Column: heart and soul

It's Monday April 8th and I'm getting on the train again to Milan. Yes, you will think, as a loyal reader of my blogs, here we go again about Milan… Because indeed, I have already written about that a few times. Today, however, we are taking a different tack, and that has everything to do with the most remarkable taxi ride I had from Milan Central Station to my bed and breakfast where I spent the next two nights in connection with masterly go stay.

I walk out of the station towards the taxi ranks where a grumpy taxi driver snaps at me to the other boarding stop. “You have to stand there, not here. We can't be everywhere. You may be used to it differently, but here in Milan we know and have structure.'

I look surprised at the traffic chaos around me and decide to shrug my shoulders and continue to the other boarding stop. There I am greeted differently.

Hello biondo

'Ciao biondo! Benvenuto a Milano!' (Hi blond man, welcome to Milan!), I look surprised at a big, robust guy in his forties who greets me with a big smile.

'So, come here with that suitcase, sit down, where are we going?' If I listen carefully to his accent I can already hear it. I start to grin and tell him the address. "Well," I say cheerfully, "this is the address, although I'd rather you'd drive me to Napoli!"

From his rear-view mirror I see that the taxi driver is beaming. 'So you heard it. Yes I can't hide my accent, I am indeed from Napoli! But how do you know that?'. When I tell him how much I love Naples myself and that that city is really my second living room, both in way of life and music, I see that the taxi driver is moved.

'Caput Mundi, sir', 'Caput Mundi'. I have to laugh, because that's always said about Rome, but hey… a little Neapolitan pride can't hurt.

The Dutch in Milano

While we are waiting at the traffic light, he asks about my work. I tell him I'm a lyrical tenor and sing the next evening at the inauguration of Masterly – The Dutch in Milano, which is part of the Furniture expo.

He looks at me wide-eyed and asks if I've ever sung in Napoli. When I tell him that after the tour of the Teatro San Carlo I have paid tribute to Enrico Caruso in the main hall, he snatches his phone from his glove compartment. 'I know what we're going to do,' he says, 'we're going to sing well!'

Two minutes later, Massimo Ranieri blares through the car. My Neapolitan lowers the windows of the taxi, turns the music up a notch and sings happily Voce 'e Notte along. Then we listen to the Voce del Silenzio. Then O Surdato 'nnamurato en Dicitencello Vuje.

Heart and soul

'This is the real emotion, this is what matters!', he shouts over the music. 'Napoli is passion, is inspiration. You know better than anyone what that feels like, because you undoubtedly also sing with your heart. Everything revolves around the heart and the soul. Anema e core, assje! '

The combination of the heavy Neapolitan accent of this teddy bear and the music of Massimo Ranieri turns Milan into Naples for a moment. I close my eyes and see the Bay of Santa Lucia, the fantastic view from the Vomero and the narrow streets of the Spanish Neighborhoods.

I feel moved. Touched by this beautiful moment. My thoughts go to Pino Daniele who is the immortal Napule is has sung and to all the times I've been to Naples.

It seems as if the taxi driver can read my mind and turns the radio down a bit. He asks for my top 10 of Neapolitan songs. 'What does your type of person sing in Neapolitan?'

I tell him that actually all great tenors have paid tribute to that special city. In fact, Luciano Pavarotti always called Naples the most sung about city in the country and had a huge heart for the city herself.

Top 10 Neapolitan songs

My top 10 'lyrical' Naples would then be the following list:

1. Caruso 
2. Vurria
3. Voice and night
4. Dicitencello Vuje
5. Passion
6. O Sole Mio
7. Chistu Paese do Sole
8. O Surdatu Nnamurato
9. Saint Lucia
10. Makes Surriento

It might be a bit cliché and maybe very stereotypical, but still, every time I sing them again my heart skips a little bit.

Can you imagine hearing that great music, while sitting on the bay of Santa Lucia with a delicious fried fish and a nice glass of white wine in front of you, enjoying a beautiful sunset. Then you can't help but recognize and embrace the romance of Naples.

moved

When I tell my taxi driver about this list and experience, he can only confirm that it touches the core and heart of Naples. He is also moved again. We are approaching the final destination and suddenly he turns off the radio. “You must solemnly promise me one thing regarding your performance. I see you're already a little tense, but if you promise to do this, I'll be fine.' He smiles mysteriously.

I look at him and ask what I have to do. He stops the taxi and turns around. 'Touch them in their hearts, sing with everything you have in you. Technique is important, but what lives and handles in the heart is what remains. And that is seen and heard. I'll drop by the Palazzo Turati tomorrow evening around XNUMX:XNUMX to hear from you.'

'Good luck, blond tenor. Con anema e core. '