With his album From Now On winning acclaim and new fans in the U.S. and Europe, Italian tenor Jonathan Cilia Faro is back with the September 20th release of “Come un Amico Ama,” a new single with video.
Released in April by BFD/SONY Orchard, From Now On has introduced Faro to the world as the real thing – a genuine Italian tenor who is rekindling the golden sound, the brilliant intensity and the sheer romance of the Italian tenor voice.
Release of the new single signals a lively fall and holiday season for the tenor, including his U.S. debut concert in New York on October 14th and a very special new single, just in time for Christmas.
What better way could there have been to greet the release of From Now On than with the standing ovation Jonathan Cilia Faro won for his prime-time performance in April on Italy’s RAI 1 TV network for the first-ever Premio Rascel awards presentation, celebrating one of Italy’s most beloved entertainers, Renato Rascel. On the broadcast, Cilia Faro’s brilliant tenor combined with the energy of Rascel’s son, Cesare Rascel, to celebrate two unforgettable performers – the legendary tenor Mario Lanza and the irrepressible Renato Rascel.
The album’s release has continued to win praise for tenor. “By far the highlight of the album,” one writer noted, “comes from Jonathan Cilia Faro’s commanding voice that at times seems to soar up into the heavens.”
Inspired to sing when he heard Luciano Pavarotti in La bohème, Jonathan Cilia Faro has capitalized on a glorious vocal tradition to forge his own, uniquely personal pop/operatic style, which he realizes on From Now On. It is a style that appeals to fans of Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban but, more than anything else, Cilia Faro’s style is reflection of who he is.
“Come un Amico Ama,” the new single with its accompanying video, reflects how much continuity means to Jonathan Cilia Faro.
“This beautiful song speaks of an unconditional friendship between two people who have shared difficulties, joys, sorrows … true friendship as it was never described before,” Cilia Faro says, noting that “20 years of friendship” gave life to the song, with lyrics by his fellow Sicilians, Francesco and Martina Romeo.
In fact, Cilia Faro returned to Sicily – to Ragusa, his birthplace – to film the video for “Come un Amico Ama.” Ragusa commands a hill in the southernmost corner of Sicily, its old town (Ragusa Ibla) retaining the splendor of Baroque architecture and the stillness of the past – the perfect place to illustrate the love the tenor feels for his art, his culture and his native land. Even the video’s director/editor Emiliano Tidona, is a fellow Ragusani.
In early August, Cilia Faro was presented with the Premio Ragusani nel Mondo, on its 25th anniversary – the town’s highest honor, awarded him for his success and his return to Ragusa. The tenor left Ragusa in 1995, to follow his dream – in the spirit of generations of Sicilians before him – so the affectionate welcome-home was especially meaningful for him. This unique occasion allowed Cilia Faro to shake the hand of the Mayor of the city of Ragusa Giuseppe Cassi.
The release of the single also heralds Cilia Faro’s busy year-end schedule:
- The tenor will make his U.S. concert debut on October 14th in a performance with orchestra in New York at the Masonic Temple – the first time the general public has been invited to enjoy a performance there with a full orchestra directed by Bill Heller
- The November 15th release of a third single and video from From Now On – this time, the title track on the album, about a man who decides to rebuild his life and do something good.
- Also this Fall, Cilia Faro will perform at Washington’s National Cathedral for “Lead Young”, a program of the Andrew J. Young Foundation that inspires young Americans to act and lead.
- Finally, just in time for the Christmas season, Cilia Faro will release an all-new Christmas single – his unique and personal take on David Foster’s modern holiday classic, “Grown-Up Christmas List.” Produced at the Capitol Records Studio in Los Angeles by veteran, multi-Grammy winning producers Tom Brooks and Alan Parsons, the single will be released in two languages. In addition to the original English lyrics (by Linda Thompson), Cilia Faro will premiere a new Italian version, with lyrics he has written in collaboration with Cheope Mogol, lyricist for some of Italy’s biggest hit songs. Stay tuned – more details to come, as the holidays approach!