Published in the August 30 – September 12, 2017 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Mark Fenichel
ALFIO
He’s from Australia and can sing in five languages. His heritage is Italian and he is an Emmy-nominated performer. His audiences say he is hilarious. He sells out most shows whenever he performs and his only West Coast stop is in Morgan Hill. Who is such a person?
He is Australian singer ALFIO. Considered to be the consummate showman dazzling audiences with his powerhouse voice combined with his combination of Australian charm and Italian flair, he is known as the one that breathes new life into the music of Elvis, Sinatra and Bocelli. ALFIO is also a singer-songwriter and within his shows he performs his own tunes which are fresh and exciting.
The quality of his tenor voice evokes a mash-up of Andrea Bocelli, Tom Jones and Michael Bublé and he also does something few if any other artists can do … he performs an aria while accompanying himself on piano.
As an Italian crooner with an Australian accent, he tends to catch his audiences off guard … in the best possible way.
ALFIO has the ability to balance a nostalgic repertoire of familiar tunes with his original songs, and in between, he draws his fans into hysterics not with jokes, but with his charming Australian-Italian demeanor.
Known around the world for his modern interpretations of English and international standards, classic takes on contemporary chart-toppers, and original compositions that bridge musical genres, this powerhouse vocalist brings a new approach to the tenor tradition while joining the illustrious ranks of world-famous performers such as Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli and Michael Bublé. ALFIO primetime live TV concert special, ‘ALFIO in Concert’ has been viewed by more than 100 million people across the United States.
During his time in the U.S. last year, ALFIO created history as the first Australian-Italian to have a national TV concert on PBS as well as the first Australian to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the historic Madison Square Garden. He recently released “ALFIO in Concert” on CD, which reached No. 8 on the Billboard Classical Crossover Charts.
His current tour includes many major U.S. cities, however, in the Bay Area his only performance will be at Guglielmo Winery in Morgan Hill. The Guglielmo brothers, who are both friends and fans of ALFIO, were thrilled when ALFIO accepted their invitation to perform at their historic winery on the outdoor stage overlooking the beautiful sprawling vineyards. There will be only one show on the evening of Sept. 24. I am told as of this writing that 75 percent of the VIP seats have been sold and general seating is swiftly selling as well. I already have my tickets and look forward to seeing ALFIO in action. For tickets and more information go to www.guglielmowinery.com or call the winery at (408) 779-2145.
On another note, the final Downtown Friday Night Music Series show is Sept. 1 and features one of the most popular acts in the history of the series, Entourage. The opening act starts at 6 p.m. with Entourage taking the stage at 7 p.m. Come early for a good seat.
The Taste of Morgan Hill is scheduled for Sept. 23 and 24 and the main stage will be located on East Third Street right by Ladera Grill.
The music will go from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday and include The Pacific Soul Band and Shane Dwight Saturday and The Hackjammers and The Fast Lane Band Sunday. A complete schedule will appear in my next column.
If you have a music tip send it to [email protected]
