Alfio www.alfiomusic.com
“Every one of us has a story to tell about our lives, be it a happy or a sad one, we all have our way of conveying our message – my way is through music and song.”
“The Italian language is so romantic and melodic. Just speaking the language sounds like a song – it has such a rhythm and melody to it. It always appealed to me; so that’s how I wrote. I guess it never occurred to me to write a rock song; I don’t express myself that way”.
Alfio’s enchanting album, ‘Tranquillita’ showcases his truly beautiful songwriting prowess, and regardless of whether the lyrics are sung in Italian, English or Spanish, the universal theme is romance.
“I am still at a loss to explain my love for classical music especially since my parents brought me up with more traditional folk Italian music, I only discovered classical music a few years ago and really began to appreciate its true beauty… I however decided not to take that path as I didn’t want to be restricted to singing the same songs which have been sung for thousands of years, so I decided to develop my voice and adapt it with the music I was writing”
It was never Alfio’s intention to follow a similar path to strict operatic legends such as Luciano Pavarotti; however artists like these have been an incredible influence on Alfio’s musical journey.
“I love to sing and I love writing songs and putting them together. The joy was always to sing something I wrote and composed myself. Of course, I have since worked very hard to perfect my vocal abilities and have studied classical and operatic training both here and in Italy, this has been an amazing experience and extremely beneficial to my voice”
‘Il Nostro Sogno (Our Dream)’ is the captivating first single to be released from ‘Tranquillita’ – a riveting song that Alfio wrote about unity and peace in the world with a soaring chorus, that not only commands your undying attention, but is targeted directly at the hairs at the back of your neck.
“‘Il Nostro Sogno’ is about a dream of peace, it is my communication of harmony to the world through the way I know best – from my heart and through song. In today’s society of fear and terror I feel this song will ring through the hearts of many peaceful people throughout the world”
Alfio ‘Tranquillita’…a passionate and enthralling album from a uniquely talented and gifted artist.
Release date: April 8, 2006
Catalogue number: 5101122842
Featuring ‘IL NOSTRO SOGNO (OUR DREAM)’
At media: w/c March 27, 2006
“I sing with my voice and you listen to my heart…My celebration and my sadness, my loving and my loneliness – all this is delivered through an immense abundance of emotion and I bring it all to you…in my song.”
Alfio – 2006
For further information, please contact your local Warner Music office
www.warnermusic.com.au www.alfiomusic.com
– TRACK BY TRACK
1- Il Nostro Sogno (Our Dream)
The song is about a dream of peace, it is my communication of harmony to the world through the way I know best – from my heart and through song. In today’s society of fear and terror I feel this song will ring through the hearts of many peaceful people throughout the world.
2- Stars Shine For You
“Your love is so… so much like fantasy, like the gold awaits the rainbow from a silver cloud…” We need love and I need it as much as anyone else, I wrote this song as a nostalgic memory or fantasy of what it was like to be in love and how much I would give to have it again “…I’ll catch a star far from the world below, to remind you every moment, that the stars shine bright above the world for you”
3- Quando Quando Quando
I chose this song which was the song that ‘Mr Quando’ Tony Renis made famous as it is a standard classic in this genre – When I said to my producer Marty Irwin that I wanted to cover this track he was keen to create something completely different to anything ever recorded and I think that is exactly what we have achieved. It begins with a lush string orchestral arrangement and you are set up for another romantic classic and then ‘BANG’ it hits you the way the song really should – right at the souls of your feet as they begin tapping involuntarily.
4- Serenata
This song I wrote with one word in mind ‘simplicity’. It is simple lyrically and melodically, but quite simply it is beautiful – This is the sort of song I can imagine two lovers playing in the background while holding each other through the night… “as you lay your body next to mine, all my fears turn into things divine, I could stay beside your soul forevermore, just give me this and I will long for nothing more”
5- Il Mondo
Il Mondo means “The World” A great song from 1962 by Jimmy Fontana, I love this song and grew up with it – it is one of those songs I simply love to sing. I wanted this song to be a big production track as it deserves nothing less, so I incorporated big backing vocals towards the end and kept the original string lines at the end of the song which are simply irreplaceable.
6- Amore Scusami
As you will soon discover I set out to produce an album which has a wide range of musical styles and this classic 60’s Italian standard which is usually performed in a faster 6/8 time signature, was given the lush laid back jazz ballad treatment by renowned Sydney arranger Graham Jesse. A velvet smooth track sure to touch the hearts of the traditionalist and the jazz lover alike.
7- Catarí
I wrote this song one day by accident – the music was written first then the words came later on. Originally it was meant to be a very traditional Italian classical piece with dramatic chord progressions, then with producer Rajan Kamahl we decided to change it to a type of tango/bolero. It is about a girl who has the voice of an angel but is struggling for recognition and so she walks down the street and bursts into song and the whole world stops and listens to her singing with such passion and heart felt conviction. The voice of Catarí is sung by my vocal coach and Soprano Arax Mansourian who has an amazing voice. “Catarí you’ll make the whole world stop and see… just sing for me your song… your song, your symphony”
8- Passione e Voluttá
The birth of this song is quite amazing, I was sitting in front of my computer one late night/early morning when I began to drift off to sleep, for a few moments I could feel and hear the sighs of my breath, each breath I released was like the waves going out to the ocean and each breath I took was like the waves crashing up onto the shore, for a moment I thought I was controlling the whole ocean through this amplified state of awareness of my breathing. “Feel the lure of the ocean strongly but gently as it takes you deep into the depths of its soul everytime you release your sighs of passion and sensual desire…di Passione e Voluttá…”
9- Fantasy
So many nights I lie awake and think about my life, where I am heading, where I have been and where I am today, one night I decided to put my thoughts into a song and I realized that all the thoughts in my head were merely fantasies as not much of them had actually happened. “My thoughts begin their fruitless journey, longing for the answers deep inside” The truth is that we don’t always find these answers and we must simply take each day as it comes and live every moment fully. “Every day is a dream, silence hears me scream… this life is fantasy”
10- A Mi Manera (Spanish Version of My Way)
‘My Way’ is one of the worlds greatest songs, so to record it in English would simply mean that hundreds have done it before me, so I chose to do it in Spanish and I am happy that I did. The wonderful thing about this song is that most listeners don’t even realize they are listening to the classic tune until they get to the chorus, I deliberately added my own touch to this song with the wonderful arrangement of Graham Jesse and ended in the traditional way to see the song climax to the big ending it deserves.
11- Quello Che Non Volevo
This song talks about the things that were never spoken of, the words that should have been said but were never expressed, and now I am living in regret that maybe the relationship could have been different perhaps if I had only said the things I should have said.
12- Ave Maria
This song is dedicated to my mother Maria and was recorded on her birthday, so I gave a completely emotional performance just for her. Quite simply Ave Maria is a prayer and it should be delivered as gently as silence itself, and to hear this played on a traditionally loud bright instrument like the trumpet, with such a heart felt and delicate delivery, is in itself a prayer. Through the trumpet he releases his voice and his soul. This track provides a perfect landing ground for the ending of the album. My emotional vocal performance of this sacred song was kindled by the constant thought of my mother.
