in the silence I will listen to you
I=If I’m on the ground, you will lift me up If it’s cold, you’ll burn
G= And I know you can hear me
P= Where each soul has a color And every tear has your name
I= If you come back here, if ever, you know that
I+G+P+I= I will wait for you
Wherever you are, wherever I am In every gesture I will look for you If you’re not there, I’ll understand And in the silence I will listen to you
I will listen to you
I= If you are wind, you will sing
In the montage of the concert for TV, it was cut, but Ignazio said that evening that this song deeply touches their feelings, because he has lost his father, Piero his grandfather and Irama his grandmother. ❤
A blogger wrote this comment: “Seeing artists of this young age who manage to interpret (and well) masterpieces of this caliber is an injection of confidence.”
Small detail, we criticize Gianluca’s shoes a lot, but have you seen Irama’s shoes?? 😁
The concert continues with the beautiful soprano Aida Garifullina, beautiful, talented and elegant, she will play with Piero LIBIAM DE LIETI CALICI
Wonderful ❤❤
Damn it was raining heavily, impossible to get up and we clapped under the ponchos.
The piece from the May 1st concert ends here.
We continue with the beautiful song by Maurizio Costanzo: SE TELEFONANDO
Federica Panicucci returns to the stage. She asks Piero how his passion for singing was born. He recounts the episode in which he goes to a friend of his grandfather’s on an estate. He is struck by the voice of Mario del Monaco who sings A love so great. “That child thus recognized his vocation, that child was me.
I hope I can arouse some curiosity in the people who will listen to the next aria. If only I succeed with just one person here in the Arena or at home, then the goal will be achieved” 😘
Piero sings E LUCEVAN LE STELLE from Tosca. ❤
It’s time for a comedic guest, Giorgio Panariello.
When he enters, he stands in front of a lectern, he is serious and tells an excerpt of the beautiful plot of the film Nuovo Cinema Paradiso by Giuseppe Tornatore.
All to anticipate the new SE song.
Panariello is back and this time in a comic version, it’s a very hilarious skit.
Panariello tries to convince the boys that being three is not good, and proposes himself as the fourth element for Il Volo.
In the end, to show that he is up to this role, they sing the NESSUN DORMA which repeats VINCERÒ and in the highest moment, Panariello doesn’t say “I will win” but says “a draw is enough for me”. 😁😁
Then they perform an Italian song IL PULLOVER and every time someone makes a mistake, first Ignazio and then Gianluca, really nice!!
In the end Panariello, going out, says “But we are friends……(it’s true they are)….don’t call me anymore in your concerts!!” 😁😁
A beautiful and emotional moment follows.
IGNAZIO= Now is a very emotional moment for us, we have decided to sing this next song to reach all the people who have suffered in these years, to all the people who continue to suffer, and to all those people who unfortunately today, we, they watch from up there. Let’s hope that our song, our thoughts, can reach them up there. IL Volo sings HALLELUJAH!
There are no words! One magical moment and people responded by lighting their hearts. ❤❤❤
Immediately afterwards Piero sings with a beautiful song from 1942, VOGLIO VIVERE COSÌ.
Federica Panicucci returns, this time she seats the boys and asks more questions. She immediately asks Gianluca what gift Piero would like to receive on his birthday and Gianluca replies a nice tennis racket and Ignazio jokingly says that he would have given him a watering can for his flower on his jacket! 😁
Federica asks Ignazio what superpower Gianluca would like to have and he replies the power to lengthen his legs. 😁
She asks Piero to tell some funny figure of Ignazio and he tells that in Vienna Ignazio greeted the public saying: “Good evening Berlin”.😁
Federica compliments the boys on their tour that has just finished and a video of beautiful images starts and Federica asks what is the best memory.
GIANLUCA= Seeing people’s faces is oxygen for us and a privilege. We are young and we are living the life we have always wanted to live, and it is amazing how this music overcomes the barrier of language, and reaches all ages, and we are proud to be able to give these emotions to all of you. 😘
It’s time for a solo by Ignazio and he pays homage to Celine Dion. Sing MY HEART WILL GO ON, a part of this also in the original key. Fantastic.❤
At this point begins a tribute to another Italian singer-songwriter: Sergio Endrigo.
Il Volo sings a trio of beautiful songs by Endrigo, starting with CANZONE PER TE, followed LONTANO DAGLI OCCHI and last GIROTONDO INTORNO AL MONDO, this is a beautiful hymn to peace and friendship, in the background war videos, unfortunately …… Piero says: “This song was written in the 60s but unfortunately it is still relevant today.”
Very nice to see Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero putting their hand on each other’s shoulders at the end of the song.
GIROTONDO INTORNO AL MONDO
G= If all girls The girls of the world They shook hands They shook hands Then there would be a roundabout Around the world Around the world
I= And if all the boys The boys of the world Wish once Becoming sailors Then a great bridge would be made With many boats Around the sea
P= And if all the people He shook hands If the world, really He lent himself a hand Then it would be a roundabout Around the world Around the world
G+I+P= What if all the people He shook hands If the world, really He lent himself a hand Then it would be a roundabout Around the world Around the world
The Gianluca concert continues with a solo, the beautiful WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD, a very sweet song. ❤
Now still in trio, Il Volo performs a song well known to us: PIOVE, homage to Modugno.
Followed by a solo by Gianluca with the choir, the beautiful KNOCKIN’ ON HEAVEN’S DOOR by Bob Dylan.
Another guest, the baritone Gianfranco Montresor, in duet with Piero, performs an aria by Bizet in French: AU FOND DU TEMPLE SAINT
Beautiful duet! ❤
Last solo, it’s Ignazio’s turn singing a song by Evanescence: MY IMMORTAL.
How much passion. ❤
Federica Panicucci returns, announcing the end of the concert, greets everyone and makes an appointment for next week.
And how does it end? As it should. HERE’S TO YOU by Ennio Morricone. The three boys descend into the audience to shake hands and take selfies. Very respectful public, people approach them but without causing problems.
It was a very long concert, but what a concert.
I have no words, despite the numerous guests, our boys shone with their own light in every song.
Beautiful duets, magnificent solos.
It goes without saying that the concert recorded the highest ratings of the evening and people’s comments were very many and positive, everyone admired their way of being, polite and never excessive, in addition to their skill. As for the newspapers, only a couple wrote about the concert, the others did not write positive or negative comments, as if there hadn’t been any concert.
But it doesn’t matter, people got it, they’re waking up from their slumber, they really appreciated it.
On this Fanpage.it Facebook page, not dedicated only to Il Volo, which published this beautiful photo with SUPERLATIVES written the morning after the concert, people started commenting and even today after 4 days they continue to write enthusiastic comments, and they are not only written by Il Volo fans, they are all the people who saw the concert, and this makes me so happy.
Francesca Michelin, who duetted with Ignazio, posted this comment:
“I could say that my voice didn’t shake like when I was a child, or that it was a normal performance, but I would say a lie, because it was one of the most powerful and beautiful moments I’ve experienced on stage, I felt fragile and strong like never before thank you very much Ignazio and Il Volo for this shared magic.” ❤
ALL MUSIC ITALIA posted this photo with the caption, and this comment:
IL VOLO, ITALIAN PRIDE IN THE WORLD, WITH THE SHOW ON CANALE 5 HAVE DEMONSTRATED THEIR DUCTILITY, IN THE FACE OF CERTAIN PRESS…..
Yesterday evening on Canale 5 the first of two special evenings full of guests was broadcast, recorded at the Verona Arena, starring IL VOLO.
From La cura di Battiato with Irama to Celine Dion, from Sergio Endrigo to Mia Martini, from the duet on Shallow with Annalisa up to the classical lyrical repertoire, the Italian trio that the whole world loves, and that some Italian journalists snub or boo, has shown flexibility, talent and love for our tradition… which is not something old but tradition, roots and history.
And this news has just been published by I POOH:
AMAZING NEWS
AFTER THE GREAT SUCCESS of the show where we were guests of 3 INCREDIBLE guys, we decided to return the favor, and to invite Il Volo to two unmissable live events in stadiums this summer: July 6th at the G. Meazza Stadium in Milan and on July 15 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca, SEE YOU ON STAGE! 😊
WOW WOW WOW 😊
Well, I have nothing more to add. I await your comments and if you want clarification, please ask me.
And now I’m waiting for Saturday to fully review my rainy evening!!
On May 16th, the weekly SORRISI E CANZONI TV was released in Italy on newsstands, publishing a beautiful interview with Il Volo, and what a thrill to see the faces of Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero on the front page!!! I translate for you:
It’s May 1st, Labor Day (in Italy). But not for everyone.
The first part of “Tutti per uno”, Il Volo’s gala which will be broadcast on Canale 5 on May 27 and June 3, will be staged at the Arena di Verona.
The next day I meet Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble in their hotel, in the heart of the city, tired, happy and above all amazed by the affection shown by the public, who undauntedly, watched the show in the rain, which lasted over three hours: “Nobody left, despite the water, and we got even more excited seeing that they all remained motionless under umbrellas”, Ignazio says, as he bites into a double chicken club sandwich with a side of fries, under the stern gaze of Gianluca and his seared salmon with white rice.
The Arena is an important place for you. In what state of mind do you go up on this stage?
GIANLUCA= “We are three leaders, but very different. With this project we felt the need to show our different personalities and vocalities”.
PIERO= “The Arena allows you to make your every wish come true, both artistically and in terms of production. Then it is a place that attracts the public and for this project we wanted a safe, already baptized place.” (means a place that already has an important name)
IGNAZIO= “It’s not just for this though. We could have done it even in a television studio. But our strength is to sing in front of the audience and charge ourselves with its emotions.”
You have just crossed the 14-year career milestone. Do you realize that half of your life you have spent together?”
GIANLUCA= “We are not related by blood, but by passion. We didn’t choose each other, but the intensity of the emotions we share on stage unites us more than anything else. We must learn to put aside ego and presumption, and listen to each other.”
PIERO= “At the beginning we were three teenagers and everyone thought they were right, we didn’t have the maturity to listen to each other. Fortunately our relationship has also matured with the chronological age.”
How did the idea of these two evenings come about?
IGNAZIO= “Our personal tastes go beyond what we sing. We are having an evolution in our group.”
GIANLUCA=“Il Volo remains the priority, however the lineup of the two evenings has been designed in a coherent way to show who we are.
Piero is the tenor of the group, he studies opera and dreams of one day interpreting one.
I, on the other hand, love American music like Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, John Mayer with his guitars, but also Italian songwriting like Fabrizio De André.
Ignazio also has a soulful voice and can do anything.”
You will sing both alone and with other artists. Can you give us some examples?
You will sing both alone and with other artists. Can you give us some examples?
GIANLUCA= I will sing GEORDIE with Madame (Italian singer), because we both love De André, with Irama (Italian singer) LA CURA by Battiato (Italian singer-songwriter) and with Annalisa (Italian singer) SHALLOW by Lady Gaga.”
PIERO=“I will sing MISERERE with Mario Biondi, and with Gianna Nannini MERAVIGLIOSA CREATURA.”
IGNAZIO=“Instead I will sing with Francesca Michielin (Italian singer). I know her artistically, she is very good at reaching people with her words. We will talk about love. And then with Mario Biondi I will sing NATURAL WOMAN and SEI BELLISSIMA, alone with the guitar. Ah, I will also duet with Orietta Berti! (long career Italian singer).”
PIERO= “And we will sing with Pooh (Italian group), we will almost be a soccer team!”
GIANLUCA= “We would like to say that we are three singers, not just three tenors. But obviously we will also re-propose our classics.”
PIERO= “We will open the show with GRANADA, but in different versions: classical, soul and pop, three like our personalities.”
Federica Panicucci will be on stage with you.
PIERO= “When we created this gala, we thought of a female figure who would help us show small features of our character. We couldn’t ask each other questions or celebrate ourselves. When her name came up, we all agreed. It is correct and balanced. It is the first time that we work together with her.”
Did she put you in line?
PIERO= “We don’t use the hunchback and we don’t follow a script, but the authors give us small inputs to bond with. Then maybe we change the subject and improvise, but Federica is very well prepared, a great professional.”
GIANLUCA= “While they were trying on the lights, she called me to ask me for advice on the dress. I told her that ours would have glitter and so she too chose a long sparkling dress. She put us at ease, we talked about the most and at the very least, it was like we were at home singing with friends. Federica was a nice surprise.”
ALL FOR ONE was the motto of the three musketeers. What’s yours?
PIERO= “We don’t have one, but just before going on stage we always shake hands and look into each other’s eyes. The nice thing is that we encourage each other, especially if one of us is less excited, or has a moment of discouragement, as happened to me yesterday evening: when I reached the last four songs I was mentally tired. Between the rain and humidity, I saw the audience suffer and I felt bad. We sang 32 songs for over three hours in the rain. I couldn’t take it anymore, but Ignazio encouraged me. Unity is our strength.”
What is your routine in Verona?
GIANLUCA= “Even in this we are different. Like Piero, I get up early, I always train and eat healthy, but he loves having everything under control, he is precise and doesn’t rest for a moment. Ignazio, on the other hand, is genius and reckless.”
PIERO= “I get up at 7:30 am, I train (I asked for an exercise bike in the room to pedal 20 minutes before going to bed, because I’m training for the New York marathon), then I have a protein breakfast, rigorously alone and in silence, because I read the news on my computer.
I am very organized and respect the timetables. Before I lived with more anxiety, now I enjoy the journey and arrive on stage serene.”
IGNAZIO= “Before, I too was careful about what I ate and trained constantly. Then my dad passed away within a month. I wasn’t prepared. When these things happen, you change.
Now I try to do what makes me feel good. I’m lucky enough to do what I like and if something goes wrong, patience.
Why do I have to have trouble, or suffer if it rains? We just give our best, tomorrow we don’t know what will happen.
I want to live like this with the sun on my forehead.! (This is a phrase that is part of a song that Piero will perform in the Arena)”
The last time we met was October 2019, to celebrate the collection of THE BEST OF TEN YEARS. In these four years, three of which due to the pandemic, what has happened in your lives?
PIERO= “We have dedicated ourselves to ourselves. This stop has helped me a lot to clarify my ideas and -set myself up- for the future. I have deepened my studies on opera.”
GIANLUCA= “I rediscovered reading and studied the piano, as well as being with my family.”
IGNAZIO= “I too started studying, I fell in love with sound, with how a recording studio works, with how a song is produced. I spent time with my loved ones.
For years we have been in the midst of a storm of commitments, emotions and compromises. It was important to stop and understand what we wanted to do.”
So let’s look to the future, what awaits you after these two evenings?
GIANLUCA= “We are working on a new album. Then in October we will conclude the dates of the world tour that started in May 2022. After three years of standstill, we are back in a big way, without neglecting any continent. We have been everywhere: Australia, Japan, South America, USA, Europe and now we have added a date in Petra, Jordan. We have done more than 100 concerts. It is our longest tour ever. We had so much fun. We returned to the stage with a new awareness, enjoying every moment.”
PIERO= “The public waited for our return for four years, they didn’t abandon us. This is a further confirmation of the people’s affection.”
As usual I’m speechless, but did you read correctly??? Petra in Jordan, wow, wow… but they haven’t said the date yet.
Meanwhile, May 27th is approaching and we will see one of the evenings on Canale 5 and on the same day, Il Volo will be in live concert in Krakow!!
See you soon: Daniela 🤗
May 1st, Arena di Verona, the first of two Il Volo concerts – TUTTI PER UNO and I was there!!!
MAGNIFICENT! 💗💗💗
This single word encompasses everything and must make you understand in a moment my personal opinion on what I have seen, and even if we have seen a beautiful show under an incessant rain, it was wonderful, but now as usual I describe everything from the start.
Unfortunately the forecasts predicted rain and cold for the evening of the concert, but, as usual, we hoped it wasn’t like that.
Instead, all predictions have sadly came true.
The morning started with big clouds and some light rain but nothing special.
Some friends who were already in Verona wrote to me that it was cloudy but not raining and so I was very hopeful for the evening.
As the time to go to Verona approached, the clouds became more and more and it started to rain, a light but insistent drizzle.
We left for Verona, me, my husband, my son’s mother-in-law and Kirsten from Denmark, who came especially for the concert.
Shortly after the finish we entered the Arena and under the ancient vaults, sheltered, all the people put on rain ponchos, in short, we all seemed hooded but we all took our seats and waited for the beginning of the show, unfortunately the rain became more and more insistent.
I tell you right away that I took a few photos and a couple of short videos, because it was difficult under the rain and then I thought after that there would be a good TV shoot.
Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca entered the stage, and………. boy, what an entrance, what a fantastic scenography, all very well organised. They started right away with Granada, but not the usual song, or rather, the usual song but sung in three different ways, right away it was clear that Gianluca, Ignazio, and Piero wanted to demonstrate three different styles, three ways of singing the same song, in fact Piero interpreted in a classic way, then Gianluca in a more swing way and Ignazio in a more pop way, beautiful!! Their clothes were also different and respected these styles, Piero very elegant in a classic way. Gianluca with a full leather suit and Ignazio with a very baggy and soft suit that didn’t do him full justice.
I had prepared a pen and paper to write down the title of each song, and you will have understood that I could not do anything, but there were so many songs, three and a half hours of show without any interruptions and with our boys always present on the stage.
There were a lot of guests, but they didn’t take time away from our boys who duetted with each of them, Italian songs, many unknown to you, but it would be the same if they were new songs.
Some duets have been really fantastic, sweet and important and when there will be the television shooting I will explain better.
Knowing then that Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero believed a lot in this hard work, which was organized entirely by them, I felt particularly proud of the three of them.
Casual, beautiful, kind, and extremely good, they have shown so much talent, so much skill and to be able to range in different styles and not be relegated to performing pieces only for “mature people”, as the Italian audience often thinks, well done, well done !!!
Some parts touched the heart, for what was said and how some songs were sung, but, as promised I’ll explain better later, because some songs have really special lyrics and our boys especially felt this from the bottom of their hearts.
I am referring to Il Volo’s duet with IRAMA, a young Italian singer-songwriter. He presented his song dedicated to his missing grandmother in Sanremo, these words were also perfect for Ignazio and Piero, in fact all four performed the song.
“Wherever you are, wherever I am, in every gesture I will look for you. If you will not there, I will understand it and in silence I will listen to you”, these are the beautiful words of the refrain, which Ignazio sang placing his hand on his heart.❤
The choice of songs was varied, but also modern, all songs that have deep meanings and which I will explain well later.
Ignazio used his beautiful and very high voice to perform songs sung by women, women like Whitney Houston and in some moments he showed his rock side by performing songs by Loredana Bertè, accompanying himself on the guitar.
Piero duetted a splendid MISERERE with Mario Biondi, performed the Cavalleria Rusticana solo and the toast of Traviata in duet with the beautiful and talented Aida Garifullina.
Gianluca dedicated his voice to Elvis, but he also remembered the Beatles and amazed me with the duet with soprano Aida Garifullina singing a splendid Angels.
But these are just a few small examples, because the songs, the duets, the solos were very many and then Il Volo, united, also sang Grande Amore, A chi mi dice, Musica che resta, My way, Ancora, Il Mondo, Caruso, L’amore si muove, Ecstasy of Gold with the choir, in short, lots and lots of music quality.
It was a different concert, but let me tell you, a big step forward our young men have proven to be very good showmen, as well as excellent performers and their voices have always been in the foreground, even with the numerous guests. Even the presence of the Canale 5 presenter was not at all invasive of the time and the little monologue of the actor Edoardo Leo, well done.
As I told you I have made very few videos, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise, there are already many videos on Facebook or YouTube, but wait and you will have the whole show perfectly filmed and explained by me.
I also want to tell you that on this particular evening I was able to notice, and surely Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca also understood it, the great love that the fans of Il Volo have for their favorites, because they resist for a total of 4 hours under an incessant rain and even cold, means to love them very much. And il Volo understood this message, because the following day they wrote:
Thank you Verona, that was wonderful!🙏🏻
Despite the rain that stayed with us for the whole show, you welcomed us and supported us from start to finish with incredible warmth.🤩
We are three very lucky guys and we love you!💗
We’ll see you tomorrow, Wednesday May 3rd for the second “Tutti Per Uno” show, here at the Verona Arena!
The only complaint, the rain, incessant. ☔ This made me very sorry, not only for the discomfort, but for the fact that the audience was unable to fully demonstrate its approval through applause and standing ovations, impossible to get up and the applause was there but under the poncho, really too bad about that!
And now I want to remove a small pebble, because before the concert, when the names of the guests were published, there were many, very many boring and insistent comments protesting for a concert where Il Volo would not have given its best due of the numerous guests, even some offended fans said they wouldn’t come or they would to selling the ticket, and that they was sadness at feeling betrayed.
A good pull on the ears would be good for these people, because they didn’t believe in Il Volo, which has never betrayed us, which has never offered us bad things!!!!
Of course, as I said at the beginning, this is my personal opinion, and when there’s a television video, you’ll tell me yours too.
Another important aspect of the Il Volo concert is the possibility for me to meet Flight Crew friends who live far from Italy, but who have come to Italy for their concerts. The rain prevented some of these meetings, but some happened all the same.
Kirsten from Denmark
Jolanta from Poland
Susan from the U.S.
And then our beautiful nonna Maura, even she, 93 years old, held out until the end of the concert.
I also met Judith from Canada, then Laura and Ugo from Trieste, but I wasn’t able to take a picture with them.
I’m sorry I didn’t meet Maija and her daughter from Minnesota, and our Chinese friend Keisyuu who lives in Rome.
Il Volo is also this, it unites friends from all over the world.
I’m closing like this, concert at the top and now there will be the second part, with lots of other songs, because the program won’t be the same.
Thank you Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca for your beautiful voices and for always being so good!!! 💗💗💗
On April 7, Il Volo, just back from the South American tour, participated in the TV show on Canale 5 entitled “Felicissima Sera —-all inclusive”.
This show is a nice program where they make fun of other programs, it is hosted by Pio and Amedeo, two comedians.
The show started at 09:40 am and Il Volo came on around midnight!!
Here are the photos of Piero and Gianluca backstage during at make-up session…
Here is their moment which I will try to explain better.
After a nice presentation, where the two conductors make a long speech about success and profit, which are not everything in life, Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca arrive and sing My Way.
Immediately after the song and the applause, Pio and Amedeo tell the boys not to leave, because they will have to get involved and Piero says he has always been afraid of the two of them!! 😁
In fact, immediately after, Pio and Amedeo are seated in the audience and exactly next to Giovanna and Alberto, who are the wife and son of Amadeus, an Italian presenter who presented Sanremo again this year.
Pio and Amedeo ironically tell Giovanna and Alberto that they must convince Amadeus to invite the neo-melodic Neapolitan singers to Sanremo who are very famous here in Naples but have not been admitted to Sanremo. To convince Amadeus that the Neapolitan neo-melodic singers are very important, he makes Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero duet with them. 😁
Really nice: Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero dueting with the three neo-melodic singers and the finale was really fun, with the introduction of freshly baked croissants, a classic in Italy in those very early morning hours.
Ignazio can’t resist and immediately bites into a croissant, Gianluca holds it in his hand and says the final goodbyes, and Piero, he’s upright and resists hot croissants……..but it’s not really like that and then you’ll understand why. 😁
Pio and Amedeo thanked il Volo saying that the three of them were on tour from the other end of the world and when they called them to take part in the show and also learned that they had to duet, they immediately said yes. ❤
And that’s why I was telling you that even Piero couldn’t resist the deliciousness of the hot croissant, in fact, backstage…………and with some sweet additions of Nutella!!!
Piero says “I can’t eat, I’m also intolerant to dairy products!!”……but he can’t resist.😁😁😁
Furthermore, in the backstage of the broadcast, Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca also met their godmother, Antonella Clerici, who introduced them in 2009, exactly in April, during “Ti lascio una canzone”, 14 years have passed, but Antonella is always been very affectionate with them. ❤
More photos from the evening.
But there is also another novelty, the promos announcing the two concerts that will take place on May 1st and 3rd in the Arena are circulating on TV.
Here is the first promo, broadcast during the Tele-news in Canale 5.
GIANLUCA= They will be two unpublished events, you will see us in a guise, like you have never seen us before.
VOICE= The boys of Il Volo, come back to perform live in Italy.
PIERO= Each of us…..
IGNAZIO= Don’t tell anything, May 1st and 3rd come to the Verona Arena and you will see everything.
GIANLUCA= A completely new show.
VOICE= Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio, TUTTI PER UNO (ALL FOR ONE) the title of the highly anticipated live event of the trio, in the magical setting of the Verona Arena.
IGNAZIO= See you at my concert at the Arena di Verona…
PIERO= No, to mine….
GIANLUCA= …. to my, to my…
PIERO= We know that we have three different voices….
GIANLUCA= We would like to highlight this thing.
VOICE= After a long international tour that has just ended in South America.
GIANLUCA= There we sing most of the songs in Spanish, and it’s nice to see such a different culture passionate about our music.
VOICE= Their extraordinary and unmistakable voices will thrill the audience for two incredible evenings that we will soon see on TV on Canale 5.
GIANLUCA= They will be aired soon on Canale 5, you will see us in a new, different guise.
IGNAZIO= I’ll wait for you at my concert.
PIERO= See you on Canale 5, from the Verona Arena.
And then also this nice promo. 😁😁😁
GIANLUCA= Hi, I’m Gianluca and I’m here to meet you at the Verona Arena for a special occasion.
PIERO= Hi, I’m Piero and I want to meet you at the Verona Arena for a special occasion.
IGNAZIO= Hi, I’m Ignazio, actually it’s me who has to give you a special appointment at the Verona Arena.
GIANLUCA= (towards Piero) Excuse me, but what are you doing here?
PIERO= I’m making an appointment at the Verona Arena for something of mine.
GIANLUCA= But like your thing….
IGNAZIO= Hi, did you say I’ll be at the Verona Arena?
PIERO= No, I’m there!
GIANLUCA= We’re not joking, I’m there!
PIERO= Guys, I booked it for me.
IGNAZIO= I’ll be waiting for you…
I+P+G=….At the Verona Arena!
That’s all for now, I’m getting ready for the concert on May 1st, how exciting.
The two concerts will then be broadcast on Canale 5 on May 20 and 27, but I will give you a good report of the concert on May 1, waiting to see the entire Canale 5 recording.
I will also meet several Volo-friends, it will be wonderful!!
Two years ago, I wrote a story called Moments to Remember. It was moments from the time the guys met in 2009 until 2021. Those were great moments, and I will talk about them again in this story, but I will also add some more recent moments to remember on this Walk Down Memory Lane.
Let me start by saying in the United States there is no better sport or more favored sport than Baseball. It’s a part of American culture. It’s one of our great American pastimes. Every kid in America has a baseball team they root for. Boys are more passionate about it, but girls certainly are all on board with it.
As a child living in New York, I had a choice. New York Yankees or Dodgers. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, so this one is a no brainer. Dodgers, it is! I even forgave them when they moved to LA. That’s true love!
So, what am I getting at here? Americans are passionate people and we, like other countries in the world begin every event, every gathering of large groups of people with our National Anthem. For me, when I hear the Star-Spangled Banner, I rise, put my hand across my heart and I sing. What does this all mean? To me it means that I am thanking God for being an American, for having the opportunity to live in America where we can stand and sing our Anthem. Where we are free to go to any house of worship to pray and where we can say what we believe in the privacy of our homes or on our streets. The home of the free and the brave. We all know who those brave people are. There is no need for me to get into it.
But why am I telling you this at the beginning of an Il Volo story?
Today when I was watching Ignazio’s CHAT on Bosky TV I asked him this question, “What was it like to sing the American National Anthem at the opening of the Dogers game?”
His beautiful reply was, “It was great, one of the best experiences of my life! One of the BEST experiences of my life!”
So, let’s start this story with “one of the best experiences” of Ignazio’s life, the day the guys sang our National Anthem.
What I love about all of this, beyond what Ignazio said, these young men were proud to sing our Anthem. Furthermore, on many American holidays, wherever they are they sing our Anthem.
This video is when they sang it in New York with Bruno Vespa on a special Porta Porta! It was to honor those lost on 911.
Guys for us you are Americans! As teenagers you were indoctrinated into our culture, and we are so proud of you!
On July 11, 2013, after singing our National Anthem in Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles they met an American legend, Tommy Lasorda. Tommy Lasorda was a baseball player and coach for the Dodgers. Lasorda coached the Dodgers for 20 years, from 1976-96. He passed away on January 7, 2021, at the age of 93.
Il Volo and baseball, what a score!
If I asked you “What would you consider to be a memorable moment in the career of Il Volo?” I’m sure you could come up with at least 10 if not 50 moments. So, I needed to take these moments and decide what I thought were the most memorable and the following were my choices for memorable moments.
So where do we begin? Well, you might say the night the three won not just Ti Lascio una Canzone but, the greatest prize of all, their destiny, Il Volo. Yes, that certainly was a memorable moment but, I think there was a moment before then that was very important and very memorable. Gianluca points to that moment, “I thought there were three hundred thousand boys singing like me, and instead that night I discovered that there are only two: Ignazio and Piero.” Of course, Gianluca was referring to the night they sang together for the first time on Ti Lascio Una Canzone. So, let’s begin there with a man who gets a great surprise on that night!
For the fourth episode of Ti Lascio Una Canzone, the boys are given the music for “O Sole Mio.” They walked out on the stage, sang “O Sole Mio” and walked off stars!
Alone in his apartment, Michele Torpedine was sitting on his sofa with the volume off on his TV. The show he was watching was Ti Lascio Una Canzone. He keeps looking at the screen and he suddenly thinks, Ignazio reminds him of Luciano Pavaroti, Gianluca seemed similar to Jose Carreras and Piero is similar to Placido Domingo. He still had not heard them sing. Out of curiosity, he raised the volume and Michele says, “Here I am aware of another element, that is even more important than the first. The three casually put together to sing a song of the program possess an incredible vocality for their age.”
At this point Michele’s head is spinning. He’s thinking these guys are good and again repeats it to himself, they’re good! He thinks, “What if I try to put them together seriously? A trio, he tells himself.”
The rest is history!
We Are the World for Haiti
In 2010 shortly after arriving in America, the guys were invited by Quincy Jones to join “We Are the World for Haiti,” together with 80 international artists such as Celine Dion, Bono, Lady Gaga, Carlos Santana, Barbra Streisand, Enrique Iglesias, Usher, Natalie Cole. Il Volo were the only Italian artists to be invited. The three voices from the background caused such a sensation. “Who was that?” Everyone present couldn’t believe what they were hearing but, “Who were they?” Soon they would find out!
Barbara Streisand’s Back to Brooklyn Tour
In 2012 Barbra Streisand invited the guys to be an integral part of her “Back to Brooklyn” tour. They performed with her in America and Canada. They were not an opening act, no, they shared the stage with Barbara. To the guys this was a dream come true!
2014 Latin Billboard Music Awards
In 2013, “Más Que Amor” was certified “Gold” in Mexico and Argentina. And this catapulted the guys into the Latin market. From that day on they took the Latin market by storm. In February 2014, they receive two nominations at the 2014 Latin Billboard Music Awards, as “Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Duo or Group” and “Latin Pop Albums Artist of the Year, Duo or Group.” At the awards show they were awarded as “Best Group of the Year in the Latin Pop Album” category and they also won the “El Pulso Social Award,” as the artist who dominated interactions on social networking sites during the Billboard Awards. This is unheard of! Three Italian kids taking over the Latin market! What a win!
The Christmas Concert at the Italian Senate, December 21, 2014
Ignazio wrote in their book:
We want to talk about the thrill of singing in front of the highest offices of state! What twenty-year-old boy has something like that happen? It happened to us, and it seems to me a beautiful result, an honor. You cannot imagine the emotional feeling to be called “guests of honor” inside the Senate. We were accompanied by the, fantastic, Filarmonia Orchestra Veneta conducted by Diego Basso. Half the beauty of the song is in the orchestra.
The most exciting moments? Everyone! But the hymn of ‘Mameli’ was the heart-pounding one, the first song, singing in that place, with everyone singing along with us, including Giorgio Napolitano, (President) and Pietro Grasso (President of the Senate). It is one thing that I cannot explain.
And then, of course, the pleasure of shaking hands with the President of the Republic and of feeling that he knows Marsala, he has been there.
Sanremo Music Festival 2015
On February 14, 2015, the guys participated in and won the Sanremo Music Festival with “Grande Amore.” This is the top award in the Music Industry in Italy. With this win the guys really came home. They were finally recognized by the Italian people. This win also gave them the opportunity to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015.
Eurovision 2015
As Italy is a member of the Big Five, Il Volo went straight into the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest, which was held in Vienna on May 23, 2015. Grande Amore came in 3rd with 292 points but, they won the televote with 366 points and won the Marcel Bezencon Press Award, as best song according to the collective voting of the accredited press. The extended play Sanremo Grande Amore was released in Italy on February 20, 2015, and it was certified triple platinum by FIMI. At the Latin Billboard Awards, they dominated the social networking sites and now, they win the televote and the best song according to collective voting by the accredited press. The people speak!
Piazza Santa Croce in Florence, July 1, 2016 “Notte Magica”
2016-2017 were the years dedicated to the “Notte Magica” project, the tribute to the 1990 event where the Three Tenors, Josè Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti, enchanted the whole world from the stage of the Baths of Caracalla. On July 1st in Piazza Santa Croce in Florence Il Volo presented on stage “Notte Magica – A Tribute to the Three Tenors,” which was broadcast in prime time on Canale 5. The guys were joined by Placido Domingo who conducted the orchestra. This marks the beginning of the world tour of “Notte Magica – A Tribute to The Three Tenors” which debuted on March 4, 2017, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The show was sold out. After 15 stops in the United States, all sold out, the tour is extended to Europe from May 5, 2017, for 29 performances and from September it extended to Latin America. The concert “Notte Magica – Tribute to the Three Tenors” was filmed and broadcast in the United States by the national television network PBS, and in Italy by Canale 5 and, starting in June, it was broadcast in over 500 cinemas in Italy and around the world.
Ignazio Conducts the Asti Symphony Orchestra on Jul 5th, 2017
During the rehearsals of the last date of the Notte Magica Tour in Naples, Ignazio steps in as conductor of the Symphonic Orchestra of Asti while Maestro Marcello Rota sings Ignazio’s tenor part! They sang “Libiam ne lieti calici.” Ignazio had everyone in awe of his performance as a conductor. The guys enjoyed singing with Marcello who usually conducts for their Concerts. Gianluca enjoyed it so much that he hugged Marcella in the middle of the song! All good sports! They all had lots of fun! A unique performance!
World Youth Day Jan 27, 2019
If you ask the guys after winning Sanremo, which truly brought them home, “What was your greatest performance,” they would probably answer, there were two. Singing for the Holy Father at World Youth Day was one of the most amazing events in their life!
The night they turned on the lights!
The SMA Awards September 12, 2020
The guys went to the Verona Arena to perform at the first live performance since everything thing was shut down in Italy in March 2020.
Before the show they were stopped and asked this question by a woman reporter:
Reporter: You are international entertainers therefore you know how much the live dimension is missing. But above all you have defined the stage as your natural element. So, how is it for you to return to a live performance tonight?
Ignazio: It’s like giving candy to a baby. We are happy because we missed it. We missed it to die for but not only for our personal thing but because this is to me the music slowly restarting with the safety measures. But we are restarting it all with Italian music. It’s like I am starting again to grow up on stage and hope that it can be a message of hope for the groups, in the cities, in the emerging local areas who want to start making music. We have to continue making music and we hope that by 2021 full concerts and full live.
It was an absolutely beautiful statement that said it all! What I liked best about this statement was Ignazio saying “It’s like I am restarting it all with Italian music. I’m starting again to grow up on stage…” What did he mean? This time he is starting in Italy not America. He finally feels like he is at home! Bravo Ignazio! You are home.
When the guys arrived on stage, they had a message for the world and all people in the industry.
Ignazio:2020 will be remembered as the year where the world would be constrained to be turned off.
Gianluca: For the music employees the verb turnoff means the end of the show, when the curtains close and it is the waiting moment for the next show, but this time the waiting lasted more than expected, the silence was unavoidable.
Piero: Now, the world is getting ready to start again! Now the moment has arrived to raise the curtain! Now, we will turn on the music!”
After they sang Carlo Conti and Vanessa Incontrada spoke with them.
Conti: Il Volo
Vanessa: What a moment you made us live, what can we tell you?
Conti: Thanks guys.
Gianluca: Good evening everyone.
Conti: I must say: You are always better!
Vanessa: Guys we were, Carlo and I, in silence looking at you, with goosebumps, good!!
Of course, for Puccini’s Turandot, but also for what you said at the beginning.
Ignazio: Yes, it is a doubly exciting moment, because we have been standing still for some months, with music on the stages. There is music on social media, but on the stage it is a different emotion, and especially it was a great emotion to remember all those who unfortunately left us, due to this Covid.
It was dedicated to them. My thoughts go to them and all their families.
Conti: You three are wonderful stars who travel the world and bring Italian music up in the world.
Vanessa: Singing live, of course you miss it, but what do you expect from this future?
Gianluca: Here I read a billboard that says: ‘Not even a pandemic will stop the music,’ that’s the point. This year’s motto is let’s turn the music back on, but in truth, the music has never turned off, and it has kept us company all these months. As Ignazio said, especially for us, it is our job and we missed it a lot, not being able to sing for all of you. Sooner or later, we will start again, we will go back to singing in concerts, which are a way to escape from the world, two hours of joy and tears.
Vanessa: For you and the entire audience, it’s obvious.
Piero: When we leave the house, our fans often ask us when the concerts will resume. We want to say that this is an evening of hope, and to tell everyone that in 2021, in any way, we will return to the stage.
Vanessa: Good.
Conti: You were supposed to be here just a week ago in concert, instead it’s postponed. It’s just, all just postponed, but we’ll be back. Thanks, Gianluca, thanks Piero, thanks Ignazio.
Vanessa: Thanks for being here with us.
Gianluca:(addressed to the audience) We love you.
Gianluca, Piero and Ignazio: Bye!
Conti: Great protagonists of this evening, they had the task of starting the official part.
This beautiful statement was followed bythe performance of the evening.Their choice of“Nessun Dorma”sent an even stronger message. It’s says, we may have to perform under these new world conditions, but we don’t have to change who we are or why we’re here. In this ancient Arena we look to the past while following the path to the future. From their first note the whole arena lit up. Their voices were clean and crisp. Their presence was illuminating. Their notes rose above the Arena into the night sky to let the world know music is back! The final note of their song sent the final statement. All three voices rose in unison and their voices sent forth a note that took our breaths away!It said We Have Returned! Turn on the Lights!
New Beginnings!
Verona ~ Il Volo Sings Morricone
One of the most memorable Il Volo concerts in history. They walked on the stage and set the world on Fire!
In my story Phenomenal, I say I could write a book about this concert, and I could but, this is what I had to say about the opening number, The Ecstasy of Gold.
The first note and we immediately know it’s “The Ecstasy of Gold.” The whistle of the wind!
The setting is gold! Then white! Then gold! Look at the gold flecks that come in and out! The orchestra vibrates! Each note intensifies our senses. We’re drawn to the back of the stage To a tunnel where we know our guys will appear! The focus is always rear center stage! The lights change to intense red and now we are looking at the stage from the back of the arena. We are coming forward. The shadow of Il Volo turns into a force that is coming towards us! Thetheme of the concert is set!
Listen to the intensity of their voices! What force! Watch their motions. Look at Gianluca! Watch his body react to the music! The fist that comes at you saying this is the punch, just the beginning. Listen to how Ignazio rides the note that guides us into the story! Now we’re sailing on the wind! Piero intensifies the moment with his powerful voice that says the journey has begun!Follow us!
For me, this was one of their most amazing concerts! Very memorable! To read more about it got to www.Ilvoloflightcrw.com ~ Phenomenal
Por Una Cabeza, Il Volo at Luna Park Buenos Aires October 30, 2019
So, I will end by going back to the beginning. This last moment tells me how far the guys have come and how the strangers became 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 their smiles, their faces are lit up in joy and their embrace says it all! They are brothers who love one another! This is truly an amazing moment!
So, we end here with some of the most memorable moments in Il Volo history. It was an amazing Walk Down Memory Lane that leads us to where they are today! Back on the road sharing their lives with us!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
