Season 399 - Bella Italia

Buona sera, Seasonistas! The first songs are now added to the playlist and we already have some very nice entries there. A fine start, thank you all!
 
Since the choir I belonged to folded, I've joined a singing for pleasure group and this is one of the songs we were doing. I did find some Italian lyrics but I didn't feel comfortable with them so I stuck with the English ones. The video is from the only bit of Italy I've ever been to. The CentoValli Railway is a narrow gauge railway that runs from Domodossola through the Italian Alps to Locarno in Switzerland. It runs through magnificent scenery as you can see. We then went back to our hotel via the Gotthard line. A great day out. We were there in January, hence all the snow.
 
Bella-la-la-la-Buck-Owens!!!!

:) Ya all gon'a do a Buckaroo?

I was feeling guilty for the Dispensation and did some research on Dean Martin, who I always liked and since my voice is sorta like his and he was Italian, I thought there might be a chance I could learn one of his songs and get in the spirit of the Season. I spent most of the day on You Tubes and also looked into Roseann Cash, 'cause she's I-talian on her mothers side, some people say. :eek:

I found a lot of songs that fit the Season, but few simple enough to learn by the end of the Season. We got our video things figured out but I'll need 'till the mid week to get it in the can.

Everyone has done a good job this week so far. Cheers!:cheers:
 
One more from me for this week, an Ernest Tubb classic about a guy not happy to be going to Italy during World War II. Hopefully Berni will see this and get a kick out of it. Had fun trying it.

 
Italy is mentioned in this early Dylan blues tune off Freewheelin'.
On Tenor, A string tuned down to G.
Noticed this was originally played on guitar with a capo on 5.So perfect for a uke.
 
Season 399. Submission 1. "La Vie En Rose" (Lyrics by Edith Piaf, music by Louiguy and Marguerite Monnot, 1946)

Thank you for hosting, Ylle, and your great theme.


Well, it may seem weird to sing a song in French for a week that celebrates Italy, but truly, this song has been beautifully sung by people of various races and ethnicities. I'm bringing it this week because Cristin Milioti has sung it while playing a uke on an episode of the popular American television show entitled How I Met Your Mother; she is of Italian descent. I chose to sing the song in the shorter version she used, as opposed to other versions various artists have used.

The song asks us to see life "through rose-colored glasses."

I dedicate it to my beloved aunt, who passed last week. The photographs are all taken by me of the beaches near my home that she and I loved to walk together during her visits.

8 string ukulele, vocal - turtledrum



 
Low-tech as I am here on this teaching assignment out of town, I figured out something about recording while sitting at your desk. The vocals (my vocals, anyway) were overpowering the poor un-amplified sound of the pineapple. Solution: use the GoPro for sound and the webcam for video....

From the Chairman of the Board

 
399-1

Martin was born Dino Paul Crocetti on June 7, 1917, in Steubenville, Ohio, the son of Italian father Gaetano Alfonso Crocetti (1894–1967) and Italian-American mother Angela Crocetti (née Barra; 1899–1966). His parents were married in 1914. His father, who was a barber, was originally from Montesilvano, Abruzzo, and his mother's origins are also believed to be from Abruzzo, although they are not clearly known.

From Wikipedia

 
I almost brought this for Ryan’s ‘90’s season - it was very difficult to escape then.

Then I almost brought it for his ooh la la season (several yeah yeah yeahs in there)

But, Britney’s grandmother is supposedly from Sicily, so now I’m putting it here.



Good idea for a season Ylle. I did my graduate geology field work in Italy. I’ve dusted off some of the music I brought back and am practicing my pronunciation. Look out!
 
thank you for this week Ylle
an original song for the season



LUCIANO PAVAROTTI

Italy's a place I'd like to go
but I don't know if I'll get there so
I'll keep on dreaming of the leaving -
the setting forth of my big toe

into that land of Venice grand
where Deano Martin made his stand;
where the moon it hits your eye
just like a big pizza pie.

Language sexy like the French,
just without the slimy stench.
They say Rome is near the Vatican City,
isn't that pity?

On the player: Luciano.
Scorsese and Stallone, Pesci and De Niro.
Luciano Pavarotti,
Luciano Pavarotti.

Just make me some seafood carbonara
or any other kind of pasta
and we'll pretend that you and me
are holidaying in Italy -

underneath the Mediterranean sun,
on the beach when summer comes
we'll swim out in that azure sea;
breaststroke, sidestroke you and me.

On the player: Frank Sinatra.
Ravioli, bolognese, minestrone in the larder.
Luciano Pavarotti,
Luciano.

Italy's a place I'd like to go
but I don't know if I'll get there so
I'll keep on dreaming you and me
are holidaying in Italy.
 
Joe Dolce was born in 1947, the eldest of three children, to Italian-American parents.
The pop world was aghast when this song reached number one on the UK Singles
Chart on 21 February 1981 and stayed there for three weeks until 14 March 1981
keeping Ultravox's single "Vienna" out of the top spot. It became a multi-million-selling hit,
peaking at No. 1 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart for eight weeks
from November 1980. Just shows you comedy wins every time.
 
I bloody love this place sometimes.

I decided to do a song from an actual Italian artist and thought Eurovision would be a good place to start. A song title from 2017 caught my eye, Occidentali's Karma by Francesco Gabbani. I listened to it on Spotify but wasn't really feeling it, but then Spotify played another Gabbani song, Svalutation, and it absolutely rocks. Been listening to it all morning.

Turns out it's a cover, the song was originally put out by the Italian Elvis, Adriano Celentano in 1976 referencing an oil/economic crisis at the time. One of the lines roughly translates to "with one months salary you can just buy a coffee, the stadium is full but where are the people?" Which is still relevant 40 years on.

Here's my take, more inspired by Francesco's version than Adriano's.

Second time in six weeks I've done a song in Italian! Apologies again for any pronounciation gaffs.

 
An original from me written especially for this season (I know, so what else is new? ;) ).
The chorus, taken from an Italian Gravestone, is in Italian and roughly translates thus:

Nothing remains - Nothing is left
That is the greatest taboo
There is no heaven - There is no hell
Everything disappears - even you!

Hope you enjoy this little short story in four verses and three choruses.

 
Hello again, Ylle, I hope this one counts. It was written originally as an instrumental for "The Godfather" and, with the addition of lyrics, became a hit for Andy Williams. The accompanying video is one I found in Creative Commons of Palermo, capital of Sicily and HQ of all good "Godfathers" in the Italian Mafia.

 
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Blue Skies - As sung by Frank Sinatra (amongst a beautiful Ella Fitzgerald version). Went to a small jazz gig last week and the band was playing this one and it got stuck in my head so when this season came up I thought it was the perfect opportunity to play it. Using my Eastman EU60E archtop uke for the rhythm - this time plugged in - and the Fanner Guitarworks Jazzy Baritone for the soloparts. Hope you like it.

 
When I think of a famous Italian song, I always think of that one that goes lala lala lala lala…played at Italian weddings, parties, etc. What the heck is that song? Well, I looked around and found out it is called Tarantella Napoletana, credited to Luigi Ricci, from his 1852 opera. For such a well known song, that guy gets no respect, no respect at all, I tell ya....at least according to this source: https://www.wqxr.org/story/italian-song-tarantella-napoletana-luigi-ricci/

The tanantella itself is a common dance and folk music staple of southern Italy, and served as inspiration to many later composers, including Rossini, who wrote La Danza.

I wanted to try this quintessentially Italian sounding (to me) song for this Season, but it seems this song is an instrumental, I couldn’t find any lyrics. Just doing la la la’s throughout seemed boring. So, I borrowed some lyrics from Rossini’s La Danza, added a few, and tried my own little mashup, I guess. I can’t wait to try it out on my 85 year old Italian neighbor! He might need a glass of red wine first, maybe two! :D

 
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