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Blues with a feeling

The whole world sings along with Zucchero
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By James Scanlon
For The Prague Post
September 12th, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
Though often pictured alone, Zucchero has scored his biggest hits in duets.
If The Beatles’ song “With A Little Help From My Friends” brings anyone to mind, it’s Adelmo “Zucchero” Fornaciari. With a nickname that translates as “sugar,” the Italian bluesman has catapulted to the international stage with more than a little help from big names like Eric Clapton, Sting and the late Luciano Pavarotti.
Brought up in Reggio Emilia, Zucchero developed his chops by strumming along to tunes by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. By throwing various influences such as world blues, rock and soul into the same bag as lyrical opera, he demolished the stereotypical image of Italian musicians being shackled to playing either romantic ballads or traditional songs on mandolin.
“There are two parts to me,” Zucchero has admitted, “When I grew up, there were two different souls in me. One was the blues; the other was Puccini or Verdi.”
Since his 1983 debut album Un po’di Zucchero, Zucchero has extended his musical palette way beyond all expectation through his illustrious collaborations with the likes of Sting, Eric Clapton, Miles Davis, Dolores O’Riordan, John Lee Hooker, Tom Jones, Solomon Burke and Sheryl Crow.
The son of a farmer, he at first appeared content playing goalkeeper for his local soccer team before realizing he should do something a bit more serious, like studying to become a veterinarian. When that didn’t work out, he turned to music for his salvation. After winning the Castrocaro Festival in 1981, Zucchero knew he had done the right thing. Further accolades followed after the San Remo festivals in 1982 and 1983, giving him the confidence to record more albums.
By 1987, Zucchero had become a household name in Italy, with his 1988 album Blue’s selling more than 13 million copies. But it wasn’t until the following year that success abroad became a realistic prospect.
Legendary trumpeter Miles Davis, having heard Zucchero’s song “Dune Mosse,” decided to call him up. As it happened, Zucchero was on holiday in the Maldives at the time attempting to heal a marital rift.
“He called me at four in the morning,” Zucchero recalled. “He said, ‘Hi, this is Miles Davis. I heard a song of yours and I love your voice. Can we work together some time?’ ” Believing it to be the work of a crank, Zucchero terminated the conversation almost immediately before realizing his dreadful mistake. Luckily, Davis tried again, and this time Zucchero was a lot more hospitable. The two eventually recorded a new version of “Dunne Mosse.”
“My marriage was over, but a friendship was born,” Zucchero mused later.
From that moment, his fascination for recording duets apparently went into overdrive. Luminaries from seemingly every musical genre wanted a piece of the Italian magic, including the United Kingdom’s Paul Young. In 1992, the two got together for one of Young’s biggest hits, “Senza Una Donna.” To this day, Young makes a point of spending his summer holidays at Zucchero’s farm in Tuscany.
With the door of opportunity wide open, Zucchero started racing through his wish list. Writing a mildly groveling note to his hero Eric Clapton that read, “I love you and your music, and I hope you can play on a song,” he never really expected a reply. But Clapton was up for it, and the two recorded a version of “It’s A Wonderful World.”
All the high points of his duets, amassed over a period of 15 years, are neatly captured on what is probably his best known CD, Zucchero & Co. But still, it’s the majestic genius of “Miserere” that has the most cachet. It was written to persuade Pavarotti to join him in a duet, with English lyrics added by the omnipresent Bono. But Zucchero first approached Andrea Bocelli, a virtual unknown at the time who was working in a piano bar in Pisa, to help him record a demo. When Pavarotti heard the results, he reportedly said, “Thank you for writing such a wonderful song. Yet you do not need me to sing it. Let Andrea sing ‘Miserere,’ for there is no one finer.” Both Bocelli and Pavarotti went on to perform the song on numerous occasions.
These days, Zucchero is constantly on the go. He was the first rock artist to perform at the Kremlin, has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and was the only European artist to perform at the second Woodstock Festival (along with Bono). Somehow he still makes time for charity events, and even the Miss Italy competition, where he appeared last year.
Undoubtedly a man for all stages, Zucchero comes to Prague fronting his latest studio album, Fly. From the toe-tapping funky opener “Bacco Perbacco” through the gritty blues feel of “Pronto” and the almost-cosmic “Let It Shine” to more reflective efforts like “Quanti Anni Ho” and “Occhi,” it’s his most ambitious recording to date.
Wearing a hat that appears permanently glued to his head, at times Zucchero might give the impression of being a disgruntled scarecrow. But his lively, passionate stage presence never fails to move his audiences and bring about a real sense of occasion.

James Scanlon can be reached at features@praguepost.com


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