(by Claudia Fascia).
Italian pop
star Tiziano Ferro has opened his summer tour with a concert at
the Teghil stadium in the north-eastern coastal town of Lignano
Sabbiadoro near Udine.
The singer and song-writer performed on Sunday night in front
of over 20,000 people ahead of 12 other dates as part of his
tour called 'Il Mestiere della Vita" (life's profession), like
his latest album.
The tour includes three concerts at the San Siro stadium on
Milan (June 16-17 and 19) and two at Rome's Olympic Stadium
(June 28 and 30), among others.
A total of over 435,000 tickets have already been sold.
His concert in Lignano Sabbiadoro, where he also performed
two years ago, included a water show to "symbolize how things
flow".
Ferro sang a total of 29 songs - many from his latest album
such as Il Conforto Orfano (orphaned comfort) by singer and
song-writer Carmen Consoli, and longtime hits like Perdono
(forgiveness) and Sere Nere (dark nights).
The artist has said his most recent music was inspired by his
new life in the United States.
His music currently embraces "what I have seen around the
world, from Beyoncé to Sia to Ed Sheeran, Rihanna, Culture Club
- those who are not afraid to dare made the most significant
impact"
"It's as if Drake met Tenco", he noted, making a parallel
between the contemporary Canadian rapper and the late singer and
song-writer Luigi Tenco.
Ferro last February performed a tribute to the Italian icon
at the Sanremo Film Festival.
Tenco in 1967 committed suicide at the festival, one of
Italy's biggest music events.
And he also paid tribute to the tragic artist in his concert
Sunday, when he was visibly moved while performing one of
Tenco's most famous songs, Mi Sono Innamorato di Te (I have
fallen in love with you).
Ferro's tour is opening the summer concert season in Italy.
The performance in Lignano Sabbiadoro was also the first at a
stadium in Italy since the deadly Manchester Arena attack on May
22 at a concert by US singer Ariana Grande.
"At a moment like this, being here has a different meaning,
you set an example", Ferro told concertgoers on Sunday, urging
them not to stay at home.
"The attacks are not random, they are aimed at insinuating
terror".
"Those who fight music, fight freedom", he also said, "adding
that "it has happened, it will happen again but this must not
stop us".
After he wraps up his summer tour in Florence on July 15,
Ferro has announced he will devote the following year to a new
album which could debut in 2018.
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