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Laura Campisi and Alberto Fidone at the IAM
Photos by New York Scugnizzo
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After Sunday dinner with my family, I made my way to the Italian American Museum to meet up with some friends and see “Sicily Revisited,” a Sicilian-jazz performance by Laura Campisi and Alberto Fidone.
It was an hour long set, but it always seems to go so quickly when I’m enjoying myself. The sound of Alberto’s double bass filled the room and Laura sang in Sicilian while the people sang along with her. Always friendly and talkative, she explained the songs in English for anyone unfamiliar with her language. Laura said that the songs reminded her of her family, far away in Sicily, and singing them made her feel closer to them.At the end of the evening Laura was asked why she didn’t sing Ciuri Ciuri, and the next thing I knew everyone around me began singing. Laura laughed and joined in, her beautiful voice and interaction with the audience made it a pleasant evening for all.
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The duo captures the audience with their unique brand of Sicilian Jazz
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It’s been two years since I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Laura sing, and I was very happy to catch the show. I was also lucky to meet Alberto because he was flying back to Catania the next day. The audience was mostly from Sicily, but some were Sicilians from France. By coincidence it was the last night of the Feast of Saint Anthony, and I also wound up talking to a group of Sicilians from Venezuela outside the museum. There are Southern Italian enclaves around the world and it was wonderful to interact with them after an event like this.
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After the show the musicians mingled with the audience
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