L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2026 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano M usic is one of the ways Italian cul- ture contin- ues to find a place in the United States. Hollywood productions often feature Italian songs from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s to accompany scenes and evoke an atmosphere associated with Italy. But what place can contemporary Italian music find in American film and a u d i o v i s u a l p r o d u c t i o n s ? This is one of the questions behind the 2026 edition of H i t W e e k , a n i n i t i a t i v e launched to promote Italian music and its industry in the United States. Founded in 2 0 0 9 a n d o r g a n i z e d b y I C E , t h e I t a l i a n T r a d e Agency, in collaboration with FIMI, the Italian Recorded Music Industry Federation, Hit Week aims to strengthen the presence of Italian music in international markets by fostering new partnerships between Italian and Ameri- can professionals. The main new feature of this year's edition was the Sync Mission. "It's a pro- ject designed to connect Ital- ian professionals working in music synchronization with American music supervisors, the professionals responsible for selecting songs for films, television series, commer- c i a l s a n d v i d e o g a m e s , " explains Alessandro Giu- l i a n e l l i o f F I M I . I n L o s Angeles, the program includ- ed meetings between Italian music publishers and catalog owners and American indus- try professionals, as well as visits by the Italian delega- tion to Walt Disney and Riot Games to explore potential collaborations. The goal is not simply to introduce an established repertoire to new audiences, but to create con- crete opportunities for Italian music to feature in new inter- national productions. The initiative comes at a p o s i t i v e t i m e f o r I t a l y ' s recorded music industry. In 2025, the Italian recorded music market exceeded €500 million (560 million USD), growing by 10.7% compared with the previous year and marking its eighth consecu- tive year of growth. Italy is now the European Union's third-largest music market, after Germany and France, and the world's eleventh- largest. Streaming accounts for approximately 67% of the m a r k e t , w h i l e v i n y l s a l e s continue to grow, confirm- i n g r e n e w e d i n t e r e s t i n physical formats. Yet one figure makes Hit Week's strategy particularly interesting: while the Italian recorded music market con- tinues to expand, the syn- chronization sector has not followed the same trajectory. "The only segment that did not grow last year, and has generally struggled to grow in recent years, is synchro- nization itself," Giulianelli observes. He also points to difficulties in the Italian film industry, including uncer- tainty surrounding the tax credit system and the tem- porary halt of some produc- tions, as factors that have affected the sector. Yet it is precisely in international markets that new opportuni- ties could emerge. According to figures cited by Giulianel- l i , r e v e n u e s f r o m I t a l i a n music abroad grew by 180% b e t w e e n 2 0 2 0 a n d 2 0 2 5 . This points to growing inter- e s t i n I t a l i a n m u s i c a n d makes it even more impor- tant to develop new channels for reaching international m a r k e t s . " W e ' r e s e e i n g g r o w i n g i n t e r e s t i n o u r repertoire," Giulianelli says. And that interest, he stress- es, extends to contemporary music, not just the classics. "What has emerged over the p a s t f e w d a y s i s a s t r o n g interest among American music supervisors, as well as our own delegates, in discov- ering and listening to con- temporary Italian music that goes beyond the catalog of t h e 1 9 6 0 s a n d 1 9 7 0 s a n d moves away from traditional stereotypes of Italian music." Hit Week is also seeking t o t a p i n t o t h i s i n t e r e s t t h r o u g h i t s l i v e e v e n t s . While this year's Los Angeles showcase was aimed primar- ily at industry professionals, the Miami event will reach a broader audience, including i n d u s t r y i n s i d e r s , l o c a l music fans and members of t h e I t a l i a n c o m m u n i t y . "Miami has become a point of reference. People may not k n o w t h e a r t i s t , b u t t h e y trust what we're presenting a n d c o m e t o s e e w h i c h artists we're bringing over from Italy," Giulianelli says, highlighting the significant n u m b e r o f A m e r i c a n s a t t e n d i n g t h e f e s t i v a l ' s events. The question, then, is what kind of Italian music can find a place in today's American productions. If music from the 1950s, 1960s a n d 1 9 7 0 s c o n t i n u e s t o evoke an instantly recogniz- a b l e i m a g e o f I t a l y , w h a t sounds can represent the country today? According to Giulianelli, there is no single answer. "Electronic music and Italo disco continue to r e c e i v e a f a i r l y p o s i t i v e response. At the same time, there are also new Italian urban and pop productions, with a more contemporary sound, that could find their way into these new audiovisual pro- ductions." This is a point also emphasized by F a b - rizio Grossi, a musician, producer and music consul- tant who has lived in Los Angeles for many years and collaborates with profession- als involved in the initiative. "All it takes is a few notes from Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota, Lucio Battisti or one of the great Italian voices of the past – some of whom, like Ornella Vanoni, have recent- ly been rediscovered – for a distinctly Italian image to i m m e d i a t e l y t a k e s h a p e , e v e n t h o u s a n d s o f m i l e s away," Grossi explains. "The risk is that contemporary Italian music, in trying to b r e a k i n t o i n t e r n a t i o n a l markets, ends up sounding too much like what's already on the American and British charts." O n e a r t i s t w h o , i n h i s view, offers an alternative path is La Niña, one of the featured performers at Hit Week 2026. The Neapolitan artist performed on October 7 a t t h e I t a l i a n C u l t u r a l Institute in Los Angeles and t o o k t h e s t a g e a g a i n o n O c t o b e r 1 0 a t t h e M i a m i Beach Bandshell for the fes- t i v a l ' s c l o s i n g e v e n t . " L a Niña draws on the chords, melodies and themes of the Neapolitan musical tradition and the Neapolitan way of doing things, while adding almost tribal rhythms with a d i s t i n c t l y M e d i t e r r a n e a n feel," Grossi explains. "There are elements that may recall Lebanese, Israeli, Turkish and Greek music, alongside hip-hop influences." La Niña offers a concrete example of how a strong cultural identi- ty can be combined with a contemporary musical lan- guage. For Grossi, holding on to one's artistic and cul- t u r a l h e r i t a g e c a n b e a n advantage rather than an o b s t a c l e w h e n r e a c h i n g i n t e r n a t i o n a l a u d i e n c e s . This perspective aligns with F I M I ' s s t a t e d g o a l : t o e x p a n d o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r Italian music abroad, mov- ing beyond the historical repertoire without abandon- ing what makes it distinc- tive. U l t i m a t e l y , H i t W e e k faces a twofold challenge. On the one hand, it aims to turn growing interest in Italian music into new professional opportunities, particularly in film, television and video games. On the other, it seeks to help contemporary artists find an international audi- e n c e w i t h o u t n e c e s s a r i l y having to imitate established m o d e l s . H o l l y w o o d h a s already demonstrated how Italian music can evoke a distinctive cultural identity t h a t t r a n s c e n d s e r a s a n d borders. The challenge now is to ensure that contempo- r a r y I t a l i a n a r t i s t s c a n become part of that sound- track, too. SILVIA NITTOLI Hit Week: the Italian music America wants to hear La Niña on stage in Los Angeles for her U.S. debut, bringing her distinctive blend of Neapolitan musical traditions and contemporary sounds to the Hit Week audience; inset: Emanuele Amendola, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles, and Italian Consul General Raffaella Valentini during the Hit Week event celebrating Italian music in Los Angeles (Photos: James Rivas) LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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