All in the Family

This little girl’s voice is quite something – maybe it’s because she shares the same genes as her grandfather, Luciano Pavarotti! She’s only 11 years old but her poise – and also her power when she belts out the notes – is pretty impressive. She definitely needs some voice training to perfect her notes, but for only being 11, she is amazing! Plus, in this video, she’s singing one of the most beautiful and soulful songs ever – and I have to say that her interpretation of this song is very moving! She probably doesn’t really understand the meaning behind the lyrics, but she sure knows how to evoke the appropriate emotion!

Zucchero’s Black Cat Live Tour

Last night I got the chance, once more, to see Zucchero live in San Francisco! This time he was performing at the iconic Palace of Fine Arts! The setting was great, with the most comfortable seats ever! We got to enjoy them when we weren’t standing up to dance and move to the great beats! We were in the 3rd row, with a great view!

Zucchero put on a great performance – I’m always amazed at the stamina these performers have! He played straight for about 2 1/2 hours, never taking a break! His band was great, too! He had players from Italy as well as from the USA and they were incredible musicians! There was a sultry violinist that played front and center and she was definitely a show stopper!

He began the concert with some of the songs from his new album, Black Cat. The songs were good but I have to say that, sadly, they weren’t my favorites. After introducing these new songs, the rest of the night was spent playing lots of his other songs, which were amazing. He played the guitar on many of them, with his mesmerizing voice booming all the while! One of my favorite pieces was Miserere – they piped in Luciano Pavarotti’s voice from the original duet they had performed many years ago, along with the music video from that performance. This was simply stunning! Zucchero singing live while Pavarotti’s voice boomed from the recording! You can only imagine the emotion!

 

Zucchero spoke to us in his excellent English, even though he claims it’s not very good! He loves San Francisco and it shows! And it seems that San Francisco loves him right back! I saw so many of my Italian friends there – friends from my childhood that I haven’t seen in ages! The Italian community in San Francisco is timeless and seeing these special people is always a priceless treasure!

 

La Befana Vien’di Notte….Trullalla!

 

I posted this a few years ago….and wanted to share it again for a nice Holiday tradition!

Tonight’s the night….are your stockings hung?  All over Italy, children are awaiting the loot they will find when The Befana comes to visit.  And all women are getting ready for their day….or are they?  There’s always the question if being wished “Auguri” tomorrow is a good thing or not, since La Befana is an ugly old witch….and does it mean that whoever is wishing us cheer is thinking we are like La Befana?  Quite a dilemma, huh?  The story of La Befana is a cute one, and you can read about it on my post here:  La Befana by Tesoro Treasures.

But today, I wanted to share a fun little song from 1978, sung by the great Gianni Morandi, about La Befana.

Enjoy!

Trullalla, Trullalla!

The Befana comes at night

With shoes all broken

With a sock

Around her neck

With carbon, with iron, with brass.

On her broom

To fly

She comes from the sea, She comes from the sea.

And the snow shall fall

On the deserts of Maharaja

From Alaska to Canada.

She’ll need to leave

And she’ll sing while she leaves.

She’ll dress like a woman from the South

And with the sock she’ll arrive.

The storm will win,

And she’ll sing “Trullalla”

The Befana will arrive…

Trullalla…Trullalla!

A child,

The size of a little mouse,

Inserted himself in the chimney

To see her closeup.

When she arrives,

The Befana,

Without teeth,

Jumps and dances for some wime.

Then, hiding, she backs away

With the night stuck to her skirt.

And a warm wind will blow

on the deserts of the Maharaja

From Alaska to Canada.

Only one star will shine,

and she’ll have to follow it

to fly towards the North..

and the road is long, but

the storm will win.

And singing Trullalla

The Befana will go.

The Coldest Piano Concert Ever…

Italian pianist and composer, Ludovico Einaudi, braved the cold and chill to perform a piano concert on a floating platform in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, near the Wahlenbergbreen glacier in Norway. He was assisted by Greenpeace and together they orchestrated this endeavor to demand protection for the Artic. During the concert “Elegy for the Arctic”, I was worried that the reverberation from the piano would cause some commotion on the glaciers and at one point, it did. Whether it was related or just coincidence is hard to tell, but scary nonetheless. The backdrop is stunning and the music, though a bit long, is eerie and mysterious.

Buon Natale Se Vuoi

As we approach the Christmas holiday, I’m inspired to post a beautiful song sung by one of my favorite Italian artists, Eros Ramazzotti! His songs always have beautiful lyrics as well as moving music. This one speaks of the peace that Christmas should bring, but that is sadly missing in our world today. The official music video (which you can see here and which I could not embed into this post) was filmed under the gorgeous porticos of Bologna and shows Eros dressed up as a homeless man, meanwhile another famous Italian artist, Biaggio Antonacci, poses as a taxi driver. This song about Christmas is from his latest album Perfetto!

LA NOTTE VISTA DA QUI
SEMBRA BELLISSIMA
STELLE CHE ACCENDONO IL BLU
QUANTA LUCE C’E’
ECHI DI UN ALLELUJA
CHE NON SI SPENGONO MAI
OGGI E’ UN GIORNO SPECIALE, E’ NATALE ED E’ SEMPRE COSI’

DIMMI PERCHE’
E’ NATALE MA PACE NON C’E’
“BUON NATALE” MA IL SENSO QUAL E’ ?
UN SALUTO FORMALE NON E’
COME AMARE, QUANTI SOGNI FANNO GLI UOMINI
CHE IN UN GIORNO VANNO VIA
“BUON NATALE” SE VUOI, QUELLO VERO CHE E’ DENTRO DI NOI
DENTRO DI NOI

LA NEVE CHE CADE QUI
MI SEMBRA CANDIDA
MA NEL SILENZIO CHE FA
C’E’ UNA GUERRA
IN OGNI TERRA A META’
CHE NESSUNO MAI SALVERA’
ANCHE UN GIORNO SPECIALE FA MALE E TREGUA NON HA

DIMMI PERCHE’
E’ NATALE MA PACE NON C’E’
“BUON NATALE” MA IL SENSO QUAL E’ ?
UNA FRASE FORMALE NON E’
UN PENSIERO CHE VALE PERCHE’
C’E’ UN NATALE SE VUOI
MA PUO’ NASCERE SOLO DA NOI
DENTRO DI NOI

STELLA COMETA SARAI
STELLA PURISSIMA
SE DALL’ALTO DEI CIELI UN BEL GIORNO LA PACE VEDRAI

DIMMI PERCHE’
E’ NATALE MA PACE NON C’E’
“BUON NATALE” MA IL SENSO QUAL E’ ?
DUE PAROLE DA DIRE PERCHE’
E’ NORMALE
CRESCERA’ UN ENORME ALBERO
QUANDO FINIRA’ QUESTA FOLLIA
UN NATALE VERRA’ E PER SEMPRE CI CAMBIERA’
CI CAMBIERA’… CI CAMBIERA’

***************************************************************************************************************************************

The night seen from here

Seems beautiful.

Stars that light up the blue.

How much light there is.

Echoes of an alleluia

That never turn off.

Today is a special day, it’s Christmas and it’s always like this.

 

Tell me why

It’s Christmas but there’s no peace

“Merry Christmas”, but what does it mean?

A formal greeting, it is not

Like loving, how many dreams do men make

That disappear every day.

“Merry Christmas”, if you want, that which is real inside of us

Inside of us.

 

The snow that falls here

Seems like a cure

But in the silence it makes

There’s a war

In every country divided

That no one can ever save

Even a special day is bad and there is no truce.

 

Tell me why

It’s Christmas, but there is no peace

“Merry Christmas”, but what does it mean?

A formal phrase it’s not

A thought that means something because

It’s Christmas, if you want

But it can only be born from us

Inside of us.

 

Comet star, you’ll be

Pure star

If, from high in the heavens, a beautiful day of peace you’ll see.

 

Tell me why

It’s Christmas, but there is no peace.

“Merry Christmas”, but what does it mean?

Two words to say why

It’s normal

To grow a huge tree.

When will this folly be over

A Christmas will come and it will forever change us

It will change us…It will change us.

 

 

The Other Woman….

Recently, I’ve been listening to some old music by the Italian group, Pooh!

This group has been around since the mid 1960’s, and their songs always seem to tell a story.  I know that lots of people listen to music for the pure joy of the melody, while others listen carefully to the words.  I am one who always listens to the lyrics, and many times I try to figure out what the song is trying to say!  Most of the times, I can figure out the hidden meaning, if there is one, but other times, my imagination probably gets the best of me!  One of their songs that always makes me wonder is L’Altra Donna (The Other Woman).  When I listen to the lyrics, I’m touched in conflicting ways.  The song is a type of beautiful love letter to someone they can’t have, but also to someone that they don’t want to have. The singer is obviously married but is singing the song to his mistress.  I can’t help but get angry at the singer – he seems to want his cake and eat it, too.  He is getting all the benefits of having a wife and a mistress, but yet is being unfair to both of them.  I know that infidelity is rampant everywhere, but it seems to me that this song rationalizes its merits because the man is singing about love for his mistress (which proves he’s not a total cad) but yet, he won’t leave his wife for her.  In Italy, and not just in Italy but lots of other places too, I feel that the institution of marriage is sacred, but the vow of infidelity is often times ignored.  Therefore, men and women have lovers but yet, they will not leave their families for that lover.  That’s a good thing, don’t get me wrong, but I often wonder where that leaves the lover, especially if they don’t have a spouse.  And it seems to me that the only one who wins, is the one who is doing the cheating!  I’d love to hear your thoughts on the song – what do you think they’re trying to say and how does it make you feel?

L’Altra Donna

È ancora tutto all’aria da ieri sera,
è più comodo in albergo,
paghi il conto e te ne vai;
ma in certe cose tu ci credi ancora,
far l’amore nel tuo letto,
prepararmi il tuo caffè;
è poi mi lasci andare via, quando è ora,
perché ognuno ha la sua vita,
e la mia non è con te.
Sei l’altra donna,
la libertà,
quella che sa e non può dir niente,
quella che all’alba rimane sola,
e che non può mai lasciare impronte,
con me non puoi cercare casa,
o uscire insieme a far la spesa,
sei l’altra donna,
quella importante,
quella che ha tutto e non ha niente, di me.
Mio figlio è un’altra storia, un altro amore,
tu non puoi partecipare, Dio lo sa se io vorrei.
Tu in macchina con me non puoi fumare,
mozziconi col rossetto. parlerebbero di te;
ma in fondo tu che colpa hai del mio cuore,
delle ore che mi manchi, dei problemi che mi dai.
Sei l’altra donna,
la libertà,
quella che sa perché ritorno,
e quanta pace tu mi sai dare,
io dirò tutto a lei un giorno,
faremo insieme un’altra casa,
io e te che siamo un’altra cosa.
Io e te che siamo la stessa cosa,
faremo insieme la nostra casa;
prima dell’alba c’è ancora un’ora,
stringimi forte e sogna ancora,
di noi.

****************************************************************************************************************

The Other Woman

Everything’s still in the air from last night,

it’s more comfortable in the hotel,

you pay the bill and then you leave;

but you still believe in certain things,

making love in your bed,

preparing me your coffee;

and then you let me leave, when it’s time,

because we each have our own lives,

and mine is not with you.

You are the other woman,

my liberty,

the one who knows and can’t say anything,

the one who remains alone at sunrise,

and who can never leave traces,

you can’t look for a home with me

or go out together to go shopping,

you’re the other woman,

the important one,

the one who has everything and who has nothing of me.

My son is a different story, another love,

you cannot participate, God knows if I would want it.

In the car, you cannot smoke

leave lipstick marks, they’d speak of you;

but in the end you are not to blame for my heart

or the hours when I miss you, all the problems that you give me.

You’re the other woman,

my liberty,

the one who knows why I return,

and how much peace you know how to give me,

I’ll tell her everything one day,

and we’ll build another home together,

You and I are another thing.

You and I are the same thing,

we’ll build our own home together,

before sunrise there’s another hour,

hold me tight and dream again

of us.

Beautiful Love Song by Eros Ramazzotti and Il Volo

Another romantic love song by the great Eros Ramazzotti, this time with the help of Il Volo!  Beautiful as always….

Cosí

 

Cosí cosí
L’amore a volte ci dimentica
Ci lascia solo un pugno di ricordi
Come farfalle libere

Cosí cosí
L’amore píano se ne va cosí
In cerca di nuovi sorrisi altrove
Nei cuori di questa cittá

Aíutami a capire cosa sento
Ora nel mio petto c’é un rimpianto
Cosí grande
cosí grande

Il cuore é come un mare senza vento
Muore sulle labbra quell’istante
Che era grande
Cosí grande

Cosí cosí
L’amore piano ci dimentica
Lo fa cosí in modo naturale
Come é arrivato se ne va da me.

Autami a capíre cosa sento
Ora nel mio petto c’e’ un tramonto
Cosí grande
cosí grande

E non so piu’ che cosa sento dentro
Il cuore ha le rughe di un deserto
Che e’ troppo grande
Così grande

Per noi
Che non vogliamo ancora smettere
L’amore e’ un bimbo da rincorrere
Ma come l’alba tornera’

Da noi
L’amore e’ come un uragano
Ma se lo guardi da lontano
Lo vedi anche da qui che e’ grande
Cosí grande
Autami a capire cosa sento
Ti accorgi di un rumore se si e’spento
Quanto e’grande
Cosí grande

Ascolta la tua mano sul mio petto
Quanto fa paura un cielo aperto

Cosí grande
Cosí grande
Cosí grande

Cosí cosi
L’amore adesso ti ha lasciato qui

Ma senti l’aria arriva un temporale
Chi l’avrebbe detto mai

***********************************************************************

So

So, so
love sometimes forgets about us
it leaves us a handful of memories
like butterflies liberated

So, so
love quietly goes away
to search for new smiles elsewhere
in the hearts of this city

Help me understand what I´m feeling
now in my chest there is a yearning
so big
so big

The heart is like a sea without the wind
it dies on the lips of that moment
it was big
so big

So, so
love silently forgets about us
it does it like this so naturally
like it came it goes away from me

Help me understand what I´m feeling
now in my chest there is a sunset
so big
so big

I don´t know anymore what I feel inside
my heart is dry like a desert
which is too big
so big

For us
who don´t want to stop yet
love is like a child to chase after
but like the dawn it will return

To us

Love is like a hurricane
but if you look at it from afar
you will see also from here, that it is big
so big

Help me understand what I´m feeling
you realize a noise if it is silent
It’s so big
so big

Listen to your hand on my chest
How much fright is an open sky
so big
so big

So big

So, so
love has left you here

But you can feel in the air a storm arriving
who could ever have imagined

Love is in the Air

 

Romantic summer nights, flowy white gowns…perfect summer weddings!  We are so excited to have been invited to a wedding in Italy this summer!  It will actually be the very first wedding I have ever attended in Italy and I am thrilled to celebrate Italian Style!  Even though my wedding was pretty much “Italian” with lots of food, wine, and dancing late into the night, it was not celebrated in Italy!  San Francisco’s Little Italy was pretty close, though, so no complaints from me!

As always with Mr. Eros Ramazzotti, he has the perfect lyrics for a the most romantic moment of a couple’s life.  Here is his beautiful love song I Will Marry You Because….with photos of his beautiful wife Marica Pellegrinelli.  There’s a bit of an age difference and I won’t make judgment – only to say that as a musician, he is WONDERFUL and has the most beautiful way with words.  Enjoy!

 

“Ti Sposerò Perché”

 

Ti sposerò perché
Mi sai comprendere
E nessuno lo sa fare come te
Ti sposerò perché
Hai del carattere
Quando parli della vita insieme a me
E poi mi attiri sai da far paura
Fra il bianco e il nero dell’abbronzatura
Ti sposerò perché
Ti piace ridere
E sei mezza matta proprio come me
C’è in comune fra di noi c’è più di una cosa
Ti sposerò perché
Per esempio so che del pallone sei tifosa
Ti sposerò perché
Non mi chiedi mai il giorno che sarai mia sposa
E poi
E poi perché io so già che
Se litighiamo io e te
Non stiamo mai più di un minuto
Col cuore arrabbiato
Ti sposerò perché
Ami viaggiare e poi
Stare in mezzo alla gente quando vuoi
E sei di compagnia
Si vede subito, tant’è vero
Che il mio cane ti ha già preso in simpatia
Sono straconvinto che sarà una cosa giusta
Ti sposerò perché
Sei un pò testarda si, ma quel che conta onesta
Ti sposerò perché
Per un tipo come me sembri fatta apposta
E poi
E poi perché se chiedo a te
Fiducia e un pò di libertà
Non dici no anche per questo
Vorrei sposarti presto
Ti sposerò perciò
Ci puoi scommettere
Quando un giorno quando io ti troverò

*************************************************************************

I Will Marry You Because…

I will marry you because

You understand me

And no one knows how to do it like you

I will marry you because

You have a special character

When you speak about a life spent with me

And then you attract me, so much that it’s scary

Between your body and the darkness of your tan

I will marry you because

You like to laugh

And you’re half crazy just like me

We have a lot in come between us, more than only one thing

I will marry you because

Because, for example, I know you are a soccer fan

I will marry you because

You never ask me when the day will come that you will be my bride

And then

And then because I already know

that if we fight, you and me,

we don’t last for more than a minute

with an angry heart

I will marry you because

You love to travel and then

being around people when you want

You like having company

It’s evident right away, it is true

that my dog has already taken a liking to you

I am so convinced that it will be the right thing

I will marry you because

You’re a bit stubborn, but what counts is the honesty

I will marry you because

For a type like me, you were made special

and then

And then, if I ask you

Fidelity and a bit of liberty

You won’t say no and for this

I want to marry you soon

I want to marry you because

We can bet

On one day, when I will find you.

Rockin’ Roll “Sister Style”

 

Italy’s version of “The Voice” has been hit with the latest singing sensation – and an unlikely one at that!  Sister Cristina Scuccia, an Ursuline Sister of the Holy Family, has wowed us all with her sensational rock and roll style, all while wearing her black habit and veil!  With no makeup and simple clothes, her true beauty shines through as we watch the pure joy she is feeling while sharing the gift that God has given her – her spectacular voice and style!  She has captivated our hearts with this simple exterior appearance while belting out songs by Alicia Keys and, most recently, Cyndi Lauper.   In her words,  “I came here because I have a gift and I want to share that gift.  Shouldn’t things be that way?”

Her initial appearance on “The Voice of Italy” blew the judges away.  The Italian rapper, and judge, J-Ax praised her by saying: “If I had found you at Mass I would always be in church.” “You and me are like the devil and holy water.”

Would Pope Francis be proud of her?  I would think so….and she hopes that he will tell her so!  “I am waiting for Pope Francis to call me on the phone. He always says we should go out and evangelize, telling us God doesn’t take anything away from us, but will give us more. I am here for this.”

A native of Sicily, she appeared on the show while her parents and four fellow sisters came to cheer her on.  Her first performance of Alicia Keyes “No One” opened the world’s eyes to this Singing Nun, and her most recent performance of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” just continued the awe and fascination of this amazing young woman with an incredible gift – we’re just fortunate that she had the willingness to share it with all of us!  Go Suor Cristina!

 

 

 

 

 

Zucchero Live in San Francisco

Last night, my friends and I hit San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall for a live concert by the legendary Italian singer, Zucchero!

First of all, the venue was absolutely beautiful.  An old music hall, built in 1907, with carved ceilings and decorated walls, was the perfect venue for an intimate concert.  The acoustics were great…the only complaint I have is that it’s not a huge theater and the seating is first come, first serve.  Therefore, if you’re not there early, the chances of getting a good seat aren’t great.  Nonetheless, even after having to stand the entire night, the concert was entirely worth the slight discomfort!  Everyone ended up standing and dancing anyway, so being up on the balcony gave us the perfect vantage point.

 

Zucchero’s voice live is something that can’t be described.  Even though his CD’s are great, they don’t compare to what he sounds like in concert.  The rich tones in his voice really blow you away.  From the raspy deep tones to a clear melodic voice, he brings so much soul to his music.  His ballads were sung beautifully with the words and meaning delivered in such a way to touch you – the true talent of a great soul singer.  And his rock songs, performed alongside some incredible musicians, were loud and fantastic!  It was impossible not to dance to them!  Oddly enough, one of my favorite songs from last night was sung by him in English.  “Never is a Moment” is the perfect illustration of his soulful talent.

He was promoting his last CD, La Sesion Cubana, which he recorded in Havana with producer Don Was.  Along with tex mex guitars and Cuban rhythms, these songs bring a new element to his style by combining his gospel, soul, blues and rock talent to create an incredible new sound.

After the concert, we got to meet Zucchero’s bassist and musical director, Polo Jones.  Throughout his career, Polo has collaborated with mega stars such as Whitney Houston, Andrea Boccelli, Bono, Joe Cocker and lots more!  His road to Zucchero began in 1985 when he received a call from producer -guitarist Corrado Rustici, (who performed for us as well!!)  to join “Holiday of Hands”, a San Francisco bay area fusion pop band. Shortly thereafter, Polo began recording albums in Europe and hooked up with Zucchero.  They’ve been together now for about 23 years!

We didn’t get the chance to meet Zucchero himself, but meeting Polo was definitely a highlight to the evening.