| p>For those of you that have been reading my articles | | | | would roll down your cheeks! Italian songs, especially |
| over the past few months, you've gotten an inside look | | | | those sung by singers from a Neapolitan background, |
| into 1 Canadian Italian woman's point of view and | | | | are the most touching. |
| thoughts. | | | | Of course we can't forget good old Dean Martin. Who |
| As I sit at my desk, about to write a new article, I | | | | doesn't get a thrill when he sings "When the Moon hits |
| decided to put in an old, old tape, yes a tape...in the CD | | | | the sky, like a big pizza pie" it's a part of our heritage |
| player, there's an opening for tapes and thank God, | | | | somehow, and everyone knows most of the words. |
| because I have over 160 tapes and they all hold | | | | One song that resonates the most is "Lasciatemi |
| wonderful memories and moments over the course of | | | | cantare", By Toto Cotugno. |
| my lifetime. | | | | Lasciatemi cantarecon la chitarra in manolasciatemi |
| So, as I popped in a very old tape, with every favourite | | | | cantareuna canzone piano piano |
| Italian song from my youth... | | | | Lasciatemi cantareperché ne sono fierosono |
| It had been several years since I had listened to these | | | | l'italianol'italiano vero. |
| songs that I grew up on, and was caught so off guard | | | | (You can Google for the entire translation, it's a must!) |
| when with the first song tears came rolling down my | | | | Snippets of memories come to me, from as early at 8 |
| face. | | | | years old when we'd be on vacation in Hampton |
| If you're over born before 1970 and come from a little | | | | Beach or Old Orchard Beach and my aunt would be |
| Italian background, then you would have memories of | | | | this portable record player that literally "ate" records |
| songs sung by "Celentano, di Bari, Modugno" and of | | | | and played them, the old 45 rpm's. Ah my parents, |
| course the wonderful Louis Prima and Italo-Americano | | | | aunt and uncle would be sitting talking, I'd hear their |
| who loved his roots and sang the most beautiful tunes | | | | laughter and the tunes as I was lying in bed, wishing to |
| and ballads. | | | | be an adult and to be a part of their "click". |
| Italian songs are beyond special, for the ones with an | | | | Or when we'd be together at Christmas, the whole |
| upbeat and quick tempo "A che bello caffe, sol a | | | | family before anyone had ever died, and the songs |
| Napol san fa!!!" can get you going even if you're in the | | | | would play... and we'd sing along, and although I have a |
| lousiest of moods.. And then you listen to "O Solo Mio!" | | | | great speaking voice, my singing voice is horrific! I didn't |
| and even if you didn't understand the words, tears | | | | care. |