No.Despite his shyness, the desire not to appear, his confidentiality, when it comes to “making noise” he is second to none. Diodato – full name: Antonio Diodato – with the song Make noise has in fact won the victory at Sanremo Festival 2020.
A strange victory, his, arrived in full lockdownwhen Italy and the whole world were forced, for months, to an unnatural immobility.
Born in Aostabut raised in Taranto – no one better than him represents, perhaps, a such an extreme and well-assorted mix between Northern and Southern Italy -, after one graduated from Dams in Rome in cinema he dedicates himself heart and soul to music. And he did well, as we will see.
Diodato on stage. (LaPresse)
The name Diodato
Many think that Diodato is his stage name, but it is simply the surname of the artist. “My name is Antonio Diodato”, explained theartist.
«You know there is, that after a while of hosting on the radio I noticed that everyone had a bit of difficulty in pronouncing “Antonio Diodato”, and in fact it is not very easy ». So, to simplify, “I said ok, I’ll just put Diodato, then we’ll see”.
Diodato’s first steps in music
As he himself defined it, his history in the world of music is «particular. I came to Rome to study, and here I started playing with the first bands“, has explained.
“Initially I had one, but with which I never concluded anything. Then I started writing about my own and I found some musicians to collaborate with. That was the beginning ».
Diodato at the 77th Venice Film Festival in 2020. (Photo by Daniele Venturelli / WireImage)
As he said, it took him quite some time «a find the right people. I am always very careful in choosing the people to work with, to surround myself with ». This characteristic “on the one hand it’s good, on the other hand it probably slowed me down a bit‘. But I’m happy with the first step ».
The origins of his family
Diodato is very proud of his northern and southern origins at the same time. «I come from Puglia, even if I’ve traveled a lot in my life“, has explained. “I followed the movements of the family, I was born in Aosta, I lived almost everywhere … I am one hundred percent Italian! “
When he arrived in Rome, «while I was studying I spent a lot more time on music than to studies. I played around for a while, then I met those who would become band members. In particular, “ilmafio”, or Daniele Tortora ». With him “we started to work, playing live, and then we recorded in the studio ». The first step in making his dream come true was taken.
Diodato’s parents
Diodato was born to a merchant father and a housewife mother «in a nucleus where he exercised so much passionHe said. “With its peaks and troughs, of course, that is it something complex to process for a child. Like this I grew up very careful, hypersensitiveand I’ve often basked in one gloomy moodrenouncing ».
But then «I also gave myself a push, I reacted. Getting attached to pain is dangerous“.
Music, his great passion
There are many musical references by Diodato. “Certainly the English pop rockstarting with Beatlesup to Radiohead and tohip hop of the nineties », a well-assorted mix.
Only later did he also discover «i Italian songwriters. Perhaps one needs to mature a little to understand the closest things. More recently I have begun to listen better Tenco, De André, Modugno… ».
The artist in Sanremo. (Handle)
As a kid, however, he listened to the great authors, such as “The Verveand then back Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin“. But the real turning point was «when, long after I fell in love with Jim Morrison as a poet, I decided not to have a plan B anymore in the search for post-graduate jobs “.
At that moment, «I chose to devote myself completely to music, to having in the hands and in the voice a lens for the outside. One of mine therapy that takes care of me “.
A series of victories for Diodato
The 38 years have been really lucky for Diodato: in 2020, in addition to having won the Sanremo Festival with Make noisewas also awarded the David di Donatello and the Silver Ribbon as best original song for What a wonderful life, an extraordinary “trio” that no one had ever achieved before.
Diodato in Sanremo 2020. (ANSA)
“And all during the closures in pandemic», He said amused,« so much so that the ceremony was organized remotely “. Him alone in the house, sitting on the sofa.
«I remember Carlo Conti taking the envelope, reading the ritual formula, until when say my name. I stand up, raise my arms happy and all of a sudden I hear broadsides on the walls of the house “. Her neighbor was also following the ceremony and «to celebrate he was angry with the wall and was yelling“ come on! ”. Integrity person: he is a professor of religion ».
The song What a wonderful life
In the song that gave him so much satisfaction, «there are fragility, fears, joy, detachments. Great absences. In short, a roller coaster. Correspond, without filters ».
When you write about yourself, “you risk cleaning up what you have tried. And instead I got naked, no names, because the songs must belong to everyone. But without even the fear of hurting who knows and will recognize himself. In an ambition for freedom, I no longer remove the thornsI no longer round the corners ».
Sanremo 2020, Make noise
Let’s go back for a moment to the song that made him win the Sanremo Festival. “This song has its strength because it is sung in this language here, in Italian, ”said Diodato.
Diodato wins Sanremo. (Handle)
Somehow “a connection has been created, something very profound. This he created bridges with other human beings. I get messages from all over the world and I have a feeling of having reached a deep part someone else, who doesn’t speak my language. It’s the magic of music ».
But why that title? “We live in a world where we are two big waves in contrast between them, ”he explained. “A very shouted one, which tries to prevail over the rest. On the other hand, there is a part that is silent. Make noise is an invitation to be heardto manifest their humanity “.
And the emotion of the race almost shocked him. “I often focus on the public. They told me there was Ronaldo, I was so excited that in the end I forgot ».
Diodato’s performance at the Arena
The emotions, however, were not over: Diodato sang in a ‘Verona Arena completely emptyon the occasion of Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light, aired on May 16, 2020 to replace – due to pandemic – the final of theEurovision Song Contest. A performance that has remained in the collective imagination.
“I was lucky,” he explained, “I got the possibility to communicate with Italy and with the whole world. Even today I have a hard time read all the messages received during the performance, they were very powerful and came from all over the world. The feeling is that of having been part of a common emotioncollective: it wasn’t just me in that Arena ».
He has a very vivid memory of that evening. “I had been locked in the house for a long time. It’s still I remember the trip and the arrival in the Arena“, has explained. “There was the air, the voice that I was going back. There was also fear. While I was rehearsing I thought: who knows if all this will come? I have felt to be part of a community“.
Music “taught me to grasp the positives, even when bad things happen. What was happening in 2020 was so great, something that it involved the whole world“.
Sanremo 2020, Diodato meets his ex
When he took the stage of the Ariston, he also found his most famous ex, Levant. The two have been a steady couple for two years, from 2017 to 2019.
Diodato was not bothered by this meeting because «it’s over, yes, but without cold war“. On the other hand, he has never publicized his private life, «e I will not start todayHe specified. But “it’s nice to have an artist like her thereis among the healthy carriers of talent best we have “.
Levante, formerly of Diodato. (GettyImages)
In general, in love, “being with another person is complex, because it will never be us. And if you have a restlessness that lives inside you, it will live there too. But I I always see a beginning, in the end ».
And crystallizing it into a text «is like fix it in a whole picture. It helps you to resize it, to control it, to contain it, to understand everything fully, to see it as a kind of gift“.
Her, on the record Magma memory he dedicated a song to him, entitled Antonio. Love is over, respect remained. And he is not so obvious.
Another love after Levante
After the end of the love affair with Levante, Diodato bonded with Greta Zuccoli, a very young singer from Naples. The two fell in love on stage in thesummer of 2020: he had chosen her as vocalist for his tour.
“I have in love with your voice the evening of a year ago, while I was listening to the radio, alone, in the car, returning home, to my Taranto, “he wrote on social media. “Then, last summer, I got to understand that behind that voice was a rare soula true artist ».
Diodato, “a difficult guy”
“I’m a tough guy, who is struggling », he said about himself in love. “And that makes others struggle a lot. I am aware of it and I sing it ».
There are things he can’t stand in this field, like “the sense of possessionthe jealousy“. In love «I had very nice and very long experienceswhich are over », and on” forever “« let’s say that I hope so. But only if it will be a shared love“.
Guest at Eurovision 2022
After the experience in total solitude at Eurovision 2020, Diodato is returned as a guest in the first semifinal ofEurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin.
“Here there is a good party, very aware“, He said. “And it’s nice to see all these people celebrating. It’s nice to be here as guests, I’m not the competitive type and living it more serenely is very happy. This participation is somewhat there closing a circle after these two years and all the transformations that this song has experienced ».
After his performance «it was crazy to wake up with the phone with many appreciations that I received on social media. I am happy because a message has passed: a big one willingness to experience an emotionbeing together on a stage, but also outside and create bridges between people“, has explained.
According to Diodato, uniting people «is what must always make music. This is what we try to do when we write songs. Apparently that’s what happened last night and why I’m very happy“.
The future of Diodato
After the exhibition at Eurovision 2022, Diodato looks to the future with great enthusiasm. “I’m in the studio recording new songs and I am also very happy of what’s coming up, ”he said. “The record may be out very soon. There will also be a European tour in Septemberand it is something that puts me back in connection with everything that has led me to make music ».
Yet, on his voice he once said: “I used to hate her: if someone paid me a compliment, I thought they were wrong. Me I was ashamed“.
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