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!

 

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

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.

 

I am not a Groupie….well, maybe just a little ;)

When my friend told me I was such a groupie and asked if I’d be throwing my underwear on stage, I laughed!  Just because I was travelling 400 miles to see one of my favorite Italian singers doesn’t make me a groupie…or does it? It’s not like I travel to every single concert he does…I just go when it’s actually feasible for me to make it!  I mean, Los Angeles is a lot closer than Italy, right?  So, when I heard that Eros Ramazzotti was going to be putting on a concert in L.A., I figured I’d better seize the opportunity now or wait until who knows when for another chance!  It’s not like he puts on World Tours every day!

So, last Thursday, we left work early and boarded a flight to Los Angeles for the 7:30 pm concert at the Greek Theater.

What a beautiful venue!  The evening was perfect – perfect temperature, perfect atmosphere, and a perfect concert!  We sipped on a glass of wine while we enjoyed a spectacular show.

Eros sang for almost 2 hours and he sang so many of my favorite songs.  And the best part was that he sang almost all his songs in Italian!  Eros, like many other Italian pop artists, has translated many of his albums into Spanish to be able to reach a larger audience.  The fact that the concert was being held in Los Angeles made me wonder in what language he would be singing.  Don’t get me wrong – they are beautiful in Spanish as well, but I still prefer the original Italian versions!  I feel that his beautiful words were written in Italian and therefore more of his true feelings are portrayed in his native tongue – a particular nuance that I’m afraid may get lost in translation.

Los Angeles was his first stop in the USA, after having been in South and Central America on his NOI World Tour.  The concerts on this tour have been very successful and he deserves lots of kudos for a job truly well done.  He has lots of energy on stage and his voice is perfect.  The special effects added to the spectacle and were VERY good!

I especially liked those that projected a mosaic of him on the screen while you could see him singing on the stage!

He truly has a great stage presence and I was smitten!  Add to that, he’s VERY Italian… making him, in my biased opinion, that much more attractive 🙂  So….I guess, maybe, just a little… you could call me a groupie 🙂

A Beautiful Song by a Beautiful Artist

Standing in line at Molinari Italian delicatessen in San Francisco’s North Beach district, I heard this beautiful song. Not knowing who it was or what song it was, I used Shazam on my iphone to see if it could identify the artist and song. To my amazement, it picked it up and spitted out this good looking artist’s name and song title: Gianluca Grignani and “La Mia Storia tra le Ditte”!

I immediately downloaded it and added it to my repertoire of Italian music. I am so glad that I found out about this artist, as I find his songs great to listen to. It is just the perfect mix of rock and pop that I enjoy.

Sai penso che
non sia stato inutile
stare insieme a te.
Ok te ne vai
decisione discutibile
ma si, lo so, lo sai.
Almeno resta qui per questa sera
ma no che non ci provo stai sicura.
Può darsi già mi senta troppo solo
perche’ conosco quel sorriso
di chi ha già deciso.
Quel sorriso già una volta
mi ha aperto il paradiso.

Si dice che
per ogni uomo
c’é un’altra come te.
E al posto mio quindi
tu troverai qualcun’altro
uguale no non credo io.
Ma questa volta abbassi gli occhi e dici
noi resteremo sempre buoni amici,
ma quali buoni amici maledetti.
Io un amico lo perdono
mentre a te ti amo.
Può sembrarti anche banale
ma é un istinto naturale.

Ma c’é una cosa che
io non ti ho detto mai.
I miei problemi senza di te
si chiaman guai.
Ed é per questo
che mi vedi fare il duro
in mezzo al mondo
per sentirmi più sicuro.

E se davvero non vuoi dirmi
che ho sbagliato.
Ricorda a volte un uomo
va anche perdonato.
Ed invece tu,
tu non mi lasci via d’uscita.
E te ne vai con la mia storia fra le dita.

Ora che fai,
Cerchi una scusa
se vuoi andare vai.
Tanto di me
non ti devi preoccupare
me la saprò cavare.
Stasera scriverò una canzone
per soffocare dentro un’esplosione.
Senza pensare troppo alle parole
parlerò di quel sorriso
di chi ha già deciso
Quel sorriso che una volta
mi ha aperto il paradiso.

Ma c’é una cosa che
io non ti ho detto mai.
I miei problemi senza di te
si chiaman guai.
Ed é per questo
che mi vedi fare il duro
in mezzo al mondo
per sentirmi più sicuro.

E se davvero non vuoi dirmi
che ho sbagliato.
Ricorda a volte un uomo
va anche perdonato.
Ed invece tu,
tu non mi lasci via d’uscita.
E te ne vai con la mia storia fra le dita.

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

You know, I don’t think
  it’s been useless
  being with you.
  Ok you go
  questionable decision
  but yeah, I know, you know.
  At least stay here for tonight
  but no, I won’t try.  You’re safe.
  Maybe I already feel too lonely
  because I know that smile
  of one who has already decided.
  That smile that once 
  opened paradise.

It is said that
  for every man
  there is another like you.
  And in my place
  you’ll find someone else
  The same? No, I do not think so.
  But this time, lower your eyes and say,
  we will always remain good friends,
  but what kind of cursed friend?
  I will forgive a friend 
  but you, I love.
  It may seem too trivial
  but it is a natural instinct.

But there is one thing that
  I have never told you.
  My problems without you
  they call themselves trouble.
  And it is for this
  you see me being hard
 for  in the middle of the world
 it helps me feel more secure.

And if you really do not want to tell me
  I was wrong.
  Remember, sometimes a man
  should also be forgiven.
  And instead you,
  you do not let me escape.
  And you just go with my story between your fingers.

Now what are you doing?
  Look for an excuse
  if you want to go.
  About me,
  you do not need to worry
  I will know how to handle it.
  Tonight I will write a song
  to drown the explosion inside of me.
  Without thinking too much about the words
  I’ll talk about that smile
  of she who has already decided.
  That smile that once
  opened paradise.

But there is one thing that
  I have never told you.
  My problems without you
  they call themselves trouble.
  And it is for this
  you see me being hard
for in the middle of the world
it helps me feel more secure.

And if you really do not want to tell me
  I was wrong.
  Remember, sometimes a man
  should also be forgiven.
  And instead you,
  you do not let me escape.
  And you just go with my story between your fingers.