Another Australian artist - Alfio Bonanno-aka Alfio

Yvonne · Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 212

http://www.sanity.com.au/product.asp?intProductID=672647&intArtistID=220493

I see he is singing quite a few of the same songs as Il Divo and also some of the same like Patrizio Buanne.

I cannot find a website for him to be able to listen to any songs, which I would love to do.

Yvonne · Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 212

I forgot to add that I had never heard of him before this, I picked up the monthly issue of Sain magazine from the Sanity record store here in Melbourne and that is how I found out about him. There is a big interview and on another page it has his debut Cd as the recommended one for this month.

His Cd is out next week, you would think there was somewhere to listen to his music. I must be missing something.

Yvonne · Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 212

http://www.alfiomusic.com/

I finally found the site for his music and video and I shall be signing up to his mailing list.

Yvonne · Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 212

here is the Cd review in this months Sain magazine- Alfio's album is the recommended one for this month.

It says Alfio is an exciting new voice in the romantic "Italian Invasion" of New Classical music!

Alfio
Tranquillita (WMA)
There's definitely a trend nowadays for male vocalists to resist mainstream trends and follow more "traditional" genres of music like jazz or classical. And, based on the booming careers of Michael Buble, Josh Groban and others, it's one that is worth following. In Tranquillita, newcomer Alfio's smooth classica voice proves he's in the same league as those mentioned, but takes his music in a different direction. Writing and singing tunes in Italian and Spanish gives him a flavour more like Pavarotti and other Italian divos, while he's also comfortable with more contemporary ballads, and even yet another version of the jazz standard "Quando, Quando, Quando". With the support of Alan Jones getting him noticed, Alfio is proving to be an exciting new voice-particularly for those revelling in the romantic "Italiano Invasion" of recent times.

Yvonne · Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 212

There is so much about him in this months Sain mag (available at sanity stores in Australia)

here is what it says in the Tranquillita advertisement:

Alfio is the rising star in new classical music. Italian-Australian, he has a voice of pure aching beauty that can be expressed across a collection of Italian and English lyrics. Tranquillita is a collection of some classic and some original Italian songs, with a passion for romance, harmony and new Italian style. Alfio and his stunning debut album nestle cosily into the emerging genre of New Classical. This album will surely prove him unforgettable.

Yvonne · Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 212

I received an email from the man himself today thanking me for joining up his mailing list. So that was really lovely.

I actually did buy the album yesterday as it was playing in the shops and I could not resist. I got it for twenty dollars at JB Hi Fi in Elizabeth Street.

I think it is a great buy, I esp love Il Nostro Sogno, Ave Maria and Fantasy.

check out his site it is www.alfiomusic.com

also check out www.hmv.com.au there are some good responses on there already about his album.

Yvonne · Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 212

Here is an article I found about Alfio in a music mag.

He dined with Pavarotti and he's the new face on the classical music scene. He's a rising star in a rising genre. Kristy Mills talks to Alfio about music, Italian romance and his debut album. Tranquillita nestling nicely into the pop classical category.

There's something to be said about this newly emergin genre of classical Italian singing. It's always existed in the homes of Italian families and in the hearts of classical fans, but in the past few years, we've seen a growing popularity in a surprisingly mass field- New Classical. It's in the charts and it's reaching above and beyond.

Anthony Callea pioneered "tradition" in the pops, when he captivated Australian audiences with "The Prayer" on Idol in 2004, bringing it to a mainstream audience. Reinterpreting an old Italian song, he stopped the nationa and went on to continue making pop music for youth. The boundaries are blurring.

Patrizio Buanne toured last year with a traditional Italian songbook under his classical suit jacket and Bocelli has made a mark for collaborating with pop vocalists on his latest album. Alfio is next in line and he comes bringing something new to the genre as well. I bring my love for writing my own music, I want the next artist ten years from now to be saying "I want to cover Alfio's song", I want to make my mark, I don't just want to sing songs.

His new album "Tranquillita" is a genrous blend of tradiitonal Italian covers (five favorites which Alfio believes is important for the element of familiarity this genre requires) and seven new tracks that have the appeal and beauty of the traditional but with a semi pop bent through their lyrics and production. An example is his English and Italian versions of one track "Stars Shine for You"/Quello Che Non Volevo.

I am not doing it because it is in fashion at the moment. I have been singing this music for years. I think it's great that it is in fashion. I think it's real music.

People like Patrizio Buanne, Andrea Bocelli, Anthony Callea, I have to thank these people because they have opened the doors. Because had I come along three and four years ago and let me tell you I did have it in plans three or four years ago, I would not have had the same easy access. These guys have proven that the market is there.

And it certainly is. Alan Jones has long been regarded as an ambassador for classical music, and he has been a key player in its growing popularity. Alfio is another of Jones' pet interests and it is with thanks to him that Alfio's music is now at the stage it is at- a debut release that sets him in a unique place within New Classical. A friend of alfio, Jones heard his first single and introduced Alfio to the recording industry, where he is now, poised for a great debut success.

It is a broad market and the broader the better, Alfio agrees. I remember going to a Bocelli concert and it was really nice to see not just the 40 and above crowd, but we saw people 20 and above. Males and females. That is what I want to achieve. Slowly, slowly, people are realising that there is more to music than just pop,pop,pop, boom, boom.

But he has approached pop to an extent finding his niche somewhere between old fashioned classic Italian songs and new songs that reflect his place in the world today. Themes of romance meet darker modern themes. There is romance, there's lots of romance. But there's an interesting song on there which I wrote about life and they way I was seeing it at the time. It's called Fantasy and just to give you a couple of the lyrics "I can't sleep tonight, I lie awaken, Thinking of choices I've forsaken/ My thoughts begin their fruitless journey/Longing for the answers deep inside. Every day is a dream, silence hears me scream. This life is fantasy"

A lesson learned. Not all Italian New Classical is about romance. In fact he addresses our need for peace and harmony in the world in his opening track and first single "Il Nostro Sogno (Our Dream)

Echoing all the tracks, whether old or new however is that beautiful Italian language.

To Alfio however, it is not just the language. "Good music is comprised of good chord progression, instrumentation, strings, violins, cellos,violas, woodwind and then with a hint of modern technology as well, which you'll hear in the introduction on my album. I didn't want to make it all classical. A little bit of modern influence attracts a modern audience, but at the same time not discouraging the (traditional) folk.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alfio continued- this is part 2

Classical music has been his inspiration for the past few years, before which his roots were in Italian traditional and folk songs.

"Through studying this music both here and in Italy over the last few years, it has really opened up the door. And to be able to produce that sort of music, I mean the voice is the most complex instrument. It's not tangible and you can't just sort of say "do that" with your voice and make it happen. You have got to work at it and it just takes so long to work it.

"I listen to Mozart when I go to bed, I put it on repeat and go to sleep, he adds.
Pavarotti is a contemporary idol of Alfio's. After a dinner with the maestro, to which Alan Jones invited him and to which Alfio still wishes he had had the chance to sing, he wrote a song , he called "Voce Pura" (Pure Voice).. He says "I wrote this song inspired by my meeting with Pavarotti. So next time I go and see him. I'm going to sing it to him.
"When I sit down and write a song, I know in my head where I want to go with it. Italian for me dictates a different melody to what English dictates. Opera stems from northen Italy and I've never heard an Opera sung in English. So if I am going to write more classic music, then I tend to keep it more in Italian.

And his performance will echo old and new too. Old in that it will be performed with class, with beauty and audiences should think big on the orchestral front. However, his will not be a stuffy show. "They say to me all you've got to do is sing. You don't have to talk on stage. But that's boring... I am an entertainer.

Words Kristy Mills

Yvonne · Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 212

I found this article in the Melbourne MX newspaper yesterday about Alfio.

From The Heart

He may have started singing at weddings, but Alfio was always destined for stardom. He tells Ross McGravie about his musical journey.

With poweful friends like Alan Jones and Luciano Pavarotti spurring him on, it is only a matter of when- not if-Alfio takes the music world by storm with his passionate declarations of love.

Named after his accordion-playing father and the Campania town of his Italian heritage, the extroverted tenor from Sydney is blessed with a self belief and drive to match his God-given talent. And much like Andrea Bocelli earned his major break with Con Te Partiro, the piano-playing Alfio believes his own composition Il Nostro Sogno (Our Dream) could become a signature tune and propel him to be the only Australian artist in the company of popera luminaries Il Divo, Amici and Josh Groban.Buoyed by the encouragement of many to the realisation of a three-year dream with this month's release of his debut album- Tranquillita. Alfio is proud that his efforts are finally paying off. Given his musical family, the one time wedding singer seemingly has always been destined for a starring role, especially when the school choirmaster continually admonished him for singing too loud.

"Even back then I didn't want to be in the back row, and wanted to be out the front" the cavalier character said.

"Having the album out two years after deciding to do it properly is great, but my dream is to pack out the Sydney Entertainment Cente and Rod Laver Arena".
Besides gaining 25 investors to finance his album, resplendent with a 60 piece orchestra, he also acted as executive producer and arranger as he brought his trademark polish to the accomplished offering.

Not averse to going down on bended knee to prove his point about the power of song, Alfio grew up surrounded by the Italian sounds of crooners Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Perry Como and Al Martino.

And although Alfio does not read music, he sings in his parents native tongue together with Spanish and Arabic- unashamedly with his heart on his sleeve.

"I sing with my voice and you listen to my heart...... my celebration, and my sadness, my loving and my loneliness in my song" he said.

In his career, meeting Pavarotti rates as the defining moment.

Alfio said when he dined at Sydney's Intercontinental Hotel in November with Pavarotti, who he declares unashamedly as the greatest tenor ever, he discovered a common trait of finding music in the most unusual things.

"A waiter brushed past his chair, making three quick taps, and Luciano burst into song in the same rhythm," he said. "Just the thought of that inspires me to this day, because that's how I have always seemed to find music in everything around me."

Tranquillita (Warner) is out now. Alfio will perform at the L1 stage at Highpoint Shopping Centre on May 11 at 7pm.

Yvonne · Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 212

I do not know if this is the very same Alfio, but I found this link and perhaps it is him appearing on this album.http://www.dymocks.com.au/ContentDynamic/Full_Details.asp?ISBN=6000161743

Yvonne · Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 212

new Alfio article, I found in the free mag at JB Hi Fi here in Melbourne.

Roll Over Beethoven

Alfio, singer of classical and opera music, speaks with an undisguised Australian accent. His story is as uncomplicated and real as the twang.

Alfio started singing in restaurants. Born and bred in Sydney (he has an Italian background), he'd come from a family of musicians, playing and singing at home and in church. It meant that when someone asked him if he could sing, he could say "a little". He sang the songs you'd expect someone to sing from behind a keyboard through a restaurant's din- The Godfather Theme, Love Me Tender and Green, Green Grass of Home. However poeple liked his voice and took notice. Alfio progressed to bigger restaurants, then private functions, until he was singing in the best restaurants overlooking Sydney Harbour, places frequented by well heeled audiences.

"You wouldn't believe the amount of times people said to me: 'why are you singing here? Why aren't you famous?'
"Everytime I heard that, it did two things. It crushed me, but it motivated me at the same time. It motivated me to move on and keep doing bigger and bigger things, to keep going, going and going.

He took singing lessons with teachers who told him he had a voice for opera. He decided against taking that path. "You have to live it," he says. He made self-financed Cd's to sell at his restaurant gigs, where people still said,"Why aren't you famous?" He collected a list of those who wanted to be told when he released a real CD, a list he admits he's still got.

He dreamed of performing in front of an orchestra and he kept taking chances " I wanted to go to the best. The only way I could do that was to go to Italy."
He spent six months taking private singing lessons in Italy. "Italian is a beautiful language to listen to. I can express myself in rock and roll but I don't enjoy it. When I sing a note, it comes out in Italian, naturally flowing."

Without the money to finance an album with a 60 piece orchestra, he found backers who believed in his talent and made finances available for him to pursue his dream. When Warner Music heard the album, "Tranquillita", midway through it's recording, they agreed to release it and make Alfio a priority. Suddenly the restaurant days were behind him.
"I've got a long way to go yet," says Alfio. "I won't be able to stop. My life is music, nothing else."

Ed Nimmervoll

extra bit on page about Popera

The connection between opera and pop (Il Divo, Amici Forever, Andrea Bocelli and Russell Watson are the current stars) started in 1990 when Luciano Pavarotti's rendition of Giacomo Puccini's Nessun Dorma became the theme song for the 1990 Soccer World Cup.

Yvonne · Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 212

Alfio is 30 on the Australian national ARIA charts, he debuted last week at number 42.

Thought you may like to know of this information.

Yvonne

Yvonne · Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 212

here is another article I have found on Alfio. Enjoy

http://www.parramattaadvertiser.com.au/common/story_page/0,7168,18922745%255E36817,00.html

Yvonne · Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 212

I met Alfio last night at Highpoint City shopping Centre here in Melbourne Australia, last night, he was fantastic.

He performed five songs before he signed autographs.

Firstly he performed "Amore Scusami" and then "Stars Shine For You" accompanied by keyboard and strings. Then he performed "Passione e Volutta" with himself on the keyboard and a lady on strings. After that he ended with "Il Mondo" and finally "Il Nostro Sogno" to backing tape. Let me tell you he sounds even more awesome than on Cd.

The one downside was the time of the instore- 7pm on a Thursday, the crowd was disappointing, but on the upside, it gave everyone a chance to meet him and have a photo taken with him (which I did) and thankyou to Rob from Sanity for doing this for everyone who wanted it.

Alfio is lovely, friendly and is very sweet to his fans. I loved meeting him and was glad I was able to go over there to do so, I live nearby though, just the time of it, was a bit tricky.

His voice has me in awe also, it is very powerful, yet still romantic and sweet.

His debut Cd is now at number 14 on the ARIA charts here in Australia.

"Tranquillita"

Yvonne · Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 212

Oh and because this particular shopping centre is in my local area, I am hoping that our local paper has a story on his instore in next week's edition, not that I really saw much media there, but I am hoping that someone was there, so I can post you another article about him.

Yvonne · Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 212

There were no articles in my local papers (sadly)- how rude of them.

Anyway Alfio performed this morning on our Today show here in Australia at about 8.25am singing Il Nostro Sogno (very beautifully too, I might add for so early in the morning) and he did a reprise of same song at the end of the program. His family were in the studio this morning, this show comes from Sydney, where he and his family hail from, but his folks are originally from Italy, they have been here for forty years, I read somewhere and Alfio was born here, he is 30 years old.

hopefully by now there is a video up of his performance.

www.ninemsn.com.au/today