What’s in a name? Well, in the case of the band Elio e le Storie Tese, which translates to Elio and the Tense Stories, the name indicates that the band is one of the most peculiar to appear on the Italian music scene in the last 30 years. Singer Stefano […]
Carmen Consoli, one of Italy’s new generation singer songwriters, here portrayed for the cover of her 2009 album, “Elettra.” The Sicilian-born Carmen Consoli is one of the most successful female singer-songwriters Italy has ever produced, and certainly one of the most appreciated in the US. The 41 year-old musician is known […]
Renato Zero and Loredana Berté, protagonists of the Italian music panorama of the 1970s (GdT/wikimedia) The 1970s were not an easy period in Italian history. They are known as the Anni di Piombo, the lead years. Historians consider this the decade of the factual civil war, between the establishment and terrorists. Hence, […]
Cycling in the countryside If you like cycling, you will definitely want to do a cycling tour of Tuscany and Umbria. These fantastic provinces have a lot to offer: the hills, towns and valleys of southern Tuscany and Umbria are a cyclist’s dream. Beautiful scenery with rolling hills and […]
An Important Anniversary 2015 marks the hundreth anniversary of Italy’s entry in the First World War. Time has passed. None of those who fought what has been defined the first modern warfare conflict on a worldwide scale is still of this earth. They no longer can turn, with their words […]
Early libretto for Puccini’s La Turandot When approaching the history of Italian modern music, it is important to remember that, for almost two centuries, the first and strongest musical tradition of the country was opera. Opera Opera had romantic and adventurous plots and, above all, melodic and catchy arie, musical pieces sang and whistled […]
Spring is the time of the “Top Beaches” and “Best Summer Destinations” lists. The “Foundation for Environmental Education” awards the “Blue Flag” to beaches in 48 countries in the World since 1987. In Italy, every year environmental group Legambiente and tourism association Touring Club Italiano publish a “Blue Guide” with a […]
New to classic Italian music? Here are a few suggestions on where to start! I Classici Aka, the classics. These artists are the backbone of Italian classic music. Claudio Villa His fans know him as “Il Reuccio,” the little king. Claudio Villa was indeed the king of Italian melodic music. […]
The Italian music industry has always appeared of lesser importance when compared to the British or the American. The evident language barrier always meant Italian music has always been part of a niche market abroad. However, recent years have been changing the cards on table. Brand new Italian indie acts have […]
Antonio Vivaldi The composer and violinist Antonio Vivaldi is mostly known for his beautiful Four Seasons, inspired by the scenery around Mantova. However, he was an extremely prolific composer and he led such an intriguing life even Hollywood produced a movie about it. Born on the 4th of March 1678, in […]
