Mario Biondi: 20 years of career, the new album and the Sanremo idea

A new album, a tour to celebrate a twenty-year career since the debut of “Handful of Soul” in 2006, also winking at Sanremo, a large group of children where someone is already moving in their father’s sphere and above all, the unmistakable way of singing, rare and elegant, which has made him famous in Italy and in the rest of the world.

The return to English

Mario Biondi, after a period of an album in Italian, returns with Two Entitiesrecorded between Italy, England and the United States, entirely in English, with soul and jazz sounds. A dimension for the singer-songwriter from Catania with the typical and unmistakable warm, deep voice and typically black timbre, probably more appropriate having used the British idiom in music for over 20 years.

And in fact, at AGI, the artist explains that “Returning to singing in English in Two Entities was very natural. It is a language that I have been practicing for over twenty years and which goes particularly well with soul and jazz sounds. English – he underlines – gives certain nuances to the atmospheres and even the notes take on a different sound. It is certainly a dimension that I feel is very mine and in which I feel at ease. At the same time, this long experience has allowed me to acquire a sound that today makes me feel at peace with myself even when I sing in Italian, as has happened with Prova d’autore. It’s comforting to know that I can fully express my vocals in both languages, without feeling like I’m missing something, and it’s an awareness that I’m proud of.”.

I vent’anni di ‘This Is What You Arè’

And speaking of number 20: many have passed since the release of the very famous hit “This Is What You Are”. Mario Biondi is now an internationally renowned star: “The expectations that ‘This Is What You Are’ would turn my life upside down are zero – says Biondi – But it’s nice to be amazed by the least expected things. Then the first signs arrived: the attention abroad, the presence in the BBC charts, the support of the radio. More than a career, today I think of a journey made up of meetings, growth and many opportunities. England is certainly one of those territories that has supported my career a lot without forgetting Italy, which for the artist ‘deserves first place'”.

And let’s go back to the voice, that unmistakable timbre that Mario Biondi, an Italian who sings in black, is gifted with and how it all started: “I grew up listening to great soul and jazz artists such as Al Jarreau, George Benson and Teddy Pendergrass – he explains – who were true points of reference for my musical education. During my career I was then fortunate enough to meet some of the great names of international music, such as Burt Bacharach, Earth, Wind & Fire, Leon Ware and Al Jarreau himself. I also had the privilege of collaborating with great Italian artists, such as Pino Daniele, Renato Zero, Pooh and Claudio Baglioni, from whom I learned a lot and who contributed to my artistic and personal growth”.

The collaborations of ‘Two Entities’

There are many collaborations on this album. The song Cocktail Blue takes us back to dance sounds and immediately makes us want to dance: “In this new album I wanted to involve friends and musicians who I respect very much, with whom I have been lucky enough to collaborate over the years and who I wanted to celebrate through this project. There are great exponents of the international soul and jazz scene, such as Antonio Farao’, Leee John, Till Bronner, Max of Gabin, Mia Cooper, Harvey Mason, John Patitucci and Dominique Di Piazza. We also had fun experimenting with new sounds. In the new single Cocktail Blue – says Biondi again – we return to a dimension dance, with an amazing base by Piparo from Typical, an energetic piece and the right continuation of ‘This Is What You Are’.

A look at today’s young people, at a style that is similar to that of Mario Biondi and perhaps: “There are several young Italian artists that I find very interesting. I’m thinking of Nu Genea, who have a very particular musical language and sound research that I really appreciate. I also really like Sayf, with whom I shared the Sanremo experience together with Alex Britti. And then there are groups like Il Mago del Gelato, Marco Castello, C’mon Tigre and Coca Puma, who I appreciate for their ability to experiment”.

The tour from November 1st and the Sanremo hypothesis

With the release of the project, a tour in theaters starts on November 1st. The artist will retrace the stages of an international career in theaters throughout the peninsula, including two special concerts in Rome and Milan: “It will obviously include the celebration of these 20 years of career, it will be an excursion between my previous successes and the new songs from my new album – he states – I will be accompanied on stage by extraordinary musicians who always give their best and love their profession”.

A closing with a party in Sicily, perhaps in Catania, your homeland or in Taormina? “The tour will end in Varese at the Intred Theater on December 18th, but in Sicily we will be in Palermo on November 24th and it will be the right opportunity to celebrate”.

Father of 10 children, maybe someone would like to do the same job… “Some have already undertaken an artistic path, like Zoe and Marica, who also sang with me. Marzio also knows how to do it – says Biondi – but he graduated in law and then there’s Ray who is starting to be a music producer”.

Is Sanremo on Mario Biondi’s programmes, perhaps with a piece in Italian? “Why not? – he concludes – It could be a good ending to my twentieth anniversary celebrations”.