That sweet blues sound

Italian super-star Zucchero launches Shake with a Canadian tour

Italian blues-rock superstar Zucchero has just begun his biggest-ever Canadian tour, playing nine dates in Ontario and Quebec. Tandem reached him in Italy just prior to the trip, and he declared himself "very excited" about it.
"I really like to come to Canada. I love the country, and I have good memories of when I played in Toronto and Montreal three years ago. We just finished a tour in Europe that was nearly one year long, and now I need to get out of Europe!"
The timing is excellent for this amiable veteran. 2003 marks his 20th anniversary as a recording artist, and he's out in support of a brand new album, Shake (released earlier this week). It has been another huge platinum-plus success in Europe, and has been hailed by many as his best yet.
Once again, it features a diversity of styles, ranging from passionate ballads to up-tempo blues-rockers. The Zucchero sound is hard to define, but he comes up with one good definition. "It is often blues, but with a Mediterranean melody," he says. "A good example is my favourite song on the new record, 'I Lay Down.' I am very proud and happy that Universal Canada chose this song as the first single there."
Giving that track real poignancy is the fact that it is a duet with blues great John Lee Hooker, recorded in California just shortly before his death.
Zucchero (real name Adelmo Fornaciari) explains that "my influences are black, as you can understand - blues and rhythm and blues. Since I was 11 years old, I really fell in love with Mr. Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles. Then I got more into the blues, people like Robert Johnson, Elmore James. This is what I like, and you can feel that in my music."
Indeed. You can't fake being a good blues singer, and the power and passion of the Zucchero voice means he has passed that test. Just ask blues greats like Eric Clapton and B.B. King, who expressed real respect for his music.
"Eric Clapton came to Sicily to see one of my shows in a stadium and he asked me to open up his tour for Europe. I was completely unknown in Europe then (1990)."
Zucchero has been a superstar in Italy since 1987. His album of that year, Blues, sold 1.3 million copies there, a record figure. That feat has since been surpassed by such smash albums as Oro Incenso e Birra (1989), Miserere (1992), Spirito di Vino (1995), and 1999's Bluesugar.
Along his incredible journey, he has collaborated with or performed alongside some of the legends of rock, jazz, blues and opera. Check this out for a list: Bono, Sting, Elvis Costello (all of whom have written English lyrics for Zucchero], Miles Davis, Queen, Luciano Pavarotti, Tom Jones, Peter Gabriel, Little Richard, Buddy Guy, Elton John, and many more.
Their support has boosted Zucchero's international profile. "They also gave me the courage to keep going," he tells us. "It is difficult to be appreciated if you are an Italian artist who doesn't sing 'Pizza Amore'," he laughs.
"To be honest, I never thought it would go this far. I always told myself to do my best. Music is my life but I never thought I could have a chance to be part of Woodstock II or be invited to the Freddie Mercury Tribute concert in Wembley Stadium or work with Pavarotti in doing his charity event [Pavarotti & Friends] every year."
Zucchero has yet to duplicate his European success in North America, and is aware of the huge challenge that presents. "That is very hard for a non-American artist. It is very hard for an American artist even. I'm just looking for a chance to play my music all around the world, if that is possible. The people will decide. What I discovered in these years is that Americans or Canadians or Italo-Canadians come to a concert and listen, then they fall in love with this music. If it happens like in Europe, fantastic. If not, I will still keep playing!"
On Shake, Zucchero sings in both Italian and English. "To be honest, I prefer to sing in Italian because I write my own lyrics. I know the feeling, the effect the words can have in the music. But I don't dislike singing in English if it is the right song, if it is simple. Not many words, good music doesn't need many words."
Shake is now out on Universal Music Canada. Zucchero plays Massey Hall on October 25.

Publication Date: 2003-10-26
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=3292