Me in my Italy shirt as a toddler The Xavierite
For this week’s edition of “Songs of Home,” I go back to a home that was home for my ancestors before their immigration to Chicago and the tunes they brought with them.
My mother is half Sicilian and my father is Sicilian and Calabrese. It is safe to say that I grew up Italian-American, and I’m forever proud that I did. More so, I’m proud that I grew up with so many fantastic artists who grew up the same way as I did.
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Growing up, I heard Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Louis Prima and Andrea Boccelli. I even indulged in my grandma’s Luciano Pavarotti vinyls on occassion. My grandmother always played “December 1963” and the soundtrack for “The Godfather,” so naturally, it will always be comforting and nostalgic to hear.
More so, pulling up my step-stool watching my mom make eggplant parmigiana, braciola, and pastina when I felt sick. I even remember watching my grandma make sauce and daydreaming about when it would be my turn next with the tunes of Italian-Americans in the background.
I often wondered if my Italian-American friends grew up the same way. So, I asked my two friends, Gianna Dimperio and Vanessa Serra for their input on Italian-American music to see if there were any similarities with all of us.
Sure enough, there was as Gianna recalled hearing the same artists like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. She writes, “I grew up on Sinatra and Martin always playing throughout the house.” She lists off “My Way” and “Fly Me to the Moon” as personal favorites from childhood.
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My friend Vanessa shares her memories from childhood as her family is from Cosenza, Italy which is located in the Calabria region of southern Italy and the same home to my father’s Calabrese side of the family.
She shares, “Ricchi E Poveri has always been my favorite band, especially the songs “Canzone d’amore” and “Sara Perche Ti Amo.” She said it reminds her of her father and zia (aunt) singing these songs to her every night and now she associates the songs with love and family.
After bonding with Vanessa as we not only share the same first name, but natives to the same town in Calabria, it felt so special to know so many people have the same bonds with the same music and we all hold the same values dear to our hearts.
Some of my family archive photos from Cosenza, Italy The Xavierite
One of the core memories I remember was going to the Taylor Street Little Italy Festival that took place every summer in Chicago. There, the music made me feel more in-tune with the culture along with the folk dances, crafts, shows and entertainment I was surrounded with.
My favorite songs from the festival were “Tu Vuo Fa’L’Americano,” “Oh, Marie,” “Pizzica Tarantata,” “Bedda Siciliana,” and “Marina.” Anytime I play these songs, I remember being a little kid dancing around Taylor Street being so happy to hear music that connects me to a place I wish I could be. My sister and I would roam around the festival playing with bubbles, eating arancini, and enjoying everyone around us.
Growing up with the music of Italian-Americans had inclined me to stay connected even outside of my personal life. Throughout high school, I participated in the International Club which was a time for students to come together and represent their culture through dress, food, and dancing.
After finding out the Italians were returning my sophomore year, I joined immediately and it was the happiest I’ve ever been to be included in a community with my classmates who grew up the same way I did. I even got to improve on my folk dances and still have them memorized.
The “tarantella” was my personal favorite and I still catch myself doing it every time I hear the tune at work or when it comes on my playlist. What’s even better is that the dance segments are still up on YouTube to this day.
It’s memories such as these where the music tells a story of history, culture, language, and a place that was home for all of my ancestors. The music of my childhood was a reminder of who I am and where my roots are and why that itself is a beautiful thing.
My favorite Italian songs are “Felicita” by Al Bano and Romina Power and “L’Italiano” by Toto Cutugno as both songs translate into meanings of happiness for ourselves and what it means to be Italian. For me, it means to never forget your roots, be proud of them, and let the traditions carry on. As Dean Martin said, “That’s Amore.”