L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16 2023 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano F ive years after his first single Fall on M e , p e r f o r m e d a l o n g s i d e h i s f a t h e r A n d r e a Bocelli, and two years after h i s f i r s t s o l o s i n g l e S o l o , M a t t e o B o c e l l i h a s r e l e a s e d h i s d e b u t s o l o album titled Matteo. Com- prising 12 tracks and released b y C a p i t o l R e c o r d s , t h e a l b u m f e a t u r e s a m i x o f songs in both English and Italian, which the young 25- year-old is showcasing on some of the world's biggest stages. A Night With Matteo, his first headline tour, kicked off on September 30th in Berlin, Germany, and will take him through 10 coun- tries, including the United States. Matteo will perform in Las Vegas on November 25th, followed by shows in Mesa, San Diego, Thousand Oaks, Saint Charles, Hunt- ington, and Atlantic City Matteo, why did you c h o o s e t o n a m e t h e album after yourself? I t w a s t h e b e s t w a y t o introduce myself and to show how I see and feel music. I've always felt a need to make music, a deep urge to play the piano and sing. It's some- thing that swells, explodes, a n d c o m e s o u t . L i k e a l l a r t i s t s , i t ' s a w a y t o v e n t what's inside me. What is your very first m e m o r y r e l a t e d t o music? I remember going to piano school at just six years old, climbing up on stage with my f a t h e r d u r i n g r e h e a r s a l s because I wanted to feel the orchestra up close and try singing into his microphone. Right now, I'm in the record- ing studio of my collaborator, Paolo Guerrini, who is not only my father's sound engi- neer but also someone who has seen me grow up. I have beautiful memories in this studio. Here, I recorded my very first piece at just six y e a r s o l d . I p e s t e r e d m y father to let me do it, begging him for a long time! Now, that very piece will be per- formed by the children of Zecchino D'Oro in December. Did you always think of pursuing music as a profession? Honestly, no, but I always felt the need to make music and to sing for my friends and the people around me. As I grew up, I realized that the desire to go into the stu- dio, record, and listen back to myself was very strong. I wanted to improve, and grad- u a l l y , i n t a l k i n g w i t h m y father, I expressed that it would be great to sign my first album with a record label. What advice did your father give you? It happened that one day in Los Angeles, we met his producer, David Foster, and I p l a y e d h i m s o m e o f m y songs. He suggested doing a project, but my father said it was too early and that my voice wasn't ready yet. I was only 16 years old. He knows this industry very well, along with the challenges it pre- sents. I don't know if it was right or wrong, but I am very happy with the present and what I am doing now. I s t h e r e a n y a d v i c e your father has given you about this profession? He gives me a lot of free- dom regarding the artistic part. For the more manageri- al and technical aspects, he sometimes gives advice, but not in an invasive way. He shares his opinion without insisting, and I would say he is present to the right degree. How did you experi- ence the transition from performing on stage with your father to perform- ing solo? I e x p e r i e n c e d i t i n a n extremely positive and happy way. I won't deny that per- forming with him in front of 14,000 people was fantastic, but I still felt like a guest singing three songs. On my own tour, even if I sing in front of 300 people, I know t h o s e 3 0 0 p e o p l e b o u g h t tickets to see me, and that's a unique satisfaction. D o y o u a l s o m a k e music at home as a fami- ly? W e ' v e a l w a y s s h a r e d music in our family. Often, my father would play the piano and I would join in singing, or vice versa. He's the type to insist on hitting the note just as he says! Now that I live on my own, the m o m e n t s w h e n w e a r e together at home, we like to sing and play together, and I often take the chance to get some tips from him. D o y o u p r e f e r p e r - f o r m i n g o r s p e n d i n g time in the studio? I have to say I am exactly like my father... alas, I've i n h e r i t e d t h a t f r o m h i m ! B o t h o f u s l i k e t o s t a y a t home with friends, so when I'm on tour, I miss home. However, performing live is a very beautiful part of the c a r e e r , m e e t i n g f a n s a n d sharing your music. R e t u r n i n g t o y o u r album, there's a signifi- cant collaboration with Ed Sheeran. F o r m e , h e h a s a l w a y s b e e n a n a b s o l u t e i d o l . I remember being at a Taylor Swift concert in Toronto in 2013, and he opened for her. F r o m t h a t d a y , I n e v e r stopped following him. He is one of the few modern artists whose music I consistently listen to and whose discogra- phy I delve into. It has always b e e n a d r e a m o f m i n e t o work with him. Could it be true that sometimes in life, when you shout something to t h e s k y , i t c o m e s t o y o u ? That's how it happened. How did the collabora- tion come about? After seeing him again live in Italy, he asked my dad to do a duet with him on Perfect Symphony. From there we kept in touch until one day he sent me two musical ideas, and of the two I chose Chas- ing Stars, which struck me very much. Why is the collabora- tion with Ed Sheeran so significant to you? The song has authentic lyrics, written by Ed and his brother Matthew, that res- onate with me deeply. It's about how Ed experienced music, especially during his childhood, where his father passed on this passion to him. One part of the lyrics says, 'When I was younger, m y f a t h e r w a s m y h e r o , ' which is true for both Ed Sheeran and me because my f a t h e r i s t h e p e r s o n w h o instilled in me the love of music. There's also another message in the song, "don't stop chasing stars," which means never stop pursuing your dreams. For me, that's a beautiful message. Plans for 2024, after the US tour? I hope to perform in Asia and Australia. In the mean- time, I am enjoying my first tour in America. W h a t m e m o r i e s d o you have of your past in the USA? I have a lot of memories. Every year, we would go on tour with my father during the vacations. I've always been fond of California since I was very little. It's a place that I experienced both by watching my father on stage when I was very young and then, since 2018, by getting on that stage with him across the US as well. M a t t e o B o c e l l i : " A N i g h t w i t h Matteo" world tour SILVIA NITTOLI Matteo Bocelli (above) is currently touring the US (Photo: Mattia Guolo) LIFE PEOPLE MOVIES MUSIC BOOKS

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