Introducing to reporters the hero of the first “Star hour” “of the Festival, its host Sergey Shustitsky expressed the common feeling of unreality: “Here is Al Bano with us. A simple Italian guy, young at heart, with plenty of zing”.
And, really, it was not a dream. Italian pop superstar, singer, and composer performed yesterday at the concert of Grand Opening, and tomorrow night he performs in the concert “Greetings from Sanremo”.
His first song “Addio Sicilia” he composed at age 12 and at age 25 he made his debut at the festival in Sanremo with the song “La siepe”, which was awarded the Special prize of the critics. In 1984, the duo Al Bano and Romina Power won a first place in Sanremo with the song “Ci sarà”. This amazing song is remembered by music amateurs even today.
For more than an hour the idol of many generations was talking to reporters and answering sincerely their questions.
To the credit of the media representatives, they came to the meeting well prepared. The questions were correct, and demonstrated profound knowledge of the artist’s works, some of them being asked even in Italian. In the beginning Al Bano admitted: “Vitebsk has made very good impression. I like big squares full of flowers and greenery, like people, who remind of the Italians. The organization of the Festival is amazing. The Festival of Sanremo is the Father of all festivals. “Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk” is younger, but it’s full of all good merits”.
Speaking about the plans of changing the popular music for classical one, Al Bano said that his new theme was a mixture of pop and classics for he performed songs by Chopin and Schubert, and the new album “Classical Concert” had included works by Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Puccini, and the album had gained great success in Europe.
Journalists asked the singer about his hobbies. “I love wine, – said Al Bano – I make it myself, as my ancestors did. I’m interested in architecture. But first thing is my family, then music and then everything else. In his last marriage 70-year-old Al Bano has two children: daughter Jasmine, who is twelve, and son Albano Juneau. He is ten years old.
Al Bano has written five books. “Life pushed me to do this. Many journalists have written about me, but not everything was true there. And I’ve decided to write myself, my truth”. Al Bano is a man of deep faith that expalins the titles of his books – “I believe”, “Between Heaven and Earth.” Al Bano’s answer to the question about his advice to the contestants of the Festival was surprising. “Young performers do not need my advice. They know everything themselves.
The main thing is that people should understand themselves, could compare with others and feel the fire of art”. Of course, Al Bano was asked to sing, and as a gift to journalists, he sang a small part of the song, showing his beautiful, powerful, so familiar and beloved voice.
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