Italian singer, songwriter and amazing performer, Giada Valenti is set to perform a Christmas concert on December 11, 2011 in the the beautiful Alumni Theatre at Caldwell College.
Accompanied by her full 4-piece band she will take you on a romantic musical journey singing hits fro the 60s, 70s and 80s, combined with a selection of Christmas favorites.
-- When your 69-year-old mother graduates college. A woman, who came to the United States in the 1960's after marrying my father in Italy. Not only did she raise four children, but she was also the brains behind my father's businesses.
In most traditional Italian families, the women really aren't that dominant, but in the case of my mother, she wore the pants -- and quite honestly my father didn't mind - and he was quiet proud of her many times.
All the while, she handled the business, but yet growing up we still had hot meals on the table and had to stay in line with her rules. My mother like I've said before is one tough lady, you can't mess with her or tell her what to do. She's traditional in an UN-traditional Italian woman way.
My mother's dream was to pursue her education here in the United States; because she was unable to do it when she lived in Italy, then she got married, and then she had kids..so it seemed the time was never right. Around the same time, and partially because I was the youngest and off to college, I think my mom felt inspired so she signed up for college.
The funniest moment was when I went with my mother to her university to sign her up, we went to the registrar's office and immediately the people would start asking me questions, but then I would have to say, "no, it's not for me, it's for her.." they were surprised, but in a good way. She managed to surprise many people with her drive.
My mother began taking one course here and there and then progressed into a full time student. She worked hard in every subject and come hell or high water; she always attended her classes. Let's say she was probably one of those annoying people in class who asks a lot of questions.. (LOL) I had the opportunity to meet some of her professors, who always made it very clear how fond they were of her and how amazing they thought her drive was for staying in college so long and being such a great student.
It took her close to 15 years to get her Bachelor's degree, but she did it.
Congratulations to my mother, the graduate. One of her American dreams came true.
He's back and better than ever, international singer and Italian crooner, Patrizio Buanne released his latest album called 'Patrizio.'
One word,--- AMAZING.
Buanne has sold over one million albums worldwide, making him one of the most desired singers of our time. This album gives Patrizio Buanne a chance to show off his extensive voice range--He's not just a standard singer, you can really hear the soul, some pop, traditional and cultural vibes.
Patrizio says, "I'm not just an Italian guy singing Italian songs. It's important to give people the kind of music I am known for, but I also wanted to open myself up artistically and give them something else or rather something "more of me" that's why we called the album PATRIZIO.
In this new album Patrizio takes a different avenue on his style of singing and really digs deep into soulful standards. Famous standards, like 'Fly me to the Moon, and 'Crazy' are spectacularly sung by Buanne. His sound and delivery really infuse an inspiring and emotional sound into these songs.
I've seen Patrizio perform in person, and can tell you his stand out element as a performer and singer is his ability to convey passion and sincere emotion. Come on, the guy is Italian. (what do you expect) If his past success is any indication of the success of this new album, then he'll be on the American Music Awards before you know it. Patrizio Buanne is crossing over big time, with each feature we've been lucky enough to publish on him, his success and popularity are consistently growing. His fan base is completely committed to Buanne and will support him to make his cross over a success in the USA. We wish him the best on the release of this new album. I personally have a few favorites on this album especially, 'You're My Everything' - beautiful.
To buy Patrizio Buanne's new album 'Patrizio' visit his official site: http://www.patrizio.tv/
Photo Credit - Amit & Naroop
Patrizio is scheduled perform at these events listed here:
A picture is worth a thousand words.... image yourself right in this picture, looking down this canal toward the next bridge... its absolutely breathtaking. Enjoy.
(This photo is property of Italian American Girl/ItalianAmericanGirl.com 2011 Copyright - You must ask permission to reuse.)
Recently, I was invited by the Bertolli team to be part of their new 'Today' Cooking School series on MSNBC.
In this new cooking series, we met the Bertolli team, where we were given an opportunity to shoot this cooking segment along with other influential bloggers such as Jen Luby from Second City Soiree and Paula Jones from Bellalimento. There is nothing better than being able to be yourself and be part of a great project. Not only was I lucky enough to participate, but my sister, Maria was also a master in the kitchen in this segment.
The soups really were delicious and as an Italian American, who grew up with my mom's cooking, the soup was pretty authentic. So, I hope you love the series, watch it once or a million times, I love it! I'm so excited! Thank you to the Bertolli Team!
Wow, is all I can say-- these guys are seriously making a huge impact on the American music industry and audience. Teens who can sing opera and kind of look boy bandish? Oh yes, and they're right out of Italy; doesn't get any better.
Auguri to all Italian Americans celebrating Columbus Day. It's a very important day to my family, because it signifies the day my father arrived in America to start a new life. He came to the USA to live the American dream and we still hold onto the dreams my father had when he first came here in 1956 and now we honor those who have paved the way for all Italian Americans. Celebrate with pride!
Columbus Day Parade - New York City
On Monday October 10, 2011 the best parade in New York City (in my opinion) the Columbus Day Parade is set to begin at 11:30 a.m. and run till 3:00 p.m. The parade always includes a slew of Italian and Italian American performers, bands and participants from all over the country and including from Italy. I love watching the parade on television, because you really have a chance to get the specifics on where people are from based on the hosting conversations with either Maria Bartiromo and or Joe Piscopo - we'll see who hosts again this year.
The parade begins on Fifth Ave and 44th Street, get in early and claim your spots, gotta love New York City but the commute can be a pain, so check out the tips listed in the links below.
Happy Birthday to the Italian American Girl site. It's been three years of hard work, making great connections and meeting the most amazing people. When I started the site, my goal was to share my love and passion for my Italian culture, which I have to say I didn't think my love could grow any stronger, but it has and it keeps me driven to deliver the best content I can about being Italian American.
As an Italian American, there are so many important traditions that need to be recognized, cultivated and preserved, so the Italian American Girl site has become the home where we can talk, connect and share within our community.
I can't thank everyone enough for all your support, love and encouragement. I think the most important element that has grown from the IAG site, has been the unbelievable community that lets me know what I'm doing matters. Love you all and I look to you to help me keep the site successful and continuously growing. Grazie...xoxo
A guest post this week from Italian American Girl's sister, Maria.....
As a first generation Italian American raising my children I feel so honored to share so many special traditions and cultural knowledge with them.Growing up in a first generation household I learned the importance of art, history, cooking, traveling and most importantly- family.As I became a mother myself it never was a question of passing on all the beautiful and intense things I learned growing up.
I spoke Italian with both my children from birth instilling the gift of a second language and the flexibility to learn more than one language by the age of two.My children travel yearly to spend their summer on the breathtaking southern Italian beaches of the Mediterranean, indulging in the local cuisine, life style and building life-long relationships with all my relatives.The beauty is that it is all very normal to them to see a diverse lifestyle than here in the states and become educated on the vast culture Italians have shared with the world.
Cooking is an integral part of my children being raised Italian American, we follow traditions year round and indigenous recipes and tastes are always on our menu, not to mention the luxury of home-made, healthy foods, which are delicious!The kitchen is our meeting place and all family meetings are conducted around the table, not to mention my children appreciate wonderful baked goods we make regularly to pair up with our “coffee,’ which is a staple in our home.
My children are exposed to organic gardening by my father daily and appreciate the love and dedication it takes to nurture a delicious fruit or vegetable, they share the experience of loving the earth and nature with their Nonno and Nonna.
But for us the most important part is family, we support each other through thick and thin, we eat together, we cry together, we laugh and love together.We never think twice to help each other out if one of us needs a hand, my children are taught to share and give love unconditionally, which comes naturally because we lead by example showering them with love and support.
I am so proud to share all these wonderful things with my children and know that it will have a positive impact on how they interact in the world as adults.
-Maria
**Photo- Copyright 2011 Italian American Girl - you must ask permission to use any and all photos on ItalianAmericanGirl.com - Grazie
(New York, NY) -- Zucchero ("Sugar") is Italy's most beloved rock star and one of the top Italian artists worldwide, having sold 40 million records over three decades. As a singer-songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist, Zucchero has collaborated with the royalty of international rock, blues, R&B, jazz and classical music – from Bono, Sting and Eric Clapton to Miles Davis, John Lee Hooker and Solomon Burke to Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli. On October 4, 2011, Decca Records releases the North American edition of Zucchero's Chocabeck, a recording that is simultaneously a concept album about his roots in traditional village life and a milestone in his exceptional international career. Chocabeck – co-produced with Don Was (the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan) and Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen) – includes English lyrics by Bono, Iggy Pop and Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears. Chocabeck will also be released as an all-Italian, stand-alone album on October 4th.
Zucchero's autumn/winter tour on behalf of Chocabeck includes a handful of dates in select cities across North America including Toronto, Montreal, Detroit, Chicago, New York and Boston to name a few (for a complete list see below). Asked to describe Zucchero, his longstanding collaborator Bono said: "My friend Zucchero has had Italy singing and dancing for years. . . His boyish smile makes him the most charming man in Italy, that smile that just runs all over his face. But the voice is the sound of aged oak, like an old, oak-aged whisky. . ."
I think it's pretty exciting to have one of Italy's famous Italian popular rock artists here in the states.. I say rock, but what makes Zucchero so unique is the way he can rock out and infuse a blues vibe. One of the greats.
Catch one of Zucchero's concert here in the USA and Canada:
ZUCCHERO FALL 2011 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR:
Friday, 10/14 St. Catherines, ON Brock Center For The Arts
Saturday, 10/15 Toronto, ON Massey Hall
Sunday, 10/16 Montreal, PQ St. Denis Theatre
Tuesday, 10/18 Ottawa, ON Centre Point Theatre
Thursday, 10/20 Edwardsville, IL Southern Illinois University
Saturday, 10/22 Chicago, IL Park West
Sunday, 10/23 Cleveland, OH Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Tuesday, 10/24 New York, NY Beacon Theatre
Thursday, 10/27 Cranston, RI RI PAC
Friday, 10/28 Collingswood, NJ Scottish Rite
Saturday, 10/29 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
Reggio Calabria, Italy -- a great photo from the hill top on the country side closest to the beach. With all extreme weather we are experiencing here on the East Coast in the United States, this image can let you visualize calm and beauty.
@Copyright ItalianAmericanGirl.com 2011 - Italian American Girl -- You must ask permission to reuse this and all images on the IAG site. Grazie.
I'm sharing this great interview I did with a fellow journalist; Brian Kelley founder of "Tandem with the Random" podcast show. Brian and I went to Rider University and shared many communication classes together. Brian contacted me via Twitter and he informed me that he was following me on Twitter and asked if I remembered him? I said, "Of course!" -- So from there, we coordinated a podcast interview focusing on cultural blogging and the history and launch of the Italian American Girl site. Thank you Brian!
Today is one of those days where I have to express what I'm feeling when it comes to family. Many people or maybe I should say non-Italians might not understand the bond or understand why we do certain things or sacrifice a lot of our selves for our family members.
I grew up with the belief that you always help or support your family. In my family we aren't one of these units that each family member lives across the country or in another country, but rather we live close in proximity and at times are sometimes up each other's a@@. I admit --I do complain that in my family we lack boundries, but really do boundries exist in Italian families? For example, if I'm in my sister's neighborhood, nine times out of ten I don't call before I show up, I just knock on her door and she opens it. Then we have coffee, even if she was busy.
Lately, more than one of my family members have been going through some tough times, and I have to say rather than just going about my business, we all come together and form a strong support system for each other. If you ask anyone outside of my family, they might say you should each do your own thing and not worry about what the other is doing, unfortunately (and I say this sarcastically) that does not exist.
I love my family, and no matter what -- we are here for each other, a strong support system on all ends. No outside influences can throw us off track from the real love and support we give each other. I know this to be true of our Italian family, perhaps it may exist with other cultural families as well, but I know for certain this is our Italian cultural and traditional belief. - family is everything.
Copyright 2011 - PHOTO of Italian American Girl ItalianAmericanGirl.com -2011 = you must ask permission for reuse of any and all photos on this site.
Leading Italian Musical Group CANZONIERE GRECANICO SALENTINO bring the power of Taranta to North America for the first time 11 city debut concert tour of the US and Canada announced for September 15 – October 6, 2011
Italy’s fascinating dichotomy of tradition and modernity come together in the music of Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino. ( http://www.canzonieregrecanicosalentino.net/ ) Hailing from the Puglia region, the seven piece band and dancer are the leading exponents in a new wave of young performers re-inventing Southern Italy’s Pizzica Taranta musical and dance traditions for today’s global audience. Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino’s North American tour brings the concert experience of The Notte Della Taranta festival to US and Canadian populations for the first time.
This music is so meaningful to me, I basically grew up listening to this in my house. Every time we would go to Italy, we ended up going to festivals where these types of musical groups played this one of a kind music. It's true it's a genre of music that has become a lost tradition. When we do see the bands play my mother, father and aunts would join in with other people in the groups and start dancing, and playing the tambourines. I may be a modern Italian American in the tri-state area but I am a true Calabrese with hard core traditions. Thank God..
Not to mention, they still blast this music at home occasionally and in the car. I'm so excited for this unknown genre here in the states to have a chance at being exposed to Italian Americans. It truly is history.
Here is list of concert dates: Thu, 09/15/11 New York, NY New York Gypsy Festival http://www.nygypsyfest.com/
Traveling can be tough especially when you don't know what to do or how to do it. If you're traveling to Europe or even domestically: I have just the book for you that can give you insider tips on how to book: airline tickets, car rentals, hotels and travel cell phones.
My good friend and a fellow Greek American, Theo Thimou who co-authored this book with Clark Howard brought this extremely informative book to my attention. On the Italian American Girl site we are usually talking about Italy or travel to and from, so when I received this book- I was delighted to read a great chapter just on travel. In these economic times, every penny counts. So, if you're finally taking a trip of a lifetime and need information that could possibly save you some money, this is the book.
If you know Clark Howard, you know he's the money guru and has been on many television shows as a guest or host talking about finances and giving the most sound advice on how to get the most for your money.
This book covers a variety of financial topics but of course we know travel is very important to the IAG audience, so let me share with you.
Here are some topics covered on travel in the book:
Check message boards before you bid on Priceline or Hotwire
Find cheap vacation rentals by owners
Use social media to resolve hotel issues
Use hard discounter airlines to travel around Europe
Ditch the frequent-flyer miles credit card
These topics/tips are just a taste of what you can find out on travel. A great book not just for travel, but for your overall financial health.
I read the entire book and will implement many points Clark Howard advises when it comes to finances. Now a days, all the help you can get is very welcomed. I highly recommend this book.
The cast of "Jersey Shore" is officially now in Italy. Like it or not, they have an Italian following. What Italian Americans think is so horrifying, Italians are seeing Americans who happen to have an Italian background. So, it asks the bigger question... how bad is this really?
I'm telling you right now, Italians will not see this in the same negative light as many Italian Americans here who feel they're being portrayed by a bunch of degenerates. Instead, the Italians will view them as Americans and if you've been to Italy, you know that Italians love Americans. Most of them anyway. They love everything about America, which includes mainstream television and shows that are broadcast on MTV.
I mentioned in a previous post about this, that I don't think this show is about being Italian American, its more about an American culture or actually a tri-state culture. The guido culture is a real thing in New Jersey, so for those people who are in denial about it, its time to accept it because its now on television. Granted, we have to maintain some kind of boundary on the language and references to Italian Americans, because not all American sub-cultures are the same or the people within them.
Here is a recent article in People magazine with the recent pictures of the cast in Italy upon arrival. Should be interesting to see how this pans out and which Italian American organizations raise hell about it.
This year I embarked on many changes and one of the major changes and goals I wanted to accomplish was to learn how to ballroom dance. I've always wanted to learn to dance professionally and it just seemed this was the moment it was going to happen.
There is always a story behind my story...as you've come to read from my life story in previous posts. So, the idea of dance has always been in my family since I can remember. When my father came to the United States he worked as a dance instructor teaching jive and the tango, these were his two favorites.
Now, he was never trained professionally; it was just something he knew from having such an immense love for dancing. Growing up that's all we ever heard about was how he would go into Manhattan on weekends and dance at the social clubs doing the tango and jive. As kids; my siblings and I always laughed because we would think Papa would never do that, but he always proved us wrong. We would attend family weddings and he would always grab my mother and swoop her into a mean tango. They were pretty hot dancing, some times to the point where people at weddings would clap for them because it was pretty amazing. I remember being little and just thinking wow, my father is awesome and he can dance; literally.
As the years went by, dancing seemed to fade into the background of real life and we just lost the presence of it. So, after so many years....I decided to commit to ballroom dancing. I had no idea how hard it would be. I mean who doesn't watch Dancing with the Stars and just say, "oh yeah, I can do that..." so not the case.
It is probably one of the hardest sports or I would say ...it ranks up there. I give professional dancers such credit for how hard they have to train to become good and then have to teach others how to dance, it's a challenge.
My journey began with me just walking into a local dance studio and asking the front desk receptionist, "how do I start?" From there I met the instructor, his name - Reason - who would become a great inspiration and add an incredible value to learning how to ballroom dance.
I'll be honest; I'm not sure I would have felt the same about learning to dance if I hadn't been paired with Reason. I started my lessons in December right before Christmas, not sure why...but I figured hey, if I'm going to do it doesn't matter when..I was committed.
I started out with a few lessons here and there, but then slowly became addicted to learning, perfecting, and just absorbing the amazing knowledge of my instructor. There were times I would watch the other instructors practice and it was incredible. I think to feel the way I was feeling about dancing you really have to have a love for it. I can truly appreciate and value everything I was taught.
As my lessons went on, I became very connected with Reason. Honestly, you spend a lot of time together and you really begin to know each others patterns, moves, mistakes.. I should say my mistakes... he is a pro. This relationship teaches you a lot, it teaches you about yourself, patience, your drive, and most of all your level of passion.
Reason is younger than me, but I learned a lot from him and it wasn't just about dancing. His drive to be so good and a professional at a young age actually inspires me, his energy is contagious. So, you know when they say you can learn from others, its really true.
I was working toward a goal, which was to learn a lot of the ballroom technique and really perfect one dance in order to perform it at one of our socials. So, I chose to concentrate on the Waltz. I worked on it for weeks and really wanted my family to witness the result of all my hard work. The interesting part to this whole ballroom goal, was that I didn't tell anyone I was doing it, so it was a huge surprise to everyone in my family when I said, "hey, by the way.. I want you to come to my ballroom dance presentation, and oh yeah I've been ballroom dancing for the last 4 months.."
The reaction was amazing, my family couldn't have been more supportive and actually just surprised. The night of the social, my family came and completely cheered me on. I was extremely nervous and I think a little overwhelmed at the same time. I went all out and had the dress, hair and make-up to prove I was going to represent it all the way.
I performed with my amazing instructor, Reason. who I can't thank enough for his patience, professionalism and overall friendship. Our performance was perfect, I couldn't have been happier, a great night!
I'm going to continue my passion for ballroom because it makes me happy. If you have something you love to do, embrace it..! Like many other experiences I've had in my life this is another great one, which I choose to share with you. Let me know what you think.
Amazing Is -- 
The cast of "Jersey Shore" is officially now in Italy. Like it or not, they have an Italian following. What Italian Americans think is so horrifying, Italians are seeing Americans who happen to have an Italian background. So, it asks the bigger question... how bad is this really?
This year I embarked on many changes and one of the major changes and goals I wanted to accomplish was to learn how to ballroom dance. I've always wanted to learn to dance professionally and it just seemed this was the moment it was going to happen.
There is always a story behind my story...as you've come to read from my life story in previous posts. So, the idea of dance has always been in my family since I can remember. When my father came to the United States he worked as a dance instructor teaching jive and the tango, these were his two favorites.
