Panoram Italia Vol 4 No 2

Q U A R T E R LY • T R I M E S T R A L E • T R I M E S T R I E L

INTERVISTA A

ROBERTO BENIGNI TUTTO DANTE

COVER

EMERGING CANADIAN/ITALIAN WOMEN QUATRE D’ENTRE NOUS • FOUR OF US • QUATTRO DI NOI • FROM LEFT FROM LEFT

JULIA BARONE CATERINA D’AMBRA SONIA SILVANO KIM PASQUALE

DOSSIER

ITALIAN / CANADIAN PHOTO: GERALDO PACE

WRITING

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I TA L I A

PANORAM

SUMMER 2009 • VOL.4 • NO.2

T H E C O M M U N I T Y M AG A Z I N E M A I L E D TO I TA L I A N / C A N A D I A N H O M E S I N T H E G R E AT E R M O N T R E A L A R E A

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Una ragione in piu’ per volare subito in Italia Montreal – Roma. Quest’estate voli giornalieri non stop.

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®Executive First is a registered trademark of Air Canada. /®Executive First è un marchio registrato di Air Canada.

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR Tony Zara EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Filippo Salvatore MANAGING EDITOR Gabriel Riel-Salvatore ASSISTANT EDITOR Joey Franco CONTRIBUTORS Pasquale Artuso Laura Casella Aïcha Cissé Jessica Civiero Julian Paul Civiero

PHOTOS Geraldo Pace Vincenzo D’Alto HAIR STYLIST & MAKE-UP Nazzareno Salvi / Estetica Emmanuelle Blanchard ADVERTISING - SALES Frank Crisafi Eric F.-X. Perrault

Claudia Ficca Joey Franco Chiara Folini Anna Foschi Ciampolini Connie Guzzo McParland Joanne Latimer

This issue

PROJECT COORDINATOR Adam Zara ART DIRECTOR Gabriel Riel-Salvatore / Manon Massé GRAPHIC DESIGN Manon Massé PRINTING Accent Impression Inc.

Sabrina Marandola Gabriel Riel-Salvatore Erika Papagni Joseph Pivato Peter Pomponio Lidia Russo

Filippo Salvatore Robert Scalia Vanessa Secondo Léa-Catherine Szacka Elvira Truglia Adam Zara

Life Style

Comments and opinions ................... 10

Editorial Publisher’s note ................................ 12 Difesa e illustrazione dell'italicità ..... 13 La quarta Italia del terzo millennio ... 15 Our Cover .................................... 16-17

Dossier: Italian/Canadian writing Seeking Other Literary Spaces .......... 20 Then and Now .................................. 21 Una panoramica della letteratura italianese ................... 22-23 Italian/Canadian writers debate their role at Metropolis Azzurro ................ 24 West Coast Voices ............................ 25 Interview with Nino Ricci ............ 26-27

Life Stories Shining lights .................................... 29 30 Seconds... ................................... 30 A Nightmare Come True: Shacking through the night .............. 31 La notte del terremoto ...................... 32 Sending Out an SOS ......................... 33

Food and Travel Canadian Wine rises to the top at Vinitaly 2009 .................................... 37 Wine selection from Jarno Trulli ........ 37 Pesto: cooking with imagination! 38-39 Travel: La Carrese del Molise ...... 40-41

Life Style Words of wisdom: Claudia Ferri ........ 43 Profile: Steve Vecera ......................... 44

Profile: Pascal Petardi ....................... 45 Profile: Maria Maiolo ........................ 46 Montreal Scooter Club ...................... 47 Fashion: Complimentary colours ... 48-49 Living Italian Style ....................... 50-51 Design: Alessi: ‘success story’ à l’Italienne ....................................... 52

Art and Culture Over the river an through the woods .. 53 Interview with Roberto Benigni ... 54-55 Cinema italiano alla cinémathèque .. 56 Interview with Michael Occhipinti .... 57 Exhibition Leonardo da Vinci ............ 58

Business True Wealth Relationships ................ 59 Mariage: Que nous réserve l’avenir? .. 60 Cassa Popolare ................................. 61 Interest Deductibility and the GAAR . 62

Events Ducati Montréal ................................ 63 Superfantastico 2009 .........................63 Tony Iacovelli: un cuore d’oro ........... 64 Antonietta Panzera “cent anni” ....... 64

Sports Juventus Soccer School ..................... 65 Interview with Jarno Trulli .............. 66 Ecclestone sells out Montreal ........... 67 FIFA Confederations cup 2009 .......... 67

Graduates Graduates 2008-2009 ................. 68-70

We look forward to hearing from you!

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Les flashs fuseront de toute part.

C’est pour cela qu’on fait aussi des verres fumés.

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27/05/09 14:00:15

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Letters to the editor

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Comments from our readers / Summer 2009 We welcome your thoughts and your stories at Info@panoramItalia.com For more of your favourite stories please visit www.panoramitalia.com I would like to thank Filippo Salvatore for his continual efforts made to point out the obvious.The Italian community in Quebec is one of the oldest and most established, yet it is rather invisible in our provincial political scene.The Ontario-Italians have many years of progress ahead of us, demonstrated by their involvement in politics and their continual contributions to society as evidenced by their recent donation of the Italian Art Gallery.

Unfortunately, the legacies of the Quiet Revolution are still present today, something I learned in my Concordia class, and being of Italian origin in Quebec politics is no easy task. I believe many fear the spotlight and would rather not be directly involved fearing defamation if someone were accused of wrong doing. This was obvious in the latest case with the Zampino affair. Italian last names make big headlines. Our community deserves a bigger voice Davide Foti Hi, I just want to let you know that I really enjoy receiving this fantastic magazine. I look forward to reading all the interesting articles that bring back great memories of when I was growing up in Montreal. It also keeps me updated on the events that happen in our great city. I want to congratulate everyone who makes this magazine successful.

I greatly appreciate and treasure them. Grazie e tanti auguri!!

Emilia Ercoli, RDP

Hello, I just wanted to congratulate your team for an excellent magazine. Everyone at Global TV enjoys reading it when it arrives, even the non-Italians! All the best for the future!!

Domenic Fazioli, Global TV

Italian classes at Polyvalente des Sources and have now graduated and your magazine keeps them in the loop as to the happenings in our Italian community.

Hugo Grandillo, Pierrefonds

First of all let me begin by expressing how much we appreciate your magazine. Our whole family enjoys reading the stories and editorials. You do a great job in expressing the culture, the individual life stories of the Italian immigrant to Canada, the change, the challenges but also the courage, ambition and the love for the family of a community that is full of pride and traditions. This magazine does a tremendous job in capturing and delivering all these values. The ads are great too!

Giuseppantonio Vincelli

I am a Blainville resident and have many Italian neighbours as well. My parents are Italian immigrants and I was born in Montreal. I love your magazine and I want to congratulate your team on an excellent product the Italian community can be proud of!

Nicola Grana

I strongly believe that PANORAMITALIA is the No.1 MAGAZINE. What a brilliant idea you have had to create such a jewel. PanoramItalia is unique, original, and interesting.

Ida Marinaro Fanzolato, St-Laurent First things first, I love you magazine... Nice to see that some Italians still believe in their traditions and it’s a great way to keep the Italian community in-touch with all the latest news and events.

David Guarnieri My wife and I find your magazine very informative. My two kids attended Saturday

I really enjoy reading Panoram Italia Magazine. My daughters aged 13 and 15 enjoy it as well. We thank you for giving back to the Italian community. It keeps us close to our roots. Fantastic Magazine!

Carmela Pompeo As a first generation Italian who is moving to Alberta, I need all the culture I can get from Montreal and from la patria. I look forward to receiving Panoram Italia in Alberta.

Giuseppe Sacchetti I picked up your magazine in a furniture store in RDP and simply love it!! Being from Italian origins I think this Magazine is fantastic!!

Love the articles as they bring me closer to my roots!!

Bravo!

In October I visited my sister in Montreal and was impressed by this magazine. I would like to receive a copy. Thank You Liliana Webster, (Bolton, Ontario) Congratulations on publishing such a beautiful magazine! I came across it for the first time while picking up the mail from my in-laws who were away on holidays in April 2008. I since have managed to borrow the fall edition from my brother-in-law.Your photographs and articles are very interesting and a pleasure to read. It’s a great way to remember, and appreciate our Italian culture! Thank-you for such a beautiful gift, much appreciated.

Nancy Spensieri, Montreal Your magazine is a true gem to those who wish to remain ‘connected’ to the Italian culture. Please keep them coming...

P. Di Re, St-Laurent Thank you for such a beautiful magazine. Our Italian heritage is so important. Both our children speak Italian (2-4 year old). We will always preserve our beautiful language. Grazie Agostino, Stella, Domenico and Antonio Del Coro, Kirkland ERRATUM: Spring Edition 2009, p.46: article Una Storia D’amore: Dante e Beatrice... a fumetti actually written by Erika Papagni.

Publisher’s note

12

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Italian Language Schools in Québec Moving Forward

by Tony Zara

no less than most of its executive committee in the form of Angela Civitella, Peter Pomponio, Peter Comito and Roberto T. De Minico. Other FCCI members were Luigi Di Geso, and Carlo Scalzo. Professor Filippo Salvatore professor of Italian studies at Concordia University and Anna Colarusso, president of Centro Culturale Italiano del Quebec, also attended as well as yours truly Tony Zara, publisher of Panoram Italia.

Several others attended and you will surely get to know them as we get further into this project. We will be enlisting them to head sub committees to advance our project. I will be reporting on our progress in future issues.

On another note, I would like to personally thank all who donated, thus far, to our “Friends of Panoram Italia “affinity program. All your donations will go towards assuring that we continue to mail, free of charge, Panoram Italia more than 50,000 homes of Italian heritage every 3 months.

Please do your share to assure the survival of the only independent voice of our community. Do not leave this to someone else. Please log on to www.panoramitalia.com and click on “ SUPPORT US “ and donate what you can.

Congratulations to our first quarterly winner: Fernando Massa and his lovely wife Michelina donated 150$ and won a gorgeous Lancaster watch worth $2000. Thank you to Mr. Carlo Scalzo, president of Diamond 2 for donating this Lancaster time masterpiece. Mr. Scalzo also donated another beautiful watch for our September drawing. Again, please donate between now and the end of August and have great chance to win it.

Let me take this opportunity to express Panoramitalia’s deep condolences to the families of the April 6 earthquake victims in L’Aquila and surrounding villages in Abruzzo.

I would also like to whish you Buona Festa della Repubblica Italiana (June 2), Bonne Sainte Jean ( June 24) and Happy Canada Day (July 1).

And finally, to all graduates of Italian descent Brave, bravi! Continuate a farci onore.

GOOGLE describes Panoram Italia as more than a simple magazine. “It’s a showcase for Montreal’s Italian culture and lifestyle”. As a matter of fact, it was voted Montreal’s #10 best magazine in the Mirror’s “Best of Montreal” Quite an accomplishment for a cultural magazine. Thank you to all who voted for us. anoram Italia is our community voice. It represents our accomplishments, dreams and aspirations. At the top of our list is the creation of daytime private schools run by us for us. I am glad to report that we are inching ever closer to achieving this goal.

The organizing committee comprised of Carmine D’Argenio, Tony Zara, Peter Pomponio and Roberto T. De Minico is fully committed to this cause.

Important steps were made over the last 6 months towards realizing this dream.

First, we raised an important sum of money which will be used to fund a professional study to confirm the need for such a school.

Secondly, we decided what shape this school will take. During a general meeting which took place May 11th, 2009, we invited many potential future committee members; Carmine D’Argenio stated “Our mission is to create an institution of higher learning for children of Italian heritage so that we can maintain the Italian language and culture for our future generations. As well, we want a school that is accessible to as many of our children as possible”.

Thirdly, we believe to have secured the support of the vast majority of our community leaders. This is a must. Our May 11th meeting was attended by Maria Luisa Faggian from the Italian Consulate and Angelo Mazzone from the Italian Institute of Culture. As well, the Fondation Communautaire Canadienne Italienne was fully represented by

P

Tony Zara, publisher v

Fernando Massa:

Winner of

the

Friends of

Panoram Italia

Spring

Grand Prize

he lucky winner of our spring grand prize of a Lancaster watch, valued at about $2000, was Mr. Fernando Massa. He was born in the town of Pietracatella in the province of Campobasso, Molise, and came to Canada in 1952 where he worked in the clothing industry for most of his life. He presently lives in St. Leonard along with his wife Michelina.

Mr. Massa was very happy with his gift and believes PanoramItalia magazine is truly “out of this world”. He decided to contribute to the Friends of PanoramItalia affinity program because he feels the magazine is an essential cultural vehicle for his generation, as well as his kid’s and his grandchildren’s generation. v

T

Tony Zara, Michelina and Fernando Massa, Carlo Scalzo, president of Diamond 2 jewelleries.

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Difesa e illustrazione dell'italicità Filippo Salvatore

Come interpretare, dopo sei mesi, la Prima Conferenza dei Giovani Italiani nel Mondo? È stato utile accogliere a Roma alcune centiniaia di giovani oriundi? La mia risposta è sì, ma con tante riserve. uesta conferenza è stata utile se avrà fatto emergere ed imposto alla seria riflessione il principio che «L' Altra Italia,» la diaspora meticciata che esprime l'Italicità e che conta Q circa 60 milioni di persone, non ha bisogno di Roma come centro fisico di irradazione per definire il proprio sentimento di appartenenza alla Patria ( terra dei padri) italiana.

Le comunità all'estero sono “italiche”, non “italiane” ed esprimono il carattere poliglotta dell'anima italiana. ll mondo anglo-sassone ha il Commonwealth, quello spagnolo la Hispanidad, quello francese la Francophonie, per definire la propria presenza identitaria nel mondo. La definizione di Italicità è quella giusta per indicare la presenza di origine italiana nel mondo. L'Italia non ha lasciato tracce profonde nelle sue ex colonie, ma è stata protagonista del 'colonialismo dei poveri' attraverso il fenomeno dell'emigrazione. Da quella che è stata per un secolo un'onta nazionale di cui si parla poco e malvolentieri, perchè rinvia ad immagini poco edificanti di analfabeti della realtà rurale dell'Italietta, è emersa, nel giro di tre o quattro generazioni, una visione nuova, positiva. I discendenti dei ‘cafoni’ si sono trasformati in ogni parte del mondo in cui hanno messo radici in protagonisti e sono addidati come modelli di integrazione armoniosa e di riuscita sociale. Questo è nel primo decennio del XXI secolo un patrimonio unico che l'Italia possiede: l'italicità che trascende il concetto di patria-nazione ed i confini geografici. ‘L'Italmondialità' espressa dall'italicità è in sincronia con i tempi attuali dominati dalla comunicazione telematica, dalla ubiquità planetaria della rete elettronica. Questa è la risorsa su cui l'Italia ha interesse a puntare per svolgere un ruolo di grande paese in avvenire.

Permane all'interno dell’italicità una percentuale di 3-4 milioni di persone che hanno mantenuto la cittadinanza italiana. Ed è qui che si pone il problema. I ‘professionisti dell' emigrazione' o ‘la casta dell'emigrazione' fanno ricorso al ricatto morale ed all’assistenzialismo, fanno ancora la voce grossa ed hanno imparato a farsi sentire. Questo è il mondo al quale il Governo di Roma dovrebbe dare il minimo di ascolto, perchè è nostalgico, piagnucoloso, vendicativo ed impedisce o rallenta la vera integrazione degli italici nei paesi di residenza o di nascita ed il prestigio dell'Italia nel mondo.

Buona parte della stampa in lingua italiana all'estero è fatta di testate di infima qualità che si limitano a boccheggiare la logica dei vari partiti, a gonfiare, mentendo, le tirature, e soprattutto a ‘tagliare ed incollare'.

Éditorial

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Un discorso simile va fatto anche per l'insegnamento della lingua italiana. I vari enti gestori, veri potentati in mano di persone spesso senza scrupoli, ricevono milioni di euro per impartire corsi al di fuori dell'insegnamento regolare, o nel doposcuola o il sabato mattina. Facendo così dell'italiano una lingua di immigrazione, non di cultura.

Il mantenimento di questo tipo d'insegnamento dell'italiano è da eliminare, perchè nuoce all'immagine ed al valore della cultura italiana. Vanno firmate, invece, convenzioni tra il governo italiano e gli altri stati per inserire l'insegnamento dell'italiano come materia regolare, normale, come lingua straniera. I soldi a disposizione se usati bene, potrebbero bastare, malgrado i tagli. Ma adottare una politica del genere significa rimettere in discussione la visione assistenzialisttica, significa tagliare gli sprechi. Avrà il governo attuale a Roma il coraggio di cambiare atteggiamento, sapendo da quale pulpito viene la predica?

Deve invece essere molto più presente e sviluppare in modo coerente una politica di espansione e promozione della lingua italiana, come lingua di cultura. Non sono certo gli enti gestori esistenti che ci riusciranno. E non sono certo i COMITES o il CGIE che permetteranno la crescita del made in Italy nel mondo, nè soprattutto i parlamentari ed i senatori eletti nelle circoscrizioni estero che poco o nulla contano, costano tanto e vendono solo fumo. Essi sono l'espressione di un revanchisme anacronistico e di un patriottismo retorico pericoloso. La loro esistenza mette inoltre in discussione, come il contenzioso irrisolto con il governo canadese ha dimostrato alle elezioni di aprile del 2008, la legittimità di appartenenza degli ‘italici' nei vari paesi di residenza o di nascita imponendo una forma di liceità di extraterritorialità italiana assurda, addirittura anticostituzionale. Le circoscrizionì esterò vanno quindi sic et simpliciter eliminate. Così facendo, l'Italia si metterebbe in sincronia con tutte le altre grandi democrazie che concedono ai propri cittadini la doppia nazionalità.

Occorrerebbe anche individuare in loco, attraverso la rete consolare, gli organismi suscettibili di far crescere sia gli scambi economici che culturali tra l'Italia e gli altri Paesi in cui c'è una presenza Italica. Non sono certo le vecchie associazioni paesane o le federazioni di queste associazioni, che esprimono spesso i rappresentanti in seno ai COMITES ed al CGIE che vanno privilegiate.

Per concludere ritorniamo alla Prima Conferenza dei Giovani Italiani nel Mondo. È valsa la pena convocarla? Sì se da essa scaturiranno idee nuove e si creerà uno spirito nuovo di appartenenza alla Patria spirituale comune d’origine, all'Italia. È troppo presto per fare un bilancio ed affermare che risultati tangibili emergeranno dall'incontro di tanti giovani ITALICI, italo-mondiali, non ITALIANI. Personalmente ne dubito, non perchè non abbia fiducia nei giovani, ma perchè i giovani scelti come delegati ed inviati a Roma sono l'espressione, a monte, della visione revanchiste ed assistenzialista dei vari COMITES, del CGIE e degli eletti all'estero, sono in gran parte i loro ‘cloni'. I giovani ora che sono tornati nei rispettivi paesi di nascita, dovrebbero battersi non tanto per una forma obsoleta di ITALIANITÀ ma per la vera ITALICITÀ che incarnano. v

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15

La quarta Italia del terzo millennio Proposte per uscire dalla crisi economica e morale Filippo Salvatore

Cosa fare all’inizio nel 2009 affinchè l’italia si sbarazzi delle sue tare ataviche e rimanga, malgrado tanti difetti, uno dei più ricchi e grandi paesi del mondo? Quali caratteristiche politiche dovrebbe possedere l’Italia futura? Come evitare lo scarto sempre più grande tra una minoranza di privilegiati ed un ritorno alla povertà di una percentuale crescente della sua popolazione in piena crisi economica? l Governo di centro-destra emerso dalle elezioni dell’aprile 2008 e l’opposizione, il PD e l’IdV, hanno un compito fondamentale da portare a termine celermente: cambiare profondamente l’assetto istituzionale ed il funzionamento dello Stato. Occorre una nuova costituente che mira a fare del Paese una democrazia vera, matura, snella, in sincronia o addirittura all’avanguardia tra i grandi paesi del mondo.

Occorre far nascere un nuovo paradigma storico ed identitario condiviso che considera le ideologie del 20° secolo, fascismo e marxismo, concetti storici superati.

L‘incapacità di portare a buon porto le riforme istituzionali, a cominciare da una legge elettorale unica a tutti i livelli di rappresentanza, ha causato l’emergenza sia di una ‘casta’ di privilegiati e, soprattutto, la ‘deriva’ economica e morale del Paese che sta accumulando una serie di maglie nere anche in settori nevralgici come la ricerca scientifica, la meritocrazia, l’efficienza amministrativa, l’integrità della magistratura, nella quantità di investimenti stranieri, nello sviluppo sostenibile, nella difesa dell’integrità del territorio contro la cementificazione e l’inquinamento, nello sviluppo di fonti rinnovabili di energia, nella lotta contro la criminalità organizzata.

Risultato? L’arricchimento, i privilegi e le connivenze dei pochi stanno causando il degrado morale ed ambientale, l’impoverimento, il declino del Bel Paese che rischia di essere estromesso dal G8. Come evitare che questo declino aumenti?

Quali traguardi deve prefiggersi la Quarta Italia alla fine del primo decennio del terzo millennio?

Per far fronte alla corruzione dilagante, alla ‘questione MP_Pub_Voce_Final.ai 5:05:59 PM morale’ che la sta soffocando, per2/21/08 rigenerarsi e svolgere

I

il ruolo di grande paese che le compete, l’Italia nuova, la Quarta Italia del Terzo Millennio, dovrebbe far tesoro di quanto di meglio i suoi figli hanno saputo proporre come modelli sociali nel passato.

La Rinascenza della patria italiana dovrebbe avere come lievito ed ispirarsi ad una serie di principi come i seguenti: • La nuova costituzione potrebbe cominciare con questo articolo: ‘L’italia è una repubblica federale fondata sulla separazione tra Stato e Chiesa, sulla libera iniziativa economica, sul merito della persona e sul rispetto dei diritti inalienabili di ogni cittadino’.

• Amministrativamente l’italia è divisa in comuni ed in otto Compartimenti: Nord Ovest (Valle d’Aosta, Piemonte e Liguria), Lombardia, Nord Est (Veneto, Trentino Alto Adige e Friuli Venezia Giulia), CentroNord (Toscana ed Emilia Romagna), Centro (Lazio, Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo e Molise), Sud (Campania, Basilicata, Puglia e Calabria), Sicilia e Sardegna.

• Questa nuova aggregazione amministrativa costituirebbe una cesura istituzionale profondissima. L’Italia sarebbe una repubblica dove vige il federalismo fiscale e la sussidiarietà, tuttavia ognuno degli otto compartimenti dai 5 agli 8 milioni di abitanti (ad eccezione della Sardegna) permetterebbe una forma di autosufficienza attraverso i tributi che percepisce. (La percentuale di copertura delle Regioni al giorno d’oggi varia dal 45% al 64%).

• Ognuno degli otto Compartimenti invia al Senato 10 rappresentanti. La Camera dei Compartimenti è formata di 300 parlamentari eletti.

• Il sistema elettorale è lo stesso per ogni livello di rappresentanza. Il Primo Ministro è eletto a suffragio universale dal popolo.

• Ogni eletto non può esserlo per oltre due mandati consecutivi.

• Un terzo dei candidati sarà di sesso maschile e compreso dai 18 ai 35 anni, un altro terzo sarà di sesso femminile, ed il rimanente terzo di ambo i sessi di età dai 36 anni fino a 70 anni.

• Un cittadino che è stato riconosciuto colpevole dai tribunali perde il diritto di potersi candidare alle elezioni.

• I beni ottenuti illegalmente dal crimine organizzato vanno confiscati e diventano patrimonio dello Stato.

• Le circoscrizioni estero vanno abolite.

• Vanno altresì aboliti i sussidi finanziari ai mezzi d’informazione. La stampa deve essere economicamente auto-

sufficiente, libera ed indipendente dal potere politico.

I partiti politici che ottengono meno del 5% dei voti non hanno diritto al finanziamento pubblico e non inviano rappresentanti nè al Senato, nè in Parlamento.

• Le 4 più alte cariche dello Stato non possono essere soggette ad indagini del potere giudiziario. Vanno eliminati gli ordini professionali. La deontologia dei vari professionisti deve obbedire ad integerrimi principi morali, pena la radiazione.

• La trasparenza e l’efficienza vanno fatte rispettare in ogni ente pubblico.

• L’insegnamento scolastico ed universitario ha come principi fondamentali l’eccellenza e la meritocrazia sia dei discenti che dei docenti.

• Il 2% del PIL va assegnato alla ricerca scientifica.

• Esiste una sola polizia nazionale ed una polizia locale di cui è responsabile ognuno degli otto Compartimenti.

• Va promosso l’uso e la qualità della lingua italiana nei mezzi pubblici d’informazione sia sul territorio nazionale che all’estero.

E tante altre potrebbero essere le proposte per rinnovare moralmente l’Italia. Mi basta aver fatto valere il principio che la Quarta Italia del Terzo Millennio ha bisogno di una rinascenza morale e di regole politiche, giuridiche, amministrative, economiche nuove, precise che ogni cittadino deve fedelmente rispettate. Prevalgano il senso civico, il senso del dovere, l’onestà, la trasparenza, la solidarietà non la furbizia ed il gretto utile personale. v

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Triomphe du féminisme féminin!

by Filippo Salvatore COVER GERALDO PACE

16

www.panoramitalia.com Triumph of feminine feminism

Julia Barone, Caterina D’Ambra, Sonia Silvano et Kim Pasquale, les quatre diplômées de la communauté italomontréalaise qui posent sur la couverture de cette édition du Panoram Italia, partagent ce qu’on pourrait appeler une forme de «féminisme féminin».

A form of “feminine feminism” is the common denominator in the self-perception of Julia Barone, Caterina D’Ambra, Sonia Silvano and Kim Pasquale, four emerging graduates from the Italian/Montreal community, who share the cover story of this issue.

de les regarder, de les rencontrer et de leur parler se rendre compte à quel point elles dégagent ce désir Idelpoursuffit réussite et d’affirmation sociale. Évidemment, cette

pon meeting these four women, one immediately realizes that they share a common desire to surpass expectations, to U achieve something. The positive energy they embody can be

énergie positive dérive en partie de leur jeunesse, mais elle reflète aussi et surtout l’expression d’un état d’âme, d’une conscience de leur propre capital humain et du rôle social qu’elles veulent et souhaitent jouer. Les Canadiennes d’origine italienne de deuxième et troisième génération incarnent parfaitement l’émancipation que des femmes ont su gagner au cours des derniers cinquante ans et expriment l’intégration harmonieuse de notre ethnie à la société d’accueil.

«Mon féminisme, affirme Sonia Silvana, médecin, n’est pas criard et revendicateur. J’adhère à une forme de «féminisme féminin» en équilibre entre les valeurs traditionnelles me venant de mon origine italienne et de la confiance qui m’habite comme personne et comme professionnelle issue d’une réalité moderne et urbaine qu’offre une grande ville comme Montréal. Poursuivre une carrière en médecine révèle tout naturellement mon ambition et mes capacités personnelles. Je ne me vois pas du tout comme une exception. De nombreuses femmes d’origine italienne se réalisent dans les domaines de leur choix». Sonia Silvano est née à Montréal il y a 26 ans de parents originaires du Molise et de la Campanie.

Son père Pasquale, conseiller financier à la Banque Royale est né à Guglionesi, et est arrivé à Montréal en 1963. Sa mère Josie Agostinelli, enseignante de profession, provient de San Bartolomeo in Galdo. Sonia a une sœur cadette, Sabrina, récemment diplômée en droit à l’Université de Montréal. «À la maison, l’éducation a toujours été au cœur de nos valeurs familiales. Depuis que je suis toute petite, mes parents m’ont toujours encouragée à étudier et à bien réussir à l’école. Toute jeune, j’ai développé un intérêt pour la science. J’ai récemment complété mes études de médecine à l’Université de Montréal.

Depuis le premier juillet 2008, je travaille comme médecin à l’urgence de l’Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont. Ma profession me plaît, car elle me permet d’aider concrètement les gens.»

Julia Barone tient un discours semblable. Après avoir complété un baccalauréat en biologie elle a poursuivi ses études à l’Université McGill pour faire un Master of Science in Genetic Counselling, une nouvelle branche de la faculté de médecine. Julia est née à Montréal il ya 25 ans. Son père, Armando Barone est d’origine calabraise, de Dipignano dans la province de Cosenza. Sa mère, née à Montréal, est d’origine sicilienne, d’Aragone dans la province d’Agrigento. Julia travaille depuis le premier juin comme conseillère en génétique à l’Hôpital Sainte Justine de Montréal où elle étudie les causes biologiques et génétiques de maladies héréditaires comme le syndrome de Down. Depuis l’adolescence elle ressent le besoin d’aider les gens autour d’elle. Son travail requiert une grande empathie psychologique: enseigner aux parents comment se comporter et affronter la vie au quotidien avec un enfant atteint de handicap mental ou physique. «Aider les gens à être socialement utiles est très important pour moi.

J’en retire une grande satisfaction tant émotionnelle qu’intellectuelle, car ça me pousse à constamment rester à jour dans ce que je fais.» «Nous appartenons à une génération qui, sans être féministe, croit à l’égalité des sexes et des opportunités sociales et je suis loin d’être la seule» affirme Julia Barone et elle ajoute «Toutes mes amies, en grande partie d’origine italienne, ont étudié et fait carrière dans divers domaines.»

Caterina D’Ambra, italomontréalaise de 23 ans, épouse elle aussi une vision du monde et de son rôle de femme semblable à celle de Sonia et de Julia. Son père, un entrepreneur immobilier, vient de Marigliano, près de Naples. Sa mère est née à Montréal, mais sa famille est originaire de San Nicola di Ardore, dans la province de Reggio Calabria. Son frère travaille comme technicien dans l’industrie aérospatiale et sa soeur aînée complète une maîtrise en soins infirmiers à l’Université d’Ottawa. Caterina a une formation en psychologie de l’Université Concordia. Elle a commencé à enseigner comme suppléante dans les écoles primaires du

dalla loro gioventù, ma è anche e soprattutto l’espressione di uno stato d’animo, di una coscienza acquisita sul proprio potenziale umano e sul ruolo sociale che desiderano e si reputano in grado di svolgere. Le canadesi d’origine italiana di seconda e di terza generazione incarnano l’emancipazione che la donna ha conquistato negli ultimi cinquant’anni nella nostra società ed esprimono l‘armonica integrazione della nostra etnia nella società di accoglimento.

‘Il mio, afferma la dottoressa Sonia Silvano, non è un femminismo proclamato con slogan altisonati. Aderisco ad una forma di ‘femminismo femminile’ che sa trovare il giusto equilibrio tra valori tradizionali derivati dalla mia origine italiana e la coscienza del mio valore come persona e come professionista che una realtà evoluta, come quella urbana montrealese in cui sono nata e mi sono formata, mi consente di avere. Considero il perseguire una carriera nel campo della medicina la manifestazione naturale della mia ambizione e delle mie capacità. Non mi vedo come un’eccezione. Tantissime altre donne d’origine italiana si stanno facendo onore nel campo specifico che hanno scelto.’ Sonia Silvano è nata a Montreal 26 anni fa da genitori d’origine molisana e campana. Il padre Pasquale, consigliere finanziario con la Royal Bank è nato a Guglionesi, vicino a Termoli, ed è arrivato a Montreal nel 1963. La madre, Josie Agostinelli, insegnante di professione, è di San Bartolomeo in Galdo, nel beneventano. Sonia ha una sorella piu’ piccola, Sabrina, che si è appena laureata in giurisprudenza all’Université de Montréal. ‘A casa nostra l’istruzione è sempre stata considerata un valore fondamentale.

Fin da bambina ho scoperto un interesse particolare per la scienza e la musica. Ho completato il dottorato all’Université de Montréal e dal primo luglio 2008 lavoro come medico al pronto soccorso dell’ospedale Maisonneuve-Rosemont. Credo molto nella verità del giuramento di Ippocrate. La medicina deve possedere e mantenere una dimensione etica. Il mio lavoro mi dà la massima soddisfazione perché aiuto concretamente la gente.’

Propositi analoghi sono espressi anche da Julia Barone.

Dopo aver completato una laurea breve (B.A.) in biologia, ha ottenuto un Master of Science in Genetic Counselling, una nuova branca della facoltà di medicina dell’università McGill.

Julia è nata a Montreal 25 anni fa. Suo padre, Armando Barone è calabrese, di Dipignano in provincia di Cosenza. La madre, nata a Montreal, è di origine siciliana, di Aragona in provincia di Agrigento. Julia lavora dal primo giugno come consigliere in genetica all’ospedale Sainte Justine di Montreal dove studia le cause biologiche e genetiche di malattie ereditarie, come il sintomo di Down. Il suo lavoro richiede una grande empatia psicologica: insegnare ai genitori come comportarsi se hanno un

attributed to their youthful willpower; but, upon closer scrutiny, their proactive attitude can be described as a state of being, an acquired consciousness that offsets the social role traditionally assigned to women. These second and third generation Italian/Canadians embody the emancipation that women have achieved in the last half century in our society.

“My feminism,” Sonia Silvano, MD, claims “is not asserted in a strident form. I adhere to a form of “feminine feminism”, a type of feminism that strikes a balance between the traditional values that have been instilled in me by my Italian heritage, and the values that I have adopted by becoming part of the medical profession in an urban setting such as Montreal. Pursuing a career in medicine is the achievement of my lifelong dream, the real manifestation of my potential. I don’t consider myself as being an exception. Very many other ItalianCanadian women are achieving tremendous success in their respective fields”.

Sonia Silvano was born in Montreal 26 years ago, from parents who trace their roots in the Italian regions of Campania and Molise. Her father, an investment advisor for the Royal Bank, was born in Guglionesi, near Termoli, along the central part of the Adriatic coastline and immigrated to Canada in 1963. Her mother, Josie Agostinelli, a school teacher, is from San Bartolomeo in Galdo (Benevento). Sonia has a younger sister, Sabrina, who has just graduated in law from L’Université de Montréal.

“At home, education has always been highly regarded. Ever since I was little, I had an interest in science and music. After Marianopolis College I enrolled in medicine at Université de Montréal where I completed a doctorate. Since July 1 2008 I have been working at the emergency department of the MaisonneuveRosemont hospital. I am an ardent believer in the Hippocratic Oath. Medical practitioners need to have and keep an ethical obligation towards their patients. My profession gives me an incredible amount of satisfaction because I am able to help people in a concrete way”.

Julia Barone has a similar way of looking at things. After completing an undergraduate degree in biology, she received a Master of Science in Genetic Counselling, a new field, at McGill University’s faculty of medicine. Julia was born in Montreal 25 years ago. Her father, Armando Barone, is from Dipignano (Cosenza, Calabria). Her mother was born in Montreal, and is of Sicilian origin from Aragona (Agrigento).

On June 1, Julia has begun working as a Genetic Counselor at the Sainte Justine Hospital. She provides information on the causes of biological and genetic hereditary diseases, like the Down syndrome. Her work requires a great deal of empathy; it is not easy telling parents that their child has a mental or physical handicap. “Genetic counselling is a relatively new field in medicine, explains Julia. I chose it because it allows me to do what I love to do; help people and be socially useful. My work is very rewarding both emotionally and intellectually because I continuously strive to better myself and keep abreast of the latest research”. Like Sonia, Julia does not believe she is exceptional and says she belongs to a generation that believes in gender equality and in career opportunities.

Caterina D’Ambra, a 23-years-old Montrealer of Italian origin has a similar perception of her social role as a teacher.

Her thoughts fall parallel to those of both Sonia and Julia.

Caterina’s father, a construction contractor, is from Marigliano (Napoli). Her mother was born in Montreal, although her family is from San Nicola di Ardore (Reggio Calabria). Her brother works as a technical assembler in the aerospace industry, and her older sister is completing a master degree in nursing at the University of Ottawa. Caterina graduated with a specialization in psychology at Concordia University and started teaching at 17 as a substitute in the English Montreal School Board. This is how she discovered her passion for teaching. “I like dealing with the youth. A teacher must stimulate her students and encourage creativity. In addition to fostering a sense of creativ-

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Trionfo del femminismo femminile Una forma di ‘femminismo femminile’ è il comun denominatore tra Sonia Silvano, Julia Barone, Caterina D’Ambra e Kim Pasquale, quattro laureate della comunità italomontrealese ritratte sulla copertina dell’edizione estiva 2009 di Panoramitalia. asta guardarle, incontrarle e parlare loro per rendersi conto Bfarcela, che incarnano una forza prorompente, un desiderio di di affermarsi. Certo questa energia positiva scaturisce

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www.panoramitalia.com Montreal English School Board à l’âge de 17 ans. Elle a ainsi découvert sa vocation. «J’adhore le contact avec les jeunes. Une enseignante doit encourager la fantasie, la créativité, l’estime de soi de ses élèves, mais aussi leur faire comprendre l’importance de la rigueur et de la discipline. Voilà le mandat d’un bon enseignant. Voilà pourquoi cette profession me plaît.” Caterina D’Ambra corrobore elle aussi le discours de Sonia et Julia et poursuit: «je me vois comme une femme qui a confiance en son propre potentiel et dans le rôle qu’elle peut jouer dans la société. Être épouse et mère n’exclut pas avoir une carrière.»

Si physiquement Caterina incarne la beauté méditéranéenne, Kim Pasquale révèle plutôt des traits nordiques. Jolie blonde âgée de 22 ans, elle est le fruit du métissage entre Peppino Pasquale, un Molisano de Pietracatella, et Andrée Coulombe, une Québécoise du Sagunay-Lac-Saint-Jean. Andrée possède et gère un salon de coiffure et un salon de bronzage. Kim a un frère aîné, Nicholas, qui est électricien. Kim a fréquenté le Collège Vanier en anglais (Major in Child Studies) pour poursuivre un bacalauréat en pédagogie à l’Université McGill. «J’ai toujours eu en moi ce désir de devenir enseignante, explique Kim, et mes parents m’ont toujours beaucoup encouragée. J’ai grandi dans un cadre familial parfaitement bilingue, français et anglais. Mais, avec mes grands parents, mes «nonni» j’ai toujours parlé et je continue à parler en italien. J’ai vraiment redécouvert mon identité italienne en fréquentant le secondaire à l’école Lester B Pearson.

Même si j’ai grandi dans une famille typiquement italo-canadienne, je me perçois tout de même comme une féministe. J’apprécie mon indépendance et le fait d’avoir une carrière qui me permet de croire en moi».

Contrairement à ce que l’on peut penser, maintenir de fortes traditions n’exclut pas une pleine réalisation de soi comme femme et comme professionnelle. Sonia, Julia, Caterina et Kim en sont le parfait exemple. «La valeur de la tradition, explique Kim, consiste à savoir l’adapter à ses propres besoins.

N’est-ce pas ça la beauté d’être Italo-Canadien?

Moi, je crois que ce soit tout à fait le cas». v

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bambino ritardato mentale o fisico. ‘È un campo della medicina abbastanza recente, spiega Julia. L’ho scelto perchè mi permette di fare quello che adoro fare: aiutare la gente ed essere socialmente utile. Ne ricavo una grande soddisfazione sia emotivamente che intellettualmente, perchè mi spinge ad aggiornarmi continuamente.’ Non mi considero un’eccezione, continua Julia. Tutte le mie amiche, in gran parte d’origine italiana, hanno studiato e fatto carriera in diversi campi. Apparteniamo ad una generazione che, senza essere femminista, crede nella uguaglianza dei sessi e nelle pari opportunità sociali.’

Anche Caterina D’ambra, italomontrealese di 23 anni, sposa una visione del mondo e del suolo ruolo di donna e di insegnante che è in sincronia con le parole di Sonia e di Julia. Il padre di Caterina, un imprenditore edile, è di Marigliano, in provincia di Napoli.

Sua madre è nata a Montreal, ma la famiglia era originaria di San Nicola di Ardore, in provincia di Reggio Calabria. Suo fratello lavora come tecnico nell’industria dell’aerospaziale e la sorella maggiore sta completando un master in nursing all’università di Ottawa. Caterina ha completato a pieni voti una specializzazione in psicologia all’università Concordia. Ha cominciato ad insegnare come supplente a 17 anni nelle scuole della Montreal English School Board. Ha scoperto così sul campo la sua vocazione, quella di insegnante. ’ Mi piace tanto il contatto con i giovanissimi. Una maestra deve saper incoraggiare la fantasia, la creatività, la stima di sè degli alunni, ma saper anche far capire loro l’importanza del rigore e della disciplina. Questo è il compito di una buona insegnante.

Ecco perché questa professione mi piace tanto. Formare la nuova generazione è il compito che mi sono dato nella vita. Essere moglie e madre non esclude avere una carriera.’

Se fisicamente Caterina D’Ambra incarna una bellezza mediterranea, Kim Pasquale fa pensare subito ad un tipo fisico nordico. La bionda Kim Pasquale di 22 anni ed è l’incrocio umano di Peppino Pasquale, un molisano di Pietracatella giunto in tenera età a Montreal e della bionda Andrée Coulombe, una quebecchese originaria della regione del Saguenay- Lac Saint Jean. Peppino ed Andrée sono sposati da 28 anni. Andrée possiede e gestisce un salone di parrucchiera e di un centro di abbronzatura. Kim ha un fratello più grande, Nicholas, che fa l’elettrecista. Dopo le scuole elementari in lingua francese, Kim ha frequentato il Vanier College in inglese (major child studies) ed in seguito l’università McGill dove ha completato una laurea breve in pedagogia (B.A. in Education). ‘Ho sempre avuto in me il desiderio di diventare insegnante, spiega Kim ed i miei genitori mi hanno sempre e molto incoraggiato. Sono cresciuta in un ambiente familiare perfettamente bilingue, francese ed inglese. Ma con i miei nonni ho sempre parlato e continuo a parlare italiano. Ho riscoperto la parte italiana in me quando ho frequentato il liceo, (Lester B Pearson High School). Anche se sono cresciuta in una tipica famiglia italo-canadese, mi vedo come una femminista. Mi piace essere indipendente ed avere una carriera, credere in me stessa.’

Contrariamente a quanto si possa pensare, appartenere ad una forte tradizione non esclude la piena realizzazione di sé come donna e come professionista. Ne sono la conferma le parole di Sonia, Julia, Caterina e Kim. ‘ll valore della tradizione, spiega kim, consiste nel sapere adattarlo ai propri bisogni. Non è questo il bello di essere italocanadesi? Io credo proprio di sì.’ v

ity, it is also important to make the students understand the importance of discipline and rigour. This is the task of a good teacher and the reason why I love this profession”. Caterina believes it is her vocation to contribute to the formation of future generations, and does not believe a career impedes a woman from starting a family and having her own children.

If Caterina D’Ambra embodies a Mediterranean kind of beauty, Kim Pasquale strikes us with her northern traits. She is a 22 years old, the younger daughter of Peppino Pasquale, born in Pietracatella, Molise, and of Andrée Coulombe, blond like her daugther, from the Sagueney Lac-Saint Jean region of Quebec.

Peppino and Andrée have been married for 28 years. Andrée owns and operates a hairdressing and tanning salon. Kim has an older brother, Nicholas, who is an electrician. Kim attended a Vanier College where she majored in child studies. She then enrolled at McGill University where she completed her B.A. in Education.

“I always wanted to be a teacher,” she explains.

“My parents always encouraged me. I grew up in a perfectly bilingual, french and english environment, but I have always spoken to my grandparents,“ I nonni ”in Italian. I discovered the Italian in me when I attended Lester B. Pearson High School. Even if I was brought up in a typical Italian/Canadian family, I consider myself as a feminist. I like to be independent, have a career, and believe in myself”.

Contrary to popular belief, coming from a traditional background does not constitute a stumbling block for the emerging young women from our community. Traditional values, selfempowerment and the pursuit of a profession do not seem to collide for Sonia, Julia, Caterina and Kim. They are perfect examples of this balance. As Kim explains, “The value of tradition consists in knowing how to adapt it to one’s own needs. Isn’t this the beauty of being an Italian / Canadian?

I think so.” v

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sites NDG Lasalle St-Léonard Petite Italie r Place J acques Cartie inci Centre Leonardo da V etc.

activitviaiéta s Opéra La Tra Défilé de mode Expositions etc.

Opéra La Traviata Le dimanche 16 août à 21h00 Petite Italie, scène Loto-Québec boul. Saint-Laurent angle Saint-Zotique La Traviata est un opéra en trois actes, de Giuseppe Verdi, composé en 1853 d’après le roman d’Alexandre Dumas fils, La Dame aux camélias. Ce magnifique opéra, qui est d’ailleurs l’un des plus joués au monde, nous plonge dans une histoire d’amour passionnée et tragique entre une courtisane, et un jeune homme de bonne famille qui se terminera sur une note tragique et intense en émotions qui ne peut laisser personne indifférent.

L’opéra La Traviata de Verdi se veut le miroir social de son époque et d’une société marquée par la morale mais aussi l’hypocrisie.

Verdi’s La Traviata was inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s La dame aux camélias, scandalous in its time for telling the story of a courtesan who dared to break the rules of bourgeois society by allowing herself to love and be loved and by aspiring to become respectable. It was the first work in the history of opera to be based on a drama of morals and manners and remains the great Italian composer’s most frequently performed and most extensively recorded masterpiece.

La traviata, opera in tre atti tratta da La dame aux camélias di Alexandre Dumas figlio – Questa magnifica opera, é una delle piu conosciute al mondo e che c’immersa in una storia d’amore passionata e tragica tra una giovane mondana famosa e un giovane di alta società. Una storia d’amore che non vi lascia indifferente!

La Traviata di Verdi é lo specchio sociale della sua epoca e di una società segnata dal morale e dall’ipocrizia.

Avec la partici participation de : • Gino Quilico dan dans le rôle de Germont • Natalia Roman dans le rôle de Violetta provenant de l’Italie Varano dans le rôle de Alfredo, provenant de l’Italie • Giuseppe Vara Chef d’orchestr d’orchestre : Martinenghi, provenant de la Fondation Arena di Verona, Italie.

Gianluca Martin Orchestre symph symphonique de Laval

uilico Gino Quilico

Cette présentation de « La L Traviata » est dédiée dé à Louis Quilico.

Qui Louis Quilico

Samedi le 8 août Notre-Dame-de-Grâce ford) Parc Georges St. Pierre (Ox • Tournoi de soccer • Tournoi de bocce x gonflables) • Activités pour enfants (jeu on • Clinique de bocce - initiati e tair nau • Souper commu Fiat 500 • Exposition de voitures – al isan • Kiosque d’exposition art de l’Association ALMA A • Groupe Folklorique ALM ssiques napolitaines cla ns nso • Concert de cha présenté par «Hommage à Mario Lanza» de Montréal, l’Orchestre Symphonique Pop hi Animation : Manrico Tedesc azu Aw kiko Soprano: Ma a Tenor: Francesco Verrecchi

Dimanche le 9 août Vieux Montréal t 500 • Exposition de voitures Fia ssique et pop cla ue siq • Spectacles de mu

Lundi le 10 août Lasalle - Parc Ouellet

Défilé de mode « Moda Sotto le Stelle » Le samedi 15 août 2009 à 21h00 Petite Italie, scène Loto-Québec boul. Saint-Laurent angle Saint-Zotique L’éclat moiré du ciel nocturne, l’originalité des griffes et la beauté des créations : tout pour mettre en lumière une prometteuse palette de talentueux designers italo-canadiens.

Mode et beauté se rencontrent à l’intersection de Saint-Laurent et Saint-Zotique lors du défilé de mode annuel de la Semaine Italienne de Montréal. Le chic urbain côtoie les styles sexy et glamour alors que les différents designers nous en mettent plein la vue. Une flamboyante symphonie de créations italiennes illuminera le ciel montréalais !

Beauty, fashion and the universe accentuate the hopeful palette of bright designers when fashion and style meet at the intersections of St. Laurent and St. Zotique during the annual Moda Sotto Le Stelle Fashion Show presented by Montreal’s Italian Week. A well dressed urban metropolis meets the sexy and scintillating styles of Montreal’s Italian Canadian designers.

A symphony of Italian Fashion illuminates the open sky!

«Moda sotto le stelle» è una brillante tradizione della Settimana Italiana di Montreal che illuminerà nuovamente il cielo della Piccola Italia, con un gruppo «stellare» di stilisti italocanadesi.

Il boulevard Saint-Laurent farà da degno sfondo all’ennesima edizione di questa sfilata di moda, che metterà in risalto le migliori creazioni di casa nostra, ispirate dall’Europa.

t 500 • Exposition de voitures Fia animation et • Spectacles de musique

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Dossier: Italian Canadian writing Ancient Memories, Modern Identities

Seeking Other Spaces in Italian / Canadian Writing

By Connie Guzzo McParland

In 2009 Italian/Canadian writing has come a long way from the naïf cataloguing of personal events. Many Italian/Canadian writers have published successful novels, collections of short stories and poetry books. Some have won prestigious prizes, but still the problem of representation persists. hat are the factors that have contributed to the poor visibility of Italian/Canadian writing?

On whom does the weight of the responsibility fall, in order to increase the visibility of Italian/Canadian writers?

What is surprising in the answers to this question from the members of the AICW (Association of Italian/Canadian Writing) is the absence of the usual complaints of the past about the conspiracy of the establishment or mainstream publishers to keep minority writers in their place, or of the predicament of being caught between the two founding nations, etc., but it is hard to say if feelings of victimization are still there. From their responses, the major responsibility falls on the writers themselves, the community, and the ethnic label.

The first group held responsible is the writers themselves as most of them simply do not produce works that are truly original. Good literature is good literature period, and it will find readers everywhere. A lot of Italian/Canadian literature is simply bad, and readers can tell.

With regards to the Community, the fault lies on the fact that the Italian/Canadian writers are unable to fight deep-rooted cultural intolerance of English Canadian society that has little or no collective pride in new “immigrant” culture. Moreover, the one and a half million Italians in Canada do not have the habit of reading. If your own community does not buy and read the books that represent it, it cannot expect others to do so.

By confining themselves to an Ethnic Labeling ‘Italian/Canadian writers’ may not receive the proper attention they deserve. By wanting to preserve their identity, they are at the same time setting themselves apart. Are ‘Italian/Canadian writers’ looking at their own belly-button?

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Some writers don’t want to be considered part of an “ethnic” group. They wish to find an individual voice.

One French speaking respondent named the Language barrier. The perception that there is no future for the writer who writes in French is false.

Publishing with small presses is also a reason for the lack of awareness of the public.

Established writers who receive more attention are not overly experimental in style or subject matter. Writers who depart from recognizable forms have more difficulty being published by well known publishing houses.

People who make a difference are teachers, publishers, community-minded people. Writers need to be aware of the demands of the book industry and what can be realistically achieved.

Novel writing demands a new attitude in regards to writing. Being a novelist is a profession.

What are the topics that the general public responds to in the works of Italian Canadian writers?

The last ten years have seen a blossoming of talent... and writers should continue writing and expressing themselves. Michael Mirolla expressed well the need to grow individually as writers by finding new forms of telling stories. Dalla realtà alla metafora, alla metafiction or “magic realism” or whatever other form of experimentation one wants to attempt, but the onus is on the writer to develop his/her craft and be committed to his vocation.

The next step should be to promote writers beyond the community, extend the grasp, and reach out to a wider audience. While the more difficult task at hand is renewing or re-visioning the whole concept of Italian Canadian writing, is the link that holds Italian Canadian writers together changing? Can we still say that as a group their aim is to express their immigrant experiences if they want to include a newer generation of writers? If the theme of immigration is still strong in some of them, they should not shy away from writing about it just because it has been done.

Glocalization means to take advantage of the global while not destroying the local. It’s the balance between the universal and the particular. If we want the narrative of Italian/Canadian literature to follow its natural course, from previous chapters to the next, then its authors must take some control of the script. Monopolizing family, friends, neighbors and institutions inside and outside the community, will help, as history has proven. v

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Italian Canadian Writing: Then and Now

By Joseph Pivato

An explosion of new books have come from Italian / Canadian writers across the country. Let us go to the obscure origins of this writing. aterina Edwards has produced the powerful memoir, Finding Rosa (2008), and Mary di Michele has recreated C the life of Caruso in Tenor of Love (2005), Licia Canton has debuted with a moving collection of short stories in Almond Wine and Fertility (2008), Delia De Santis is full of surprises in Fast Forward (2008), and Nino Ricci is forever ambiguous about his Italian origins in The Origin of Species (2008).

These must-read books emerge from the literary context of over thirty years of immigrant writers struggling to make their voices heard above the cacophony of EnglishFrench disputes over language and culture. Let us go to the obscure origins of this writing.

From its misty beginnings in the 1920s ItalianCanadian writing has existed in English, French and Italian.

Liborio Lattoni wrote in Italian while Francesco M. Gualtieri published in English. La Ville sans femmes (1945) by Mario Duliani appeared in French and Italian. Gianni Grohovaz, Elena Randaccio and Guglielmo Vangelisti (Gli Italiani in Canada, 1956), who published in the 1950s in Italian, were followed by younger authors who actively participated in both the growth of Canadian literature and the flowering of multiculturalism, thus making an impact on mainstream English and French Canadian writing. The breakthrough came with Roman Candles (1978) a poetry anthology edited by the enigmatic Pier Giorgio Di Cicco. The bilingual tradition continued with Alexandre Amprimoz’s Selected Poems (1979), Sur le damier des tombes (1983); Filippo Salvatore’s Suns of Darkness (1980) and La Fresque de Mussolini (1985); Romano Perticarini’s Quelli della fionda (1981); Maria Ardizzi’s Made in Italy (1982); and Antonio D’Alfonso’s The Other Shore (1986)and L’autre rivage (1999).

Poets outnumbered novelists in the 1980s and received awards and recognition through inclusion in major antholo-

gies. The narrative verse of Pier Giorgio Di Cicco’s The Tough Romance (1979), Mary Di Michele’s Mimosa and Other Poems (1981), George Amabile’s The Presence of Fire (1982), Len Gasparini’s Breaking and Entering (1980); Gianna Patriarca’s Italian Women and Other Tragedies (1994) show strong autobiographical elements. Diverse themes began to appear in the books of younger poets: Pasquale Verdicchio (The House Is Past, 2000), Mary Melfi (Stages: Selected Poems, 1998), Dore Michelut, Loyalty to the Hunt (1986), Sante Viselli, and Genni Gunn. All are fascinating authors of intriguing books.

In fiction, authors focused on chronicling the immigrant experience and beyond. F.G. Paci’s Black Madonna (1982) and Under the Bridge (1992) are novels in the realist tradition. Caterina Edwards’s The Lion’s Mouth (1982), Island of the Nightingales (1994); and Marisa De Francheschi’s Surface Tension (1994) explore women’s views on ethnic identity. When Nino Ricci won the Governor General’s Literary Award in fiction for Lives of the Saints (1990) many Italian-Canadian writers began to receive more attention. Anecdotal stories by Dino Minni (Other Selves, 1985), Darlene Madott (Bottled Roses, 1985, Joy, Joy, Why Do I Sing, 2004), Michael Mirolla (The Formal Logic of Emotion , 1991), Genni Gunn ( On the Road, 1991), Delia De Santis (Fast Forward, 2008), and Licia Canton (Almond Wine and Fertility, 2008) highlight the ironies and joys of life on the margins of mainstream society. In Peter Oliva’s Drowning in Darkness (1993) the narrators experiment with magic realism. There are plays

by Caterina Edwards, Homeground , Marco Micone, Addolorata , Vittorio Rossi, Frank Canino The Angelina Project , and Tony Nardi that critiqued the immigrant experience.

In Quebec, Italian writers are identified by their diversity. Tonino Caticchio’s poems in Roman dialect; Dominique De Pasquale’s French plays; Bianca Zagolin’s French novels; Elettra Bedon’s Italian stories; Lisa Carducci’s poems in French and Italian; Marco Fraticelli’s English haiku poems; Corrado Mastropasqua’s Neapolitan poems; and Camillo Menchini’s histories in Italian. The two most successful writers are Fulvio Caccia who won a Governor General’s Award for French poetry with Aknos (1994) and is also known for his short stories and essays; and Marco Micone who has won awards for his plays, Gens du silence (1982) and Addolorata (1984). Carole David and Antonio D’Alfonso both experiment with French prose-poems and poetic narratives. D’Alfonso also founded the vital bilingual press Guernica Editions.

Italian-Canadian literature became recognized through the critical attention it received in literary studies: Contrasts (1985), Echo (1994) by J. Pivato, Devils in Paradise (1997) by P. Verdicchio, work by Francesco Loriggio and anthologies by C.M. Di Giovanni, F. Caccia, M. De Francheschi and V. Fazio. The Association of ItalianCanadian Writers was founded in 1986 by a number of the writers listed above. In academia they do not know what to do with this writing. Enoch Padolsky from Carleton calls it ethnic minority writing while George Elliott Clarke in Toronto calls it post-colonial literature.

JOSEPH PIVATO teaches literature at Athabasca University and has published: Contrasts: Comparative Essays on Italian-Canadian Writing (1991), Echo: Essays on Other Literatures (2002), and The Anthology of Italian-Canadian Writing (1998). v

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Una panoramica della letteratura italianese (italo/canadese) Filippo Salvatore

Le voci letterarie italo-canadesi più significative durante la prima metà del Novecento sono tre. La prima è quella del pastore protestante e giornalista antifascista Francesco M. Gualtieri autore, oltre che di poesie in inglese, anche della prima storia degli italiani in Canada apparsa nel 1928 con il titolo We Italians.

La seconda voce è quella del giornalista e del drammaturgo istriano, di Pisino, Mario Duliani, giunto dalla Francia a Montreal nel 1936. Arrestato il 10 giugno 1940 per le sue simpatie nei confronti del regime mussoliniano, ha raccontato i suoi quarantatrè mesi econdo il censimento del 2006 gli italo/canadesi sono 1,5 milioni e rappresentano la di internamento a Petawawa nel libro Ville sans Femmes pubblicato a Montreal nel 1945. La quartacomponente etnica del popolo canadese. La parola finalmente trovata è anche una versione italiana, fatta dallo stesso autore, è apparsa l’anno seguente, sempre a Montreal col prova della loro crescita collettiva, della loro intetitolo Città senza Donne, ripubblicato nel 2005 in Italia grazione sempre più evidente e della legittimità di Cosmo Iannone con prefazione di Filippo U n n u m e r o c r e s c e n t e d i u o m i n i e d o n n e dall’editore appartenenza sempre più manifesta. Lungi da me Salvatore. di origine italiana ha capito che uno dei tuttavia la tentazione di voler dare un quadro troppo La terza voce è quella di un pastore protestante il roseo della condizione sociale ed umana degli italomodi migliori per lasciare tracce durature marchegiano Liborio Lattoni, che dal 1908, data del suo canadesi. Come qualsiasi altro gruppo etnico d i s é e d e l l a e t n i a a c u i s i a p p a r t i e n e è l a arrivo a Montréal, fino alla sua morte avvenuta nel 1958 ha numeroso e stratificato, essi hanno problemi, e spesso coltivato con amore la poesia.Il volume Carmina Cordis del parola scritta, perché con essa si acquista Lattoni, curato e tradotto in inglese con un saggio critico sono gravi, come quello del facile, ricorrente, intrau n a i d e n t i t à e s i r i v e n d i c a i l d i r i t t o d i bilingue da Filippo Salvatore, é apparso a Montreal nel montabile cliché che associa un cognome italiano alla mafia, l’emarginazione e la disoccupazione dei 2007. appartenenza alla nuova patria. giovani, la violenza coniugale, la tossicodipendenza, Nel secondo dopoguerra, con l’arrivo a Montreal o in la solitudine della vecchia generazione, oppure il altre città canadesi di numerosi immigrati, emergono nuove dilemma della split personality, dell’identità in bilico tra due mondi, il Canada e l’Italia, senza voci in lingua italiana. Le più interessanti a Montreal nella prima metà degli anni cinquanta sapere a quale dei due si appartiene veramente e due sistemi di valori, l’eredità contadina sono quelle di giovani come Enzo Colla, Angelo Giunta, il Renzetti,il Caligaris e lo Steccucci e mediterranea della famiglia e la realtà nordica e urbana in cui vivono. L’alienazione esistenche trovano spazio sulle pagine del settimanale Il Cittadino Canadese fondato nel 1941 dal ziale non è però una loro prerogativa. É la condizione dell’essere umano nel nostro mondo giornalista anti-fascista Antonino Spada. post-industriale.

Nel 1958 Elena Randaccio pubblica con lo pseudonimo di Elena Albani il romanzo Fa piacere poter dire che gli italo/canadesi sono visti sempre meno come un gruppo Canada Mia Seconda Patria, che racconta avvenimenti occorsi durante il secondo conflitto etnico ancora alla ricerca del proprio posto nella società canadese, ma come una componente mondiale. Ella è anche autrice di due altri romanzi, il primo in inglese intitolato The Sound of minoritaria, come una established commmunity, il che sociologicamente parlando, è indizio the Harp del 1976 ed il secondo Diario di una Emigrante del 1978 con lo pseudonimo E. di integrazione e di accettazione.

MacRan. Un numero crescente di uomini e donne di origine italiana ha capito che uno dei modi Sempre a Montreal emergono due voci importanti: Giose Rimanelli e Pietro Corsi, migliori per lasciare tracce durature di sé e della etnia a cui si appartiene è la parola scritta, entrambi di origine molisana. Il Rimanelli è già un affermato giornalista e scrittore, autore del perché con essa si acquista una identità e si rivendica il diritto di appartenenza alla nuova romanzo Tiro al Piccione, quando nel 1954 arriva in Canada. La sua esperienza di vita patria. In molte delle opere cui ho fatto riferimento sono espressi i dubbi e le manchevolezze canadese finita una prima volta nel 1958 gli fornisce lo spunto per scrivere il notevole romanzo ma anche i valori che li animano soprattutto come individui, ma anche come italo/canadesi, autobiografico Biglietto di Terza apparso a Milano nel 1958. Il libro esprime l’impossibilità di come ITALIANESI. un europeo colto, già vecchio spiritualmente, di rimanere e rifarsi una vita in Canada, paese La prima opera scritta in italiano suI Canada è la Breve Relatione pubblicata a Macerata vergine, selvaggio, disperatamente infinito. Solo chi è pronto ad affrontare l’inumano e vuole nel 1653 del padre gesuita romano Francesco Giuseppe Bressani. Si tratta di un resoconto dimentiicare i torti patiti e l’impostura del bisogno riuscirà a rifarsi una vita in Canada che della sua vita di missionario tra gli Uroni e le torture subite ad opera degli Irochesi. chiede solo braccia.

Durante la prima metà dell’Ottocento, verso il 1840 Antonio Carlo Dalenga ha scritto e Pietro Corsi pubblica nel 1959 a puntate sulle pagine de Il Cittadino Canadese due pubblicato poesie ad Halifax nella Nuova Scozia. Nello stesso periodo un esule politico, James racconti lunghi che compongono il volume La Giobba, una amara testimonianza dei soprusi Forneri, si trasferisce a Toronto dall’Inghilterra e fonda la prima cattedra di lingua e letteratura e delle umiliazioni, che la stragrannde maggioranza degli immigranti italiani in Canada ha italiana in Canada. dovuto subire.

Il contributo di autori canadesi di origine italiana non è un fenomeno passeggero, come dimostra il numero crescente di nuovi autori o autrici nei vari generi: dalla poesia al racconto, dal teatro al cinema, dalla critica letteraria alla ricerca storica o sociologica.

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www.panoramitalia.com Gli scritti del Rimanelli e del Corsi hanno dato per primi la parola alla ‘gente del silenzio’ ed individuato una tematica fondamentale, l’esperienza migratoria, che verrà ripresa negli anni settanta dalla nuova generazione di scrittori italo/canadesi.

Va ricordato il cenacolo poetico Symposium in lingua italiana formatosi a Montreal all’inizio degli anni 1970. Un’antologia discografica è Il contributo più consistente del gruppo.

Il livornese Umberto Taccola, tornato a vivere in Italia, è autore delle raccolte illustrate Una Scatola di Sole ed Una Scatola di Passi. Parole ed immagini esprimono con francescana semplicità e con forza il bisogno di salvaguardare l’integrità della natura ed il riscatto ineluttabile dei diseredati del terzo mondo.Il marchigiano Romano Perticarini, che vive ora a Vancouver, è autore delle raccolte bilingui italiano/inglese Quelli della Fionda, Via Diaz e Il mio Quaderno di Novembre. Il napoletano Corrado Mastropasqua, è autore di due notevoli volumi: Ibrido e Prova d’Armonia. Al cenacolo Symposium apparteneva anche il giovane molisano Giovanni di Lullo.

Una posizione a parte, perché scriveva poesia in romanesco, merita Tonino Caticchio, autore de La Scoperta der Canada e del postumo Ma chi me l ‘ha fatto fa’. Caticchio ha anche curato La Poesia italiana del Québec, un’antologia bilingue italiano/francese. Vanno ricordati anche il giornalista e scrittore toscano Camillo Carli, autore di tre romanzi, Razzola, Amore Mio, La Giornata di Fabio e La Mia Terra è Questa, e Dino Fruchi, anch’egli toscano, di Arezzo, autore dei romanzi L’Arno Racconta, La Guerra, L’Amore, La Vita e Il Prezzo del Benessere e l’ingegnere e giornalista molisano Ermanno Lariccia, autore di tre raccolte di racconti, Terra Mia, Viaggio in Paradiso, Infinito Amore, del romanzo La Padrona e della raccolta poetica La Voce delle Pietre.

Un cenno meritano anche due scrittori in lingua italiana di Toronto: Maria Ardizzi, autrice di tre romanzi di cui il più celebre è Made in Italy, tradotto poi anche in inglese, ed il defunto fiumano Giovanni Grohovaz, autore di Con Rispetto Parlando e della squisita raccolta di racconti La Strada Bianca, e di poesie nelle quali fa rivivere il doloroso, imposto abbandono della sua natia Istria. Né vanno dimenticate tre delle voci piu’ genuine, generose e profonde del giornalismo italo/quebecchese: Antonino Spada, Augusto Tomasini e Claudio Antonelli.

Di un vero e proprio corpus letterario italo-canadese scritto nelle lingue ufficiali, l’inglese ed il francese, si può parlare solo dalla metà degli anni settanta. Da allora, nel giro di due decenni, quella che era rimasta la gente del silenzio è venuta alla ribalta cogliendo quasi di sorpresa gli ambienti letterari canadesi di lingua inglese e francese. Nel 1978 sono pubblicati il primo romanzo di Frank Paci The Italians e la fondamentale antologia Roman Candles a cura di Pier Giorgio Di Cicco che raccoglieva versi dei diciassette poeti piu’ importanti del panorama letterario italo/canadese. Questi volumi sono seguiti nel giro di qualche anno da altre antologie: Italian Canadian Voices a cura di Caroline Morgan-Di Giovanni; La poesia italiana del Quebec, raccolta bilingue italiano/francese edita da Tonino Caticchio; Quêtes: Textes d’auteurs italo-québécois, curata da Antonio D’Alfonso e Fulvio Caccia; Sous le Signe du Phoenix, una

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raccolta d’interviste con artisti italo-quebecchesi curata da Fulvio Caccia; Contrasts: Comparative Essays on Italiann/Canadian Writing, la prima raccolta di saggi critici sulla produzione letteraria italo-canadese a cura di Joseph Pivato, che è l’autore anche del volume: Eco: Essays in Other Literatures; Arrangiarsi: The Italian Immigration Experience in Canada edita da Roberto Perin e Frank Sturino; Writers in Transition, gli atti del primo convegno degli scrittori italo-canadesi a cura di Dino Minni ed Anna Foschi- Ciampolini. L’importante volume Social Pluralism and Literary History a cura di Francesco Loriggio è del 1996. Nel 1998 sono apparse a Toronto due altre antologie sempre per i tipi della Guernica. La prima edita da Joseph Pivato s’intitola The Anthology of Italian Canadian Writing. La seconda a cura di Marisa De Franceschi si occupa in modo particolare della produzione letteraria di autrici italocanadesi e porta il titolo: Pillars of Lace. An Anthology of Italian/Canadian Women Writers.

Nel 1984 all’università di Toronto veniva fondato e diretto da Julius Molinaro un centro di studi italo-canadesi che pubblica annualmente la rivista Italian-Canadiana. Né va dimenticata la cattedra di studi italo/canadesi, la Mariano Elia Chair, alla York University di Toronto.

A Montreal nascevano la rivista transculturale trilingue Vice Versa diretta da Lamberto Tassinari e la casa editrice Guernica fondata e diretta dal 1978 dallo scrittore Antonio D’Alfonso che ha svolto un ruolo di primo piano nel far conoscere alcune delle voci più importanti e significative della letteratura italo-canadese conntemporanea, come, tanto per fare qualche nome, Filippo Salvatore, Caterina Edwards, Mary Melfi, Pier Giorgio Di Cicco, Fulvio Caccia, Marco Micone Dino Minni e tanti altri. La casa editrice Guernica ha anche permesso la nascita di una riflessione critica sul significato storico e sociologico e sul valore estetico della produzione letteraria italo/canadese. Due recenti volumi critici sono gli atti del convegno sulla realtà letteraria italo/canadese tenuto ad Udine nel 2004, Parcours Migrants au Québec et Shaping History editi da Alessandra Ferraro e Anna Pia De Luca.

Negli ultimi due decenni è emerso in campo cinematografico il regista Paul Tana che ha diretto i lungometraggi Les Grands Enfants, Caffé Italia, Montréal, La Sarrasine e La déroute; né va dimenticato il giovane Gianni Princigalli, che ha diretto due significativi documentari: Gli Errori Belli ed Io Ho Fatto il Mio Coraggio. Completano il quadro delle più significative voci italo/quebecchesi i drammaturghi Vittorio Rossi e Steve Galluccio ed il poeta Carmine Starnino che scrivono in inglese e Carole Fioramore David, Francis Catalano Bianca Zagolin e Philippe Poloni che usano il francese nelle loro opere.

La rivista più importante del paese Canadian Literature ha dedicato un numero speciale, il 106, Autunno 1985, alla letteratura italo-canadese col titolo Italian/Canadian Connections.

E finalmente va menzionato il fatto che un esordiente poco più che trentenne, l’ontariano Nino Ricci ha vinto due volte il più prestigioso premio letterario del Canada, il Governor GeneraI Award nel 1991 con la sua opera prima, il romanzo Lives of the Saints e nel 2009 con The Origin of Species. Nel 1994 il poeta montrealese Fulvio Caccia ha vinto anche lui lo stesso premio con la raccolta di poesie in francese Aknos. v

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Italian/Canadian writers debate their role at Metropolis Azzurro

By Elvira Truglia

It was one of those gathering of minds that left you with more questions than answers. Was Antonio D’Alfonso being rhetorical when he talked about burning 93,000 books published by Guernica Editions, the publishing company he founded 31 years ago? Why is Enza Martuccelli a “self-hating” Italian? And why is Filippo Salvatore so optimistic? The 75-minute panel discussion “Italian-Canadian Writing Inside/Outside” held at the Blue Metropolis International Montreal Literary Festival on April 26 provided a lively debate on the role and value of Italian-Canadian writers inside and outside the community. he forum was held to discuss the role of the Italian-Canadian writer as a creative force and social/political commentator and was hosted by Connie Guzzo-McParland, Secretary of the Association of Italian-Canadian Writers (AICW) and Giuseppe Turi, Honorary President of the Dante Alighieri Society of Montreal.

Panelists included Licia Canton, Antonio D’Alfonso, Marcello Di Cintio, Enza Martuccelli and Filippo Salvatore. The panel drew on a range of experiences from those who have been working to promote Italian/Canadian writing in academia and in the publishing industry to those who have not been engaged in the Italian community at all. It was this diversity that made the discussion both unruly and engaging.

Antonio D’Alfonso does not believe he is seen to represent Italian/Canadians at all and questions his role even in the Italo-Quebecois community. The causes of his disgruntlement are the difficulties facing Guernica Editions, established in 1978 to publish Italian/Canadian voices. Despite having published more than 450 titles, winning numerous awards and being the co-founder of two other important Italian/Canadian cultural initiatives: the tri-lingual magazine Vice Versa (1982) and the AICW (1986), D’Alfonso is not pleased. “I’m going to be burning 93,000 books,” because they don’t sell.

Enza Martuccelli, Director of community relations for the Canadian Jewish Congress of Quebec, focused on the responsibility of the writing community to make a difference.

She described herself as a “self-hating Italian” and decided to disengage from the Italian community because of what she saw as the limiting tendencies to focus on nostalgia, trivialization and stereotypes in cultural productions.

Martuccelli thinks that Italian/Canadian writers have missed an opportunity to tell a broader story. “Writers have a responsibility not to shy away from conflict,” she says, and believes that they need to speak out on large socio-political issues like reasonable accommodation and multiculturalism.

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www.panoramitalia.com Taking on such an advocacy role would mean speaking in a united voice, a difficult task in a fragmented community with generational and cultural gaps. Licia Canton is the Editor-in-Chief of Accenti Magazine, whose mission is to create a cultural bridge among people of Italian origin and beyond. She says that we could be playing a role collectively but the community is falling short. Of the 300,000 Quebecers of Italian-origin, very few go to literary events “so most don’t even know there is an Italian/Canadian writing community”. Or maybe they do but choose to take a distance. To make more of an impact, Canton feels that people need to speak to each other across generations, an important step in order to learn and to be inspired by the younger generation.

If the audience for Italian/Canadian writing is sparse and indistinct, then what have Italian/ Canadians contributed to public discourse? Filippo Salvatore points to academics and cultural initiatives that have defined and redefined the relationship between Italian/Canadians, ethnic minorities in general, the state, culture and society. According to the Editorin-Chief of PanoramItalia, in the last thirty years, the five greatest theoretical contributions from Italian/ Canadians in Quebec are: Marco Micone’s “La culture immigrée”, Vice Versa magazine’s notion of “transculture”, Antonio D’Alfonso’s “triangulation des cultures”, Fulvio Caccia’s “devenir minoritaire” and Filippo Salvatore’s “métissage”.

Salvatore describes the role of Italian/ Canadians as an evolving one. Italian/Canadians no longer have to worry about just putting food on the table and “are in a position to really contribute to culture,” he says. Salvatore is inspired by the energy of the younger generation and believes Italian/ Canadians are at a turning point.

Perhaps the work of writer Marcello Di Cintio is an indication of a new direction. This award-winning non-fiction writer has spent the last five years traveling and writing about North Africa and the Middle East. His latest book chronicled his time in Iran seeking Persian poets and traditional wrestlers. For him, the writer absolutely has a responsibility to present socio-political concerns. But the marker of a good writer is how well you represent another community – did you get it right?

Salvatore reassured D’Alfonso about the value of his work, “you’ve put us on the map,” he says, along with others who have managed to introduce Italian/Canadian literature into academia as a field of study in its own right. Yet, Di Cintio asks a different question - did you get it right? No individual work can tell the story of an entire community, and even a collective body of work is only partial. So maybe being on the map is not enough. Salvatore says writers should not look for recognition as an indicator of success but rather how well one’s writing stands up against great literature through the test of time. It’s a question of craft. If this is the case, then perhaps the real discussion should not be about defining the role of the Italian/Canadian writing community (which is unfixed) but about looking at the contributions of writers of Italian origin who write well. Punto. v

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Dossier

25

West Coast Voices

By Anna Foschi Ciampolini

Vancouver’s Commercial Drive was once known as Little Italy, and was the heart and soul of the local Italian community’s social life; nowadays it is home to a myriad of other multicultural influxes and urban cultures that represent the city’s incredibly multifaceted ethnic mosaic. he Italian community has always been relatively small on this side of the Pacific: about 20,000 people of Italian origin live in Vancouver, around 80,000 in the province of British Columbia. However, it played a vital role in the diffusion and growth of Italian Canadian World of Poetry, a respected and popular literary radio show and readings program led literature, thanks to the presence and receptivity of the local community institutions.

Ariadne Sawyer and Alejandro Mujica-Olea and occasionally co-hosted by local poet Diego by In 1985, a Vancouver writer, the late C.Dino Minni, together with Anna Foschi Bastianutti, regularly features Italian Canadian writers. The Vancouver Public Library, that Ciampolini approached the Italian Cultural Centre Society with a proposal to organize and co-hosted AICW for the Words on the Street series, has recently approached AICW represenhost a national conference to bring together Italian Canadian authors living across the country. tatives asking to organize readings at its Main Branch downtown; to reach out to different The now iconic First National Conference of Italian Canadian Writers took place at the Centre audiences they are also eyeing the city’s numerous literary cafes. in 1986, and it was the Centre that founded and West Coast authors write in English, and the very launched the F.G. Bressani Literary Prize in the same year, West Coast authors write in English, and the few who still write in Italian have to translate their as Minni and Ciampolini had suggested.

The Association of Italian Canadian Writers was very few who still write in Italian have to works if they want to get published. Their themes are connected with their Italian heritage: from novelist founded in the Centre’s Library, during the First t r a n s l a t e t h e i r w o r k s i f t h e y w a n t t o g e t Robert Pepper Smith’s poignant recollection of a Conference and two AICW national conferences were published. Their themes are connected with vanished immigrants’ town in the B.C. interior to held in Vancouver in 1998 and 2006. However, the local playwrights/actresses Lucia Frangione and Eufemia their Italian heritage.

AICW chapter is currently made up of about eight members Fantetti’s edgy takes on family and spirituality, immiof whom two are living in the province’s interior: being grant roots still matter. The 2008 Bressani prize winner such a small group, they have to rely on a network of supportive institutions in order to affirm for the novel category, Victoria Miles, drew inspiration from her childhood memories of her their presence and organize events. The Italian Cultural Centre and the Italian Cultural Italian grandfather. A growing number of self-taught writers are self-publishing their Institute have always been powerful allies, hosting and supporting their events. While memoirs, focusing on their immigrant experience and bringing back long-vanished aspects the Italian Cultural Institute caters to a large, mostly mainstream and multicultural audience, and customs of Italy and Canada. The past is still present, as social historian Ray Culos says the Centre can count on a smaller group of community members interested in cultural events. in his trilogy on the history of Vancouver’s Italian community, but in a world that is AICW events do not draw a huge crowd, but they do have loyal followers; and they have turning into a global culture, writers are challenged to explore new realities while remaining been successfully experimenting with combining, on stage, poetry and prose readings true to their roots. v with live performances of pop songs and operatic arias.

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Dossier

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Nino Ricci Getting to the origin of things

By Connie Guzzo McParland

Interview with Governor General’s Award winning writer Nino Ricci’s The Origin of Species, winner of the 2009 Governor General’s Award for literature, has, as central character, Alex Fratarcangeli, son of an Italian Canadian immigrant. Alex’s constant search for meaning is related to the Darwinian theory of evolution, which in turn he tries to tie in with theories of narrative. Ricci has also just published a biography of Pierre Elliott Trudeau. These two major works follow the impressive tome, Testament, an adaptation of the story of Christ and the trilogy, Lives of the Saints, In a Glass House, and Where She has Gone. t about the same time that his first novel, Lives of the Saints was written, published and awarded his first Governor General’s Award, a group of Italian/Canadian writers had formed an Association and actively pursued the promotion of Italian/Canadian writing and culture.

Connie Guzzo McParland met Nino Ricci at the recent Blue Metropolis Literary Festival, and asked him a few questions on his views on Italian/Canadian writing.

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PI: While studying creative writing at Concordia University in the eighties, and writing Lives of the Saints, were you at all aware of the formation of an association of Italian/Canadian writers?

NR: I was not at all familiar with the AICW during that period. In 1988, after I graduated, I became aware of Guernica Editions, because I was asked to contribute to the anthology Ricordi, edited by C. D. Minni. Then the publication was put on hold, and I left to study in Italy and lost contact for a while. The Anthology was published at about the same time as Lives of the Saints.

After that I took part in a Conference in Ottawa, and became more aware of the group.

PI: Lives of the Saints was published by a small press, Carmorant, after being rejected by many major publishers. Did you feel at any time that it finally got published in spite of its Italian/Canadian theme, or because of it?

NR: Hard to recreate the feelings of that time - I was conscious of the risk of stereotyping, but my stories had nothing to do with ethnicity. I set the book in Italy, so as to present

characters before ethnicity became an issue for them. There was an awareness permeating the first volume of the trilogy that it would be a hard sell. It occurred to me that ethnicity might be an issue. Multiculturalism was still just an obscure government policy and had not yet found a voice in the mainstream. The publishers, Jan and Garry Geddes, didn’t think in those terms. They responded to the story as readers who had a love of things Italian. Many non- Italians have a liking for Italy, but discount Italian/Canadian culture. Paradoxically the novel helped some people enter into the Italian/Canadian reality.

PI: After the book received the exposure that it did, and won Canada’s highest honor, did you ever feel a sense of duty to speak up for Italian/Canadian culture?

NR: Not specifically. It never occurred to me. It’s hard for a writer to be a spokesperson for any group. My only political involvement has been with Pen Canada, and even at that I think there’s a risk for a writer to take political positions connected to his material. One needs to be free to criticize and not pull punches. I don’t like to contaminate writing with political positions. Also I did not feel specifically part of that generation of community writers. They needed to do a specific work because there was a void. I’m grateful for the work done, but I was never asked to be, nor thought of myself as a spokesperson. I attended some Conferences which gave me some ways to think of ethnicity and understand the questions, was a paid member for a while, but played no leading role. I saw an organization such as the AICW as transitional.

PI: Do you think it has served its purpose? What role can it play to remain relevant for the second or third generation of writers of Italian origin?

NR: I think that over time the organization will prove more important for academics than for writers. Categories are useful and necessary for academics, but not always for writers.

Each new generation of “Italian/Canadian” writer will be increasingly mongrelized, probably largely in a good way, so while it will be useful for the members of these future generations to think about their Italian origins and to have forums where that part of themselves is given weight, as writers they will always need to come back to a more inclusive and more eclectic self-definition. I believe it is meaningful in academic terms, to speak broadly to issues, but not necessarily useful in promoting it’s writers.

PI: Is there a risk for this new generation of writers to identify themselves as Italian/Canadian writers?

Yes, there is a risk, just as there is a risk in identifying oneself as a Canadian writer or an Italian writer or a west coast writer or a Buddhist writer. But the risk is as much that of limiting one’s own view of oneself as it is, say, of being ghettoized by the literary establishment.

www.panoramitalia.com I think most writers don’t think of themselves as speakers for a particular group and address their work to people in general.

PI: Do you thing the theme of immigration is passé, and that by repeating this same theme writers are propagating their own stereotypes?

NR: A theme chooses you; you don’t choose a theme. The theme of immigration has larger cultural significance. It is not a limiting issue. We live in era of transplantation, so the theme is still connected to what is happening, but we need to see the bigger picture and not fall into a mentality where we think of ourselves as special because we’re immigrants.

Dossier

27

PI: You mentioned the lack of recognition of Italian/Canadian culture both

by Italians who claim to promote Italians abroad, and by mainstream Canadians who, generally, tend to discount Italian/Canadian culture.

Can we say the same about Italian/Canadian literature?

Do you believe that we should even speak of Italian/Canadian Literature?

NR: Again, I think that speaking about “Italian/Canadian” literature is mainly a job for academics. It is a useful job, and one from which many interesting insights can flow, insights that writers themselves can benefit from. But to the reading public, and I think often to writers themselves, these distinctions have limited usefulness. We can allow that some readers will come to books identified as Italian/Canadian because they have learned that those PI: Many Italian/Canadian writers complain of not receiving enough books speak to them in a very particular way, but other readers may avoid those very books recognition. Can you think of some factors why this is so? for fear they come out of a limited worldview, maybe the very one they have been trying to NR: There is a tendency within the literary machine for escape. So, yes, speaking of the body of Italian/ compartmentalization that tends to promote a few.

I believe in understanding commonality in Canadian literature can be useful, but only as one It may not be conscious on their part, but, in time, it does happen. The quality argument does not hold. The i m m i g r a n t c u l t u r e, t o t a l k o f i m m i g r a n t strategy amongst many others for trying to forge a link community itself does not take time to recognize its own c u l t u r e r a t h e r t h a n e t h n i c c u l t u r e, a n d between writer and reader. artists. When my book came out no one in the commuPI: Do you believe in an Italic culture across exploring popular conceptions of Italic nity had heard about it. Support kicks in when one the globe? culture and making connections as writers. becomes successful. There is only recognition of success, NR: I believe in understanding commonality in immibut not necessarily of work done. This is not only in the grant culture, to talk of immigrant culture rather than ethnic culture, and exploring popular Italian community but in all cultures as well. A type of tokenism takes place, and it’s not parconceptions of Italic culture and making connections as writers. ticular to one group. The same thing happens to native artists.

There is no widespread conspiracy to keep minority writers in their places. It is the PI: On first reading The Origin of Species, it seems as if Alex is guarded inevitable result of laziness. Most don’t take time to work at true understanding of issues. about his Italian identity, unlike the trilogy where the Italian heritage is They take the opinions of a few talking heads at literary parties and events. front and center.

PI: I remember that a few years ago you took a stand against RAI International and the granting of votes to Italians abroad NR: I took the stand against RAI knowing, from the inside, of Tele Latino’s problems with ethnic broadcasting. I didn’t think that RAI was really interested in our own specificity, but had a condescending view of the Diaspora. I had some experience with an international conference on Italians abroad, and felt a great condescending attitude towards us, as if left alone, we’d be emasculated of culture, as if we still need Italy to re-educate ourselves... no recognition that we have created our own culture. I believe the motive for giving votes abroad is to have another constituency in pocket. There’s also a commercial agenda... a move to make inroads commercially.

NR: I disagree with this reading. The theme of ethnicity is there from the beginning, from the character’s name. It plays out in relationships with the Salvadorian brother and sister, with reference to the Samnites, to his Norman blood. From the outset he is identified as Italian, who does not like the world of Little Italies. His ethnicity plays out true to the way it is lived, in more complex ways than a reduction to being Italian.

PI: I believe that your Italian heritage comes through in your selecting grand projects and themes.

NR: We have this great cultural background behind us. When studying in Italy, I felt paralyzed by the weight of it, but it’s there for us to draw from. v

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Life Stories & Traditions

Shining Lights: The Montreal Chapter of the

29

Leukemia & Lymphoma

Society honours two very special kids

by Laura Casella

Luca Schiavoni and Claudia Martino are in most ways like other ordinary boys and girls their age. Nine-year-old Luca loves hockey; his favourite team is the Montreal Canadiens, and he likes Saku Koivu. Eightyear-old Claudia loves to dance hip-hop, and she adores butterflies. But there is one thing that makes these two kids slightly different. They are heroes. uca and Claudia were diagnosed with a form of Leukemia/Lymphoma in the past few years. They are both now in remission and are living with a newfound hope.

Because of their incredible bravery and strength, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has chosen them to be the honoured heroes at this year’s Light the Night Campaign. It’s an evening in the fall where an entire community comes together to raise money for a very important cause.

“We chose them because their families are tight-knit, and they all understand the importance of funding blood cancer research,” says Sofia Guay, manager of the campaign.

The event itself is a spectacle. Participants carry illuminated balloons white for patients, red for supporters of the cause, and a gold balloon for a family who may have lost someone to blood cancer.

Claudia has been walking with her family for three years now. Team Butterfly Claudia raised $5000 last year alone. Luca also walked last year with his family. They formed a team called LUCA and raised close to $10 000 for

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research. Luca’s parents, Paolo and Linda Schiavoni, know firsthand what it’s like to live through the experience of having a child with leukemia.

“As you can imagine, the moment you find out your child is sick, everything changes. Life stops,” says Paolo Schiavoni.

In March 2008 Luca was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which is a form of cancer of the white blood cells. He immediately started chemotherapy and for one year underwent very intense treatments. This past March, those treatments ended along with the many long stays and visits to the hospital. Although Luca is still in treatment, it is a lot less intense. He is back at school part-time, trying to live a normal life as much as possible.

“He’s very brave,” says Luca’s mom, Linda Silvestre. “He prays a lot and has great support. His nonno goes to every single treatment of his. I don’t think he has ever missed one.”

While at their many grueling stays at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, the Schiavoni family met the Martino’s, who had gone through the same difficult time with their child not too long ago. Claudia Martino was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in October 2005 after she complained to her parents of a pain under the arm and in the neck. She began chemo right away and was also in intense treatment for two years. Claudia is now a survivor, but still goes for check-ups every three months.

“Kids are so resilient,” says her father, Luigi Martino.

“She was doing chemo every single day, and yet she always kept a smile on her face.”

Martino adds he owes a lot to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for helping he and wife, Angela, through that hard time. The mission of this organization is to fund

life-saving research to find cures against blood cancers, as well as to help improve the lives of patients and their families.

“The foundation is fantastic,” claims Martino. “You need to talk to someone, they’re there. It is because of them that I am able to see my daughter today.”

The Schiavoni family also cannot stress enough how important research is.

“Just in the last ten years, there have been so many developments in research and in the treatment for this disease,” Luca’s mom, Linda, says. “But in order to do treatment, you need money, which is why Light The Night is wonderful. Everyone can participate from babies in strollers to dogs on leashes.”

So on the night of October 3rd at Parc Jean-Drapeau, the Schiavoni family and the Martino family will reunite for this event with their little heroes, Luca and Claudia, leading the way. Both children, who are now friends, are very excited to be honoured heroes.

“Luca understands how important it is to find a cure, having gone through what no child should ever have to go through,” says Linda.

“It’s been a long road,” adds Luigi Martino. “But, thankfully, we saw the sun at the end of it.”

To donate or register for the walk, visit www.lightthenight.ca v

Life Stories & Traditions

30

www.panoramitalia.com

Julian Paul Civiero lives (or used to live) in what is left of the village of Fontecchio in the province of L’Aquila. He experienced the shock of the earthquake that severely hit the Abruzzo Region on last April 6th. This piece captures in a few words what happened during and after those horrendous 30 seconds of intense tremors that seemed to last forever.

1, 2, 3,

our world starts shaking. We leap out of bed yelling: “Let’s go! Now! Come on!”

Street of Fontecchio, April 8th 2009 two days after the tragedy - And like us, all the other neighbours who are doing the same, run for their lives, rush to save their children... - In the panic, a boy decides to save his grandmother. He will die with her, their arms tied around each other.

19, 20, 21, I see the brown and white coffins, 295 dead. I see the empty coffins lying 4, 5, 6, the deafening noise, the walls lurch, the lights go out, the taste of dust in my in the field by Onna, unclaimed. As if the earthquake didn’t claim enough lives. mouth. The terror.

22, 23, 24, I think about the blue tents, the queues for dinner in the evening chill. I 7, 8, 9, running downstairs, the almighty crash think about the Protezione civile and all the other volunupstairs, the noise of rubble hitting things, glass breakteers who came to help us, to feed us, to shelter us. But then Running downstairs, the almighty crash ing, not knowing if we’re going to make it out of the I think about those people without scruples disguised as house alive. upstairs, the noise of rubble hitting things, rescuers, who enter into our homes to steal the few things 10, 11, the churches of L’Aquila crash to the glass breaking, not knowing if we’re going that are left. The two sides of humanity come together in ground, the tower of Santo Stefano is reduced to rubble, moments of tragedy. to make it out of the house alive. the streets of Onna, Villa Sant’Angelo vanished.

25, 26, 27, I see a car, squashed by a concrete 12, 13, I think of my wife holding, restraining a beam, a back-less guitar, dolls, a crater where a street used to stand, the collapsed bridge at panic-stricken neighbour as she wailed at the news of what had happened in L’Aquila, Fossa, a bed in a room left without walls. screaming her grandchildren’s names.

28, 29, it’s still going on, lights come back, we’re at the back door. Clouds of dust.

14, 15, the student hostel crumbles crushing the lives within. I see people wandering We’re running into the garden. in their pyjamas, people wrapped in blankets, crying, covered in dust. I see shoes scattered, 30, stillness. Our lives will never be the same! unclaimed. I see parents waiting for the diggers to relieve their monstrous pain.

Julian Paul Civiero 16, 17, 18, I think of Luisella wearing a hard-hat, rescuing a few belongings from her Photographer Julian Paul Civiero studied at the Roberto Rossellini School of Cinema in Rome and then home in L’Aquila, the lost look in her eyes, wandering aimlessly around her home town, now moved to London in 1999 to study photography at Westminster College where he headed the final year a ghost town. I think of my friends, Jaynie and Leonardo, how lucky they are to be alive. Their show. He has taken part in several group shows and is currently working towards his first solo show in bedroom floor collapsed into their kitchen, the ceiling then followed trapping them.

London in June 2009. www.julianciviero.com v

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In the heart of the tremor

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Life Stories & Traditions

A Nightmare Come True: Shacking through the night

31 Photograph © Stephanie Gengotti

by Jessica Civiero

We were awake when the earthquake struck. My husband woke first because I was having a nightmare. I was talking in my sleep.

In my dream I was shaking a box really hard and I was chanting.

My husband was quite freaked out by it and woke me up. e were just dozing off again when it started. The house began lurching about in a strangely insubstantial and elastic way, with the most incredibly loud rumbling, like thunder, coming from all around us. We leapt out of bed and I put the lights on, immediately they went out. On autopilot we shot downstairs yelling at the dogs to come. We were deafened by the noise, which just went on and on. We could taste dust in our mouths. As we went downstairs in the pitch blackness there was a series of almighty crashes from above and the sound of breaking glass, we thought the whole house was coming down on top of us. All I remember is my determination to get us all out. No panic. Just cold, hard determination. We got to the back door and I was fumbling with the security bars when the lights came on again. We shot out into the garden followed by a cloud of dust and two terrified dogs, my husband yelling, “But I’m naked!” Me yelling back, “So what?!”

Almost as soon as we were safely in the garden it went eerily quiet. All I heard was the distant sound of a car alarm going off somewhere nearby. We stood staring up at the house, but we were freezing. We decided to risk going in to get clothes. My husband ran up to the top of the house and saw that the beautiful vaulted ceiling in our summer bedroom had partly collapsed. We were supposed to be sleeping in there. I’d taken the linen upstairs, but not made the bed, so we were still downstairs. Luckily. We grabbed clothes, laptop and passports and went out into the piazza. People started appearing, some hysterical, many leaping into their cars to drive to L’Aquila to find relatives.

We all stood well away from the buildings, shocked but happy to be alive, strangely elated.

Since then the reality has struck. We have no home. Our nearest town, L’Aquila, has been decimated. Our life has just been swept away. It’s a tragedy for Abruzzo, already a relatively poor region. Tourists were just beginning to come. How many years will it be until they come again? v

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Onna distruzione totale, epicentro del sisma

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Life Stories & Traditions

www.panoramitalia.com Erika Papagni

Photograph © Stephanie Gengotti

La notte del terremoto: Sul luogo del dolore

Paganica epicentro del sisma

Testimonianza di R. F. nata a Roma nel 1966. Lavora come impiegata presso una società di servizi pubblici e vive a L’Aquila dal 1999. I suoi genitori sono abruzzesi. tornata a L’Aquila da Roma il 5 aprile intorno alle 20:30. La giornata era abbastanza mite per essere una serata aquilana dei primi di aprile. La prima scossa c’è stata intorno alle 23. Di poco inferiore al quarto grado di magnitudo. Il tremore si era nuovamente sentito nelle case, e già da tre mesi vivevano in uno stato di tensione. La scossa più forte era stata il lunedì 30 marzo intorno alle 16, 4.0 della scala Richter e la città si era mobilitata totalmente: i ragazzi fuori dalle scuole, gli impiegati fuori dagli uffici e gli abitanti fuori dalle abitazioni.

Intorno a mezzanotte è andata a dormire, tentava di dormire. Prima dell’una ha percepito un’altra scossa. In quell’istante ha deciso di uscire di casa e di andare a dormire nella macchina nel piazzale antistante il suo condominio. Quando è uscita dalla sua abitazione le persone che si occupano del condominio avevano lasciato tutto aperto: i due cancelli e l’entrata ai box, sintomo dello stato dall’allarme, della preoccupazione generale.

Recandosi nel garage pensava a quando parlando con la sua vicina di casa il venerdì precedente le raccontava che nonostante avesse la certezza di vivere in un condominio costruito con criteri antisismici, aveva una borsa pronta all’entrata di casa con una tuta per ogni componente della famiglia. Era in contatto telefonico con una sua amica, che vive in un altro quartiere di L’Aquila. Che intorno alle 2:30 della mattina la voleva convincere a rientrare, lei era in casa con i suoi genitori. Ma non si è lasciata convincere e ha dormito in macchina, «per stare più tranquilla». Alle 3:32 ha percepito la scossa di terremoto. La macchina sobbalzava sul terreno. L’illuminazione pubblica del piazzale si è spenta per un istante ed ha sentito le grida di alcune persone che con grande furia sono uscite dalle abitazioni e anche il rumore delle macchine dai garage. Avvertiva una forte arsura, aveva tanto freddo, nonostante non avesse subito il trauma dentro un immobile. Nei pressi di casa sua non si erano verificati crolli ne lesioni evidenti. Vedendo il piazzale riempirsi di auto ha deciso di spostarsi in un altro luogo più largo. Nei pressi del parcheggio del centro commerciale Meridiana. Dove è stata raggiunta dalla sua amica con la rispettiva famiglia. Solo quando è giunta nei pressi della rotonda di Santa Barbara si è resa conto che quella scossa aveva creato gravi danni in città perché molte case presentavano delle mura completamente crollate: i soggiorni ed i bagni erano a vista. Hanno trascorso le ore che mancavano all’alba in un prato insieme ad altre famiglie. La terra ha tremato tante altre volte dopo la scossa più forte.

Sono tornati in città nelle prime ore del mattino. La prima giubba gialla con scritto Protezione Civile Rieti l’ha notata in quell’istante.

Essere vivi e non feriti conviveva con la confusione e la preoccupazione sul futuro.

Un senso di grande instabilità anche per i bisogni primari, quali usufruire di un bagno.

Nelle prime ore del mattino, dopo il terremoto, ha appreso che l’autostrada era stata chiusa. Però aveva la via Salaria percorribile. Chi poteva aveva lasciato anche i paesi limitrofi sicuramente meno colpiti dal sisma.

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Tendepoli L’Aquila, anziana che ha perso tutto

Hanno percorso qualche strada il cui accesso era libero, molte strade del centro erano già state chiuse, da subito. Intorno a mezzogiorno ha provato a rientrare in casa (via Giovanni di Vincenzo). Voleva rendersi conto di ciò che era successo e chiudere l’erogazione di energia elettrica. È rientrata anche se alcuni inquilini dello stesso stabile le avevano consigliato di aspettare perché c’era stata un’altra scossa di assestamento da pochi minuti. Ha percorso la rampa di scale che porta al terzo piano, ha aperto il portoncino blindato che aprendosi evidenziava lo scricchiolio dei vetri sotto di esso. Alcuni vasi erano rotti. Alcuni sportelli dei mobili del soggiorno si erano aperti con la caduta di alcuni bicchieri. Anche nell’angolo cottura le bottiglie d’acqua erano cadute aprendo lo sportello del mobile in cucina. Il frigorifero era aperto. Nello studio i libri della libreria erano tutti caduti ed aveva difficoltà ad aprire la porta. Una volta entrata ha preso lo stretto indispensabile ed è partita per Roma. Aveva avuto notizie telefoniche di amici e ha assistito a scene di pianto: alcune soltanto per il dolore provocato dalla devastazione della città. Alcuni aquilani disperati per la perdita di ricordi e della serenità di un luogo insostituibile. Ha saputo che è morta una ragazza che lavorava in un bar-ristorante vicino casa. Ma nessuno tra i suoi amici.

Attualmente la città tenta di ristabilire nel grande caos una semi-normalità. Tutti i suoi colleghi sono stati collocati in residence ed alberghi ubicati sulla costa abruzzese-adriatica, lei ha iniziato a lavorare presso gli uffici di Roma in quanto lo stabile non è ancora stato reso agibile.

Il martedì successivo, il 7 aprile, in serata ha percepito la scossa superiore al quinto grado di magnitudo stando seduta sul divano dell’abitazione dei suoi a Roma. A parte i sogni ricorrenti di macerie durante la prima settimana dopo quel lunedì mattina, spesso anche durante il giorno rumori forti la fanno tornare, anche a 150km di distanza dall’epicentro del sisma, sul luogo del dolore. Forse perché le scosse sono andate avanti per mesi... e andranno avanti ancora. v

Life Stories & Traditions

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Sending Out an

SOS

Abruzzo Fundraising concert at Leonardo da Vinci By: Sabrina Marandola

Montreal’s Italian community has almost reached its goal to raise one million dollars for the earthquake victims in Abruzzo, Italy. ince the 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the city of L’Aquila in April, Montrealers have rallied together to lend support.

Fundraisers were held, benefit concerts and dinners were quickly organized, and even special masses at Churches around the city were celebrated to honour those who died or who were left homeless because of the tragic tremor. So far, $700,000 has been raised for SOS Abruzzo.

“It’s very impressive to see major organizations coming together,” says Tony Sciascia, the president of the Quebec region for the National Congress of Italian/Canadians. “Everyone has been involved, from the Camera di Commercio Italiana, to the Italian associations, to private businesses. People from all generations are getting involved. It shows there’s a unity in the community.”

Sciascia says a benefit concert held at the end of April particularly touched his heart. Italian artists, as well as renowned singers on the Quebec scene took to the stage at the Leonardo Da Vinci Centre in St. Leonard. Ticket-holders were in for a treat. The show featured singers such as Ginette Reno, Natalie Choquette, Dino Tavarone, Vincenzo Thoma and Marco Cailliari, to name a few.

Sciascia says people felt so inclined to help out, artists who weren’t even initially invited phoned up to ask how they lend a hand. “Everybody in that show performed for free. [Singer-songwriter] Claude Dubois called on his own and said, ‘I want to sing for the Italian community,’” Sciascia recounts. “It was unbelievable to see how much support we got from the French-Canadian community.

Besides that, Sciascia says the show was unbelievable. “We will never see anything like it ever again - all of those artists coming together to perform in one show. It was absolutely fantastic.”

The singers performed for two nights to a packed theatre. That benefit concert alone raised $50,000 for Abruzzo’s earthquake victims.

The earthquake struck on April 6 in L’Aquila. Historic buildings - some dating back to the 12th century - crumbled to the ground, and homes were destroyed or damaged. Almost 300 people died, more than 1,500 were injured, and about 30,000 people remain homeless. “People cannot live for years in a tent. They will need accommodations,” Sciascia says, adding this is why community leaders set the fundraising goal in the six-figure digit range. “One million dollars will not be enough to do that, but it’s a gesture.”

The money raised is going entirely to the Canadian Red Cross, which will then hand all of it over to the Italian Red Cross. “We will negotiate with the Italian Red Cross how we would like the money to be used. We are not just handing them a blank cheque,” Sciascia says. “We want middle and long-term investments, such as accommodations, until people’s homes are rebuilt.”

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To make a donation, you can write a cheque to SOS Abruzzo, and send it to: Fondazione Comunitaria Italo-Canadese 8370 Blvd. Lacordaire, Montreal, Quebec H1R 2Y6 (You will get a tax receipt for any donation over $20 if you include your name and mailing address.) v

Vivere il dolore...con serenità

Oltre ad essere multifunzionale Il Centro funerario Côte-des-Neiges é un luogo di ascolto, di aiuto e di sostegno pieno di calore umano.

CÔTE-DES-NEIGES Servizi funebri completi • Vasto parcheggio interno

32 saloni a Montreal

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Per ulteriori informazioni Teresa Di Palma Melchior Vice direttrice

514 342-8000 w w w. d i g n i t e q u e b e c . c o m

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Geraldo Pace

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vino - vin - wine

Canadian Wine rises to the top at Vinitaly 2009 Inniskillin winery wins the “Premio Speciale” for its premium ice wines

By Gabriel Riel-Salvatore

The 17th Annual International Wine Competition Vinitaly rewarded Inniskillin Wines with its top award highlighting its international reputation as a quality producer, shifting the wine world’s attention to the Niagara peninsula. eld in Verona, Vinitaly is one of the largest and most prestigious annual wine competitions. Bruce Nicholson, director of Inniskillin winemaking and Donald Ziraldo, Inniskillin co-founder where thrilled to see their efforts recognized by the global wine elite. “This is a huge win, on par with when Inniskillin’s Vidal Icewine won a Grand Prix d’Honneur at Vinexpo in Bordeaux in 1991,” says Ziraldo. “This award is receiving lots of attention in Europe, which really helps put Niagara and the Canadian wine industry on the world map,” Nicholson comments adding, “My pride grows when I see how few of the wines receive medals. It reinforces my belief in the quality of wines we are able to consistently produce in Niagara.”

To qualify for the “The Premio Speciale Gran Vinitaly 2009” award the winery must have received the highest score based upon two gold medals obtained in two different categories. The two categories were Sparkling Wines and Sweet Wines, and the

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Drinking and Driving!

gold-winning wines are the Inniskillin 2006 Sparkling Vidal Icewine and the Inniskillin 2006 Vidal Gold Oak Aged Icewine.

The win of “The Premio Speciale Gran Vinitaly 2009” places Inniskillin among past winners including Banfi of Italy, Divino Nordheim of Germany, and Wyndham Estate of Australia. Inniskillin Icewine is harvested at the pinnacle of Canada’s crisp winter; the grapes are left to freeze on the vine and picked when the temperature drops to -10°C. The finished wine is intense, sweet and luscious, yet balanced with brilliant acidity, creating a unique sensation on the palate. Renowned for fruit flavours that range from mango and peach to lychee, Icewine is truly a natural wonder, representing extreme winemaking at its best.

Inniskillin Wines, established in 1975 by co-founders Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser, is Canada’s premier estate winery producing truly distinctive and elegant wines from premium grape varieties grown in Canada. v

Wine selection from Jarno Trulli’s Podere Castorani wineries utside of his professional race car driver career Jarno Trulli enjoys being a professional gentlemen farmer, combining his passion for speed with a genuine love for graceful Italian countryside living. Trulli is the co-owner of the Podere Castorani winery whose vineyards can be found in some of Italy’s best wine regions including his home region of Abruzzo. Panoram Italia recently met with him for a tasting of some of his most interesting blends.

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Review by Gabriel Riel-Salvatore

Coste delle Plaie, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 2006

Jarno Bianco, Colline Pescaresi i.g.t. 2006

Follìa, Barbera d'Alba 2007

(20,15$ / SAQ: 10788946) Fresh and minty with nice honey flavours, it is rich and vibrant at the same time. ** 85

(49,75 $ / SAQ: 11030951) Nice oaky smell with an almost “apassito” aspect recalling rock candy and ripe white figs with a slightly mineral finish. *** 91

(15,85$ / SAQ: 10966811) Discrete, slightly smoky nose with red fruit flavours recalling raspberries lingering on vibrant rhubarb nuances. **84

Amorino, Colline Pescaresi i.g.t. 2007 (25,05$ / SAQ: 10859249) Notes of vanilla and butter gracefully embrace fruity and mineral undertones. ** 86

Jarno Rosso, Colline Pescaresi i.g.t. 2004 (70,50$ / SAQ: 10463025) Complex plum, bitter cacao, semi-sweet fig paste, leather, clay and vegetal undertones combine elegantly in this amarone style wine that leaves no one indifferent. **89

Legend: * Barely decent (70-74) to average (75-79)

Follìa, Barolo 2004 (32,25$ / SAQ: 10966845) Sapid and lively raspberry flavours mix with more complex underbrush and spice. It carries slightly dry tannins and a rather monolithic structure, but is nonetheless nice for the price. **84 v

** good (80-84) to very good (85-89) *** Excellent (90-94) to sublime (95-100)

2227 Bélanger est • Montréal • Québec H2G 1C5 T.514.374.5653 • www.gastronomiaroberto.com

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ricette - recettes - recepies

Pesto: cooking with imagination!

By Gabriel Riel-Salvatore

An Italian garden is practically naked without basil “the miracle plant”! The sweet, fragrant fine herb is well known to European epicureans who use it for flavouring soups, meats and sauces, making it one of the essential building blocks of Italian cuisine. erived from the Greek word basilikon meaning king, basil, the star ingredient of pesto, is closely associated with Genoa. Pesto alla Dcitygenovese also called battuto alla genovese is probably Liguria’s most famous culinary specialty. Since the mid-fifteenth century, the of Colombus stands as the ultimate reference for the verdant green sauce made with mashed fresh basil leaves, olive oil, pine nuts (and/or walnuts) and pecorino cheese.

There are many different ways to prepare original pesto. Purists advocate that true genovese pesto should not include pine nuts, while it is commonly accepted that the metallic blades of the food processor can alter the taste of basil. On the other hand, the use of the blender quickly helps reach a homogenous paste that would otherwise require much more time to obtain with a regular mortar and pestle.

No matter what experts say, the key to understanding pesto is the freshness and the quality of the primary ingredients. Therefore, the flavour of the pesto depends on the excellence of the olive oil and the basil leafs used in the preparation. It is recommended to use strictly prime extra virgin olive oil, as cheap oil can ruin the taste of your pesto, just as much as those flavourless green house grown plants. Genoans even believe that the taste of the stronger variety of basil found in southern Italy is not really appropriate for pesto because of its minty aftertaste. It is the small leafed, smooth-skinned basil (“basilico genovese”) that really is what’s best for a prefect pesto. Gardens and markets are chockfull of fresh basil this time of year, so pesto pasta makes a terrific late summer supper. It’s an easy dish to prepare on top of being full of seasonal flavour.

Pesto literally means ‘Pounded’ and relates to any food or condiments made by mashing and grinding spices with mortar and pestle and combining them with oil. With the help of your imagination there are so many possibilities of how to make pesto. Pine nuts can easily be replaced by pistachios, cashew, Brazilian nuts, walnuts or almonds, while arugula, spinach and chard can substitute for basil. I have selected a few easy pesto recipes for you to try at home.

Preparation Wash the basil leaves and dry with a clean cloth. Leaf the basil then pestle in the mortar a clove of garlic for every 30 leafs of basil. Add a pinch of salt and start pounding these ingredients with a circular motion of the pestle. Carry on until you achieve a soft green paste. It is now time to add the pine nuts, which will smooth out and help amalgamate the paste.Then incorporate the cheese and gradually drip in the oil.

Pesto alla Genovese For 600 g of pasta Preparation time: 20 minutes Ingredients • 4 small bunches of fresh basil • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 3 tbs. Parmigiano and 3 tbs. Pecorino • 2 garlic cloves, peeled • 1 table spoon of pine nuts • Toasted walnut kernels (facultative) • a pinch of cooking salt

To make authentic genovese pesto you need a marble mortal with a wooden pestle, a lot of application and patience.

Recommended Tips Remember that the essential oils of basil are preserved in the leaf veins and that in order to derive the best taste, it is important not to over-pounder but to rotate gently the pestle in such a way that it strips rather than cuts the fragrant leafs.

The preparation should occur at room temperature and end as soon as possible to prevent oxidation problems. It is recommended to consume it right away as it might loose some of its flavour if left in the fridge. Putting the rest of the pesto in the freezer, filling the wholes of an ice tray, is also a good way to keep it fresh.

The blender is always a good option to win some time, but the best solutions still remains the good old fashion way!

Serving tips The preferred pasta with pesto is trenette. Boil the water with the addition of a finely sliced potato. Cook pasta in the usual manner, drain, reserve a small amount of the water. Before dressing the pasta add a little bit of the water to the bowl with pesto and gently stir in order to obtain a fluid creamy sauce.

Pesto may also be used for minestrone genovese.

Authenticity does not need a name Come dine on our piazza Open daily Mon. to Fri. 9700 St. Michel Montreal, Qc H1H 5G7 tel.: (514) 315 8892 Evenings reservations requested

Andrew Fratino tel.: (514) 994 7072 Corporate and Residential catering

Pinot grigio Trentino 2008 Mezzacorona (Trentino-Alto Adige) 15,30 $ SAQ: 00302380 Soft, rounded floral bouquet expressing lovely peach and apricot aromas ending on a gentle mineral touch.

A refreshing white with a crispy acidity and nice lively texture. ** (83)

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ricette - recettes - recepies Pasta col pesto trapanese (or Pesto Ericino) Pesto alla genovese is not a specialty exclusive to Liguria, as the Sicilian trapanese pesto demonstrates. It however differs for it does not use cheese and includes fresh tomatoes. This version of pesto comes from the Sicilian town of Erice, near Trapani, and is common in most of Western Sicily.

Ingredients • 1 bunch of basil • 100 g of roasted almonds • 6 cloves garlic • 6 tomatoes S. Marzano • Extra-virgin olive oil Val di Mazara DOP • salt • pepper

Pesto di Rucola Ingredients (for 4 people) • 2 bunches of Arugula 2 cloves of garlic • 4 tbs of grated grana padano cheese • 2 tbs of pine nuts • 6 tbs of olive oil • 3 kernels of hazelnuts • 1 tbs of cooking salt Preparation Wash the arugula leaves and dry with a clean cloth. Leaf the arugula and pestle in the mortar a clove of garlic for every 30 leafs of basil or put into the food processor at maximum speed for about 2 minutes, then ad the grana cheese and blend for one more minute. Incorporate the oil dripping it in the blender’s top whole. Mix until the oil amalgamates well to all the ingredients.

Alternative recipe Use almonds instead of pine nuts and incorporate minced sundried tomatoes with a handful of ricotta romana. You could even ad some salted cappers in there -to taste.

Primitivo I Monili Pervini 2006 Racemi (Puglia) Tarantino i.g.t 11,25 $ SAQ: 00577684 Well concentrated bouquet expressing cooked fruits, cherry and prune jam with slightly balsamic, vanilla and pepper undertones. Rather rich for a wine of this category, it is soft and tasty with a good spicy finish. A bit dry and rustic it is nonetheless very good. ** (84)

Preparation In a mortar, pound the garlic with the basil and a pinch of salt until you get a creamy texture. Rotate gently the pestle along the sides, crushing rather than hammering, gradually dripping in the oil.

Pestle separately the almonds and incorporate to the pesto. Blend the tomatoes into the sauce adding oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce rest until the pasta is cooked.

Serving tips Pesto trapanese is used to dress different types of pasta, especially fresh hand-made pasta like orecchiette o cavatelli, as well as rigatoni and conchiglie.

Nero d’Avola / Syrah 2007 Settesoli (Sicilia) Sicilia i.g.t.

SAQ: 10544731 Purplish limpid wine recalling sweet strawberry stewed fruits with a touch of liquorice and floral aromas.

Fluid, soft and fruity simple quenching mouth. A tasteful wine, with a slightly grainy peach pit ending ** (81)

Fiddlehead Pesto with Almonds Ingredients • 1/3 cup of pine nuts or almonds • 1 pack of fiddleheads, plus more for serving • 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest • 3 tbsp lemon juice • 3 garlic cloves • 1/2 tsp salt • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese • 3 tbsp pine nuts Preparation Boil fiddleheads twice and saute in a pan with lemon juice.

Then pulse fiddleheads in a food processor until finely ground. Add lemon zest, garlic, basil, salt and Parmesan cheese; process until finely chopped. Then add the almonds.

With machine running, gradually add oil and process until smooth. Set pesto aside.

Inama Soave Classico 2007

Pesto di pomodori secchi Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Ingredients • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes • 1/2 cup pine nuts • 1/2 cup grated Grana Padano Parmesan cheese • 1 small bunch parsley • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Inama (Veneto) 20,25 $ SAQ: 00908004 Incredible nutty, rounded nose with good fruit and lovely mineral complexity. The palate is bold with lovely ripe fruit and fresh acidity with a herbaceous finish.

A really rich,delicious soave. ** (87)

Preparation Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Puree everything together in a food processor until smooth.

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viaggio - voyage - travel

La Carrese : la passion de la tradition !

Par Gabriel Riel-Salvatore

Chaque année à la fin du mois d’avril et au début du mois de mai, les villages d e U r u r i , S a n M a r t i n o i n Pe n s i l i s, Portocannone et Chieuti célèbrent leur Saint Patron Protecteur de manière fort originale en organisant la Carrese, l’une des plus célèbres et plus authentiques traditions du Molise. a carrese, aussi appelée «carriera» ou «corsa dei carri,» consiste à parcourir un tracé tortueux de près de 9 km composé de routes de campagne en partie asphaltée avec un char tiré par une paire de bœufs spécialement entraînés.

Dans une course effrénée, tels des purs sangs, ces bêtes accompagnées par une équipe de cavaliers, galopent à toute allure vers la ligne d’arrivée, atteignant une vitesse de pointe de 40 à 45 km à l’heure. Le parcours prend naissance dans la campagne environnante pour se terminer en plein centre ville, dans la piazza centrale du village, semant une explosion de joie chez les supporters de la faction victorieuse. Ainsi, l’équipe qui traverse la première la porte de la

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cité remporte la course, souvent dans une ambiance de chaos, de délire, de pleurs, de rires et d’accolades. Lors des célébrations qui s’ensuivent, seuls les vainqueurs ont le droit de porter l’effigie du Saint Patron à bord de leur char pendant la sainte procession. Le village se plonge alors dans une ambiance de fête et de réconciliation.

Tous ceux qui assistent pour la première fois à la carrese gardent un souvenir inoubliable de cette fête remplie d’émotions. Les décorations qui endimanchent les chars et habillent les villages pour l’occasion appuient ce sentiment d’euphorie qui habitent les villageois et qui envahit les visiteurs en les poussant à choisir leur camp. C’est ainsi que, depuis des siècles, on honore les reliques du Santo Legno della Croce le 2 mai à Ururi, le 3 mai celle de San Leo à San Martino in Pensilis, le dimanche de la pentecôte de la Madonna di Costantinopoli à Portocannone et le 22 avril celle de San Giorgio à Chieuti. C’est la bénédiction des chars lors de la messe sainte qui sonne le début des festivités qui s’échelonnent sur trois jours. Lors de la procession à laquelle participent tous les gens du village, les chars drapés de fleurs, de feuilles de laurier, de rameaux d’oliviers et de banderoles de couleurs sillonnent les rues du village ravivant la ferveur des équipes et les espoirs de victoire. Les soirées de fêtes sont animées par des spectacles de musiques et culminent par un feu d’artifices.

De deux à quatre équipes (mais parfois plus) s’affrontent chaque année. Chacun des camps possède ses couleurs

traditionnelles que les supporters arborent fièrement lors du jour «j» en signe d’appui à leur équipe. À Ururi par exemple les Giovani et les Giovanotti, les deux rivaux ancestraux, portent respectivement des habits bleu et blanc et rouge et jaune. Chaque équipe est composée d’une vingtaine de cavaliers et de deux jockeys pour la plupart originaires du village. Afin d’éviter toute tricherie, les équipes sont régies par des normes et des règles enchâssées dans la constitution municipale et que les équipiers s’engagent à respecter scrupuleusement. Ces groupes qui sont en fait de véritables clans, bénéficient de l’appui de leur famille et de leurs amis.

Inébranlables, ces allégeances sont pour la vie, ce qui, à l’instar des rivalités entre les contrade (quartiers) à Sienne, crée parfois de profondes divisions au sein des villages. Pour prévenir les fuites et se mettre à l’abri des mouchards et conserver secrètes les stratégies de chaque équipe, les villageois de chaque clan comptent leurs propres bars et leurs propres lieux de rencontre.

La course requiert une minutieuse préparation qui s’échelonne sur l’année. Les bœufs de race Podolica sont attentivement sélectionnés selon leur attributs physiques et leur aptitude à la course et sont traités tels de vrais athlètes.

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F o o dÉ & dT i t ro ra vi ea l

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viaggio - voyage - travel Les étables où sont logés les animaux de course constituent de vrais petits temples où chacun des membres de l’équipe effectue sa corvée quotidienne afin de veiller à la propreté et à l’entretien des lieux. Car, l’organisation de la Carrese fait figure de religion dans ce coin du Molise constituée en partie d’anciens villages albanais où l’on emploie d’ailleurs encore l’arberësh (ancien albanais) comme dialecte local. La dévotion que portent les habitants à leurs bêtes relève de l’idolâtrie. Traitées aux petits oignons, les bœufs entraînés pour la Carrese n’ont rien à envier à leur cousin de Kobe. Les membres de chaque faction avec l’appui de leurs «tifosi» s’engagent à honorer l’importante charge financière associée à l’entretien des bêtes. Les coûts pour maintenir en forme une paire de taureaux peuvent facilement s’élever à 20 000 euros par année. Il en va de même pour les chevaux, ce qui explique pourquoi c’était généralement les familles nobles qui par le passé avaient seules les moyens de se payer une écurie et de s’enorgueillir des faveurs du saint.

Si vous comptez vous attarder dans le Molise pendant l’été, les villages de Ururi et de San Martino in Pensilis organisent aussi des Carrese les 9 et 13 août. Bien qu’essentiellement organisées pour les touristes, elles demeurent tout de même fort originales. Je vous suggère aussi d’organiser une visite dans une des écuries locales. Vous y sentirez toute la passion qui anime les cavaliers et l’amour qu’ils vouent à leurs bêtes. Pour ce faire, il est toutefois préférable d’avoir un contact.

Certains organisent même des randonnées à cheval dans les anciens sentiers de la transhumance, le «tratturo» local, qui sillonnent la campagne vallonneuse du basso Molise ou vous convient à des dégustations champêtres à la découverte de produits typiques tels que le vin de raisins Tintilia, l’huile d’olive à base de Gentile di Larino ou de Perenzane, de succulents sotto oli, ou encore la fameuse pampanella (prochetta piquante) et les torcinelli (saucisse de boyaux d’agneau) grillés sur charbon de bois.

Pour visiter l’écurie des Giovani du village de Ururi ou pour organiser une dégustation de 5 à 20 personnes: Contacter Nicola Glave (Il Girone del Gusto) : + 39 328 6741052 Stalla dei Giovani - Strada Ente Riforma - Contrada Santa Venere - Ururi (CB) Il Girone del Gusto - Via Nino Bixio 3 - 86049 Ururi (Campobasso) 0874 831111 v

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parole di saggezza - mots de sagesse - words of wisdom

Our People, Their Words: Claudia Profession: Actress, dreamer, truth-seeker.

Born: July 31st, year unknown

Ferri

by Joey Franco I’ve learned that life gives you what you want, and if you don’t have what you want in front of you, it’s an incentive to find ways to get it.

Nobody is born a star. Stars are created trough work and passion... good marketing helps too.

People look at me and they rarely guess my age. When I tell them I have three daughters, and one is an adult, they can’t believe it. I tell them that I made a deal with God when he was drunk.

Italians are profound lovers, they love life, they love food, and they love family.

Cinema, for me, is a vehicle to experience the human soul. Without cinema, I’d be Claudia the neighbour, the mother, but now I can be so many more things. I can be a murderer, I can be a saint, I can be a loser, or a great achiever.

If you have a dream, and you focus on it, and you dare to dream it, and you follow that path, it is possible. You just have to believe in it - if you don’t it stops there.

You need to use your creativity. You need to be creative, because if you’re not, you’re just going to take what’s in front of your plate, the cards that you’ve been dealt, and you’re going to take that for granted. OK, that’s my life.

I disagree with that profoundly.

I’ve consistently gotten what I wanted, provided I focused on it.

Men are delightful creatures. I’m really glad they’re around. Men are also sensual beings. It is of disservice to them when they undermine it. When they overplay it, it’s unattractive. It seems to me that a man who is comfortable with his own sensuality shows intelligence, and that is always appealing, whether in friendship or in love.

The spoken word is like a direction, it’s like an arrow, it’s an arrow that indicates the direction that your life’s gonna take.

I look at life like a trek in the mountains; when things are rough, it’s like going uphill, but when you’re going uphill, you’re still going ahead. I don’t stop because the hill is too steep. OK, show me the hill. I’ll climb it one step at a time.

Ambition is good, it’s a fuel... and it’s totally green!

My aunt Tina would look at me, pointing her finger at me very sternly, and she would say; remember that you are somebody!

Hell on earth is not fear; it’s giving in to fear.

And heaven on earth is seeing the manifestation of your dreams come true, as little as they may be.

Every experience has given me muscle and strength. It’s made me who I am day by day. What I’ve learned is that in hardship you build muscle. I’ve learned that you can also build character trough blessings, trough joy, trough happiness.

Dedication is a sure road map for success, whether it’s to get a watch, whether it’s to get a career, whether it’s to get a suitable partner.

Faith is where you should go instead of going to fear. Instead of saying; oh I’m afraid that my kid is going to grow up messed up, why not have faith that she’s going to be this beautiful girl, that she would have learned experiences trough life. Faith is the key.

Normality is something that is in another galaxy for me. It’s suffocating... because we are all unique, and then all of a sudden you’re asked to be normal. That means like everyone else, that means remove the “uniqueness”.

Normality is an idiosyncrasy. It’s a security blanket which prevents you from going to see who you really are. Normal scares me!

I don’t think anyone really knows they’re being courageous when they are. I think when you’re courageous -it’s specifically at the moment where you’re most scared, but keep moving forward.

I don’t regret anything. I don’t, because I invest myself one hundred percent in everything.

Fear is an obstacle which gives you the opportunity to test yourself. Fear is always there, it’s up to you to decide; OK, I’m not interested, come back another day!

My father had a piece of heaven on earth in his genes, and he must have passed it on to me... which is why I have a propensity to find joy in the smallest things.

I think acting is about truth, not about lying.

When people say; oh, you’re an actor, you’re a liar, there’s a little sad face in the bottom of my stomach, because that’s not what it’s about. Acting is about truth. A good actor will convey truth. v

Authenticity does not need a name Come dine on our piazza Open daily Mon. to Fri. 9700 St. Michel Montreal, Qc H1H 5G7 tel.: (514) 315 8892 Evenings reservations requested

Andrew Fratino tel.: (514) 994 7072 Corporate and Residential catering

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Steve Vecera (aka DJ Stevie V) Spinning it old school !

Nowadays, there are two types of deejays. The first type are the avant-garde dj’s who try to educate their audience by exposing them to new types of tunes and rhythms. Then there are the dj’s that just want to make you dance; dance until it hurts to move-until every muscle aches. Steve Vecera definitely belongs to the second group. “

’m about the love of club music, the love of that feeling I get when I play that hot track and everyone goes crazy and the love of making people party and dance non stop... no matter what it takes!”

Stevie was about 13-years-old when he got his first taste at disc jockeying. It was his brother Theo’s 18th birthday, and it was the early ‘90s, a rhythmic Mecca for music lovers.

Equipped with two separate boom boxes and dozens of cassettes, Stevie executed his first gig like a true pro, playing one track on one stereo system and starting the following track on his second boom box. Stevie vaguely remembers that night, but he knew it was a night that would serve as a springboard for what was to come. “It was fun, I just liked music at that time, I didn’t think that I wanted to be a DJ, I didn’t think that I could make a living out of it until I was 16 or 17. That’s when I realized this is for me, this is what I want to do.”

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DJ Stevie was voted best DJ in Montreal’s Mirror Best of 2009.

by; Joey Franco

Vecera remembers his first days as a professional dj, admitting things were a lot different about a decade ago, even a lot harder. “There was no downloading websites to get your stuff, you basically had to get cd’s or records from the Dj Shops or record stores and you had to go there once or twice a week or else you’d be behind in your music.”

There was a lot of work involved with the trade back in the day, recalls Stevie. The spin masters had to go to dj shops where they would be able to listen to each individual record and choose which ones they wanted. It was a great way to network and meet other dj’s and producers since the internet was practically inexistent at the time. “Besides the record stores, if you wanted to know what was going to be hot soon, you had to listen to the club mixes on the radio or basically go to the clubs and listen to the chorus, remember it and go to the dj shop and really sing it to the guy and pray he’d know what you were talking about!”

Slowly but surely, Stevie was beginning to get noticed and quickly became a household name amongst young partygoers in and around Montreal. Stevie credits his market savvy for his success, claiming that sometimes talent alone will not get you the success that proper exposure can bring, especially in a competitive industry such as music. And for a guy that entered the industry at a time where websites and facebook did not exist, promoting took on a whole other meaning. “There were no websites, facebook, recordable CD players. It was all about getting noticed at parties, having cool business cards, making flyers, throwing parties, making yourself visible everywhere you went, making t-

shirts, mixtapes and giving them out free.” Basically, Stevie spent a lot of time and put in a lot of work in order to accomplish his dream to entertain people.

During the 2006 World Cup, Stevie along with his partner at Grand Entertainment, David Colasurdo, wanted to throw a party if Italy won the World Cup. They eventually brushed off the idea because winning the World Cup is a hard feat, no matter how talented any nation is. Once the Azzurri were crowned world champions, Stevie and David knew they had to celebrate in style. This is how the Insieme party began, and it was a huge success. “Over 1200 Italians packed up the place with flags, Italy tees and jerseys, and anything else that they could bring to show their pride and support for the team,” recalls Vecera.

When it was all over, Steve and David decided to try to recreate this crazy atmosphere in their parties. The second time around it was not about the World Cup, but just about bringing all the Italians together with love, food and music!

The next time you attend a dj Stevie party, you can rest assured that it will be an event to remember, and if you dance till you can’t move, and your muscles start to ache, don’t say you weren’t warned! v

L’élégance du design européen, performances éprouvées

9415 avenue Papineau, Montréal

(514) 385-7222

www.mondialsaturn.com

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Pascal Petardi From stopping pucks in Canada to chasing demons in hollywood

by Joey Franco

Lately, Pascal Petardi has had an interesting range of roles. The Montreal born actor -known to most Canadian audiences for his role in the award-winning show Rent-A-Goalie- moved to Hollywood just over two years ago, and has been flourishing ever since. he St. Leonard native just wrapped up a role on the much anticipated Angels & Demons, where Ron Howard cast Petardi as an Italian reporter.

Before he could turn in his wardrobe on Angels & Demons, he was personally selected

by David Mamet for the critically acclaimed and Emmy Nominated Show The Unit. In just over a couple of years in Hollywood, Petardi has found himself in high demand.

Amidst all the hustle and bustle of life in LA, Pascal still manages to keep his Italian roots alive. Every Sunday, he has a traditional “Sunday Dinner” replacing his family members with his friends, mostly other actors and comedians from Canada. As well as being an excellent actor, Petardi is quite the culinary expert around the kitchen, just ask any of his friends.

T

PI: It must have been nerve-wracking to audition for the much anticipated prequel to The Da Vinci Code. Was Ron Howard present at the audition?

PP: Actually, when I auditioned for that, Ron Howard wasn’t there -he was probably shooting Frost Nixon at the time. Janet Hirshenson was there, who as a casting director has cast so many amazing movies, that she’s a bit of a star in her own right. So that was nerve-wracking. I ended up preparing the audition both in Italian and in French , and I ended up getting the role of the Italian reporter.

PI: Did you feel you either nailed the audition or you completely blew it?

PP: I didn't know. Here's the thing about casting for movies. They usually cast off film, so they tape the audition. It's different from television where you go in three times to see the director, the producers, and then the network. So they're two completely different processes.

PI: How was the actual production of Angels and Demons?

PP: Man, what a production that was. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. They rebuilt the St. Peters Basilica, they rebuilt the Vatican, and they rebuilt Piazza Navone! I’ve never seen such an incredible set in my life.

It had like a 200 million dollar budget with about a thousand people just working behind the scenes. It was just unbelievable. They built this thing in a huge park, it would take me 20 minutes to get to the set, and they had a hundred golf carts driving people around. It was unbelievable!

PI: What was it like being around top-notch actors such as Tom Hanks and Ewan McGregor?

PP: Oh wow! I got to say these people are professional and you understand why they’re where they’re at. When it’s time to be on, they’re on, they do their job. They’re just the ultimate professionals. All of them are just such nice, professional, quiet people. When they’re not on screen, they do their thing and they’re quiet.

PI: From St. Leonard to L.A. you still maintain your tradition by hosting an Italian style “Sunday dinner”, who shows up to these gatherings?

PP: Every Sunday, I have a bunch of people come over, whatever actor friends I know from Canada. Every Sunday we get together and I cook and I barbeque for them and I make a spaghettata and cut some salami and sausage and cheese, bread, red wine. It’s really important, because when you’re out here [L.A.], everybody who’s here is here for one reason, that’s just to work; and it could get lonely. You end up sharing camaraderie with these people and you support each other and you understand each other like nobody else can understand you. v

Look for other interesting portraits and features in our magazine archive at www.panoramitalia.com.

Send us suggestions and stories for possible publication in coming issues of Panoram Italia or for posting on line on our web site.

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A Helping Hand A look at Maria Maiolo’s community work

By Aïcha Cissé

Helping the community is a vocation Maria Maiolo has dedicated herself to since childhood. Now working as the director of the non-profit Italian Canadian Community Services ( SCCIQ) with what she deems ‘amazing co-workers’, this native Montrealer has many reasons to be proud. s we sat in her office at the Leonardo Da Vinci center, the mother of three displayed a organization worked with McGill University researchers on an innovative project which comcontagious enthusiasm when describing her upcoming projects. After working at the bined technology and diabetes. A group of seniors were given Blackberries which could monMontreal Children’s Hospital as a nurse, Maiolo joined the Dante shelter where she develitor their blood sugar. Each device was linked to a glucometer monitored by a nurse. oped initiatives to improve services for senior Italian residents. She now manages the Confort “It was amazing to see a grandmother handle the blackberry like a pro. In no time, those Culturel program for the elderly who live in long-term facilities. seniors became experts at using blackberry. Who said elderly people were technologically “I think that people often misjudge the elderly. I don’t believe seniors should be isolatchallenged?” laughed Maiolo. ed because they’re old. Sit with them, listen, talk to them The non-profit Italian Canadian Community and you’ll realize they are not just grumpy, lonely people.

Services also hosted a cooking workshop In order to Maiolo is a strong advocate of Italian With understanding and compassion, the elderly can age increase diabetes awareness. Italian Chefs were invited Culture. The Servizi offers Italian courses, to submit favourite Italian recipes which dieticians gracefully, enjoy life and be empowered,” explains w o r k s h o p s , a n d h i s t o r y o f i m m i g r a t i o n would present alternatives for, by reducing portions or Maiolo.

Ever since Maiolo re-launched the Servizi with her to inform staff at various service centers picking healthier ingredients. The diabetes awareness assistant Luciana Conte in 2005, the organization has in neighbourhoods with a strong p e r c e n t - campaign was also offered to elementary and high received many grants for the creation of a plethora of school students in order to improve their eating habits. a g e o f I t a l i a n r e s i d e n t s. projects promoting healthy living and Italian culture for Maiolo is a strong advocate of Italian Culture. The the English-speaking community of the East End. The Servizi offers Italian courses, workshops, and history of SCCIQ is partnered with the East Island Network for English-Language Services. immigration to inform staff at various service centers in neighbourhoods with a strong per“It’s so hard to find community services in English when it comes to providing psychosocentage of Italian residents. cial assistance to English residents in the East End. We are not only focused on promoting Italian “Knowing the history and background and culture of the people you are serving helps culture and encouraging Italians to know what’s out there in terms of community services for a great deal.” them, but we organize English workshops for anyone in that part of the island,” explains Maiolo.

What’s next for Maiolo? More projects! The Servizi received grants to launch two Last year, the Public Health Agency of Canada funded the Servizi to distribute informanew projects: an English day center and a support service for newly arrived Italian tive CDs on diabetes to minority English groups in over 10 regions in Quebec. Last spring the immigrants. v

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3 SUPERBES CONDOS MODÈLES À VISITER DÈS AUJOURD’HUI SEULEMENT QUELQUES UNITÉS ENCORE DISPONIBLES OCCUPATION IMMÉDIATE 5875 Jean-Talon Est Au coeur de St-Léonard

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Riding the Vespa Montreal Scooter Club

By Sabrina Marandola when we came to realize just how many people of all ages actually owned these pieces of Italian culture.”

From there, the idea to create the Montreal Scooter Club was born.

“Nick and I would ride alone every Sunday morning,” Goffredo says. “We inter feels long,” confesses Mike Goffredo. “Yeah! figured we might as well Every year, we can’t wait for spring and summer,” ride with other people who adds in Nick Messina. The 28-year-olds are good friends; “ share the same passion.” they share their time, stories, laughter... and they also share They spread the word to all a passion. They both love to ride Vespas. “The Vespa has so Vespa or Lambretta scooter owners they knew: meet at Café much tradition,” says Messina. “Whether it’s old or new, a Victoria’s in St. Leonard on Sundays at 10am, and then ride Vespa will always be a symbol of Italian heritage.” “A Vespa to Little Italy. is a piece of Italy,” agrees Goffredo, who is responsible for “What I like about this club is that it’s not fake or getting his friend hooked to riding a scooter. formal,” Goffredo says. “There are no fees to Goffredo got his 1974 blue and white scooter pay, and anyone can come along. If you can in 2006. He was introduced to the Vespa thanks make it, you know we’re at Café Victoria’s at to his uncle, Francesco Addesso. Addesso, 71, 10am. If not, that’s okay too. says he fell in love with the There is no pressure. People are Vespa ever since he was a little here because they love to ride boy growing up in Galluccio, Vespas.”

Caserta. "When I was a youngThe club attracted people ster, I would steal my uncle's both young and old. Weekly Vespa," says Addesso, who went Sunday riders now include to Toronto a few years ago to people such as 69-year-old visit family. It was during his visit Benito Patera, and 46-year-old that he saw a Vespa. "When Sal Milo. Patera says he bought I saw it, I was like a little boy his 1988 Vespa four years ago, again. When I am on my Vespa, and every time he gets on his I feel like a new man." scooter, a wave of nostalgia Addesso came back to comes over him. "When I was Montreal the proud owner of a Mike Goffredo and Nick Messina. young, I didn't have much.

1981 150 Vespa. This motivated I had a broke down bicycle, that's it," he recalls. "The Vespa Goffredo to buy a Vespa as well. “I just love to ride it,” is an Italian symbol, it's an Italian tradition. It brings back Goffredo says. “I can’t describe the feeling. You just have to old memories of Italy." For Milo, he saw Vespas when he ride it to experience it. ”Messina says he didn’t understand visited Italy, but it wasn’t until he sat on one that he knew what all the thrill of owning a scooter was about when he just had to have it. “I was never really a fanatic. But then Goffredo first told him about his Vespa.

I went to a Vespa shop in Montreal, and I saw a beautiful “I figured, what was the point in owning a scooter when scooter,” Milo says. “It’s about the way you sit on it and I pretty much do all my errands on four wheels?” Messina how it makes you feel. I can’t describe it, but I just love it. says. “A comfortable car, with ample room and heating! It just I take mine out as early as February - as soon as the snow is didn't click.”But that all changed for Messina in the summer gone.” of 2006. He went on St. Laurent Boulevard during Montreal’s Bruno Buontempo is perhaps the biggest appassionato Italian week, and stopped by the Vespa kiosk. to ride with the gang. He recently bought his 12th Vespa.

“The moment I sat on one, I was literally hooked! That "When I'm on a Vespa, It reminds me of my youth," was it! I just couldn't get myself off it and there was no Buontempo says, adding that he also admires the scooter’s amount of soap that could wash away the big smile I had on simple engineering and mechanics. "The Vespa is so simple; my face,” Messina recalls. it has a clutch, a piston, a carburator. It's simple, well built, “That 2006 Vespa LX50 in metallic sky blue had to be and will last forever." mine!” Messina bought a scooter later that summer, and it Other scooter-owners felt the same way, and so The became a weekly tradition to ride with Goffredo every Montreal Scooter Club was quickly growing. With 26 Sunday morning.“His early ‘74 Vespa and my ‘06 were a scooter-enthusiasts, ranging in age from 28 to 71, mem‘yesterday and today’ of Italian design that caught the eye ber Vince Bruno decided to create a club logo. Carmine of many people we'd pass,” Messina says. “It was only then

Summer officially begins this month, and no one is more excited about the warm weather and dry road conditions than 26 men -young and old- who are anxious to showcase a piece of Italy on the streets of Montreal.

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Lauro of G.I.A.V. clothing store on Jarry Street stepped in to sponsor the club’s t-shirts. The members sport their shirts every Sunday as they ride through Montreal’s avenues.

The “Born-in-Italy” group members say they are proud to share their lane with young Vespa owners like Goffredo and Messina. “Per me, è una soddifazione vedere i giovani portare la Vespa,” says Patera. “When they were young, they didn’t have the means to own a Vespa,” says Messina.

“So it’s like we are living their childhood dream.” Messina says that for him, owning a Vespa is not just about having an alternate mode of transportation - it’s about having Italian spirit. “A Vespa is a statement. I’m proud when I get on my scooter. It’s a symbol of Italian heritage and I feel like I’m carrying on the tradition.” v

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moda - mode - Fashion Pur Minerals

Clarins

Complimentary Colours Tangerine Dream

By Joanne Latimer

Kerastase

Winners

Winners

Smart Set

Lise Watier

L’Oréal Paris

Welcome back! Orange was reclaimed as a hot fashion colour twice in recent memory and it has risen yet again. Winning points for cheerfulness, there’s nothing as refreshing as a tangerine-coloured handbag with denims. Or orange sandals with a white dress. It’s the season’s top accent colour to announce the arrival of summer. Cue the tangerine sun dress! Full of youthful vigour, orange is flattering against tanned skin. But don’t overdue your exposure to the sun.

Let an orange party top or lip gloss give you that healthy glow.

Lise Watier

Cassis

Rafe

Isabelle Elie

Saijojo

La Canadienne

Phyto

Lise Watier

Clarins

Lise Watier

Aveda

Mac

Ma lbo ro Cla ssic

John Fluevog Geox Geox John Fluevog

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moda - mode - Fashion

L’Oréal Paris

Lise Watier

BDBG Max Azria

While tangerine is the season’s top accent colour, you can build an entire wardrobe around turquoise. It’s a baseline summer hue, working well with orange, green and yellow. Turquoise is a hallmark of summer, like flip flops and snow cones, so don’t ration it. Wear it as a solid colour block - a bold monochromatic outfit - then relieve it with simple accessories. Add gold shoes. Carry a tan cardigan. As one of the brightest shades of blue, turquoise has the most impact when paired with neutral linens and matching floral prints. Afraid you own too much turquoise? Impossible.

Smart Set

Better in Blue

Cassis Winners

Laila Row e

Cassis

John Fluevog

L’Oreal Skin Genesis

Sephora Peak Performance

Bath & Body works

Bath & Body works

Laila Rowe

Ed Hardy

Laila Rowe

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Alex Agostino Nickname: Party animal Occupation: Engineering student Age: 22 of third generation Dad: Siracusa, Sicily and Mom: Algeria (Italian and Spanish descent) Speaks: English and French Raised in: Laval Passion Organizing huge events, parties, etc.

Clothes Dom Rebel, Energie Favorite designer Armani, Cavalli Boutique Influence U, Style Exchange, H&M Favorite dish 16 oz steak with fries Type of wine / drink Agostino wine, Telteca Anta Favourite Italian saying or quote “Quando il gatto non c'è, i topi ballano!”

Last time you went to Italy Unfortunately, never!

Dream car Viper Dream To have a successful life, all the happiness and health possible

Favorite band The Killers Best Italian movie The Godfather, if that is considered an Italian movie Italian Soccer Team Roma Where did you watch the World cup final?

At my cousin’s house Your impression of the Italian team in the last Euro cup Alright I guess, could have been a lot better 514 or 450 450 Best way to feel Italian in Montreal To drive around with your windows down listening to disturbingly loud euro dance music, or to just attach an Italian flag to your car during the world cup Favourite flavour of gelato Napolitan, granita

Thing about you that would surprise most people I’m actually a pretty funny person, well I think!

Pasta or Polenta Pasta Best coffee in Montreal I don’t really drink coffee, so I wouldn’t know Crescent or St-Laurent St-Laurent Most common name in your family Sebastiano (2) Sexiest Italian Monica Bellucci Mare o Montagna Mare You know you are Italian when or if Every Sunday you get together with the whole family for lunch (pasta) Best Montreal nightclub House and Milennium Nightclub Best pizza in Montreal Pizza Etc

Who's your fashion idol I don’t really have a fashion idol but I like to check out what the guys on Gossip Girl wear even if that sounds terribly wrong haha Favourite thing to do in Montreal?

The Nightlife / Clubbing You know you were raised Italian when You’re still living at home at 30 years old and have to let your parents know everything you do.

Which Italian artist or actress would you like to meet?

Al Pacino Best memory growing up as an Italian All the amazing Italian food I got to eat growing up Favourite thing about being Italian The ladies love it.

It’s like you are already ahead before you even try anything .

Photos: Vincenzo D’Alto / Make-up: Emmanuelle Blanchard

VIVERE ALL’ITALIANA - Vivre à l’italienne - Living Italian Style

Gabriella D’Elia Nickname: Gaby, Gabs, and Gangsta Occupation: Concordia Marketing student Age: 22 of third generation Dad: Gildone (Campobasso) and Mom: Acquaviva (Isernia) Speaks: English, Italian, and French Raised in: Montreal (Ahuntsic) Passion Traveling Clothes Armani skirt, Mango shirt, and Michael Kors shoes Make-up MAC, Giorgio Armani, and Lancôme Favourite designer D&G, Michael Kors Boutique Mango, Zara, Mimi & Coco Restaurant Macaroni Bar and Ginger Favorite Dish Gnocchi Type of wine / drink Sloe Gin 7 Favourite Italian saying or quote "Chi pò, non vò; chi vò, non pò; chi sà, non fà; chi fà, non sà; e così, male il mondo va !"

Last time you went to Italy School trip in 2003

Place you must go back to at least one more time in your life Roma Dream car 1969 Mustang (Black!)

Dream To vacation in Bora Bora Best Italian movie Tre Metri Sopra il Cielo Italian Soccer Team Juventus Where did you watch the World cup final?

At work, hiding in the back store Best way to feel Italian in Montreal Spending the day at my grandparents Thing about you that would surprise most people I would love to be a racecar driver Pasta or Polenta Pasta Pesce fritto o baccala Baccala

Best coffee in Montreal Milano’s Crescent or St-Laurent St-Laurent Most common name in your family Maria (7!!!)

Pet peeve Negativity Sexiest Italian Wouldn’t you all want to know...

Mare o Montagna Mare You know you are Italian when or if Sunday is ALWAYS pasta day! No exceptions!

Best Montreal nightclub GOGOs Best pizza in Montreal My mom’s is famous Who's your fashion idol My sister Stephanie has a better eye for fashion so I try to listen to her

Favourite thing to do in Montreal?

Shopping with friends You know you were raised Italian when Saturday mornings involved waking up early for italian school Favourite colour Black Favourite Italian song “Ti scatterò una foto” and the classic “Vivo Per Lei” What's your favorite city in Italy?

Roma Favourite dessert?

Cannoli Best memory growing up as an Italian Spending summers with my cousins at my grand parents’ house Favourite thing about being Italian I love our culture, food, fashion , traditions, and most importantly strong family values

LÉ i f ed iS t otryi lael

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VIVERE ALL’ITALIANA - Vivre à l’italienne - Living Italian Style

Mimmo Scali

Laura Campanelli Nickname: Lo, La, or Laura Piccolina Occupation: CSR TD Canada Trust Age: 23 of second generation Dad: Grumo Appula, Bari and Mom: Montreal (Polish descent) Speaks: English, French, and Italian Raised in: West Island

Nickname: Mimmo Occupation: Artist/Waiter Age: 22 of second generation Dad: Reggio Calabria and Mom: Benevento Speaks: English, Italian, and French Raised in: Montreal (Tétrauville)

Passion Culture, Travel, Reading and Art... in that order J Clothes Skirt from Forever 21, top from Zara, shoes from Michael Kors Boutique Bershka (Europe) and Mango Best pizza in Montreal Bottega Favorite dish Melanzane Last time you went to Italy Last summer Place you must go back to at least one more time in your life Barcelona Dream Car Any convertible…

Dream Live in a warm place for a long period of time, then come home and appreciate our seasonal weather Italian Soccer Team Lazio

Passion Art/fashion Clothes Tie - Private Party, JacketDinh ba design, eye glasses- Vintage Balenciaga, Vneck- American apparel, Jeans-True Religion.

Favourite designer Private Party, Dior, Yves St Laurent, and D&G Boutique Zara, Vintage shops Restaurant La Fornarina Favourite dish Polenta Absolute must in the pantry Nutella Type of wine / drink Amarone Favourite Italian saying or quote Tu sei u reggin de Nonna (quote my Nonna) Last time you went to Italy Hopefully soon

Where did you watch the World cup final?

Caffe Epoca Your impression of the Italian team in the last Euro cup These guys are so cute Best way to feel Italian in Montreal Eat at any good, authentic Italian restaurant Thing about you that would surprise most people I’ve never seen any of the Godfathers, Scarface... and all those movies Pasta or Polenta Pasta Pesce fritto o baccala Pesce fritto Best coffee in Montreal Gentile Crescent or St-Laurent Depends. Crescent for daylight, hot summer days and Grand Prix, St. Laurent for pretty outfits, fancy dinners, and good music.

Most common name in your family Laura (4).

Pet peeve Pessimistic people Sexiest Italian Cannavaro. (Sorry Lazio) Mare o montagna Mare!!!

You know you are Italian when or if Your friends come to your house more for your mother’s cooking than for your company.

Best Montreal nightclub Not any particular favorite, all it takes is good cocktails and good company.

Who's your fashion idol?

Leighton Meester’s “Blair” Favourite thing to do in Montreal Eating in all the fabulous restaurants our city has to offer

You know you were raised Italian when Lunch was a day-long affair Favourite Italian song Sara perche ti amo Which Italian artist or actress would you like to meet?

Sofia Loren Favourite Italian city Firenze Favourite spot in Montreal Walking on the Mountain... typical Montrealer response but it’s true Best memory growing up as an Italian?

Selling palms outside Pompei with my cousin Laura on Palm Sunday Favourite flavour of gelato Basilico Favourite thing about being Italian Our romantic and rhythmic language

Place you must go back to at least one more time in your life Paris Dream car 1969 Porsche 912 Dream To open up an Art Gallery and own a nice country house in Italy with a vineyard Favorite band The Doors Best Italian movie La Dolce Vita Italian Soccer Team Reggina Where did you watch the World cup final?

Little Italy Your impression of the Italian team in the last Euro cup Could have played better 514 or 450 514 (thank god) Best way to feel Italian in Montreal Having a nice

cappuccino in Little Italy Thing about you that would surprise most people Lets keep it a surprise!

Pesce fritto o baccala pesce fritto Best coffee in Montreal Café Maida Crescent or St-Laurent St Laurent (for sure) Most common name in your family Giuseppe (3), Michael (3) Pet peeve Fake people and socks with sandals Sexiest Italian...

Me (hahaha) Mare o Montagna Mare You know you are Italian when or if You had to go tomato picking to make tomato sauce Best Montreal nightspot Rouge/Bsides

Best pizza in Montreal La Fornarina Who's your fashion idol My Nonna Favourite thing to do in Montreal Chill on Mount Royal (tam tams) You know you were raised Italian when You have pasta more then 3 times a week Favourite colour Red Favourite Italian song Il Tempo di Morire by Lucio Battisti Best memory growing up as an Italian?

Christmas at my grandparents with all my 5 billion cousins Favourite flavour of gelato Granita Favourite thing about being Italian Having such a great culture!!!!

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design

Alessi: ‘success story’ à l’Italienne

par Léa-Catherine Szacka

Alessi est un nom connu de quiconque s’intéresse au design italien, voire même au design en général. Or, il se trouve que la société Alessi spa a récemment vécu un tournant historique alors qu’elle décidait de classer toutes ses productions en trois groupes différents. lutôt que des marques, Alessi, Officia Alessi et A di Alessi sont autant de collections différentes qui permettront à la société de diversifier sa production afin de mieux répondre aux nouvelles formes de compétition issues de la mondialisation, à la baisse de la consommation ainsi qu’aux transformations de la distribution internationale.

Tel que mentionné dans le communiqué de presse diffusé par la société, la première collection, Alessi, “continuera à exprimer le meilleur de la production industrielle en série avec un positionnement de prix de moyen haut à haut de gamme”. La seconde collection, Officina Alessi, sera “destinée à accueillir les produits les plus raffinés, coûteux, expérimentaux et innovateurs, les petites séries de production et les séries limitées”.

Finalement, la troisième collection, A di Alessi, sera “destinée à accueillir les produits plus ‘démocratiques’, plus accessibles et dans une gamme de prix bien plus bas”.

L’aventure Alessi débute en 1921 à Omegna, une petite municipalité du Piémont, lorsque Giovanni Alessi, entreprend sa production artisanale de cafetières, plateaux et autres objets ménagers pour la maison fais de cuivre et d’argent. Féru de design industriel Carlo Alessi, fils de Giovanni Alessi, se joint à la compagnie dix ans plus tard et en l’espace d’une décennie réussit à en modifier profondément la philosophie allant même jusqu’à changer le nom et le logo de l’entreprise. Alessi Fratelli (ALFRA) passe ainsi de petite entreprise à multinationale présente dans plus de 60 pays à travers le monde. Cultivant toujours l’innovation, c’est à cette époque qu’Ettore Alessi le frère cadet de Carlo à l’idée géniale d’intégrer la vision de divers architectes dans la conception des objets Alessi. Cette pratique qui contribue encore aujourd’hui à la renommée internationale de la firme, a pris de plus en plus d’ampleur dans les années 1970, sous l’égide d’Alberto Alessi.

Au fil des ans, la société Alessi a ainsi invité plusieurs designers et architectes de talent à travailler avec elle tels Ettore Sottsass, qui a même dessiné la salle de montre de Alessi à Milan, et Alessandro Mendini, qui a conçu, entre autres, la maison d’Alberto Alessi, deux annexes à l’usine de Crusinallo, le musée Alessi et la mise en espace de plusieurs expositions mettant en vedette la production de Alessi.

En 1979, Alessandro Mendini a eu l’idée de demander à des architectes de dessiner un service à thé et café classique. Ainsi, onze services à thé, chacun produit en quatre-vingt-dix-neuf exemplaires ont été dessinés par les architectes de renom Robert Venturi, Kazumasa Yamashita, Charles Jencks, Aldo Rossi, Paolo Portoghesi, Alessandro Mendini, Michael Graves, Oscar Tusquets, Hans Hollein, Stanley Tigerman et Richard Meier. En 1983, ces services ont été présentés dans une exposition publique organisée par l’architecte autrichien Hans Hollein à l’église San Carpoforo à Milan Autre designer vedette d’Alessi, le Français Philippe Starck a débuté sa collaboration avec la compagnie en 1986. C’est en 1990 qu’il a créé son mystérieux presse-agrumes à longues pattes qui occupe depuis maintenant dix ans le devant de la scène mondiale du design.

La collection créée par l’architecte américain Micheal Graves compte aussi parmi les classiques signés Alessi. C’est en 1985 qu’Alessi a fait appel à Michael Graves, en lui demandant de dessiner une bouilloire d’abord destinée au marché américain. Pour ce projet, Graves a décidé de mélanger différents ingrédients, allant du classique au pop et a dessiné un objet qui est tout de suite devenu un best-seller sur le marché.

La maison Alessi n’emploie pas de designer à l’interne, mais préfère collaborer avec des designers indépendants qui demeurent ainsi libres de toute influence corporative. Depuis les débuts de son histoire, Alessi a collaboré avec plus de cinq cents designers de partout à travers le monde et Alberto Alessi affirme aujourd’hui que ces collaborations ont été, au cours des années, parmi les expériences les plus enrichissantes qui lui ont été donné de vivre.

L’histoire de la maison Alessi est sans aucun doute, l’une des plus grandes ‘success story’ de l’Italie moderne. Autrefois petite entreprise métallurgique produisant des assiettes de cuivre et d’argent, Alessi est aujourd’hui une usine de design italien vendant ses produits partout à travers le monde. v

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teatro - théâtre - theatre

Tengo Famigli a : A review of Joe DiPietro’s off-Broadway play Over the River and through the Woods

By Aicha Cissé

At first, it looks like a classic Italian family dinner, but as the story progresses, the characters of Over the River and through the Woods seem to mirror our own family. With a lot of humor and some sentimentality, Joe Dipietro’s endearing off-Broadway play conveys a universal theme: family is the center of life. hat might initially seem like a comical portrayal of the eccentricities of a dysfunctional family reveals itself to be a heart-warming tribute to the Italian mantra “tengo famiglia”. Set in New Jersey, Over the River centers on Nick Cristano, a young single marketing consultant who has a Sunday dinner tradition with his both sets of grandparents - each of them reminds us of at least one embarrassing relative. Nick’s parents retired and moved to Florida, making him the only relative who regularly visits the grandparents.

Nonna Aida is a gifted cook to whom everyone looks hungry and who believes a good meal is the solution to any problem. Her husband grandpa Frank has had his car keys taken away for running into things and refuses to turn on the air conditioner before the 4th of July.

Nick’s paternal grandparents are “the loudest people you will ever meet”. His Grandpa Nunzio loves telling pointless anecdotes and his wife Emma believes religion can solve anything and desperately prays for Nick to get married. Both consider themselves” not loud, but passionate”.

This routine is disrupted one Sunday when Nick announces he’s been offered a promotion and is moving to Seattle. The announcement doesn’t sit too well with his devastated grandparents who decide to hatch a scheme to get their grandson to stay in New Jersey. On Nick’s next visit his grandparents invite Caitlin O’Hare, a sweet single girl from the

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neighborhood. What ensues is a hilarious dinner at which Nick is embarrassed on new levels. Just as the grandparents the audience hopes the plan works. The play remains however realistic to its bittersweet ending. Over the River reminds us of the invisible ties that bind us to the ones we love.

DiPietro’s off-Broadway comedy has been enjoying unabated success all over the world. The playwright may have imagined the plot, but he based the characters on his grandparents. In fact, they are ‘pretty true to life’. Nick’s dilemma, the story’s universal theme, is a challenge we all have to face when trying to climb the corporate ladder without stepping over family time.

“I was like Nick in many ways. My grandparents were Italian immigrants and we often clashed over the differences between their world and mine. In the end, it’s hard to balance work and family, but you must try to. I think you have to be a little selfish but at the same time, honour those who got you to where you are,” explains DiPietro.

Over the River exemplifies how art can unite different cultures. Anyone can relate to the characters. As DiPietro said: “Same story, just different food,” v

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arte della scena - arts de la scène -Scene arts

Tutto Dante , Tutto Benigni: Interview with Academy Award Winner Roberto Benigni

Filippo Salvatore Gabriel-Riel-Salvatore Joey Franco

Few people can transcend linguistic barriers, and capture the hearts of people from across the globe, no matter their mother tongue.

Just as Mozart inspired awe with his lyrics, and Picasso with the stroke of his paintbrush, Roberto Benigni does so with his inimitable gestures, whimsical facial expressions, and passionate soliloquies; regardless of whether or not you can understand his language - the language of Dante. Benigni's solo stage act Tutto Dante was first performed in June 2006 in the ancient amphitheatre at Patrasso, Greece. The show then burst into the limelight with a performance at the magnificent Piazza Santa Croce in Florence, right beside the statue of Dante. After touring Italy and with a record breaking broadcast on RAI with over 10 million television viewers, Benigni will now take his act across the ocean performing in numerous cities across North America. We had the opportunity to speak with Benigni concerning his visit to Montreal, where he performed on June 3 and 4. The following telephone interview took place on May 14, 2009.

Interview with Roberto Benigni

Entrevue avec Roberto Benigni

Intervista a Roberto Benigni

Briefly explain how your interest for Dante was born.

Pouvez-vous nous expliquer brièvement d’où est né votre intérêt pour Dante?

Da dove nasce il suo interesse per Dante?

RB: My interest for Dante is like an interest for any beautiful object, it's like looking at the sea! When I saw the sea for the first time, I liked it and I went back. That's how my interest in the sea was born. When I was young, I read Dante’s Divine Comedy and the words sounded like a melody,like a wonderful chorus. Dante was the only poet that my parents and grandparents - poor peasants- were familiar with. For them the word Dante was synonymous with poet! This man, with his big aquiline nose, was revered even by the poor. When I read Dante, it felt as if he was my best friend. Nobody knew me like Dante. When you read the Divine Comedy, it is this great work that reads you. It is Dante that reads you. I had the urge to call him up and ask him if he had the time to have a coffee together. He was like a friend. However, there were many details of the Inferno, of animals, monsters, devils, that scared me. Dante explores the human psyche.

This type of writing was unprecedented.

RB: L’intérêt pour Dante est comme l’intérêt que l’on porte à une chose magnifique, comme lorsqu’on voit la mer.

Comment nait l’intérêt pour la mer? C’est qu’elle est belle, qu’elle me plaît! Une fois l’avoir vu une première fois j’y suis retourné, et voilà comment est né mon intérêt pour la mer!

Quand j’étais petit, j’ai lu Dante et ça m’a paru comme de la musique; les paroles sonnaient comme de la musique à mes oreilles. Et puis, il s’agit du seul poète que connaissaient mes parents et mes grands-parents, eux, d’humbles paysans qui pourtant connaissaient Dante. Tu leur disais «poète,» ils te répondaient «Dante!» Voilà, ce personnage au nez crochu, populaire même auprès des gens les plus pauvres! Ce qui m’a le plus profondément touché lorsque je lisais Dante, c’est qu’il m’apparaissait comme mon meilleur ami, car nul autre ne me connaissait aussi bien que lui. Lorsque tu lis la Commedia, c’est la Commedia qui te lit, c’est Dante lui–même qui te lit. J’avais envi de l’appeler au téléphone pour lui dire: «Désolé Dante, mais tu as dix minutes de libre demain pour qu’on prenne le café ensemble?» Toutefois, plusieurs aspects de la Commedia m’apeuraient; l’Inferno c’est rempli de diables, d’animaux sauvages et de monstres.

RB: L'interesse per Dante è come l’ interesse per una cosa bella, come quando uno vede il mare! Come nasce l'interesse per il mare? É che è bello, mi piace. Quando ero piccolo ho letto Dante, e mi sembrava una musica beIIissima. È l 'unico poeta che conoscevano i miei genitori e i miei nonni, contadini poverissimi. Tu dicevi poeta, loro dicevano Dante! Ecco, questo uomo con il grande naso, era popolare tra tutta la povera gente. Quello che mi ha colpito è che quando leggevo Dante mi sembrava il mio più caro amico, perché nessuno mi conosceva come lui. Quando si legge la Commedia, è la Commedia che legge te; è Dante che ti legge. lo avevo voglia di chiamarlo a telefono e di dirgli: ‘Scusa, Dante, hai dieci minuti liberi domani per prendere un caffè insieme?‘. Era come un amico. Pero’ mi facevano paura i dettagli nella Commedia. Ci sono dei dettagli di animali, di mostri che colpiscono profondamente la coscienza umana.

Non si era mai vista una cosa del genere.

In your interpretation of Tutto Dante in Florence your intent is clearly to give relevance to Dante's work for a contemporary public.

If today's youth had a professor such as yourself, Dante would be much more loved and appreciated. What do you think?

En visionnant votre interprétation de Tutto Dante on remarque rapidement que votre but est de rendre Dante accessible. Si tous les jeunes d’aujourd’hui qui étudient Dante avaient un professeur comme vous, Dante serait beaucoup plus apprécié. Qu’en pensez-vous?

Nelle Sue letture di Dante a Firenze Lei ha reso Dante accessibile al grande pubblico.

Se i tantissimi giovani che studiano Dante a scuola avessero avuto un professore come Lei, Dante sarebbe molto più amato ed apprezzato. Che ne pensa?

RB: I thank you for your comment, but I would let the professors do their work. I'm not a professor, nor an intellectual, historian, or even a critic. I am an entertainer. It's my task to entertain, and I do so even with Dante's poem, which is in my opinion one of the greatest texts ever written, a text that has incredible imagery. I am not educating anyone, I am simply putting on a show. The beautiful thing about the Divine Comedy is that it's relevant and yet mysterious, incomprehensible at times. But sometimes we need to be exposed to the obscure, to topics like love, destiny, death, life after death. Nobody addresses these topics as much as Dante, and he constantly reminds us of the significance

RB: Je te remercie, mais les professeurs font leur travail, pour l’amour du ciel. Moi je ne suis pas professeur, ni intellectuel, ni historien, ni critique. Je suis un homme de spectacle. Alors, je dois faire du spectacle, même avec la poésie de Dante qui est, à mon avis, le meilleur texte qui soit; tellement bon qu’il devrait remporter le prix du meilleur film étranger à Hollywood! Alors, je ne le rends pas accessible, je fais simplement mon travail. Par contre, le plus bel aspect de la

R.B.: Ti ringrazio, pero’ i professori fanno il loro lavoro, per carità.Io non sono né un professore, né un intellettuale, né uno storico, né un critico. Sono un uomo di spettacolo.

Quindi devo fare spettacolo, anche con la poesia di Dante, che è il più grande testo e la più bella sceneggiatura mai scritta. Io non lo rendo accessibile, faccio spettacolo. Pero’ la cosa bella della Commedia è che è popolare, misteriosa, incomprensibile qualche volta. Abbiamo bisogno per la nostra salute di cose incomprensibili, di qualcuno che ci parli di cose incomprensibili come l’amore, il destino, la morte, l’Aldilà. Nessuno ce ne parla più. Dante fa sempre e solo questo. Nella prima parte dello spettacolo non parlo

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arte della scena - arts de la scène -Scene arts of these issues. The first half of my show barely has anything to do with Dante. For the first hour I discuss Berlusconi, I speak about modern issues. I will speak of Canada, of Montreal, of Sarkozy, of many different topics.

How did you go about selecting the cantos from the Divine Comedy to incorporate into your show?

RB: I recite the fifth canto of Inferno, the tragic love story of Paolo and Francesca, which depicts the origin of passion, lust, sexuality. I chose it because it's one of the most popular parts of the Comedy, surely the most appreciated by today's youth. Dante wasn't a priest, he was a man who loved carnally. He wrote this poem because he loved a woman, Beatrice. He had an extreme urge to make passionate love to with her. Yet in Paradiso he placed her beside the Holy Vergin. Dante combines heaven and earth and remains the greatest poet, even today. By writing the Divine Comedy, he changed the way we perceive, desire and glorify women. He remains unsurpassed.

Is your North American tour a possible prelude for an eventual adaptation of Tutto Dante on Broadway?

RB: Oh, they asked me to do a Broadway show a while back, but I'm only doing one show in New York. I'm going to the Manhattan Center, for only one night. Then I'm off to Boston, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Princeton and San Francisco.

Tutto Dante is a show that was originally written in Italian. How important is it for you to export this show to an international audience, in the language of Dante?

RB: Well I attempt to adapt to the audience I am addressing.

For example, when I come to Montreal, I'll try to do a bit of the show in French, or in New York, I'll do a bit in English, simply to make the audience happy. However, the final canto is always in Italian, because it is like a song. Dante’s prayer to the Holy Vergin in Paradiso is music. It's like combining Beethoven and Jimmy Hendrix, Bach and Duke Ellington.

Do you think that trough translation, the original meaning of the Divina Commedia is altered?

Commedia et ce qui la rend si populaire, c’est son côté mystérieux... parfois incompréhensible. Mais nous avons justement besoin, pour notre propre santé, de choses incompréhensibles; de quelqu’un qui nous parle de sujets incompréhensibles comme de l’amour, du destin, de la mort, de l’Haut-Delà, car plus personne n’en parle. Dante, lui, ne fait que ça. Je ne m’attarde pas à Dante dans la première partie de mon spectacle. Pendant une heure, je parlerai de Berlusconi, du Canada, de Montréal, de Sarkozy, de tant de choses.

Comment avez-vous sélectionné les différents cantos de la Divine Comédie pour votre spectacle?

RB: Je vais me concentrer sur le cinquième canto de l’Inferno, celui de Paolo et Francesca, le canto de la passion, de l’amour, des sens, de la sexualité, car c’est le plus populaire d’entre tous. C’est surtout celui que les jeunes apprécient le plus. Il nous démontre les racines de l’amour, et nous introduit au sexe, à la luxure, et à l’érotisme. Dante n’était pas un prêtre, c’était un homme qui aimait. Il a écrit ces vers, par amour pour une femme, Béatrice.

Il avait le désir de lui faire l’amour physiquement, pour ensuite l’élever au côté de Dieu, de la Madonne. Dante reste le plus grand poète moderne. Avec la Divine Comédie il a changé notre rapport avec l’amour, avec les femmes. Il demeure insurpassable!

Votre passage en Amérique du Nord constitue aussi un prélude à une éventuelle représentation de la Commedia à Broadway?

RB: Oh, on me l’avait proposé il y a bien longtemps, mais à New York, je me limite à une seule représentation. J’irais au Manathan Center pour un soir seulement. Ensuite, je continue à Boston, Chicago , Toronto, chez vous à Montréal, à Princeton et San Francisco.

Tutto Dante est un spectacle créé en italien.

Il vous apparaît important de l’exporter à l’étranger dans la langue de Dante?

RB: Quand je viens à Montréal j’essaie de parler aussi un peu en français, ou en anglais quand je suis à New York, par générosité.

Par contre, le canto final je le récite toujours en italien, car il sonne comme de la musique. C’est comme réunir Beethoven et Jimmy Hendrix, Bach et Duke Ellington.

Pensez-vous qu’une fois traduit, le texte de la Divine Comédie perd de sa valeur?

di Dante. Per un’ora parlo di Berlusconi, di idee più moderne. A Montreal parlerò anche del Canada, di Montreal, di Sarkozy, di tante cose.

Come ha scelto i canti della Commedia da presentare al pubblico nei Suoi spettacoli?

RB: lo faccio il quinto canto dell’Inferno, quello di Paolo e Francesca, il canto della passione, dell amore, dei sensi, della sessualità, perché è il più popolare. È quello sopratutto più amato dai ragazzi. Ci dimostra le radici dell'amore e ci fa vedere anche il sesso, la radice della lussuria, dell' erotismo. Dante non era un prete.Era un uomo che amava. Lui ha scritto tutto il poema, perché amava una donna, Beatrice. Aveva proprio desiderio di fare l'amore fisicamente con lei. Ha preso la donna che amava e l'ha messa alla destra di Dio, della Madonna. Dante rimane veramente un poeta moderno, il più grande di tutti. Dopo aver scritto la Divina Commedia Dante ha cambiato il nostro rapporto con l'amore, con le donne. Nessun poeta ha mai cantato cosi’ tanto una donna come Dante Alighieri.Rimane insuperabile e non solo in questo.

La Sua venuta in Nord-America costituisce il preludio per una eventuale rappresentazione della Commedia anche a Broadway ed in seguito nel resto del Nord America?

RB: Me l'avevano chiesto tempo fa. Pero’ a New York faccio una sola serata, al New York Manhattan Center.

Poi faccio anche Boston, Chicago, Toronto, Princeton e San Francisco.

Tutto Dante è uno spettacolo che è stato creato in Italiano. Quanto importante per Lei è esportarlo all'estero nella lingua di Dante?

RB: Quando vengo a Montreal, provo a farlo anche un po’ in francese o, a New York, anche in inglese per generosità. Pero’ il canto finale lo faccio in Italiano perché quello è come musica. È la musica di Dante. È come unire Beethover e Jimmy Hendrix, Bach e Duke Ellington.

Crede che il testo della Commedia e del Suo spettacolo, una volta tradotti, perdano del loro valore?

RB: Yes, as they say in English, it is ‘lost in translation.’ It's the same as having an espresso in the USA. It's not the same as having it in Italy, the taste gets lost in translation!

A hamburger in Italy probably won't be as good as one in the USA. But you have to work with what you have.Change a few words here and there, adapt the meaning - eventually the taste, the flavour, the smell, will be close enough. That being said, there are very good, extraordinary translations of Dante in French and in English, especially in English.

RB: Oui, certainement. En anglais on dit: «lost in translation».

Lorsque je prends un café aux Etats-Unis, il n’est jamais aussi bon qu’en Italie. Il se perd toujours quelque chose dans la traduction. Probablement un hamburger en Italie n’est pas aussi savoureux qu’aux Etats-Unis. Mais, il faut travailler avec ce que l’on a. En changeant quelques mots par-ci et par-là, on adapte le sens et finalement le goût, la saveur, l’odeur seront assez fidèles.

Ensuite, il faut s’habituer à la poésie en traduction. Il y a de bonnes traductions de Dante en français et d’autres, surtout en anglais, extraordinaires!

RB: Si’. Avviene quello che in inglese si dice, "Iost in translation". Certo anche quando prendo un caffè, negli Stati Uniti non è buono come in Italia. Nella traduzione si perde sempre qualcosa. Probabilmente un hamburger in Italia non è buono come negli Stati Uniti. Percio’ bisogna cambiare la testa e cosi’ il senso, il gusto, il sapore, l'odore, si avvicinano molto. Quindi si puo’ dire un po’ la stessa cosa per la traduzione dei versi di Dante.

Bisogna inoltre abituarsi alla poesia. Ci sono delle traduzioni meravigliose, veramente straordinarie in francese ed in inglese, soprattutto in inglese, di Dante.

How do you plan on reaching an international audience which probably knows little or close to nothing about Dante's Divine Comedy?

Do you not think you might be oversimplifying such a complex piece of literature?

Comment pensez-vous rendre accessible la Divine Comédie à un public étranger qui est peu familier avec le poète Dante? En vulgarisant son oeuvre n’avez-vous pas l’impression de banaliser la complexité du texte?

Come pensa rendere accessibile l'opera di Dante ad un pubblico straniero che poco o niente sa di Dante? Volgarizando la sua opera non ha l'impressione di banalizzarne la complessità?

RB: The end of the Comedy is the most beautiful part.

Poetry does not only live in the mind or the pen of a writer.It lies primarily in the ears of the listeners. In each and every one of us there is a divine spark of poetry that manifests itself. Dante makes this divine spark come alive, and we become great like him. We feel his poetry. This is the fascinating part I will try to bring forth. v

RB: L’idéal de la Commedia vise la beauté. La poésie, donc, ne repose pas uniquement dans la main ou dans l’esprit de celui qui l’a écrite, mais réside aussi et surtout dans les oreilles de ceux qui l’écoutent. Il existe dans chaque humain une étincelle divine de poésie que Dante réussit à aviver. C’est en se laissant envahir par sa poésie que l’on se hisse à son niveau. v

RB: Il fine della Commedia è la bellezza, e quindi la poesia non sta solo nella penna, o della mente di chi scrive. Sta sopratutto negli orecchi di chi l’ascolta. Siccome dentro di noi umani c’è quella scintilla divina della poesia, essa viene fuori. Dante te la fa venire fuori e noi diventiamo grandi come lui. La sentiamo la poesia. È quello che ci affascina nel sentire i versi del Sommo Poeta. v

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L e trttesr sa ntdo C A t h eu l te udri te o r

cinema - cinéma - cinema “Sous le soleil d’Italie” à Montréal: Una primavera Cinematografica Quanto Mai Fiorita Lidia Russo

La produzione cinematografica italiana è viva, vegeta e ricercata. In fila al botteghino della Cinémathèque québécoise per l’anteprima del tanto atteso film “Gomorra” non potevo che rallegrarmi per l’enorme interesse che il nostro cinema desta oltre i confini dell’Italia. a metà aprile a fine maggio infatti la popolare cinémathèque, in collaborazione con l’Istituto Italiano di Cultura, ha presentato una serie di cicli cinematografici noti come “Sous le soleil d’Italie”. Fra questi, un evento culturale di grande rilievo alla sua seconda edizione montrealese, il festival di Annecy.

“Annecy cinéma italien” in Francia, uno dei maggiori eventi cinematografici italiani al di là dei confini, è giunto nel 2008 alla sua 26esima edizione. Tale rassegna propone una selezione competitiva di film recenti, di anteprime, di omaggi e di esposizioni.

A Montreal, grazie all’ iniziativa del prof. Angelo Mazzone, direttore dell’Istituto Italiano di Cultura, una cernita oculata del ciclo Annecy 2008 è stata ospite della Cinémathèque québécoise. Delegato generale del festival il prof. Jean A. Gili, esperto di cinema italiano e docente all’Università della Sorbona. Collaboratori del prestigioso evento Cinecittà Holding e Filmitalia.

Fra i film piú attesi quindi “Gomorra” di Matteo Garrone, dall’omonimo libro di Roberto Saviano, ed il “Divo” (la vicenda Andreotti) di Paolo Sorrentino, entrambi vincitori del gran premio della giuria a Cannes 2008.

Nella nuova categoria riservata ai documentari si distingue “Morire di lavoro” di Daniele Segre, un doloroso docu-drama imperniato sulla tragedia delle morti bianche.

D

www.panoramitalia.com Attraverso le vicende e le tematiche più svariate, in una rara ricchezza di espressione e di immagini, Annecy ci fa ripercorrere l’Italia da nord a sud: da Torino (“Dilettoinletto” di Marco Carmit, “La fine della notte” di Francesco Nunzi) a Firenze (“Piano solo” di Riccardo Milani) a Roma (“Il Divo”) a Napoli (“Gomorra”), passando per la Sicilia (“Se chiudi gli occhi” di Lisa Romano) e la Sardegna (“Tutto torna” di Enrico Pitzianti). Da segnalare “All’amore assente” di Andrea Adriatico e “La giusta distanza” di Carlo Mazzacurati.

Siamo qui lontani dalla classica commedia all’italiana.

I contenuti riflettono le forti tensioni del mondo d’oggi invitando alla riflessione e suscitando nello spettatore emozioni inaspettate.

Tutti i film rispecchiano peraltro immancabilmente la nuova realtà multietnica dell’Italia.

In quanto a “Gomorra”, la cultura camorrista che Matteo Garrone espone con la massima autenticità nel suo film é una delle più notorie e violente nella storia del crimine organizzato. Difficile considerare il lungometraggio un semplice “film”. Si tratta di cinema-verità dove al di là del valore artistico si assume il ruolo di osservatori invisibili di una realtà dura, degradata, ma inevitabile.

Parallelamente ad Annecy, altri cicli di rilievo sono stati ospiti della Cinémathèque nel mese di maggio. Il festival TransAmériques (con “Guerra” di Pippo Delbono), Italiens de Montréal, une mémoire (“Ho fatto il mio coraggio” di Giovanni Princigalli, “Ricordati di noi” di Paul Tana) ed un cospicuo omaggio a Gian Maria Volonté “un attore al di sopra di ogni sospetto”. Fra i film riproposti “La morte di Mario Ricci” con cui l’attore vinse il premio d’interpretazione a Cannes nel 1983. A completare la kermesse un’esposizione sul celebre attore in collaborazione con il Centro Cinema di Cesena.

Lunga vita quindi a questa rinascita cinematografica italiana e ai nostri giovani cineasti, nella speranza di poter ammirare ancora il frutto della loro arte sui grandi schermi montrealesi ad ulteriore conferma del rinato, inarrestabile fermento culturale del nostro paese d’origine. v Da “Piano, solo”, di Riccardo Milani, film ispirato alla tormentata vita di Luca Flores, pianista e compositore italiano morto suicida nel ‘95 all’età di 39 anni.

...........”Le parole ci ingannano con i loro significati mentre la musica è libera, può volare in paradiso, scendere all’inferno o rimanere a galleggiare nel limbo e io amo quei musicisti che cantano, scrivono e suonano ogni nota come se fosse l’ultima”.

A r t s e tÉC d iutlotruirael

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musica - musique - music

Michael Occhipinti’s Sicilian Jazz Project makes it to the Juno’s

by Elvira Truglia

“I had never really wanted to play Sicilian music,” says Michael Occhipinti; founder, composer and guitarist of the six-piece ensemble, the Sicilian Jazz Project. But things have changed. cchipinti’s latest CD garnered him his eighth Juno nomination in 2009 for the music he shied away from as a child. The album is somewhat a coming of age, “The Sicilian Jazz Project reflects the place where my parents ended up as much as where they started,” says Toronto-based Michael Occhipinti.

As a new father, Occhipinti had the urge to reconnect with his roots and start passing on his parents’ cultural legacy to his own children. So, with his big band NOJO (Neufield-Occhipinti Jazz Orchestra) touring in the Netherlands, he seized the opportunity to take his wife and threemonth old daughter on a month-long trip to Sicily. “Taking my daughter to Sicily made me want to know more about my own history and identity, and the music was an obvious place to start.”

His passion for the CD project was clinched when his brother Roberto lent him recordings that musicologist Alan Lomax had done in Sicily in 1954, just a couple of years after his parents immigrated to Canada from Modica. “Lomax was basically capturing the place that my parents left and that for me was the hook.”

Inspired by the Lomax recordings, the album documents the everyday lives of people in Southern Italy in an original way; the vocals and instrumental music tell the stories of tuna fisherman, sulfur miners and various peasants. The musical challenge for Occhipinti was to take folk tunes that are generally very simple and elaborate on them in a way that made them conducive to jazz improvisation.

In the Sicilian Jazz Project, Occhipinti mixes Sicilian dialect, elements of world music, modern jazz and even chamber music. You can listen to innovative versions of very familiar folk songs like Ciuri Ciuri and less familiar ones like The Almond Sorters. All the lyrics on the album are in Sicilian dialect, an important choice for Occhipinti, “For me you can’t separate the dialect from the music.” And although the CD is a tribute to his parents, he wants his music to appeal to a broad audience, “Frankly I wasn’t out to reach an Italian audience.

The fact is that most people will be hearing a foreign language anyways... so I think that I wanted it (Sicilian dialect) to be there because it’s the voice of my parents.”

O

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Ask Occhipinti what defines him as a jazz musician and he’ll describe his fearless decision to push the boundaries of jazz. His influences include West African music, reggae, classical music, blues and rock - all music that he was first exposed to by his brothers Roberto and Peter, both professional musicians by the time he was five-years old, and who he describes as his “musical role-models”. Making new arrangements of traditional Sicilian folk music is as natural to Occhipinti as reversioning music by Bruce Cockburn, an effort that brought him to the Juno Awards with the Canadian music legend in 2001, the same year Cockburn was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Historically, he says that jazz musicians have always recorded popular music. Jazz greats like Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis and John Coltrane were reinterpreting Broadway show tunes, the pop music of their day.

With the Sicilian Jazz Project, Occhipinti is reinterpreting the music that his parents listened to in their day. So, after exploring his musical roots, Occhipinti has come to his cultural roots. He says this is a typical process for children of immigrants and not just ItalianCanadians. Referring to the musicians in his band, he points to accordion player Louis Simao who is a second generation Portuguese-Canadian and has been exploring Portuguese music.

He also refers to the Egyptian-born vocalist Maryem Hassan Tollar who has been exploring Arabic music and to vocalist Domenic Mancuso who has recently released his own album of Sicilian music.

Since the Canadian release of the album, Occhipinti’s The Sicilian Jazz Project performed at jazz festivals across Canada in 2008. The recording was released world-wide in February 2009 and the group has been invited to perform in Italy, Australia, Mexico, and the United States this year.

As a jazz musician who has already explored many different musical genres, what’s the secret to his success? “I like to think that the reason the recordings succeed is because they’re honest, they are a reflection of who you are,” says Occhipinti. With the Sicilian Jazz Project, he was out to take folk music and make it something else, something personal. v

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Belle Arti - Beaux-Arts - Fine Arts

Exhibition Leonardo da Vinci: Artist, Inventor and Genius

by Claudia Ficca

Imagine traveling back 500 years in time.

Could you come up with such imaginative inventions as Leonardo da Vinci designed in his days? - Things as seemingly simple as a bicycle or a parachute? ntil June 30th, Montreal’s downtown Eaton Center is hosting the internationally acclaimed exhibition: Leonardo da Vinci: “Man, Inventor, Genius”, where an array of spectacular devices created by the great Master of the Renaissance is presented.

Upon entering the exhibition we are reminded of some of Leonardo’s most important and famous paintings by replicas of his work such as “The Last Supper” and “The Annunciation”. We are then welcomed with a bibliographical timeline presenting images and important dates of this fine Italian’s life. The exhibit itself is divided into four sections: civil machines, military machines, flight machines and water machines. Each invention is explained with bilingual text and presented with duplicates of Leonardo’s original drawings with his “mirror written” notes - a form of writing synonymous to da Vinci. Many of these inventions-some still in use today- can even be manipulated. Though his drawings do not always depict the actual look of today’s modern machines, the ideas and concepts originally came from the genius mind of da Vinci.

The civil machines area introduces visitors to mechanisms intended to facilitate man’s everyday life and activities. Tasks such as changing a flat tire would be darn right hell without the convenience and ease of a jack. Thankfully for all drivers, Leonardo, probably tired of suffering back pains, conceptualized the jack in detail. He was also the mastermind behind contraptions such as the crane, the hydraulic drill and the escalator.

Entering the military machines section, we can admire Leonardo’s military intelligence which somehow comes as a surprise from a man known mostly for his artwork. His thoughts on war machines, combat tools and battle techniques are impressively modern as testified by his redesign of the catapult, the complexity and gruesomeness of his use of the scythe and his multi-triggering tank.

Birds clearly seem to have been a major inspiration to Leonardo da Vinci and his quest for flight. As one enters the flight machines part of the exhibition various flying devices are presented such as the clinometer, the aerial screw (an ancestor to the helicopter), hand gliders, and a parachute. In his notes for the parachute he wrote: “ognuno si potrà gettare da qualsiasi altezza senza alcun rischio” and he was right, today whether it be for pleasure or duty, people use the parachute to jump out of planes with little risk.

The final section explores his water machines, once more showcasing his cleverness and forward thinking, by exploring ways that humans are able to float, walk on water and breathe underwater. His studies in the field have facilitated leisure activities such as scuba diving and the exploration of our sea life. His creation of the lifebuoy, for instance, consisted entirely of waterproof leather and was filled with air to allow flotation.

Throughout the exhibit, one truly comes away with a sense of how Leonardo da Vinci was a man well ahead of his time. His unique imagination allowed him to invent machines that still serve humans centuries later, and that will continue to serve them for centuries to come.

The Montreal Eaton Centre – 5th Floor • Schedule: Sunday to Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Thursday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. • 11,75 $ for adults, 9$ for seniors or children and 8$ for the family package (x 4 tickets). v

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Business

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Prosperity Simplicity Equilibrium

True Wealth Relationships Most Canadians don’t consider themselves “wealthy” - even when they have a relatively high net worth and own milliondollar investment portfolios. Surveys of Canadian millionaires reveal a modest attitude towards wealth, with most respondents viewing themselves as financially secure, rather than wealthy. Regardless of how you view your financial status, if you have $1 million or more in investment assets, your financial situation is more complex than the average Canadian. ou pay higher taxes and have a higher standard of living. Maybe you are a Family Business Entrepreneur or a business owner with an interest in a private corporation. In addition, you possibly own or plan to own more than one real estate property and likely have larger estate transfer and charitable giving desires. Furthermore, you are very busy with your day-to-day work and family life and may have not spent the time to determine if you are on track to achieve your retirement goals, as well as other important financial goals, such as minimizing taxes or planning for the eventual transfer of your estate.

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Y

Creating your financial plan One of the best ways to start mapping out your financial planning strategy is to step back and have an expert look at your overall financial situation and prepare a comprehensive written financial plan for you and your family. This type of financial plan addresses all aspects of your financial affairs, including cash and debt management, tax and investment planning, risk management and retirement and estate planning. It ensures that you leave no stone unturned related to your financial situation and potential strategies to enhance your wealth.

A comprehensive financial plan can address the following questions: • Can I retire when I want to and maintain my desired retirement lifestyle?

• How can I ensure that I don’t outlive my money?

• How can I minimize the taxes I pay each year?

• Is my investment mix appropriate?

• If I were to die unexpectedly, would my family be taken care of?

• How can I protect the value of my estate?

A higher level of customization In many cases, the key to a professionally prepared comprehensive financial plan is the level of customization it offers. A customized, comprehensive financial plan should involve the following: • In-depth discovery discussion to ensure that your goals, aspirations and objectives are clearly identified

• Projection of your financial situation (investment, retirement and estate) based on your current strategies and savings rate • Recommendation of key investment, tax, estate and retirement planning strategies that are aligned with your goals • Projection of your financial situation if the recommended strategies are implemented • An action plan that summarizes the key recommendations and a clear guideline for you and your advisor to help monitor their implementation

Financial planning for business owners A comprehensive financial plan is essential if you are a business owner, as you have more complex financial issues due to owning an active business. This includes business succession issues, withdrawing money out of the corporation tax effectively, taxation of the corporation at death, and more. Like many business owners, you may not have a retirement savings strategy, since you are relying on the equity in your business to fund your retirement.

A financial plan can help integrate your business and personal needs into a plan to ensure you are able to meet your goals.

Speak to us if you require more information about having a comprehensive financial plan prepared for you by one of our financial planning experts. Depending on your situation, you may only require a simple retirement plan or projection to determine if you are on track for meeting your retirement goals.

This article is provided by Rouleau Group Family Wealth Advisors of RBC Dominion Securities, a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund. This article appears in our guidebook, Family Wealth Management - Ten Strategies to Build and Protect Your Family’s Wealth. v

10 Strategies to Build and Protect Your Family’s Wealth If you are responsible for $1 million or more in family investment assets, you will be interested in reading Family Wealth Management from Rouleau Group Family Wealth Advisors of RBC Dominion Securities.

You will learn 10 key strategies to build and protect your wealth, even in uncertain economic times.

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Contact us at (514) 878-7122 or Claude.Rouleau@rbc.com.

Claude Rouleau, Ch. P. Vice-President

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Professional Wealth Management Since 1901

RBC Dominion Securities Inc.* and Royal Bank of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. *Member CIPF. ®Registered trademark of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. RBC Dominion Securities is a registered trademark of Royal Bank of Canada.

Used under licence. ©Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.

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Business

Mariage: que nous réserve l’avenir?

Me Pasquale Artuso

Le rêve de tous les époux est de vivre un mariage heureux et ce, jusqu’à ce que la mort les sépare.

Malheureusement, certains d’entre eux vivent d’importantes déceptions. Pour certains et pour des raisons qui leurs sont propres, la rupture devient la seule solution envisageable. Il est préférable de judiciariser cette situation en optant pour une procédure en séparation de corps ou en divorce puisque la simple séparation n’a, en principe, aucun effet juridique.

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PA S Q U A L E A RT U S O & ASSOCIÉS

Pasquale Artuso Avvocato di Fiducia Consolato Generale d’Italia Caroline Francoeur Avvocatessa T.: 514.259.7090

Valérie Carrier Avvocatessa Elena Milioto Avvocatessa

Pierre Fugère Avvocato - diritto criminale e penale

Julie Therrien Avvocatessa

Joseph W. Allen Avvocato dal 1976 diritto dell’immigrazione

F.: 514.256.6907

artmars@securenet.net

Complexe Le Baron, 6020, rue Jean-Talon Est, bureau 630 Montréal (Québec) Canada H1S 3B1

La séparation de fait

Le divorce

Certains époux se séparent sans entreprendre de procédures judiciaires. (séparation de fait). Cette séparation n’a aucun effet sur le plan juridique à l’exception de certaines conséquences en vertu de lois fiscales et sociales. Étant toujours mariés, les obligations du mariage subsistent (obligation d’entretien, etc.,). Une entente à l’amiable non respectée ne pourra être exécutée. Plusieurs dispositions du Code civil du Québec sont d’ordre public et les époux ne peuvent y déroger. Par exemple, un époux ne peut renoncer à réclamer une pension alimentaire pour son enfant et/ou renoncer au partage du patrimoine familial avant le prononcé d’un jugement (maison, auto, REER, etc.). Il est donc préférable que toute entente à l’amiable soit entérinée par le tribunal afin d’être exécutoire. Notons que si l’un des époux séparé de fait décède et qu’aucun testament n’a été rédigé, l’époux survivant héritera d’un tiers (1/3) de la succession.

Les procédures de divorce peuvent être intentées par l’un ou l’autre des époux (ou dans certains cas, conjointement). Pour obtenir un jugement de divorce, il faut que les époux vivent séparés depuis plus d’un an (au moment du jugement), et/ou que l’un des époux ait commis l’adultère et/ou ait fait preuve de cruauté mentale ou physique envers l’autre conjoint rendant intolérable le maintien de la vie commune.

Le jugement de divorce met fin au lien du mariage et à tous les effets civils. Ce jugement règlera le partage du patrimoine familial et de tous les autres biens appartenant à l’un ou l’autre des époux (régime matrimonial). Advenant que les ex-époux décident de reprendre vie commune, ils seront des conjoints de fait et pourront, s’ils le souhaitent, se remarier.

Notons que si l’un des ex-époux décède et qu’aucun testament n’a été rédigé, l’autre ex-époux ne pourra prétendre à aucun droit dans la succession.

La séparation de corps Les procédures en séparation de corps peuvent être intentées par l’un ou les époux (conjointement) si la volonté de faire vie commune est gravement atteinte, par exemple lorsque ceux-ci vivent séparés l’un de l’autre.

Contrairement au divorce, un jugement en séparation de corps ne met pas fin au mariage. Vous serez toujours mariés et vous ne pouvez vous remarier. Le jugement en séparation de corps règlera le partage du patrimoine familial et de tous les autres biens appartenant à l’un ou l’autre des époux (régime matrimonial). S’il y a reprise de vie commune après le jugement en séparation de corps, un nouveau patrimoine familial se constituera à compter de cette date. Notons également que si l’un des époux séparé de corps décède et qu’aucun testament n’a été rédigé, l’époux survivant héritera d’un tiers (1/3) de la succession.

Conclusion En cas de rupture, il est préférable pour les époux de régler de façon judiciaire les conséquences de leur séparation prévoyant notamment, la garde des enfants, la pension alimentaire, le partage du patrimoine familial, la liquidation du régime matrimonial, etc. Des procédures conjointes en séparation de corps ou en divorce peuvent également être entreprises. Les époux peuvent en tout temps avoir recours au service de médiation pour résoudre leur conflit. Il est dans tous les cas, fortement recommandé de consulter un avocat.

Me Pasquale Artuso et Me Valérie Carrier peuvent vous assister dans vos démarches.v

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Desjardins Caisse Populaire Canadienne Italienne Cassa Popolare Canadese Italiana

Mariano A. De Carolis avec son équipe de direction et de gestionnaires.

Desjardins

tion successorale, liquidation de succession et encore plus, toujours avec un service professionnel. La caisse jouit également des services de ses Directeurs de comptes commerciaux, experts aux niveaux commerciaux et industriels, qui guident les membres et les aident à financer des projets d’envergures.

Au 1er janvier 2009 la Caisse populaire Canadienne Italienne s’est fusionnée avec l’ex Caisse populaire Desjardins Saint Jean de la Croix. Cette dernière a été fondée en août 1933 et comptait initialement 35 membres. Le centre Saint Jean de la Croix, sous la direction de M. Enzo Rossi pendant 40 ans, est maintenant gérée par Madame Sara Falci qui œuvre dans Qui dans la communauté italienne n’a pas entendu parler ce centre depuis 1972. Issues du même milieu, les membres de ces deux caisses partageant d e l a C a s s a p o p o l a r e C a n a d e s e I t a l i a n a ? L’ e x Fi d u c i e les mêmes intérêts, et bénéficient de services et d’infrastructures communs, notamment en comme disent encore bien des personnes est considérée un matière de santé, d’éducation, de communication, en plus d’avoir accès à des installations petit bijou de la communauté italienne. Cette institution sportives, de loisirs et culturelles, sans compter nos infrastructures routières et nos pôles d’atfinancière a été fondée en 1974 par des hommes d’affaires traction et de consommation. Il n’y avait rien de plus naturel que d’unir ces deux forces pour en faire une institution financière plus solide. Ainsi, la nouvelle Caisse populaire Desjardins d’origine italienne et a débuté ses opérations en 1975.

Canadienne Italienne détient un actif sous gestion de plus de six cent millions de dollars, ce qui en fait une force économique considérable dans le secteur. La consolidation des meilleures pratiques des deux caisses favorise une meilleure uniformité dans l’offre et la yant hérité de cette belle institution en 2001, M. Mariano De Carolis le directeur général qualité des services aux membres. La nouvelle caisse veut développer son marché et devenir actuel se dévoue pour sa clientèle qui compte plus de 22 000 membres à Montréal. la première institution financière dans la gestion professionnelle des avoirs de ses membres.

La direction, entourée d’une équipe de gestionnaires hors pairs, veille à offrir un rendement Une attention soutenue est accordée financier très avantageux et s’implique plus à la qualité du service afin de maintenir que jamais dans la communauté. Depuis les relations d’affaires privilégiées que le 1997, la Caisse a distribué 11 850 000 $ personnel des caisses concernées a déjà en ristournes. Cette année également elle su développer avec ses membres s’apprête à verser une ristourne. À la caisse, respectifs. membre du plus grand groupe financier Les pratiques de gestion de la Caisse coopératif au Canada, la coopération est populaire Canadienne Italienne sont axées notre âme, et nos membres, notre raison sur le développement et la mobilisation des d’être. ressources humaines. Un accent particulier Aux yeux de Mariano De Carolis, est mis au plan de relève et de dévelopl’accessibilité constitue la clé pour satisfaire pement des ressources par de la formation les membres. «Nos membres ont, inévitablecontinue, des postes de relève identifiés et ment, une belle expérience de service une planification de main-d’œuvre suivie. lorsqu’ils se présentent dans un de nos neuf Le jumelage avec les ressources de centres de services, car il est facile d’y faire l’ancienne caisse a permis de consolider des transactions. Mais une belle expérience, Sara Falci, directrice du centre de services Saint Jean de la Croix avec son équipe. l’expertise au profit des membres. La c’est aussi un service précis et concis, avec un nouvelle équipe souhaite ainsi continuer à beau sourire, un buongiorno au début et un servir ses membres et les générations à venir. Résolument tourné vers l’avenir, la grazie à la fin!» déclare-t-il, tout en insistant sur la loyauté du personnel. En fait, plusieurs des nouvelle caisse évolue dans le respect des valeurs centrées sur une coopération active, 100 employés oeuvrant pour la Caisse sont en place depuis nombre d’années. Ils sont également mettant à contribution tous ses talents. en mesure de servir les membres en trois langues, soit le français, l’anglais et bien sûr, Avec ses neuf centres de services, la Caisse populaire Canadienne Italienne demeure l’italien, mais aussi l’espagnol, le russe, l’algérien et le vietnamien. Avec l’équipe de gestion des très accessible à ses membres qui peuvent également rencontrer un conseiller en dehors avoirs dirigée par la planificatrice financière Madame Angela Iermieri, les membres ont des heures d’ouvertures, sur rendez-vous. Chacun d’eux met toute sa compétence, son accès à une gamme de services financiers des plus complètes, afin de mieux gérer leurs intelligence et sa capacité d’innover au service des membres. v avoirs, soit: placements spécialisés, valeurs mobilières, gestion privée, assurances, planifica-

Caisse Populaire Canadienne Italienne Cassa Popolare Canadese Italiana

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514 270-4124 www.desjardins.com/caissecanadienneitalienne

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Interest Deductibility and the GAAR

By Peter Pomponio

Guidance Following the Supreme Court’s Decision in the Lipson Case n January 2009, the Supreme Court of Canada released its long-awaited decision in the Lipson case. The case dealt with the deductibility of interest expenses following a series of Itransactions which included the purchase of a home. The decision was eagerly anticipated, since taxpayers and advisors were concerned about the potential implications the case could have on strategies to make interest expenses tax-deductible. The case was also being monitored because the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) based its position on the application of the general anti-avoidance rule (the GAAR), a broad and somewhat controversial reassessment tool under the Income Tax Act intended to curtail “abusive” tax avoidance.

Background Mr. and Mrs. Lipson finalized a deal to purchase a home in 1994. Part of their planning involved implementing a series of transactions to make their mortgage interest tax-deductible.

On the day before the house purchase closed, Mrs. Lipson borrowed $560,000 from a financial institution and used the funds to buy shares in the family corporation from her husband. Mr. Lipson then used the share sale proceeds to buy the new home. The following day, the Lipsons received mortgage proceeds of $560,000 from the financial institution, which they used to repay Mrs. Lipson’s share purchase loan.

Relying on four specific tax rules, Mr. Lipson deducted the mortgage interest in the years following the transactions. The CRA reassessed Mr. Lipson and denied his interest deduction claims, asserting that the GAAR applied. Mr. Lipson fought the reassessments and lost in both the Tax Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal. The Lipsons appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada of Canada.

The Supreme Court The Supreme Court examined whether the Lipson transactions constituted abusive tax avoidance for the purposes of the GAAR. The court wrestled with the question of how four separate steps within a series of transactions could produce abusive tax avoidance if no single step appeared to be abusive on its own. Ultimately, a narrow 4-3 majority (with two separate dissenting opinions) agreed with CRA and applied the GAAR to deny Mr. Lipson’s interest deductions.

Implications - interest deductibility and debt swaps Many Canadians have engaged in “debt swap” transactions in order to improve their tax efficiency. Simplified, these strategies typically involve liquidating non-registered investments to repay non-deductible debt and then obtaining a new loan to acquire investments, so that the interest on the investment loan would be tax-deductible. The use of such a strategy was validated in the Supreme Court’s Singleton decision in 2001.

Concern arose that the Supreme Court decision in Lipson would expose these techniques to GAAR reassessments (which was not an issue in Singleton since the GAAR was not argued in that case).

The majority decision in Lipson specifically distinguished the Singleton case and emphasized that the GAAR was applied to the Lipsons due to their misuse of the attribution rules, which were not involved in Singleton.

It would therefore appear that the Lipson decision should not impact classic debt swap techniques implemented by an individual where the attribution rules are not at play.

Implications - the GAAR and future planning The GAAR is an important planning consideration and must always be considered when engaging in tax planning initiatives.

Regrettably, the majority decision created some new uncertainty about the breadth of the GAAR. Before Lipson, the GAAR was generally recognized as a “measure of last resort” for the CRA. However, the majority applied the GAAR to Mr. Lipson notwithstanding that a more specific anti-avoidance rule might also have applied, creating a concern that the decision might broaden the future scope of the GAAR rule. While time will tell how the courts interpret this aspect of Lipson, it appears to introduce an additional degree of uncertainty for tax planners in the near term.

The majority decision also provided taxpayers and their advisors with some welcome technical clarity regarding the GAAR. The majority confirmed that the proper analytical framework for assessing GAAR applications is the one established in two 2005 Supreme Court decisions - Canada Trustco and Kaulius. The majority also rejected the approach of assessing the “overall purpose” and “economic substance” of transactions when applying the GAAR, in favour of the more objective standard of examining their “overall result”. These developments create some added certainty for future tax planning.

Summary Taxpayers and their planners can be cautiously optimistic that the Supreme Court’s decision in Lipson does not eliminate classic debt swap strategies, so long as the attribution rules have not been misused. It remains to be seen whether or not the decision will broaden the GAAR and future court hearings will likely be required to resolve whether or not the GAAR is a tool “of last resort”.

The information in this article is provided solely for informational and educational purposes and is not intended to provide individual financial, investment, tax, estate, legal or accounting advice. Professional advice should be obtained prior to acting on the basis of this information.

Peter Pomponio is a Vice-President of Assante Capital Management Ltd (Member CIPF). He is the owner of the Ville StLaurent Branch and practices as a Senior Fully Licensed Representative and Financial Planner from the Ville St-Laurent Office.

He can be reached at (514)832-5100, or by email at ppomponio@assante.com. v

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DUCATI

opens the first Canadian showroom in MONTREAL’s Little Italy After months of preparation and collaboration with D u c a t i N o r t h A m e r i c a , A l a i n Tr o t t i e r, P r e s i d e n t o f Monette Sports, and his Director Christian Touchais realized their dream of bringing DUCATI to Montreal. ot on the heels of its most successful year ever, Ducati North America carried its momentum into 2009 by opening its bran new and first Canadian showroom completed by its new retail design program - a newly designed space located in the heart of Montreal’s Little Italy.

Montreal will be the fourth DUCATI “destination dealership” in North America explains Monette. Following Southern California, New Orleans and New York, it’s now Montreal’s turn to maximize the experience of the DUCATI lifestyle.

“We’ve been looking for the perfect Montreal location for DUCATI for a long time,” Alain Trottier told us, “and we finally found it in Little Italy. Of course, we’ll still be selling and servicing motorcycles in Laval, but, with this new moto-boutique, we’ll now have a foot in Montreal and access to a much larger clientele.”

“We’re in the process of creating one of those unique places, where you can experience Italian motorcycle culture, Ducati-style. In our new Ducati Retail Design concept

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showroom, Montreal fans will be among the first in Canada to view the new models and everything that the brand stands for. We will be selling a lot more than motorcycles.

Ducati is an entire lifestyle, and we want enthusiasts and future Ducatisti to experience Italian design in every sense of the word,” explained Jim McKenna, Commercial Director of Ducati Canada.

Founded in 1926, DUCATI builds racing-inspired motorcycles characterized by unique engine features, innovative design, advanced engineering and overall technical excellence. The company produces motorcycles in six market segments which vary in their technical and design features and intended customers: Superbike, Streetfighter, Monster, Multistrada, SportClassic and Hypermotard. The company’s motorcycles are sold in more than 60 countries worldwide, with a primary focus in the Western European, North American and Japan markets. DUCATI competes in the World Superbike and MotoGP World Championships. In W o r l d S u p e r b i k e , D U C AT I w o n b o t h t h e 2 0 0 8

Manufacturers’ and Riders’ titles, bringing the total to 15 of the last 18 Manufacturers’ titles and 13 Riders’ titles.

Competing in MotoGP since 2003, DUCATI won both the Constructors’ and Riders’ world titles in 2007.

For more information, please visit our web site at www.ducati.com v

Superfantastico 2 0 0 9 A truly unforgettable night The 14th annual edition of Superfantastico took place in the Theatre Maisonneuve at the Place des Arts complex on Saturday March 21st. The contest was hosted by CFMB radio personalities Silvana Di Flavio and Nick De Vincenzo.

Th e d u o a r e t h e f o u n d e r s o f t h i s successful Italian music competition which started in 1995. he Canadian constituents of this year’s prestigious jury was made up of Canadian Idol judge Farley Flex, artist manager Ivan Berry, and Montreal’s very own Larry Mancini, also an artist manager. The Italian judges included four renowned artists; Mario Natale, Paola Palma, Massimo Luca, and Sanremo winner Laura Bono. The judges agreed that this year’s edition was one of the most difficult in terms of selecting a winner due to the overwhelming pool of talented young singers.

During the judge’s congregation, the audience was treated to a series of special performances. Jessica Taddio, last year’s Superfantastico winner, performed Stelline in Brodo, a song written by Paola Palma and Massimo Luca. Worldrenowned opera comedienne Natalie Choquette and a rising star, Daniel Panetta delivered an unforgettable rendition of Ernesto de Curtis’ Non ti Scordar di Me. The duet with Panetta, the 17-year-old Toronto native, can be found on Natalie Choquette’s latest album, Terra Mia. At the end of a truly unforgettable night, the winner’s trophy went to 22-year-old Dominic Miceli, for his interpretation of Sere Nere by Tiziano Ferro. Miceli, a Montreal-North resident, was the only male contestant at this year’s competition. Liana Carbone, 18, from St. Leonard won second place with her performance of Sei Bellissima, by Loredana Berte. The third place trophy went to 14-year-old Claudia Vaccaro who sang Nel cuore delle donne by Silvia Salemi. Chloe Veronica Colantonio won the online “people’s choice award”. v

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Tony Iacovell i un cuore d’oro Tony Iacovelli, nato a Sannicandro di Bari il 14 Aprile, 1949 è vissuto in Venezuela fino all’età di 13 anni. Venuto qui in Canada nel 1966, Tony ha cominciato a lavorare nel negozio di macelleria di suo padre.

Più tardi si è fatto strada nell’industria della carne dov’è molto conosciuto e rispettato da tutti coloro che lo hanno incontrato nel corso degli anni.

Nel 1974 si è unito in matrimonio con Rina e più tardi è diventato papà di Sabrina e Nadia che lo hanno adorato dal primo giorno della loro vita. Tony è sempre stato per i genitori ,un figlio rispettoso, per le figlie un padre esemplare e per la moglie un marito fedele. Lavoratore instancabile , onesto, altruista, sempre sorridente anche nei momenti più difficili e sempre pronto ad aiutare chi ne hanno bisogno. Un cuore d’oro….

Ed ora con l’auiuto di Panoram Italia auguriamo a Tony un mondo di bene! Tanti, tanti auguri per il suo 60emo compleanno!

SIAMO FIERI DI CHIAMARTI: “PAPÀ”.

Tua moglie Rina e le tue figlie Sabrina e Nadia v

Antonietta Panzera “100 years young”

by Giuseppe Valiante

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t is customary to say “cent’anni” when glasses of wine or liquor are raised to celebrate the birthday of someone close. It is done to wish them a long, healthy and prosperous life.

However, one particular birthday is causing a dilemma for my family. Fortunately, I can say without the slightest of hesitation that it is one of the greatest and sweetest dilemmas known to man. My beloved great grandmother, Antonietta Panzera, my father’s grandmother, my grandfather’s mother, is 100 years young. What, in the name of festivities, shall we say when we raise our glasses?

“Two hundred years!” is a little too obvious. So is the staid line, “and many more.” This is quite the dilemma for what we say must be something special- it’s not often a relative turns 100.

What can we say about a woman who has lived through two world wars? Seen the evolution of the things we all take for granted: the airplane, telephone and the computer? What could we possibly tell the woman who has lived to see five generations of her family grow and succeed?

When my extended family gets together for a meal -an event far too infrequent these days- I know my great grandmother stares at us in silent satisfaction, although she will never admit it because she is far too modest. When she looks across the table at engineers, accountants, musicians and the startlingly beautiful eyes of the newest addition to our family, my cousin’s baby daughter, I know she thinks, “I made this.”

Like the artist who stares back contently at it’s finished work on a canvas, I know my great grandmother looks round the room and knows it would be too selfish to ask for a hundred more years - she has already created her masterpiece.

And when I think about our little dilemma more deeply, I realize it isn’t a dilemma at all.

This year, my family needs to raise a glass of my grandfather’s fresh, crimson wine and say two simple words that have generations of meaning: Thank You. Thank you for making all of us possible. And certainly, happy birthday to you. v

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Saverio (Sam)

Braccio Agent immobilier affilié

Cell.: 514.758.1006 7085, boul. Saint-Laurent Montréal, Québec H2S 3E2 T: 514.278.7170 F: 514.278.2109 sambraccio@remax-ducartier.qc.ca

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Italy’s Old Lady Planting Canadian roots Juventus Soccer School makes its way to Brossard

by Adam Zara

reater Montreal’s youth soccer community received quite a treat this past Spring Break. Juventus Soccer School, one of the foremost youth development agencies for soccer worldwide, made a stop in Brossard’s new Complexe Sportif Bell for a weeklong session. Over 70 players aged 5 to 16 were trained by Juve youth instructors Alessandro Ramello, Luca Corona, and Davide Fornaca at the Montreal Canadiens’ new training grounds, under the supervision of Franco Scartozzi, Ousmane Kagoné, and Nabil Halwani of Montreal’s Golden Shoes Academy, who put the whole camp together.

A chat with the three torinesi produced a promising outlook on the future of our youth. “There’s definitely a good base to build on,” says trainer Alessandro Ramello, “there are some great players, and with our input and services, they can improve even more. The ultimate goal is for Canadian youth to train with the Juve model, and to be followed by qualified trainers.”

That most certainly wasn’t said with the intention of berating our fine Canadian soccer instructors. But even Golden Shoe’s Franco Scartozzi admitted that the parents were quick to marvel at the exercises the Juventus trainers were putting their kids through. “They’ve never seen such drills,” chuckled Franco.

The camp also served as an unofficial opportunity for members of Quebec’s elite soccer squads to put their qualities on display for representatives of Italy’s most followed team - something quite impressive upon hearing Ramello explain the School’s track record; “Juve’s program launches the most youths into pro soccer. Marchisio and Giovinco are examples of first-team Juve players that developed with us, and there are many others that grow with our program and then sign with other teams.”

Ramello then goes on to explain Juve’s philosophy regarding youth development. “We train the technical & physical aspects of their game, but also the mental. We try to make them understand that to reach great goals, you need much sacrifice, a maximum work ethic and practice - talent is not enough. There can be one in thousands that makes it on talent alone, but we are confident that using our model is the best way to move forward. At the same time, it also needs to be fun, because they won’t all be able to make it to Serie A.” In an effort to establish a concrete partnership with Golden Shoes Soccer Academy, Juventus Soccer School will return to the Greater Montreal region this summer for yet another camp from July 6th to the 10th. Many more kids are expected this time around, so be sure to inscribe without delay. www.goldenshoesacademy.com v

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Une grande première au Québe c !

Des entraîneurs des jeunes d'une des meilleures équipes professionnelles Européenne donneront pour la première fois un Camp d’Été de Soccer au Québec!

En effet, nous avons le grand plaisir de vous présenter le Camp de Juventus du 6 au 10 JUILLET, où des entraîneurs, des jeunes de cette équipe prestigieuse viendront donner le même type d'entraînement qu'ils donnent à leurs jeunes en Italie.

A First in Québe c !

Juventus Youth Coaches will give the 1st Soccer SUMMER Camp in Québec.

It is with great pleasure to present JUVENTUS CAMP during 6-10 July, where coaches of this Prestigious Team will come and give the same training that they give to their young players in Italy.

Don’t miss this opportunity !

Ne ratez pas cette occasion Unique !

Information: info@goldenshoesacademy.com

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Truly Made to Race! Q & A with Formula 1 pilot Jarno Trulli arno Trulli was born in Pescara, Abruzzo on July 13th 1974.

His parents were motor sport fans and named their son after Jarno Saarinen, the Finnish Grand Prix motorcycle racing champion who was killed at Monza in 1973.

Trulli is exceptionally fast during qualifying sessions. When it comes to lap performance, few drivers can match his accuracy, speed, and precision. However, Trulli’s lack of pace during races has caused him to become one of the most undervalued pilots in Formula One. Trulli is married to Barbara and they have two sons, Enzo, 14, named after Jarno’s father, and Marco, who is three-yearsold. He is the co-owner of a vineyard in Italy and produces his own wine. He also has his own range of Karts named “Trulli Kart”; Trulli himself was a World Champion at the Karting level, and a German Formula Three champion. In 2000, he received the Lorenzo Bandini Trophy, awarded to an outstanding figure from the world of racing. PanoramItalia recently caught up with the Italian pilot.

J

PI: I hear you’re not a “typical Italian”. Please explain.

JT: Yes, that’s true. Generally I’m the type that always arrives on time for appointments. Another reason would be because I’m not a very big soccer fan, but I do like to watch it. I guess that is why I’m not a “typical Italian”.

PI: You own your own vineyard in Italy.

What does viticulture have in common with auto racing?

JT: Well, I guess the passion, passion for excellence.

Whether it be on a racetrack or in a vineyard making wine, you always try to do your best with the elements you have at your disposition. In the case of making wine, we have elements such as the vines, the soil, and we have the grapes. We try to do our best with what we work with.

by Joey Franco

PI: What is the difference between the two?

JT: In auto racing, you have to drive a car, and of course with viticulture, you try to do the best you can with the land and with the production of the wine.

PI: What does the Montreal Grand Prix mean to you personally?

JT: The Montreal Grand Prix is a race on the Formula One calendar which I’m always glad to attend. Unfortunately, I don’t have much leisure time when I come to this city because I spend most of my time promoting my wine and attending events.

PI: What was your proudest moment in Formula One? JT: Without a doubt, my victory at the Monaco Grand Prix. It was a great satisfaction and a great result after many years of hard work and sacrifices.

PI: In all your years in Formula One, who has been the most talented teammate you have raced with?

JT: Well, Alonso, Ralf Schumacher, Frentzen, Panis, they were all very, very, fast pilots.

PI: How are you enjoying F1 without automated assistance?

JT: Personally, I think it is better. I like it more like this than with the technical assistance. I am enjoying it just fine.

PI: Will we see your two sons, Enzo and Marco, on a race track in years to come?

JT: I hope not. I would not want them to go trough the same sacrifices that I have gone trough to get where I am.

PI: Do you have a message for all the Italians in Montreal?

JT: It’s always a pleasure to come to Montreal, it is a city filled with Italians and over the years they wave been very warm and welcoming towards me. Therefore I thank them very much. Un saluto e un abbraccio a tutti! v

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Ecclestone sells out Montreal Throughout the past three decades, Montreal has become the undisputed Mecca of North American motorsport. In 2008, one man’s decision put an end to a generation of lore and glory on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit.

Bernie Ecclestone, president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration, or known simply as “F1 Supremo” is the person to blame for this decision. The Brit who’s richer than the Queen, needs to set his personal agendas aside and put some common sense into practice. According to a report from Exchange Media, the 2005 Montreal Grand Prix was the most watched Grand Prix in the world and the third most watched sporting event on the planet, behind the Super Bowl and the UEFA Champions League final. Common sense would dictate that if a race in the world circuit had to be dropped it would be one of the least popular races, not one of the most televised events in the world.

The F1 Supremo’s agenda in the past several years has been apparent; ignore all of North America as a venue for Formula One and incorporate races in the Middle East such as Bahrain, Turkey, and Abu Dhabi. It is ludicrous for the Formula One boss to simply ignore the largest automotive market in the world and replace it with the Abu Dhabi circuit. Ecclestone has simply taken a decision that best feathers his nest.

It doesn’t take an FBI agent to figure out what is happening. In fact, an infant could decipher the situation.

Formula One is fuelled by millions of advertising dollars.

Corporations dish out tens of millions of dollars to have their brand displayed on a Formula One car. Recently, huge sums

by Joey Franco

of money from Middle Eastern companies such as Emirates Airlines, and more importantly, major oil companies such as Shell and Mobil 1 have had a huge impact on the revenues of Formula One Management. The Bahrain Grand Prix was just the beginning of the Supremo’s venture in the Gulf region. Back in 2006, Ecclestone signed an exclusive deal with Union Properties, one of the UAE’s leading developers and the creator the Dubai Autodrome racetrack, to open a $360m F1 theme park next to the Dubai Autodrome in the heart of Dubailand. Persian Gulf emirate Abu Dhabi is planning to put Dubai’s F1 theme park to shame by creating Ferrari World, a 2,500-acre “high-tech” theme park featuring simulator rides, roller coasters, an interactive museum and a theatre with an Italian-themed play and a race track.

Can La Ronde possibly compete with that?

Then there are companies such as Mubadala Development, a multi portfolio investment company which is state owned and based in Abu Dhabi. Mubadala also

FIFA Confederations cup 2009

by Adam Zara IFA’s Confederations Cup might not be the most celebrated event in world football, but this year’s edition in South Africa promises Fto deliver the goods, with match-ups and potential match-ups made in heaven.

The tournament, which acts as a practice run of sorts for the host nation of the forthcoming World Cup, is currently held every four years, one year prior to the World Cup, and uses half the stadia intended for the following year’s event. It’s contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederations championships: the Euro Cup, the CONCACAF Cup, the African Nations Cup, the Copa America, the AFC Asian Cup, and the OFC Nations Cup. To bring the number of competing teams up to eight, the Confederations Cup also includes the previous FIFA World Cup winner and the host country.

This year’s tournament runs from June 14 to 28 and will mark the first time that Italy and Spain participate. The group stage will feature the first official competition meeting between Italy and Brazil since Roberto Baggio’s missed spot kick in the 1994 World Cup Final.

The knockout phase of the two-week long journey, which includes semifinals and a final, could potentially produce a repeat of the Euro 2008 quarterfinal match between Italy and Spain, a Brazil vs. Spain meeting that would be sure to thrill, and a second meeting between Italy and Brazil, this time in the final match.

The significance of the matches at hand can be debated, but they will surely give the public an idea of how the competing teams will fare at the World Cup next summer, as well as provide a solid dose of international action, which is always appreciated by any soccer fan. v

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holds a substantial stake in Ferrari s.p.a. which they purchased from Mediobanca. Then there’s Eithad Airlines, based in Abu Dhabi who signed a 3 year 100 million $ sponsorship contract with Ferrari. Let’s not forget Aldar Real Estate, based in a city in the United Arab Emirates that begins with the letter A and ends with Dhabi. Come to think of it, I don’t recall any Canadian corporations that have major interests in F1. Cirque du Soleil is the only Canadian company that has expressed interest in sponsoring Team Mclaren Mercedes.

Then again, a group from the UAE has significant holdings in the Cirque. Also, in early 2007, the Bahrain government’s Mumtalakat consortium bought a 30 per cent stake in the McLaren Group, which runs the McLaren Formula One team.

The basic fact is that the Supremo is in bed with the power brokers from the Gulf region, and Montreal has to take a hit for the power hungry Ecclestone to satisfy his personal agenda. Case closed! F1 drivers may have to gulp down more non-alcoholic rosewater champagne than usual in the near future. v

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www.panoramitalia.com Auguri ai nostri laureati e diplomati Congratulations to all our graduates Félicitations à tous nos diplomés PamoramItalia is proud to present the 2008-2009 graduates. A diploma, no matter at what academic level, is a symbol of excellence and a reward for all the hard work graduates put into their studies. Congratulations, Félicitations, Auguri. Best of luck for your future endeavours.

Julia De Rose Université de Montréal Baccalauréat en droit

Joseph Polito Concordia University Electrical Engineer 2007

Marc Alexander Di Nardo Graduated in Marketing with Distinction from Concordia University, The John Molson School of Business

Melissa Coronati, O.D. University of Montreal Optometrist 2009

Sabrina Jessica Pallotta John Molson School of Business Concordia University Bachelor of Commerce Management - 2008

Tina Melissa Oliveri McGill University Bachelor of Arts Major in Psychology 2008

Elisa Maria Pace McGill University Bachelor of Education 2009

Cynthia Di Luigi McGill University Faculty of Education B. Ed. 2009

Discenza, Francesca UQAM Admistration, Profil Ressource-Humaine 2008

Vincenza Jinny Conte Concordia University Specialization Biology Bachelor of Science 2008

Giovanni Carriero Concordia University Bachelor of Civil Engineering 2009

Kim Pasquale McGill University Bachelor of Education

Gerardo Tummillo ETS (Universite du Quebec) IT ENGINEER 2008

Melissa Pavesi McGill University Faculty of Education Kindergarten and Elementary Education program

Jordana Scarapicchia Bachelor's Degree Major: Human Relations Concordia University 2008

Esterina Gutta McGill University Bachelor of Education Kindergarten and Elementary 2009

Steven Bortoli Concordia University Bachelor degree of Arts, Major in Psychology 2008

Danny Bruni, MBA Concordia University MBA in Investment Management John Molson School of Business/Goodman Institute - 2009

Caterina D'Ambra Concordia University Bachelor of Arts Honours in Psychology with distinction 2008

Davina Giove Université de Montréal Relations Industrielles Bachelière 2008-2009

Anne-Marie Ferraro Baccalauréat en éducation de la petite enfance 2009

Idalina Feudale McGill University Faculty of Education Bachelor of Education 2009

Cristina Caprarelli Bachelor of Civil Engineering Concordia University 2009

Vanessa De Carvalho McGill University Bachelor of Education 2009

Maria Louisa Di Girolamo LL.B. Bachelor of Law Université de Montréal 2008

Sabrina Di Iorio McGill University Bachelor of Education Kindergarten and Elementary 2009

Nadia D'Apice McGill University Bachelor of Arts Psychology 2008

Kayla Antonucci McGill University Bachelor of Science Major in Physiology 2009

Graduates

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69

Julia Barone McGill University Master of Science 2009

Sabrina Torre Faculty of Science Bsc Microbiology and Immunology

Felicia Ionata Concordia University Human Resource Management (BComm) 2008

Melissa Cianci Concordia University Bachelor of Commerce 2008

Fabrizia Gentile Université de Montréal Baccalaureat de Kinesiologie 2008

Nadia Di Gennaro McGill University Bachelor of Education 2008

Marie-Ashley Ventrella Marianopolis College Social Science (DEC) Law, Society and Society Program 2009

Laura Vannelli McGill University Bachelor of Social Work 2009

Sabrina Silvano University de Montréal Faculté de Droit Bachelor of Law LL.B 2009

Eliana Angela Gabrielli Collège Français Collège supérieur, programme de science 2008-2009

Melissa Valente-Paterno Laurier MacDonald High School International Baccalaureate Program 2009

Julien P. Pellegrino College Montmorency Soin Infirmier 2009

Luigi Riccio Laurier MacDonald High School D.E.S. 2009

Vanessa Pallotta West Island College High School Diploma 2009

Lucas Gaudio Loyola High School 2009

José-Andrés Brito Jr. Laurier MacDonald High School High School Diploma 2009

Amanda Rosa Geroges Vanier High School Sports-Études

Dario Cosentino Collège Beaubois Diplôme d’études secondaires - 2009

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Sabrina Brisebois Centennial Regional High School High School graduate 2009

Lawrence Blasi Macdonald High School High School Grads

Analicia Gaudio Laurier MacDonald High School

Massimo Cannucci Loyola High School 2008-2009

Jordan D'Alesio Laurenhill Academy 2008

Alexandra Grano Diplôme d'études secondaires Collège de l'Assomption

Vincent Jr. Blasi Macdonald High School High School Grads

Mark Seccareccia Loyola High School D.E.S. 2009

Adamo Carlone Genesis Elementary School 2008

Celia Persechino John F. Kennedy High School 2008-2009

Melissa D'Amico Collège Regina Assumpta Diplôme d'études secondaire 2009

Sara D’Amato Vanier College Honours Health Sciences 2009

Michael Grasso Laurier MacDonald High School 2009

Rosemarie Piccoli Laurier MacDonald High School 2008

Domenico Grasso Laurier MacDonald High School 2008

Palmerino Vitti Loyola High School 2009

Lysa Wolfe Lindsay Place High School June 2009

Gianluca Valiante Collège D’Anjou High School Diploma 2008-2009

Anthony Borsellino Diplôme d'études secondaires Lester B. Pearson

Alexandra Pepe École Marie-Clarac Graduate 2008

Gabriel Pilotte Pietrantonio Collège Régina Assumpta Diplôme d'études secondaire 2009

Palmerino Vitti Loyola High School 2009

Tanya Galasso Rosemere High School High School Diploma 2009

Giacomo Volpe Fine Arts (film production) Concordia University 2009

Cristina Carlone École Marie-Clarac Secondary V June 2008

Anthony Pagliaro John Rennie High School Pointe Claire, Quebec 2009

Julian Rossi College Notre-Dame High School Leaving Certificate 2009

Gabrielle Palmieri Collège Durocher St-Lambert Diplôme d'étude secondaire

Alexandra Martorana Manno Laurier Macdonald High school IBO Hounour student Graduate and Recipient of History Award 2008

Laura Michelle Ragonese Collège Marie-Clarac 2009

Maryanne Ciannone École Marie-Clarac Diplôme d'études secondaire Programme International 2009

Daniel Borrelli Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf Diplôme d'études secondaires 2009

Mark Domenico Diano Collège Regina Assumpta High School Diploma 2009

Amanda Rullo Queen of Angels Academy 2009

Adriana Carbonaro Collège Regina Assumpta Diplôme d'étude secondaires (DES) Profil sciences 2009

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