Author(s): Federico Armeni
Date of publication: -
Un po´ di Zucchero
Sugar Day and Night 2002
Our friend Federico Armeni wrote the following review of this years Sugar Day and Night event. The article has also been published on the Funky Gallo site and the fanclub "forum".
Ten years ago the tribute to Zucchero "Sugar" Fornaciari began. "The Sugar Night": Zucchero's party.
Also In the afternoon the meeting of the fanclub. Guest of the evening: Andrea Bocelli.
August 30th 2002: after six months of touring, Zucchero decides to return to his land and his people. The occasion is the "Sugar Night", a public expression that happens every year at Forte dei Marmi, in the middle of Versilia, an evening concert in the main square with his faithful friend of old, Marco Macchiarini (he belonged to the first official group of Zucchero, "I Duca") and ancient friends and new adventures.
But this year Zucchero wanted to give more, he wanted to give something special to his fans. In fact, at five o'clock in the afternoon Zucchero will meet the members of his official club in person with his brother Lauro at the disco "La Canniccia" in Forte dei Marmi, where he has given great surprises and emotions in store. To welcome the fans who have come from Italy (some come by Taranto, Rome, Milan), there are many stands: the whole discography on vinyl and Italian and international cds, a photo show, and merchandising. There is an "Official Fan Club" stand, where those with a Sugar Night shirt get a promotional folder that contains an exclusive poster and above all a cd: it is a promotional cd and only for the members of the fan club with four tracks never before released..A great, wonderful gift, you can quietly read the joy of the fans in their eyes, without asking them how they feel.
At 5:30 Zucchero arrives, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, smiles and words for everybody. In the main garden of the "Canniccia" he climbed on a stage with a keyboard and a guitar, people sit in front, and they welcome Zucchero with a prolonged applause, so that he will feel their sincere embraces and enjoy a warm welcome home (only the day before Zucchero was busy with the "Shake World tour", at a concert at the Festival of Villach). In this way the Emilian musician greets everyone and, with an informal affability, welcomes any requests from the fans, even to sing a song from the album Miserere, "It's All right" that he hasn't sing in public for at least eight years! With Dino Mancino on the keyboard, a friend and street companion, and Zucchero on the guitar and vocals, the fans are given surprising versions of classic blues and soul songs such as "You Are So Beautiful" and "The Letter." On stage that afternoon is also his daughter Irene, who warms up her voice for the evening concert, she will also be a guest of the "Sugar night" and she tells us that she will sing "Imagine" with her father "Imagine." The girl has talent, and there is much applause.
After a hour and half Zucchero invites all to the nearby capannina, where refreshments are available with food and fine wine for all. In the meantime he gives out autographs and takes the customary photos, and recieves some very beautiful and meaningful gifts from those who have brought them. They explain to us "it is the least one can do, for all the emotions that he knows how to give to us."
The meeting doesn't even have time to be declared over, since the fans have one aim in mind, to reach the square on the waterfront where the concert to honor Zucchero will be held.
At 21:30 the "Sugar Night" band is on the great stage; 20,000 already in the square. Marco Macchiarini is introduced by the famous sentence that is the epilogue of the album "Miserere", "a volte la migliore musica č il silenzio", and the notes of "Voodoo Voodoo" accompanies his arrival on the stage. What follows are some of the greatest hits of Zucchero. From "Dune Mosse" to "Il Volo" to the new "Sento le campane." When Macchiarini finally announces Sugar, there is exultation. First they perform a duet with "Diavolo in me", then the guests are invited. First Alex Britti, who in "Per Colpa di chi? " and "Hey Man" confirms the fact that he is an exceptional guitarist, appreciated and esteemed for this by Zucchero. Then he and his daughter climb on the stage, in an interpretation of "Imagine", and Zucchero's nephew, (with an acoustic guitar in hand and with a voice like De André) duet in "ho visto Nina volare" a song by Faber already interpreted by the Emilian bluesman at the evening of tribute for the great Fabrizio in Genoa.
Marco Macchiarini announces other two guests: Fio Zanotti and Michael Torpedine. The two are famous in the musical field for many things (Fio has, for example produced the last works of Renato Zero, and Michele produces all over the world for various artists), but among Zucchero's people they are beloved and known as two of the "Adelmo e i suoi Sorapis" (the other ones are Umbi Maggi, Maurizio Vandelli, Dodi Battaglia and, obviously Adelmo, Sugar, Fornaciari). Michele sits down at the drums, Fio at the keyboard.
A surprise guest: Luisa Corna. The announcer-singer explains: "I also began with Zucchero, I sang in the cafes, and I have sung with him at many private parties, whenever there is an occasion we sing, more to be together and to pass some beautiful moments that for any other reason." La Corna gives us some soul songs and duets with Sugar in "Blowin in the Wind."
The surprises are not quite ended: in fact the guest of the Sugar night is Andrew Bocelli. Bocelli immediately corrects the announcer with the smile on his lips: "do not call me a guest when I sing with Sugar... " he remembers that it really began with Zucchero 10 years ago. The two perform "Miserere": to define this moment as exciting wouldn't be enough, to define it as thrilling would also not be enough, perhaps only the thunderous applause and the standing-ovation that accompanied the exit of the two artists from the stage, could describe how great this interpretation of the song was.
The concert continues on, and with the desire to be like the master everything becomes better. Zucchero and his friend Marco do some spontaneous sketches: faked quarrels, arguments of various type and competition to get the best microphone (the acoustics and the instruments were not the best, there were also some old microphones that whistled and boomed).
Next there was a festive version of Baila (sexything) with Zucchero's friends and family on stage. He greeted the 50,000 of Forte dei Marmi (that many people came by the end of the evening according to the organizers), who will surely take home the memory of a magnificent evening passed in joy and fun and the happiness to have lived some very intense musical moments that one is fortunate to live few times in one's life.