Patrizio Buanne Brings Romance in His Bariton Voice to America
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here is a tendency for all people who have attained success to rest on their laurels—bank their profits, wallow in the glory of their achievements and take it easy. But singer Patrizio Buanne is not that kind of person. A musical superstar on several continents, he could be living like a prince anywhere he wants without ever working again. Why not? Is he crazy? Wouldn’t most of us take the money and run, or live the life of Riley and not worry about a thing? But Patrizio Buanne is a genuine artist, and he does what he does because he lives in a special world, where “I need to show that I am versatile,” which he does by reinvigorating himself in performance over and over again. What’s more, Patrizio Buanne has a well-articulated philosophy of his art and his approach to it. He started on the road to success by wanting “to fulfill the desire to honor my father,” who was a serious music lover and who nurtured his son accordingly. Has he accomplished that? “Yes I did. This is the reason why the music I think is great is recorded on my albums—as a tribute to my father,” asserts Patrizio. But this is nowhere near the end of his journey into the international
music scene. “It is important for me to update.” But this is not just to add more tunes to his repertoire. “I still keep singing as if a song was written for me.” This quest for uniqueness is the signature of a true artist. “Whose name comes to mind when you think of ‘Fly me to the Moon?’” he asks. Frank Sinatra. But Patrizio doesn’t interpret it with the same familiar swinging suavity as Sinatra with Count Basie’s band. “I do it as a ballad,” with the traditional string bass instead of the now-favored bass guitar. But while Buanne strives to realize a feeling of originality with his music, he doesn’t believe that younger singers are doing the same. “They are copying me.” And why is this such, a bad thing, especially when Patrizio Buanne commands so much respect and acclaim? “Unless singers discover what is really right for them,” and not simply copy someone who’s made the grade, “they will never find their identity.” Although Patrizio has certainly made his mark on the music world—and he’s definitely one of the brightest young talents there is—he still laments the lack of the really great singers. “Where are the new Carusos, the Pavarottis, the Sinatras?” Here again we can see that this is a man who is truly immersed in his life’s work, not someone (and there are many examples of this type of performer) who has had a run of good luck and then calls it a day. Like when he found a song done by someone else in English (“Angels,” by Robbie Williams) that he knew would be perfect for him if he could only record it in Italian. Williams turned him down at first, but Patrizio persevered and finally got permission to redo the song. The result was a huge hit that everyone associated with the Italian. A lesser artist would not even have bothered to pursue such an undertaking. Patrizio is still trying to storm the castle walls
of the American market and seems to be making some progress. In reference to that issue he says, “Yes, that is what I was asking myself. It might take a lifetime. My management company tells me that I’m doing better.” But he doesn’t worry about this sort of thing and is constantly striving to find any kind of market where his artistry is appreciated. One of his great virtues was his ability to sing in a number of foreign languages. The last time we talked to him he had performed in Italian, Polish, English, French, German and Spanish. After a recent Asian tour, “I sang in Chinese, Japanese and Maylay.” Despite his assertion that his style is “as original as Neapoletan pizza,” he has still not completely come to terms with the city where he was raised. As far as music is concerned, “It is the best of the best.” And Naples can surely lay claim to one of the world’s greatest music traditions, being the cradle of the Bel Canto and Baroque opera and the hometown of Enrico Caruso. But Patrizio also has found that this city can be, “the worst of the worst,” and here we do not have to go into detail about Naples’ “dark side.” For now he is content to visit his native city for “spaghetti con vongole.” At the same time, he has not aggressively exploited his fame in Poland, where he got his first big break, performing for a crowd of 85,000 gathered to see Pope John Paul II. These uneven, or perhaps unexpected, relationships with certain places, add to the man’s universal humanity. Buanne has cut three huge-selling CDs— L’Italiano (2005), Forever Begins Tonight (2007) and Patrizio (2009). In a business where the name of the game is New CDs, the singer will be releasing a new one (untitled at this time). It will come out first in the U.K. and be made available shortly thereafter. We don’t have to wait long, however, to enjoy his outstanding singing. He will be making a tour of the States this fall, hitting Chicago in September. It will be interesting to see if he plays guitar to accompany himself on any numbers. “I still play when I interpret certain songs, but I just sing much more.” In a very recent survey of high school students, the youngsters rated “Fame” above all other virtues. I suppose many of us would jump at the chance to be truly popular—or at least that might be our initial inclination. But real Fame is a two-edged sword. Take Patrizio Buanne, for example. He’ll tell you, “Thank God there’s a balance. Naturally it’s good to be appreciated by so many people. I even have many fans in Australia. But then there’s the lack of privacy, the paparazzi. Even my personal assistant and other of my people get mistaken for me and have problems.” His Italian identity is very important to this artist and he thinks about different aspects of it. “Italians are the greatest singers in the world, and I’m proud of my traditions. I don’t like the overuse of Italian stereotypes, especially as gangsters. I saw five minutes of The Sopranos and I never watched it again. The language they use is not my language.” Who else but someone very aware of his heritage would release his first major CD with a title like L’Italiano?
There are many talented singers who have tremendous appeal—for a limited time, until their novelty wears thin. But Patrizio Buanne does not belong to this group of artists who are likely to be here today and gone tomorrow. This is because Patrizio thinks carefully about which song to perform, what is really and truly right for him. In this way he has a better chance of achieving his own unique style. This leads to a body of work that withstands the all-powerful test of time, and this bodes well for the singer’s future. But in terms of enduring appeal this artist also has a sense of history. As Patrizio Buanne puts it, “My albums amount to a dream of an Italy that is no more.” So with each foot planted firmly in the past and “what’s happening now,” we can proudly expect this L’Italiano to become one of the greats of all time. What 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? The Amici Journal has provided a simple word to describe all of the above; “Simpatico”.
Patrizio Buanne With Sophia Loren
Patrizio Buanne in Concert