Musical Chairs: In the Chair (5) : Patrizio Buanne

Patrizio Buanne

Style, sophistication, elegance… Where can we find that old-school cool in our consumer culture of instantly disposable celebrity? Time to meet Patrizio Buanne. Tall, dark and handsome, perfectly groomed and impeccably dressed, the clean-cut Italian with the rich baritone voice is an enigma.

Patrizio is an artist I have loved for many years, mostly for his romantic style, but also on a profoundly personal level; the image above could easily be mistaken for one I have in my possession of a guy who was, and always will be, the love of my life! The lyrics to most of Patrizio's repertoire I can relate to totally in this respect, as they constantly remind me of the most intimate and memorable aspects of my entire life to date and wonderful times gone by . . . aahhh!!

Forever Begins Tonight

and

Angels (Un Angelo)

Patrizio Buanne spent his childhood between his hometown in Naples, Italy and Vienna, Austria, due to his parent’s restaurant business.

This multi-cultural upbringing sparked in Patrizio an early passion for languages, and by the age of 17 he already spoke fluent Italian, German, English, French and Spanish. It seemed obvious for both Patrizio and his parents for him to become an interpreter, and after graduation from school he went on to study Slavic languages at University and today he can add fluent Polish to his language tool kit. But whilst his aptitude for languages is admirable, a much greater gift, apparent even from the age of 4, was emerging - his gift to be able to sing and entertain people.

Inspired by the singers of yesteryear, Patrizio harks back to a time when a man would not dream of singing onstage in anything less than a suit, shoes polished, clean-shaven, hair neatly brushed, with a dab of cologne behind the ears.

Nothing strange about that, you might say. Except that Patrizio is only 32 years old - and hopelessly devoted to his art - romantic crooning. Dean Martin, Paul Anka, Tom Jones , along with the traditional Italian singers - these are the men he idolises. Unfashionable? Perhaps, on first impression. But as they say: style is temporary and class is permanent.

Patrizio's life is a remarkable story in itself. He's won countless talent shows, played Elvis onstage and sung for the Pope. And all before he was 20.

When he was 8 his parents bought him a guitar and at 11 years old Patrizio made his first public performance at a talent contest for schools. He borrowed his father's white dinner jacket and sang Only You. "Until then I had wanted to be a cook like my father. But standing on that stage in front of all those people made me realise what I really wanted to be was a professional singer."

Also at 13, Patrizio played a starring role in his primary school's graduation ball, already in his own white dinner jacket and bow tie his mother bought him for the occasion. "It was fantastic. It was fun and the people liked it. I got my first pay cheque - and my first experience with girls! All those 17 and 18 year old girls came back stage and I didn't know what to do. I had my first dance with a girl that night."

He began to enter talent competitions - and always won first prize. He even won a contest for Elvis impersonators, his prize being a trip to Graceland with his mum. "All the other entrants were older guys doing Seventies Elvis in jump suits, but I was fascinated by the 50's and 60's so dressed like a rockabilly and sang Heartbreak Hotel."

That led to an offer to play the lead in an Austrian stage production about Elvis when he was 16. "I was still at school and all my friends were at discos, while I was doing my homework and then going to the theatre. It was fun, girls came backstage"

At the age of 17 Patrizio was invited to sing for the Pope in Poland, performing in front of his biggest audience yet - 85,000 people - when the Pontiff said mass on a papal visit to his home country. That led to a recording contract and at 17 Patrizio began to gain a reputation in Poland.

"I used to go to school in Vienna from Monday to Friday and every Friday I'd go to Poland where I had a successful single in the charts. I'd do two concerts over the weekend then on Sunday nights I'd get the midnight train back to Vienna, doing my homework on the journey, and my mum would meet me at 6.30am on Monday and take me straight to school."

Tragedy followed when his beloved father died shortly after Patrizio's 17th birthday and, grief-stricken, Patrizio almost lost his own life to a perforated ulcer. But one thing made him determined to survive. "I had promised my father I would be a superstar and make my name - his name - famous. It is always music that reminds me of my father and makes me happy."

In 1999 Patrizio took up an uncle's offer to return to Italy and, after winning yet another talent show, found himself offered a job as a TV entertainer. Soon he was one of the most popular young faces on Italian television, hosting his own show in between studying languages at university in Rome. "It was a big contract with fantastic money, a fantastic flat in the centre of Rome. But my dream was still to be a recording artist - and most of all to be successful in Great Britain and America."

In 2003 Patrizio was introduced to music producer Christian Seitz. They both shared the same passion and vision for music, so bravely quitting his burgeoning TV career they went to work on the album - going into London's world-famous Abbey Road studios with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to realise his dream. 18 months later the result is 'L'Italiano' ('The Italian'), an album mixing traditional Neapolitan romance and singing tradition with Italian standards from the Fifties and Sixties - songs barely known outside Italy but destined to become favourites for a new generation..

"Everyone is familiar with the Latino lover, singers like Julio Igelsias or Ricky Martin, the concept for this album is the Italian lover," says producer Christian Seiz. "I want to give people Italian romance, growing up outside Italy, I feel even more Italian than a native, because I was raised with this cliché of pasta eating, hand gesturing, Alfa Romeo driving… My father was the ambassador of Italian kitchen and pizza and I am the ambassador of Italian romance and dolce vita," says Patrizio.

To listen to Patrizio is to immerse yourself in the soundtrack of a world familiar from film and television - from Federico Fellini, Sophia Loren and Gina Lollabrigida to The Godfather, Goodfellas and The Sopranos. "My music is as Italian as pasta in an Italian kitchen," says Patrizio. These songs are timeless classics. To me, crooning is more than a way of singing, it's a way of life! And I want to share that with a new audience."

Patrizio’s real ambition, however, was to become an international recording artist and from 1999 onwards he invested his own money into shaping ideas and concepts with which to approach record companies and international concert promoters. Various trips and tours were undertaken, as well as independently distributed CD’s and DVD’s – all of which without having a manager.

In 2004 Patrizio approached a producer who had the right resources to realize his concept and idea of recording with an orchestra comprising a collection of romantic and fun songs from the Italian songbook. The very songs that Patrizio was brought up listening to and dedicated to his late father. That way Patrizio also wanted to explain on the other hand that Italian music is not just opera or classical, but that there are countless tunes that are originally Italian, and became international standards over the years. With a finished produced album under his belt he auditioned for several record companies and was finally signed by a major record company in the UK for a world wide release. His international debut album entitled, “The Italian”, was finished at the Abbey Road Studios (made famous by The Beatles) in London, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. After its first release in February 2005, it reached the top ten on the pop charts in the United Kingdom, where it attained golden status after only 1 week.

But what quality separates Patrizio from other great artists? Is it the natural grace of his voice, the “rugged” good looks, or the confident, casual, respectful attention that he gives to his audience? Or is it just the basic trust he evokes in people?

Italy has provided a simple word to describe all of the above; “Simpatico”.

Just released, April 2010, is his 'Patrizio' CD and his first for Warner Music. Teaming up with legendary producer Humberto Gatica (Elton John, Madonna, Mariah Carey) Buanne takes on classic easy listening standards such as 'Fly Me To The Moon' and 'Mambo Italiano' all delivered in his unique and contemporary way.

Tracks:

1. On The Street Where You Live
2. Crazy
3. Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman
4. Mambo Italiano
5. Make Love (Amore Sempre Con Te)
6. Never Never Never (Grande Grande Grande)
7. Fly Me To The Moon
8. I Can't Say No
9. Maybe This Summer (Estate)
10. Why Did You Have To Be
11. Americano (Tu Vuo' Fa L'Americano)
12. You're My Everything

Available from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0027HB9T0/ref=pe_7771_19364411_emwa_email_img_1
"Fly Me to the Moon" taster: