He loves girls and sports cars and wears his signature red glasses because "they are cool and I feel comfortable with them," not because he needs to.
But in one obvious way, the 19-year-old doesn't sound like a typical teenager -- his voice. He's got a booming operatic tenor that belies his age.
Barone is one third of Il Volo, the unlikely popera -- operatic pop -- singing sensations from Italy. The trio will perform in El Paso for the first time Tuesday at the Plaza Theatre. The tour, their second in North America in two years, includes a handful of dates opening for Barbra Streisand and will be followed by the November release of their second studio album.
The group's been on quite a roll since debuting in the United States two years ago.
"The reaction we are having with the audiences is making our dream come true," Barone said from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "They make us believe that we are bringing our emotion and our kind of music, (which) we were born with in Italy, around the world, and we appreciate it because people love it."
Not bad for a bunch of guys from Sicily and central Italy who'd never met until they were cast on an Italian TV show.
"Ti Lascio Una Cazone," which means "Leaving a Song For You," is a singing competition that features singers performing beloved Italian pop, folk and standard songs. In 2009, tenor Ignazio Boschetto, 17, baritone Gianluca Ginoble, 17,
Advertisement
and Barone were hired to sing on the show. Ginoble won it that May.
Their lives changed when a producer put them together to sing "O Sole Mio," though they had never sung together before.
"We've been so lucky because we (were there at) the same time, with the same momentum together, (when) the producer decided to put our voices together," Barone said.
They continued singing together under various names, catching the eye of producer Tony Renis, best known for his 1962 hit "Quando, Quando, Quando." They signed with Andrea Bocelli's manager, changed their name to Il Volo (which means "the flight" in Italian) and signed a recording deal with Universal Music Group.
Il Volo recorded a 2010 self-titled debut album at London's legendary Abbey Road Studios and landed several high-profile gigs, including contributing to "We Are the World 25 for Haiti," an update of the Michael Jackson African relief song, and an appearance on "American Idol."
"Il Volo Takes Flight -- Live from the Detroit Opera House," a live album and DVD recorded in October, was released in February and aired on PBS, where it was a hit with viewers.
The trio hopes to do something Bocelli and Josh Groban haven't been able to do.
"Before we started this career, our kind of music was loved by the people over 50 years old, older people," Barone said. "But our goal is to make the younger generation love this kind of music. If you are listening, you fall in love with it."
Carol McNeal, who runs the Plaza Theatre, wasn't sure how the group and its "phenomenal" voices would be received here, but said the El Paso show could sell out, thanks in part to the "Takes Flight" PBS special.
"To think you're only seeing a recorded version of it, but you know how voices that are big like that can be," said McNeal, director of facilities sales and marketing for the El Paso Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Get them into the theater and they will blow people away."
She thinks their obvious talent and natural, often lighthearted rapport go a long way in making their music palatable to the uninitiated.
"If you've seen the PBS show, you know they make it a lot of fun," McNeal said.
Sicilian Barone, who speaks six languages, started his vocal training at age 6. "Thanks to my grandpa, I grew up with this kind of music," he said. "The first time I studied it, I fell in love with it."
Barone said he owns up to 60 pairs of glasses, but he's not looking too far into the future. This tour ends Nov. 9 at the Hollywood Bowl and includes a few dates opening for Streisand and trumpeter Chris Botti.
"I saw Streisand in Los Angeles when we did the 'We Are the World' record," Barone said. "To work with her, to have a show with her, is really amazing."
The group will follow the tour with the new album, though details are being kept close to the vest. "With the first album, we wanted to show our power to the audience, who we were. We put all covers on it," Barone said. "Now, the next album is going to be new songs and a lot of surprises."
Certainly, their young career has seen one surprise after another. Like a lot of teenagers, Barone appears to be living in the moment, but said there could be life after Il Volo, if it ever comes to that.
"I love opera, so this is my dream come true," he said. "This has been my dream, to sing opera. ... I'm really proud to be with Il Volo, but who knows, maybe I'll do some opera (some day)."
Source: .elpasotimes
No comments:
Post a Comment