Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu

The song of the week is a tune whose title is often mistaken… The song is “Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu” . 

 Many people think the title is “Volare”.  It was performed by Italian icon Domenico Modugno, who wrote the music and co-wrote the words along with Franco Migliacci.  Modugno was a singer and song-writer from the region of Puglia, in southern Italia.

 “Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu” won the “Festa di San Remo” for the best Italian song of 1958.  During that historical performance, Modugno moves his arms as if he were flying (volare means “to fly”).  Apparently, up until that date, Italian singers sang on stage with their arms on their chest.

The tune also won third place in  the 1958 Eurovision (for the best song in Europe) 

“Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu” was even top on the American charts for 5 weeks in 1958 – the only Italian song to ever top the American charts.   It also won two Grammy Awards – “Song of the Year” and “Record of the Year”. 

A famous Italian American by the name of Dino Crocetti, more commonly known as Dean Martin, recorded his version of the tune also in 1958, in English, with lyrics adapted by Mitchell Parish.

The song is quite a romantic song, recounting the dream that the narrator is dreaming… “a dream so beautiful that he might never dream it again”.  In this dream he paints his hands and face blue and starts to fly in the infinite sky.  The first verse proclaims that in his dream, “una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me” – “a sweet music that is playing just for me”.   The first chorus finish with Modugno singing “felice di stare qua su” – “happy to be up here” (dreaming that he is up in the sky).  The last verse claims that “la tua voce e’ una musica che suona soltanto per me” – “your voice is a music that plays just for me” .  The last line presents a very romantic contrast in which he sings “felice di stare qua giu” - “happy to be down here” (on the earth and not dreaming anymore).

This romantic song, after almost 50 years, has remained one of the most well known songs in the world.  If you want to hear it live, come hop on Tram Tracks and you can sing along with the band !

Rocking the Colosseo

Everyone knows at if you are going to visit Roma, the Colosseo is a must-see. It’s a masterpiece of ancient technology, having endured 2,000 years of earthquakes, pilfering, fires and violently spectacular Roman entertainment. But did you know that in the past decade, the Colosseo has hosted a number of concerts by some of the world’s top musicians?

It started in 2002, when Ray Charles and other international artists came together to perform at Time for Life, a concert held during a multi-day global peace conference in Roma. The blues star hosted the event, and sang “Georgia on My Mind” in a brilliant gold sequined jacket.

In 2004 Simon & Garfunkel and the Everly Brothers rocked out in front of more than 500,000 spectators on the Via dei Fori Romani, rivaling their famous Central Park show that became one of the largest concerts in history.

Elton John used the Colosseo as the backdrop for a classic piano performance in 2005. The audience rocked along to favorites like Tiny Dancer and Bennie and the Jets under the blue and gold light of the Colosseo's illuminated arches.

In 2006, it was Billy Joel and Bryan Adams. As in years past, an estimated half a million people were in attendance, and giant viewing screens had to be set up along Via dei Fori Imperiali to improve the view for all to see.

In 2003, Sir Paul McCartney played an intimate acoustic set inside the Colosseo for charity and to raise money to maintain Rome’s historic sites. Tickets were restricted to just 400 lucky fans, each paying up to €1,295 for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The next evening, armed with his classic left-handed Hofner Bass, McCartney performed another legendary (and free) set for 500,000 Romans and visitors in front of the ancient battle arena. He even played a special version of Domenico Modugno’s iconic Italian classic, “Il blu e dipinto di blu” also known as “Volare”!

It looks as though organizers have discontinued the concerts, but fortunately anyone can catch the beauty of the Colosseo in the Eternal City! There are so many ways to see this magnificent structure, with each vista and time of day offering a new perspective on the structure’s architectural beauty. Get out and explore the city, and hop on TramTracks to catch a view of the Colosseo like you've never seen it before!