MORE NEWS
In the 22nd episode of the project, Al Bano reads an excerpt from Aspazija’s poem “The Key to Life” from the poetry collection “The Wings Spread Wide” published in 1920.
Al Bano – whose real name is Albano Carrisi – has recorded over 40 albums since the 1960s, selling some 165 million copies worldwide. Having grown up listening to classical Italian opera arias, he has released several albums of opera music and performed alongside such stars as Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo and José Carreras.
He has, however, gained his greatest popularity as a pop singer, especially in duo with Romina Power. They performed together for almost 30 years, winning countless international contests and festivals, before Al Bano resumed his solo career in 1996.
Al Bano. Photo: Jura Podnieka studija
“All lovers of vocal music associate the name of Italy with wonderful bel canto singing. Italian music is melodic and Italian singers have great voices! Italian popular music is rooted both in opera and folk music – they are so intertwined that it is impossible to draw a line between them. I think that audiences also love the reserved stage presence of Italians. Their concerts are not characterised by pretentiousness, shows or technology, but by respect, good taste and compelling music,” explains the Latvian musicologist Daiga Mazvērsīte in describing the allure of Al Bano’s music in an interview to the TV NET portal.
Al Bano is, furthermore, not just a musician but also a successful wine-maker. The “Tenute Al Bano Carrisi” winery he inherited from his father Don Carmelo produces 11 varieties of Apulia region wines. He has successfully created an exclusive brand and wine-making has now become the main business of his family. Some of the labels, such as his “Felicita” white wine, are named after Al Bano’s most popular songs.
In spite of his age, Al Bano is still performing around the world – from the USA to Russia – and has visited Latvia many times. Riga is also one of the few places in Eastern Europe where it is possible to taste and buy wine from his winery.
Al Bano. Photo: Jura Podnieka studija
The #mindpower (#domasspēks in Latvian) project features a collection of 29 short films in which celebrities from all the EU Member States read excerpts from the works of Rainis and Aspazija in their native language and clothe them in images of their culture. The project is a part of the Presidency cultural programme.
Each week a new video is released on the Presidency’s website EU2015.LV. You can also watch the episodes on the Presidency’s official Youtube channel and on the project's Facebook page.
