“Life is beautiful because it has an end”
Your latest album is called
Everything is forgotten one day.
Make our mouths water…
Strong and positive texts, written by exceptional lyricists, are carried by current rhythms.
More than ever, with this world turning upside down, music must bring hope.
What does this record reveal about you?
The intimate bond that I have maintained, since the start of my career, with my audience.
It is found in my songs.
A place that inspires you to compose?
My garden, when the weather is nice, or my living room. With by my side, Monique, my wife of fifty-five years. She is my first jury and audience.
Which artist have you dreamed of being a duo with on stage?
Frank Sinatra, who, like me, was from Lercara Friddi, in Sicily. Unfortunately our paths could not cross. But in my sixty-year career, I have had the pleasure of singing with great artists: Salvatore Adamo, Roberto Alagna…
The person who meant the most in your family?
Giuseppe, my father, who left his native village to work in the coal mines in Belgium. He was my first impresario, encouraging me as a child to go on stage and accompanying me to singing competitions. And Nina, mamma who managed difficult ends of the month.
Qualities that you have inherited and that you want to pass on to your children and grandchildren…
The taste for a job well done, the joy of living and self-confidence.
A spiritual place where you like to take refuge?
An empty church. Any one. I find silence there, a feeling of calm, and I pray to reconnect with the universal energy: God.
You meet Leo XIV. What question is burning on your lips?
I had the chance to sing at the Vatican and meet John Paul II. A moment of fulfillment. I would ask Léon to continue preaching peace and goodwill between peoples.
You are offered eternal life. Do you sign?
No, because life is beautiful precisely because it has an end. But yes all the same, if I find those I loved up there. Ultimately, what really matters is savoring the magnificent moments that life offers us.
