L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Dear Readers, just in time for your end-of-year parties, here comes the lyrics of one of Italy's 1950s favorites, Volare, so you, or any of your senior citizens' relatives and friends, can sing along, or at least reminisce! The best-known Italian song in Italy and abroad, after Domenico Modugno sang it at the Sanremo's Fes- tival della Canzone Italiana in 1958, was Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu, commonly known as Volare. Volare Penso che un sogno così non ritorni mai più Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu Poi d'improvviso venivo dal vento rapito E incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito Volare, oh, oh Cantare, oh, oh, oh, oh Nel blu dipinto di blu Felice di stare lassù E volavo, volavo felice più in alto del sole ed ancora più su M e n t r e i l m o n d o p i a n piano spariva lontano laggiù Una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me Volare, oh, oh Cantare, oh, oh, oh, oh Nel blu dipinto di blu Felice di stare lassù Ma tutti i sogni nell'alba svaniscon perché Quando tramonta la luna li porta con sé Ma io continuo a sognare negli occhi tuoi belli C h e s o n o b l u c o m e u n cielo trapunto di stelle Volare, oh, oh Cantare, oh, oh, oh, oh Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu Felice di stare quaggiù E continuo a volare felice più in alto del sole ed ancora più su M e n t r e i l m o n d o p i a n piano scompare negli occhi tuoi blu La tua voce è una musica dolce che suona per me Volare, oh, oh Cantare, oh, oh, oh, oh Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu Felice di stare quaggiù Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu Felice di stare quaggiù Flying I think that a dream like this one will never return I was painting my hands and my face blue. Then suddenly I was kid- napped by the wind, And I started flying in the infinite sky! Flying oh oh Singin oh oh oh oh In the blue, painted in blue Happy to be up there! And I was flying on and on, happy Higher than the sun and even higher While the world was slow- ly disappearing down there Soft music played just for me. Flying oh oh Singing oh oh oh oh In the blue, painted in blue Happy to be up there! But all dreams at dawn disappear Because when the moon sets down, she brings them away with her. But I keep on dreaming of your beautiful eyes That are like a blue sky dotted with stars. Flying oh oh Singing oh oh oh oh I n t h e b l u e , p a i n t e d i n blue, Happy to be up there. A n d I k e e p o n f l y i n g , happy Flying on and on happily Higher than the sun and even higher, While the world is slowly disappearing in your blue eyes. Your voice is soft music that plays only for me. Flying oh oh Singing oh oh oh oh In the blue, painted in blue Happy to be down here In the blue, painted in blue Happy to be down here, With you! *** In only a few days we will welcome New Year's Eve. For nearly half a century, from 1929 to 1977, Guy Lombar- do and his Royal Canadians Band was a New Year's Eve institution. Millions of people w o u l d c r o w d i n t o T i m e s Square and at midnight Guy Lombardo's band would play Auld Lang Syne. His orches- tra's slow, dreamy style, "the sweetest music this side of Advancing our Legacy: Italian Community Services CASA FUGAZI If you know of any senior of Italian descent in San Francisco needing assistance, please contact: ItalianCS.org | (415) 362-6423 | info@italiancs.com Italian Community Services continues to assist Bay Area Italian-American seniors and their families navigate and manage the resources needed to live healthy, independent and productive lives. Since Shelter-in-Place began in San Francisco, Italian Community Services has delivered over 240 meals, over 900 care packages and made over 2000 phone wellness checks for our seniors. heaven," was often dispar- aged by critics who called him the "king of corn," but Lombardo answered simply: "I play for people in love, not acrobats." Evidently, there were more people in love than acrobats! Gaetano "Guy" Lombardo was born in a small town in Ontario, Canada, where he joined the swelling ranks of a music-loving Italian family in 1902. At age 12, he had his own three-piece orchestra. His instrument was the vio- lin. At 19, he hired six addi- tional musicians, including his brothers Carmen, Lee and Victor, and began to play at Lake Erie resorts. Lombardo was convinced this new thing called radio was the best pos- sible shortcut to success, and so, in 1924 he brought the Royal Canadians across the border, signed with a night- club in Cleveland and per- suaded a local radio station t o p u t t h e m o n t h e a i r a s wageless wonders. His first n e t w o r k ( C B S ) b r o a d c a s t o r i g i n a t e d i n C h i c a g o , i n 1 9 2 7 . I n 1 9 2 9 , t h e R o y a l Canadians made their Roo- sevelt Grill debut and were such top favorites in New York that the room had to be enlarged to accommodate 500. T h r o u g h t h e y e a r s , t h e music stayed the same, and t h e s a m e w e r e a l s o t h e orchestra's style and tunes: Stardust, Fascination, Begin the Beguine and Smoke gets in your Eyes. For nearly half a century, Guy Lombardo consistently topped polls as America's outstanding dance band leader and sold millions of Royal Canadians Record- ings from coast to coast.

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