Giada Valenti: From Italy to NYC With Love

Great to be Italian!!

2011-11-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

Dear readers and wonderful friends,

How are you?

Time really flies when we are having fun!! It was September when I did the Sergio Franchi Memorial Concert and here we are in November already!!

I was so busy performing, did not had much time to sleep and most of all I never stop to be thankful for all that has happened and still is coming my way!!

The Sergio Franchi Memorial Concert was as always magical: a bright sunny day and so many wonderful people all around! Wonderful Eva Franchi surpassed herself this year with even a better program and selection of songs and performers; no need to say that I felt once again so honored to be part of it!!

With one of the Sergio's car

In September I also had some wonderful intense days filming a new Italian reality/docu TV program that will

debut in Italy in January at Italia Uno entitled “Sognando Italia”.

It was just wonderful to show to the presenter, the beautiful and adorable Morgan Witkin my wonderful life here in NYC!!

We filmed from 8Am in the morning till midnight…intense but great days!!

With Cav. J. Maietta and T, DiNapoli

Singing at the raising of the Flags

Before I knew summer was over and October was here. October in the USA is the month of the Italian Heritage and Culture. A month that always see me running from one event to another celebrating the beauty of my own culture and home land with the Italian Americans. Such a privilege to Kick Off on October 5th.the Celebration of Italian Heritage Month at the St. John's University in Manhattan singing also this year for the NYC State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli .

Such an honor to sing on October 7th the anthems at the raising of the flags in front of the beautiful Statue of Mother Italy at the Hunter College in NYC.

With Supreme Court Justice S. Alito

And my October went on with almost every day one event to go if not two, like when I had the honor to sing a few songs at the Rutgers University in NJ at their NIAF Legal Council Conference with Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, Jr. as key note speaker at 9AM in the morning. Well that day ended very late as I was also schedule to be special guests at the Wine Teasting of the UNICO Chapter of in Southington, CT. I’ve learned to sleep in limos and in plains on my way to the events and even if must sound stressing for the majority of the people for me is quiet normal and fine. And I enjoy so much to be in company of the so many Italian American people that so much love and cherish with pride their Italian Heritage. I think I’m privilege and honored to be part of their events!!

CCF Gala singing the Anthem

On October 8 I was once again honored to perform the Italian National Anthem at the Gala of the Columbus Citizens Foundation at the marvelous Waldorf Astoria. I’m in NYC for 7 years now and to participate to such an incredible event is also always a chance to meet and spend some times with some of my NYC friends, and always such a great chance to get to know new and so inspiring people, like this year Grand Marshal of the Parade Joe Plumeri. His speech during the Gala was for sure one of the most inspiring I had heard in a while: I came to America to follow my dreams and Joe, a very successful and powerful man, talked to a silent room the life story of his grandfather who came to the USA with nothing and just a dream of a better life ending up achieving wealth and success!!

With Pia Toscano

FDNY Chief Salvatore Cassano

With Joe Plumeri

NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly

With Maria Bartiromo

Presidend of CFF Frank Fusaro and his wife

Then of course on Monday October 10 I sang once again on the Red Carpet of the Columbus Day Parade that was broadcast live this year in the USA by WABC and a few days later by PBS. If you have missed it id the link to see it again.

Singing for ABC7

With Jill, Kathie Maria and Rita

With Kathie and Jill

It is always such a beautiful day. It starts very early since I have to be in the beautiful building of the Columbus Citizen Foundation at 9 AM. Then I have breakfast and I start my make up and hear. I was wearing this year a beautiful gown of Daniel’s Boutique of Monique Luhllier and I had a wonderful make up done by Jill Hart (www.jillharth.com) and hear by Kathie Gallina (business phone 516-359-0908). Around 11AM there is always the sound check on the Red Carpet and then it’s only a question to wait for the time that the performance is scheduled!! And in all this waiting there is food and wonderful people all around. This year my friend Maria Gallina Traina and Rita Monte were also with me. Also this a wonderful occasion to meet old and new friends.

Receiving my Citation of Merit from the Queens Burough President

On October 18^th, I was also honored to receive a Citation of Honor from the Honorable Helen Marshall Queens Borough President in cooperation with the Italian Heritage & Culture Committee of NY and Queens County at the St. John’s University. It was a very special day and to be recognized for doing what I love so much feel always like a blessing! So much to be grateful.

Singing the Italian Anthem (Photo R. Chioni)

Singing at the NIAF

My October months ended last weekend with the NIAF Gala in Washington DC where I was honored to sing the Italian National Anthem for the 2.500 people in the audience and the impressive lined up of celebrities and dignitaries on stage, like former speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, United States Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, and legendary singers Dion and Frankie Avalon, but also actors like Robert Davi and my friend, wonderful actor Tony LoBianco.

What a moment!!

View from the giant screen

The stage

President Barak Obama (Photo R. Chioni)

Listening to the President

Nanci Pelosi introducing the President

And of course the presence as key note speaker of the President of The United States Barak Obama made the evening even more memorable. Because of his arrival the security was very high. They changed the sound check of the microphones from 4PM to 8AM. Luckily they rescheduled it at the last moment to 1PM. There were security guards armed and very carefully looking everywhere. Just before my performance of the National Anthem I wanted to check my makeup and decided to go back stage, where normally is nobody…I open the door and there where more than 50 security men looking at me so surprised to see me but also alarmed. Gently but firmly they asked me to leave that space. They were all there waiting for the President to arrive of course . So no chance to check my make up there!! In the room of the Gala there where more than 2500 people dining and also there everywhere there were security guards and sharp shooters. Finally it was my time to go on stage and sing the Italian National Anthem….no need to say that I was so proud and I could not believe my eyes…what an impressive view the room was huge and everybody was standing…and behind me all those celebrities and dignitaries….and back stage the President of the United States……a very special night!

Before I knew the Anthem was over…the applause followed and my heart was still singing with pride!! How lucky I was!!

The President walks on stage and kiss Nancy Pelosi

With Sal Davino

With Dr. Mignone, Cav J. Maietta, Claudio Bozzo and Jerry Colangelo

With JJ at the after Party

And then it was time for Nancy Pelosi to announce the arrival of the President: everybody was standing the lights where all on so to permit to the security and sharp shooters to see everyone in the room…..the applause was strong and energetic….there is was the President of the United States. His smile was captivating as he started with a few nice jokes, about not be able to cook like an Italian Grand mother and saying that all he had to offer was a family names ending with a vowel. The crowed was laughing with him…and then slowly he got serous and talked about serious issues…..the room was silent and pondering every words he was speaking…..I knew he was reading from the teleprompter that the White House staff had installed during my sound check…but still he was so charismatic and so powerful in reading them without loose contact with the audience! He has for sure a great charisma and a super talent when it comes to speak and captivate the audience!! At the end of his speech followed a huge applause! The energy was very high in the room!! It was surreal to be in the same room with him and so close to him!! What an experience!

I’m new in this country and only since a month and half I Am a Permanent Resident of the USA, but I must say I’m having the chance to live some incredible experiences!!

With Robert Davi

With Mary Ellen

With Frank Mancuso

With Mary

With Dr, Mignone, Cav. Giuliana Ridolfi and Claudio Bozzo

After the President's speech they served dinner and they start to give the Awards to all the honorees of the night, among them also my friend Claudio Bozzo President of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (USA) Inc., the President of Confindustria Emma Marcegaglia, Hon. Capri Cafaro, minority leader of the Ohio Senate; Dion DiMucci, rock and roll hall of fame; Hon. Frank J. Guarini, former U.S. congressman and NIAF chairman emeritus; and Frank G. Mancuso Sr., former chairman and CEO of the Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio, a man I have had the chance to meet a few time.

With Cristina Fontanelli

And I was also lucky to get to chat with some great colleague of mine, like Soprano Cristina Fontanelli who was sitting at my table and Simona Rodano who I saw at the after party. Actually I took Cristina to the TV troupe of Sognando Italia that was filming the event for their program and they where so happy to interview her as well!!

Con il regista di Sognando Italia Giorgio J. Squarcia

Around midnight the party was over and it time for the after party. I was happy to have there with me also Mary and Mary Ellen two wonderful friends of mine that where also at the NIAF Gala, one from Pittsburgh and one from Philadelphia. It was fun to hang with them and enjoy the party: we had some great girlfriends time and girlie talk, if you know what I mean!! BTW thank you to them too for some of the pictures of this BLOG!! And also to JJ!!

Around 2Am I was so tired and decided to say good night even if there where still some party gurus going strong!!

What a night!1 I guess I fell asleep in a second……it was quiet an overwhelming weekend!!

Stay tuned for my next week BLOG about the preparation for my photo shooting for the new CD and the promotional material for Carnegie Hall on October 20, 2012 and more news!!

Love always,

Giada

A hot wonderful working summer!!

2011-09-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

Dear friends and readers,

After a long summer break I’m back with my BLOG!!

Oh well the summer is my favorite period of the year: the sun and the warm weather give me energy and so much happiness!! Funny enough I’m always busy around this period! I didn’t have time to visit Italy and to go to the beach…but I had nevertheless great time singing and meeting new and old fans and friends!!

And a lot of great things happened as well. I was invited to sing at the Unico National Convention in Washington DC. It was a wonderful event. I got to drive there with JJ and Micheal Castaldo, a dear and talented friend who was also singing at the same event.

We left NYC in the morning around 10Am. Michael was the assigned driver, JJ the co-driver, me I was nicely seating on the back of Michael’s beautiful and new Mercedes!!

The 5 hours flew by quickly and we were in Arlington around 3 PM.

With wonderful Nasrin of Daniel's Boutique

The Unico Event had many sponsors. One of them, Daniel’s Boutique had offered to dress me for my Concert there. I was quiet flattered of the offer that I accepted. I would have never thought to meet one of the most adorable people ever and to find a new wonderful a dear friend.

So after checking into the Hotel and I was ready to go to the appointment at the Daniel’s Boutique to choose my dress for the day after Concert.

The beautiful Boutique was of walking distance from the hotel. So with JJ after freshening up a bit we walked there. To wait for me there was Nasrin, the owner of the Boutique. Her beautiful face with a beautiful smile and her warm embrace made me fall for her right away!! She was adorable.

One of the many wonderful gowns

Red my favorite color

A look at my body and she knew my size and what to bring to me!! I think that in two hours that I was there I got to wear at least 40 of the most beautiful gowns . We decied for two, Nasrin took some measurements and they were ready to go to her seamstress to be ready at noon the day after for the Concert.

Since we could not choose for only one we decided to have two of them ready….one for the show and one for the Fashion show that Daniel’s Boutique was doing the day after.

Daniel’s Boutique also had some great accessories for me to with the gowns. I was so happy, not only for the beautiful dresses I was about to wear but also to have found such a warm and wonderful person in Nasrin!

Well it was so wonderful for me to hear that Nasrin with Daniel’s Boutique would have loved to be my official stylist. I felt so blessed!! And yes now they are dressing me with their beautiful gowns.

Singing at the Unico in DC

With MaryAnn Re

Nasrin knows my size, so we discuss the event and I get them sent to me with accessories to go with via FedeX!! They have a beautiful website but at the boutique they have so much more dresses and styles!! Soon they will also be on FB and they will have more and more dresses on line for all of you to buy if you like them!!

www.danielsboutique.com

In a matter of fact I got so many compliments for my dresses of my sold out Concert in Dix Hills : those were indeed dresses chosen by Nasrin form me by Daniel’s boutique.

Singing

The Stage

Dix Hills was another wonderful event of my wonderful summer!! My first Concert in Long Island. And I was so happy to see the warm response of the audience! 500 people in standing ovation after my rendition of This Is My Life, La vie En Rose and The First Time Ever I saw Your Face. Wonderful to hear them all sing with me Volare! A wonderful night.

I was for more than one hour singing autographs on the CD after the Concert taking pictures with the so many wonderful new and old friends!! My Dressing room was full of beautiful flowers. Some wonderful friends of mine, Karen and Irene they even came all the way from Pittsburgh for the Concert. I saw them in the dark during sound check….that was such a wonderful moment!!! That was so very special!!

My wonderful musicians

The Stage

The Concert was magical and went so fast!! After the CD singing there was even a nice party organized for me by Kim DeFranco, such a sweet heart!! I had the support of so many people for this event and I want to thank them all: Charles Traina and Kathie Gallina who took care of my hair, the whole team of Anthony DeFranco Salon and Maria Traina

who really help me so much promoting this event in Long Island!! She’s priceless!! And thank you Roberto Dree for the pictures of the night and Franco Corrado for the video of it!!

www.anthonydefranco.com

With Maria during the promotion tour

Leaving the after party with my goody bag!!

So it was nice to hang up at the party with all those wonderful friends. What a night!! We all had worked so hard to promote the Dix Hills Concert…and we were so happy to see the success that our hard work had generated!! And we are ready to do it all over again since they already asked me back in Dix Hills on February 4^th 2012!!

So now you know I’ve been working the whole summer to

prepare concerts, rehearse new songs with my musicians and selecting songs for my new CD and writing songs as well. It was a warm wonderful summer…there was no vacation for me at all but I love what I do and that is a blessing for sure!!

With the beautiful Eva Franchi

Stay tune for my next week BLOG about the Sergio Franchi Memorial Concert,

Love always,

Giada

Heavenly music in NYC: The Choir of the Pope's Diocese!

2011-06-17T07:05:00.000-07:00

Dear friends and readers,

Spring is leaving the place to the summer: and you already know, for me is the most wonderful time of the year!!

My New York life has always a touch of Italia, a bit because many of my friends are Italian or are Italian’s lovers and a bit because I’m always looking for something Italian anyway myself so not to miss my home country that much, I guess!!

Last Saturday I was part of an event that really was very special in so many different ways! A dear friend of mine, journalist Franco Corrado, invited me to attend the last Concert of the Choir of Pope’s Diocese.

This was a wonderful event that actually started thanks to a another wonderful person I know very well, a man that I respect and love very much: Larry Paragano.

Larry is a very humble and quiet man, a man that has build from nothing an incredible empire in the USA, a very successful banker and involved in many different and successful business ventures. Nevertheless if you should chance to meet him you will think he’s just a sweet nice man, proud to be Italian and thankful to be alive, to have a great family and dear friends. You will love him like I do for his great heart and gentle manner.

With my MD Etienne and Larry & Sal

But Larry besides being very wealthy is also a very generous person, ready to help others when he can. He together with his best friend Sal Davino, another wonderful man with a great heart, are the two angels that made possible for me to record my CD "And I Love You So". And for that I will be forever grateful to them.

They both are successful businesses men but they make to give back to the world.

Larry actually has financed the reconstructions of the Church in the village in Italy where is family was from.

And it was actually during a visit to his own village in the south of Italy that a few years ago he saw the Choir of Pope’s Diocese and feel in love with thier music.

And that said he deiced to bring them to the USA. Well as you can imagine it wasn’t an easy thing to be arranged, not only for its costs but also for all the things that need to be arranged. But Larry was strongly motivated to make it happen and it did happen.

The Choir of the Pope's Diocese

The wonderful 47 piece Choir of the Pope’s Diocese directed by Marco Frisina flew from Rome to the US and toured for the first time with sold out Concerts in the Patriot’s Theater in Trenton, NJ, the St. Patrick Cathedral in NYC, the Community Theater in Morristown, NJ, in the Palace Theatre in Stamford CT, the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ) to end the tour at the Regina Pacis Church, Brooklyn, NY.

I must say that the sound of the heavenly voices of the Choir really can steal your heart and can bring you to another planet. A surreal experience.

Monsignor Frisina conducting

The Choir was accompanied by the great Livingston Symphony Orchestra directed by Marco Frisina. Monsignor Marco Frisina that I got to meet before and after the Concert is a very talented man. He too like me attended the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia where he received a degree in composition just before entering the Pontifical Roman Major Seminary to study theology.

Monsignor Frisina founded the Choir 1984 and since then he directs the Choir of the Diocese of Rome, which was created to accompany major diocesan liturgies, many of which are presided by the Holy Father, the Pope indeed.

The Choir has a total of 250 members and has performed all over Europe.

Monsignor Frisina singing with the audience

Monsignor Frisina besides being a wonderful Monsignor is a very talented musician and accomplished composer. He has collaborated in many international projects with the Italian television RAI and also Mediaset. Frisina has authored numerous liturgical songs known in Italy and abroad and has worked on projects with Italian and international artists. In 2000 he also worked with Italian superstar and also one of my favorite Italian singer, Mina for whom he composed the songs “Magnificat” and “Nada Te Turba” that were so wonderfully sang also at the Concert in Brooklyn that I attended.

I spoke after the Concert with some of the musicians of the Livingston Symphony Orchestra who played for the first time with the Choir. They all were raving about the enthusiasms and charisma that Monsignor Frisina was outing during the performance. His energy and passion was really visible to all of us during the Concert. A very talented and wonderful man for sure!! Such an honor to get to meet him!

Singing with Choir at the farewell party

After the incredible Concert I was part of the farewell party for the Choir that was living for Rome the day after. It was so wonderful to hear the words of gratitude that they all had for Larry and the friends who helped him to organized this wonderful event. The standing ovation and the applause were long and thundering and ended with a wonderful song that the Choir spontaneously started to sing engaging all of us to be part of it!! Just wonderful!

It was nice to talk with the Choir’s members. They all where so full of emotion and proud to be part of such a wonderful event. It was bittersweet as you can imagine, since they all were still enjoying the moments knowing that it was soon over and they had to go back home. I got to talk also with some of the musicians of the wonderful Livingston Symphony Orchestra who played with Choir. They were also very emotional. One of the violin players proudly was showing me the whole repertoire he had to learn to play with the Choir. Monsignor Frisina had a pop repertoire for the Theatre Concerts and a more sacral and liturgical one for the Church and Cathedral Concerts. Totally different repertoire one to the other and equally so wonderfully performed. He was so happy to tell me how much he had enjoyed to play with the Choir and to work with his wonderful direct Monsignor Frisina. Actually his eyes were glistening with tears: so much had the experience touched his heart!!

With Larry after the Concert

It was a very nice after party and could see the joy in the eyes of Larry: the energy was very high all over the room. It was also directly decided to bring the Choir back soon, next year if not sooner was said!!

I would be honored to be part of this event when they come back, as you can imagine. I would for sure love to sing the “Magnificat” and the “Nada Te Turba” sung originally by my idol Mina or any of the songs of the pop repertoire in the Theatres, songs that I already sing in some of my show! But to do it with the Choir will be a dream!!

In anyway I will be part of the event helping promoting it since it’s for sure a wonderful special night and the Choir and Monsignor Frisina are just excellent!! I hope you will get to hear the Choir of the Pope’s Diocese next time the get in the US or in Europe if you live there. You will love it for sure!!

The Choir of the Pope's Diocese

The heavenly voices of the Choir in the embrace of the beautiful Regina Pacis Church and people all around singing along joyfully the “Jesus Christ You Are My Life”, a song written by Frisina for the 15th World Youth Day and adopted as the music for all Youth Meetings with the Holy Father, are for sure memories that I will take into my heart forever!!

And I want to thank also my wonderful friend Vito Catalano who was the official photographer of the Choir’s Tour who so graciously lends me these beautiful pictures for the BLOG!! Grazie Vito sei grande!!

Stay tuned for my next week Blog….yes about my trip to Venice and some of my favorite dishes, and more!!

Love always,

Giada

Standing together for the Alzheimer in City Island: a great night!

2011-06-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

Dear friends and readers,

Funny how spring seems to be gone among the seasons. It looks like we go nowadays from winter cold to summer hot.

I remember when I was a child that we had a few months where we had spring weather: we were wearing spring's jackets and spring's clothes. Now it looks like we go from winter ‘s jackets to summer’s tops.

Oh well you don’t hear me complain about that, since I really love the warm weather, so the sooner it gets here the best for me. But I feel a bit worry for Planet Earth. I know the weather has changed because of the pollution and the Ozone Hole, so I’m a bit scared to see that we really start to see those changes for real! I wonder what will be next!!

Central Park in the Spring

View of The Ocean's Building ; I lived there for 3 years!!

I know everybody start to be more concerned about it and aware of it and that some changes start to have shapes so I hope we won’t have to worry about what’s next. We leave in such a beautiful planed and I think we should be more careful in taking care of it!! I can wait for the day that we will only have electric’s cars, that day will great a great one not only for the cleaner air but also for the wallet: so we can break free from those crazy gasoline prizes we are imposed to pay nowadays.

Spring in NYC

I’m very confident we will be able to conserve our beautiful planet and we will be able to enjoy the Spring's season forever. i just love Spring!!

Spring in Holland

While I was enjoying this wonderful Spring with summer’s weather in NYC last week I also had a very intense week. I had the great chance to be part of some great Benefit events, always such a wonderful feeling for me.

One of them was a benefit for the Alzheimer. I was asked to perform a few songs for a Benefit Concert for the Alzheimer organized by Dr. Luigi Miele. The Party took place in City Island a beautiful island north of New York. The place was packed with first generation Italians, so Italian was the main language spoken that night. It was wonderful to hear about the money they had raised to help the family of people suffering this horrible disease and also some money for the research. Hopefully one day they will find the cure for this degenerating disease.

Going to City Island

The event was organized by Dr. Luigi Miele. Dr. Miele is a very nice quiet man who’s doing a wonderful job for the Italian community. I meet Dr. Miele thanks to my music. Dr. Miele is also a very popular DJ’s of WVOX 1460 AM Radio, where he host already for years a very popular radio show "Italian Melodies with Dr.Luigi Miele" every Saturday Sat from 12pm - 1pm. He’s being playing my music already for years so it was nice to get to meet at the Benefit event many of his listeners who knew me only through his radio show.

Dr. Miele is very quiet and reserved. He never really told me that for instance he was part of a very famous scene in the Godfather. In the wedding scene he was the bandleader, the guy singing with the dark suit!! I found a clip on your tube for you to see. So funny to him here!

The water view of City Island

The Marina

The event was very well attended and took place in one of the big catering hall of City island. City Island is a small island community, 1½ miles long and ½ mile at widest point, at the northeast edge of New York City surrounded by the Long Island Sound and Eastchester Bay. City Island has a rich nautical history and it has being for year a nice place for me to escape for a day in the summer. Originally inhabited by the Sinanoy Indians, City Island was established as an English settlement in 1685. The island became an important shipbuilding and yachting center during the 18^th and 19^th centuries and on through the mid-20^th century. It was incorporated as part of New York City in 1896. Today the presence of yacht clubs, sailing schools, and marinas, fishing boats and marine supplies and repair shops reflect City Island’s role as a very nice nautical community.

A beautiful City Island's home

City Island is a precious jewel within New York City, with a very distinct feel of a New England fishing town. It is an eclectic mix of sailors and fisherman, doctors and lawyers, artists and actors, families and young singles that make up a population of about 4500 people. I’ve been told that people born on the island are known as “clam diggers”, long-term residents are “mussel-suckers”. The design of the homes vary from grand frame Victorians and Colonials, modest Cape Cods and cottages, to conventional and contemporary brick. Some of those houses are so beautiful with magnificent water view. There are numerous restaurants, yacht clubs, galleries, antique shops, marine sales and repairs, and one lone Bed and Breakfast that you can’t miss.

The Ferry to Hart Island: spooky!

There are also numerous films, television shows, and commercials have been filmed on City Island. Just to mention a few films that you may know are from the past “Butterfield 8” starring Elizabeth Taylor, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” with Katharine Hepburn, and more recent are “Awakenings” with Robert De Niro and Robin Williams, “Love is all There is” with Angelina Jolie and A Bronx Tale with Robert De Niro and Chazz Palminteri, which featured the City Island Bridge and one scene which was filmed in the parking lot of Johnny's Reef Restaurant. Michael Douglas filmed “Don’t Say a Word” at the Hart Island Ferry and Hart Island. Hart Island is the location of a 101-acre potter's field for New York City where more than 800,000 dead are buried there -- approximately 2,000 a year. Very surreal place to visit!!

The is also a very recent film titled “City Island” starring Andy García and Julianna Margulies, that is set on City Island and also was shot there. The film won the Audience Favorite Award at the 2009 Tribeca Film festival.

The Club House

City island is close to Manhattan and so different: in only 15 minutes you are far from the city chaos and suddenly among fishermen, boats, marinas. Just nice to enjoy here a day while eating fish on an outside restaurant or a coffee while watching the boats passing by! It is a very nice place for people that love to spend a day near the water, like I do. I really love this place so it was nice to get drive there and enjoy the view even if briefly. I’m looking forward to get there for a whole day soon.

City Island's view

So this was another wonderful memory I loved to share with you of my NYC life. I’m blessed with my voice and talent and I was so honored to be able to help Dr. Miele with wonderful event!! It was also a very nice night that I got to spend in company of my dear friend Maria Traina Gallina that was my driver for the night and I had the pleasure to meet so many new friends. So it was a fun night with a very great meaning : that to help each other and other is a very powerful thing!!

Stay tuned for my next week BLOG…maybe it’s time to share some nice Italian memories of my last trip to Venice and some of my favorites recipes too!!

Love always,

Giada

NELA Gala in Washington: a trip to remember!

2011-06-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

Dear friends and readers,

Spring seems to have left already and to leave space to summer. The weather in NYC is in the 80’s F (more or less 30C). The sun is shining everyday and life seems more beautiful than ever: you know by now that the sun has a magic happy power on me!!

Last week it was such a great week. I was honored to perform on May 25 at the Annual National Education & Leadership Awards Gala of the Order Sons of Italy in Washington.

I left NYC on Tuesday afternoon. The weather was already sunny and I was already aware that the temperature was going up to the 90’s (33C) in Washington. So I was ready to go.

In the car on our way to Washington

The traffic was OK and we left NYC around 2:30 PM. With many stops for sight seeing and coffee we were save and sound in Washington at 8:30Pm. We were staying at the beautiful Washington Court Hotel. I checked my room and decided to go for a tea when I met already in the lobby the great actor and MC of the GALA Joe Mantegna and the National President of the OSIA Joe DiTrapani. After a tea and some chat with them I went back to my room for some relax and sleep. The day after was the big day!!

Capitol Reflecting Pool

The U.S. Capitol

At the Washington Monument

With JJ at the Mall

I woke up at 9Am slipped in my Gym suit and I was ready to go for usual morning walk. Since the hotel was near The Capitol we decided to go there. The weather was incredible and the view of the imposing Capitol and the Mall all around was breathtaking. As usual there are there tons of people, most of them students wearing all the same T-shirt so to be recognizable also from a distance if they get lost. We walked for up to three hours. Time flew by so quickly!! All around the Mall there are Museums, of Modern Art, American History, a Botanical Garden, National space and Air space Museum, they even have an exposition of Venice so many wonderful things to see all of them with free entrance. As you can imagine tourists are all over the Mall. But the Mall is so big that you still feel like you are walking around all alone. Wonderful time over there. It was then lunchtime. I went back to the Hotel for a shower and we went for lunch on a very nice and little coffee near the Hotel. Before I knew it was already 3Pm and time to make some preparation for the show.

Sound check

With Chris

At 5Pm was time to go for the sound check. Also this year the GALA was at the National Building Museum, a very impressive and beautiful building. I had had the honor to perform there also in 2009 when among the honoree there was the Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden. Since this year there were among the honorees no Presidents, the check to get into the building was less complicated. Actually it’s always easy for us artists to get in since we don’t have to wait on line or to get screened, but it’s a different story for the guests.

My sound check was quickly and easy. Every year they have a very great team and company doing the sound. Lucky me the sound engineer was also this year Chris, a very talented and nice guy and he knew already my voice and style so in no time we were done!!

It was time to rush to the hotel. I had one hour to do my makeup and hair and wear my gown.

With Carmen Policy and his lovely wife Gayle

Also this year they were honoring some incredible great people: this year Receiving the National Education & Leadership Award was Carmen Policy, Founder & Proprietor, Casa Piena Vineyard, former President and CEO, San Francisco 49ers . A very nice man I got to meet after the show with his lovely wife Gayle, who invited me to go and sing in San Francisco. Looking forward to that.

Receiving the 3rd Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Service was Sen. Jack Reed (R.I.) Serving his 3rd term, U.S. Senate  and also a Veteran, U.S. Army .

Receiving the Special Award for Courage & Patriotism was Steven Nardizzi, Esq.  Executive Director of Wounded Warrior Project.

Receiving the Award for Excellence in Global Business was Pier Francesco Guarguaglini, chairman of Finmeccanica S.p.A. 

With JJ and Gen. Odierno

Also present that evening were 10 young Italian Americans who received the 2011 SIF Scholarship and will now attend many of America's top universities. It is always wonderful to see those young students getting their scholarship on stage and see their enthusiasm.

With Sgt. Giunta

Special Guest were Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command and Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta Medal of Honor Recipient.

Master of Ceremonies also this year was Award-winning Actor and dear friend, Joe Mantegna, which as usual did an incredible job as MC of the night.

With the two soldiers of my table

The night had a very high energy. The presence of the Gen. Odieno and Staff Sgt. Giunta and their very inspirational speeches gave the night a touch of patriotism and pride to all the people in the room. SSgt. Giunta was introduced by Gen. Odierno, who said, "This young soldier represents what our military is all about: unwavering dedication to each other...we never leave a fallen comrade." Sgt. Giunta received the nation's highest honor for valor after risking his life to save a wounded comrade who was being carried away by Taliban terrorists during an ambush in Afghanistan. Sgt. Giunta, who is the first living American serviceman to receive the Medal of Honor since Vietnam, did receive also that night a $10,000 scholarship from the OSIA and did a very nice speech that touched everybody. He wanted to make sure for all us to understand that he is just a normal soldiers, who did nothing special, who just did was he was supposed to do, serve the country and protect his comrades. He said so sweet and modestly “I am only one of many serving in the U.S. military today," he said. "I appreciate the honors I have been receiving, but I did what thousands of others do every day: fight for this country."

And it was Joe Mantegna that so wonderfully replay for all of us saying ” You may be one of millions, but you are also for sure One in a Million”.

With Joe

I got to meet Sgt. Giunta and also Gen. Odierno, incredible people!! Both Gen. Odierno and SSgt. Giunta were given standing ovations by the audience. At my table there were also two soldiers, female soldiers, and it was so wonderful to give to them my personal thanks for what they do!!

It was wonderful to hear the speeches of all those incredible recipients. It was a mix of laughs and touching moments. It was wonderful to see Steven Nardizzi,  Executive Director of the Wounded Warrior Project receiving the Special Award for Courage & Patriotism. The WWP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, FL. Their mission is to raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured service members aid and assist each other and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service member. WWP was founded in Virginia by a group of veterans and friends who took action to help the injured service men and women of this generation. It was very powerful and inspirational to learn from his speech how empowering it can be to help others. If you want to learn more about this organization here is the link: www.woundedwarriorproject.org

Theresa on stage

With Theresa

A big surprise for me was to see at the GALA my wonderful friend and great singer Theresa Sareo, who’s involved with the WWP. She sang her own song “Thought The Soldiers Eyes” and touched the heart of everybody. Theresa, who lost her right leg in a traffic accident in 2002, is a wonderful friend. She always had the desire to do something for the wounded soldiers, she always felt a connection with them and maybe it would have been a way to share with them her own pain. I put her in contact a few years ago with my wonderful friend John Vigiano, who I knew was involved with the Walter Reed Army Hospital. They became dear friends and since that day Theresa frequently performs for injured troops at Walter Reed Army Hospital, near Washington, D.C.

With my great surprise before she sang she thanked me for my help to achieve this introducing her to John Vigiano. That was so sweet of her. This was for sure one of the things I would have never expected from her, I never felt I needed a thank for. I did it because it I love her and I wanted to help a friend. Small thing at time can mean so much to other. I felt so happy that I was able to give a dear friend like Theresa some joy with such a small introduction to another dear friend like John Vigiano!!

It was a great night. A night that made me think about how lucky I am to be free in a country without war. And also so thankful for what so many soldiers are doing for us: they fight for our freedom and we should never forget to thank them and ask God to protect them!! And also a night that made clear to me that I can do help other with small things. Just some kindness can do so much.

Show time

Show time (photo F, Isgro)

Well yes, among all this emotions, it was also my time to perform: the audience was so nice to me and I felt so honored to be able to sing for all of them. It was for sure an incredible view from the stage: from the US Congress there it was Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Sherrod Brown, the current Ambassador from Italy to the U.S. Giulio Terzi as well as the immediate past ambassador, Giovanni Castellaneta, and of course the heroes of the night Gen. Raymond Odierno, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, and his son, Capt. Anthony Odierno (U.S. Army, ret.) who lost an arm in Iraq and SSgt. Salvatore Giunta among all the others honorees. And of course Joe Mantegna, who I thanked from the stage for his help too before I sang. Every year I need three recommendation letters from outstanding people in the business for my VISA, so to be able to work and stay in the USA. I asked Joe for such a letter two year ago and in 5 days I had an incredible letter that even surprised my lawyer. A big star like Joe with an ever-bigger heart!!

After I sang Joe came to me telling me too that I didn’t need to thank him since he was so glad to be able to help, and gave me a big hug and told me I was, as usual, wonderful up there. What a night!!

My Venice in Washington

I felt so blessed to be there and to be able to sing my heart out for such a wonderful group of people.

The Venice Exposition

It was more than ever clear to me that we can make this world a better place just by standing for each other, caring for each other, being there for each other. We don’t need big acts to be of help, small things can change the life of a person. Nothing is too small or too big, the important thing is to act, to do something for each other!!

I went to bed with my heart full of joy!!

The day after I went to see some of the Museums, the Venetian exposition and of course the White House. A trip to remember for sure!!

With JJ at the White House gate

Stay tune for my next week BLOG.

Love always,

Giada

Back in the US: two wonderful events!

2011-05-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

Carissimi amici,

How are you?

With mom and my wonderful cousin Marta

Yes I’m back from Italy, from my work/vacation. It was great to be there as you can imagine. To see my parents, my family, my friends: well I haven’t been there for a year and half. I will make sure to never be away from them that long!! The weather in Italy was incredible. Sunny and warm just like in the summer. In a matter of fact I was sunbathing almost everyday in my bikini for the whole time: such a great time!!

And of course the food was another plus to the whole trip: I had really missed the taste of sun ripe tomatoes, the real Italian barbeque meat, the fruits, the home made pasta and the gnocchi of my mom. I also made a trip to Holland to visit JJ's family and my dear friends Anja and Joy: so much fun! I took tons of pictures and I will share them with more details of the whole trip very soon in my BLOG!!

With Marisa May

Well I’m back now and I’m already working hard and I can tell you I’m happy too. I missed my music. Last Sunday, May 15^th I had the honor once again to perform at the Leone di San Marco Gala in New Rochelle. Also this year they honored some outstanding Italian Americans. Here on the pictures you’ll see some of the recipients: the beautiful Marisa May, a wonderful business woman that following the footsteps of her dad, famous New York restaurateur Tony May and former owner of the Rainbow’s Room, has now a very upscale Italian restaurant in NYC with him the SD26 (www. Sd26ny.com). Very nice to hear her speech of how she always felt happy to be Italian thanks to her family.

With NYPD Michael Gervasi and his lovely wife

The Sonny Grosso Law Enforcement Award was given this year to a real hero NYPD Highway Patrol Medal of Valor Recipient, World Trade Center Disaster, Michael Gerbasi. It was so inspiring to hear his incredible story, a man that saved hundred of people that day, that got injured badly, and still decided to go back and keep working for the NYPD. He was sitting next to me a very humble and gracious young man with a wonderful wife and a wonderful family! Some tears came done during his speech, but I really could feel the joy and admiration of everybody when he was done with it!! A great moment that really made me think about the real meaning of life!!

M.D. Vincent De Vita

The Medicine Awards was given to Vincent De Vita MD. Vincent T. DeVita, Jr., MD is an internationally recognized pioneer physician in the field of oncology. His speech was also very touching and sincere. A very humble man that was instrumental in developing combination chemotherapy programs that ultimately led to an effective regimen of curative chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s disease and diffuse large cell lymphomas.

With Richard LaGravenese

The Screenwriting/Directing Award was given to Richard LaGravenese. It was so nice to hear his speech, to hear how much he was influenced by his being Italian in becoming a writer. He even got emotional remembering his own dad and the time spent with him going to see movie: a very touching moment. A very great man!! In case you don’t know among Richard’s movies, are the just new released movie “Water for Elephant”, but also some great movies like “Freedom Writers”, “The Horse Whisperer”, “The Mirror Has Two Faces”, “The Bridges of Madison County”, just to mention a few.

Luigi & Gayle

With Maria & Sonny

As always it was a very uplifting event and a great occasion to get to spend time with some of my dearest friends, like Sonny Grosso and Christina Krauss, Luigi Moneta and Gayle Scott, who also performed, and Maria Traina Gallina, who drove me there and spent the day with me so to give me her welcome home!!

With Andrea, Dana & Andrew

Last Friday night, May 20 I was once again proudly part of an event for the Dana’s Angels Foundation. A few years ago I got to meet, thanks to my dear friends, movie producer Sonny Grosso and casting director Chris Krauss, two incredible parents of 4 children, Andrea and Phil Marella. Two of their wonderful children, Dana and Andrew are suffering of a very rare and cruel disease called Niemann-Pick Type C disease. The NPC disease is a genetic metabolic disorder in which harmful quantities of cholesterol and other fatty substances accumulate in the cells of the body such as the spleen, liver, lungs, bone marrow and, most dramatically, the brain. To say things easily: the children end up in a wheel chair and stop talking and moving till they die!! It’s a rare desease and that’s why the Marella family is devoted in collecting money for the research so to find a cure for this horrible desease. Dana is already in a wheel chair, but Andrew, now 11 is still a normal child, thanks to new medicine and the research of the last few years!! It’s a run against time I so much respect their commitment and strength as parents and as family!! So honored to know them!!

Regis and Kethie Lee

Frank and Kathie Lee

Also year the annual benefit Gala was at the Palace Theatre in Stamford, CT and the star of the night was Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Already for many years MC of the night are Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford. And this year also Regis Philbin stopped by with his lovely wife Joy!

The Live Auction

Regis and Kathie Lee were wonderful on stage and very generous too. During the Live Auction they both generously donated $10.000 each to the cause. Regis for a table at Rao’s on Monday night with Sonny Grosso, and Kathie Lee for a day of sailing on the Ticonderoga. Their act of generosity really was a good example for every one that soon after showed their generosity bidding very high on all the wonderful things the Live Auction had to offer: a dinner with Chazz Palmintieri and his wife Gianna at their home, three tickets for Rihanna and Cee Lo Green with meet and greet after the show, and a wonderful week of vacation in a deluxe Three Bedroom ocean front unit in beautiful Turks & Caicos.

It was such a wonderful feeling to see the generosity of the people to help the DART to find a cure to save the lives of all the children afflicted with NPC.

Well it was so very touching to see Dana, now 17 years old, still in her wheelchair but doing much better than last year. She even got to say a word a few weeks a go. And it was wonderful so see Andrew, a wonderful child of 11 now, alive and full of energy now and full of projects for his future. He must be worried to end up like Dana, but to see the strength and the commitment of his parents to find a cure makes him feel secure and protected, just like a child should feel.

Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons

With Frankie

A very special night that had made me understand that health is the true wealth and that help other less fortunate is real power! What a night, a real rollercoaster of emotions and most of all full of love. After the Live Auction Frankie Valli hit the stage with the Four Seasons: just like one of his songs: Oh what a night!! The audience was standing almost for the whole concert and singing alone each and every song! So many wonderful songs!! Frankie was great and the young ladies loved in particular the 4 wonderful male backing singers, dancing and singing with so much energy!! And the Band was outstanding!!

After the show I was between the few lucky people that got to meet the Frankie. A very nice moment!! A great artist and a wonderful human being!! I was lucky to be in great company the whole night seating next to Sonny and Chriss, Richard Vetere and Lissa, Maria Traina Gallina on the second row just behind Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford and Regis and Joey Philbin. They were all happy too!

With Richard Vetere, Bobby Valentine & Mr. Pavia

With Michelle Phillips

I also got to spend time with legendary singer from The Mamas & The Papas, Michelle Phillips. the wonderful Major of Stamford Mr. Pavia and his dear friend, legendary Major League Baseball player and manager, Bobby Valentine.What a great night. I’m so honored to be part of it and it was so wonderful to see the Marella’s Family reworded with so much money for the research for this horrible desease. Actaully Phil and Andrea got a standing ovation for what they do when their enter the stage: very nicely Phil said he was happy to see the standing ovation for them but that he couldn’t wait for the real stand ovation the day when we will have the cure for this desease. He thanked all of us for attending the event in a very emotional way!! God Bless them: what a wonderful family!!

If you want to learn more about this disease and help too, you can visit their website www.danasangels.org

I’m leaving today to go to Washington to sing at the NELA Gala. Stay tune for pictures and stories about on my next week BLOG.

Love always,

Giada

My wonderful New York life!!

2011-03-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

Dear readers and friends,

After the BLOG of last week all dedicated to my Country Italy today’s BLOG is all about my latest adventures in NYC.

Since a few days it’s officially Spring and today it’s snowing. Never the less life is still beautiful and busy for me. And I really enjoy every second of it.

I’m getting ready for my last Concert in NYC this coming Saturday at the piano Room of Etcetera Etcetera at 8PM. I will be performing with my whole band a Tribute to Women, since March is Women History month. I will be singing all my favorite songs of some incredible Divas of the music, some incredible artists and human being, like Shirley Bassey, Dusty Springfield, Karen Carpenter, Edith Piaff, Anne Murray, Linda Ronstadt, Mina, Ornella Vanoni, Nada, Ella Fitzgerald and so many more.

Then next week, the 29^th, I will finally fly back home to Venice and I will be there for the whole month of April.

I’m looking forward to see my family and friends as you can imagine. And even if I have some work to do, some appointments to go, I will also make sure that I will have the time to relax so to be recharged and get ready to take the stage full of energy when I’m back, in May.

On stage with the flags

Last week on Thursday it was the 150^th Anniversary of the Unity of Italy. Even if I’m in NYC, I had the honor to celebrate my country with a very nice and positive event. I was invited to perform a few songs for Italy at the Celebration held at the Christ the King Theatre in Queens organized by Tony DiPiazza and Tony Mule' of the "Associazione Culturale Italiana di New York. My dear friend and founder of ICN radio Sal Palmeri, was the MC of the night. Many were the guests that made the night very special and more than 1000 the attendees. They had invited some artists from Italy like tenor Aldo Bianchi e Italian superstar Wilma Goich who really brought back so many memories to the audience while singing her hit songs. I shared the dressing room with Wilma and I must say that I discover one of the most wonderful human being, a very splendid person. Such a lady!!

With Joe Nastasi. Wilma Goich and Salvo Randazzo before the show

In a matter of fact we will see each other in Rome in April for a dinner and more fun. She was there with her daughter Susanna Vianello, also so adorable and so nice. I’m so looking forward to see them both soon in my beloved ROME!!

The audience

Other guests were tenor Salvo Randazzo and Baritone Lawrence Harris. Everybody was so nice and talented.

General Counsel of Italy in NY Francesco. Talo'

The Italian counsel of Italy in NY, Francesco Maria Talo’, attended also the celebration and brought to us the regards of President Barak Obama. It was also so wonderful to hear from wonderful Dr. Silvana Mangione the story of the first flag of Italy and to see on stage the first Italian flag ever. If you wonder why the colors Green, White and Red, Dr. Mangione said that the colors where chosen to represent Italy: so Green like Italy’s valleys, White like the snow of the Italian’s Mountains and Red like the stream of lava of the Italian’s volcanoes. It was so nice to learn that!!

Show time at Christ the King

I performed two songs, “Io che non vivo senza te”,"You Don't Have To Say You Love Me", who's a Venetian songs just like me written by Pino Donaggio, and one of the most famous Italian songs” Volare” that got the whole audience singing with me while they were waiving their flags full of pride. It was such a great event and I was so proud to be part of it.

And after the show, being an Italian celebration, of course we went all together, singers and the people of the Organization, for a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant near the Theatre.

A wonderful Italian Night in the city!!

Well if you are my FB friends you know that I spend my Sunday at the Emergency Room due to my low blood sugar after my gym routine. I stupidly I decided to skip breakfast before my gym and I ended up fainting. As I always say ”life is a live and learn journey” and I leaned now that I need to sleep and eat more regularly. By now you must know me enough to know that I’m always on the run. I love my life and I love my job and I try not to miss a thing!! But I will try not to forget to eat from now on!! The ER for 5 hours wasn’t that much fun after all!!

With Joey after the TV show

Live auction of Rao's Table

Keep talking about wonderful things yesterday night I went to the taping of the television show “All Night with Joey Reynolds” on NBC. Joey Reynolds is a dear friend of mine and he’s a legend in the world of radio. He’s one of the most respected and well-known radio presenters in the USA. I had the honor to meet Joey a few years a go while having dinner at one of the most exclusive places in NYC, Rao’s. Joey is a dear friend of movie producer and dear friend Sonny Grosso who owns a table at Rao’s on Monday night. Yes Rao’s is a restaurant that has sold his tables, so you’ll get in only if you are guest of somebody who owns a table. It’s a very nice place and it is always an experience to be there. And as you can imagine since you can’t get in unless you are invited by a table’s owner, Rao’s is very famous and many are the people who dream one day to get in. In a matter of fact many times owners of Rao’s Tables offer their table to collect money for various benefit. I’ve seen people biding during live auctions as high as $25.000 for a table there. And you should know that that money doesn’t include the dinner, only the table for 6 for one night!!

At Rao's with Sonny and Chriss

With Rao's owner actor Frank Pellegrino

At Rao's with Eli and Plax

Every time you’ll get to meet a famous someone at Rao’s. It can go from a movie celebrity like Robert DeNiro or a world famous singer like Rod Stewart, to a US President like Bill Clinton. It’s incredible. I got to meet there many people thanks to Sonny. Of course you can’t always take pictures but I did it when I met the famous American Footballs players Plaxico Burress, and Eli Manning of the NYC Giants and the owner of the team, Robert Tisch. A funny thing about my meeting with Plaxico is that I got to meet him, just one week before the accident who brought him to jail, for shooting himself of his leg with an illegal gun.I always wonder if he had that gun also the night I meet him!! And I got to meet Mr. Tisch the night I had performed at the prestigious Cabaret Feinstein’s of NYC. Since he owns also the Regency Hotel, where the Feinstein’s is located, and since I was staying at the Regency for that night, he had a nice joke with me for the whole night telling everybody at Rao's that I was sleeping at “his place” that night. Very funny man, very wealthy with passion for beautiful women!! Well Raos’ is a special place very small and no matter who you are, and no matter who the other people there are it’s like being all friends having fun and good food. A very unique place.

Talking with Joey and the other guests

And thanks to Rao’s and Sonny I got to meet Joey Reynolds that has become a dear friend as well and a great supporter of my music and talent.

More talking with Joey

So last night at 8PM I went to the studio. The beautiful studio is in Time Square in the NASDAQ Building. People can see the studio from Times Square so it was nice to perform and do the interview with Joey and see the tourists outside the window watching and waiving their hands saying hallo to us. It was like being in a fish ball!!

I was just a few minutes into the studio, around 8PM, when Joey asked to go outside in Times Square with him to say hallo to the strollers followed by a TV cameras, and to ask questions to them. It was a very nice experience to see how people react to the cameras in NYC. The real new Yorkers try to avoid them and the tourists come to you with curiosity. So I was outside with Joey for like 20 minutes and we got to meet so many tourists that were enjoying the light of Time Square and some new Yorkers as well. Then it was time for me to get into the studio to do my make up. Yes I had the courage to be on the cameras without makeup. But hey you can’t say no to such a fun invitation right??

Piera working her magic on me

So I went into the studio where my wonderful makeup artist and great friend Piera Canu was waiting for me. Piera had just arrived from Italy. She was so sweet to come there to do my makeup directly from the airport.

Singing

She’s for sure one of my angles!! Piera was working her magic on me while I was told about the schedule of the program: interview and one song at the end of the first hour of the show. Witch during the taping would have means that I was to go on around 11PM, while tomorrow night it would be broadcast around 1Am. It was so wonderful to get interviewed by Joey. He’s such a pro and with me always so sweet and so kind. The time flew by so quickly that it was time for me to move over to the singing spot to perform live “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me”. After I sang, Joey joined me on stage and asked me a few more questions about the show of next Saturday. He also asked me to sing a few bars of a Carpenters song. Joey said that nobody can sing a Karen Carpenters songs like I do. That was a great compliment. I actually added that I also think that nobody can sing like Karen Carpenter but I added that I maybe sing her songs so beautifully just because I love her so much!! And I sang for him a cappella a few bars of “Close To You”.

Singing

Talking with Joey after I sang

Before I knew it was over. It was midnight and time to go home.

Cool Breeze adjusting my MIC before the show

With Todd Robbins and Bob Greenberg

It was such a wonderful experience and I can’t wait to go back again. I got also to meet on the set so many wonderful people of the Joey’s team. And got to meet all the other wonderful guests, like funnyman Bob Greenberg, funny girl Ester Ku and great magicians Todd Robbins, who by the way eat a lamp live during the show!! So much fun all-alone!! I’m looking forward to see Joey Saturday at my show and to see him tonight on TV together with me!!

Those were of my adventures in the city for this week. I’m getting ready for more fun this coming Saturday at my Concert and I hope some of you dear readers and friends can make it to the show!!

With Joe Valenti, the director

With Bob Gilligan

And stay tunes for my next BLOG for more about my beautiful country Italy, my adventures in NYC, my passion for music, and so much more!!

Love always,

Giada

http://www.casa-belvedere.org/blog/future-plans/

An Italian night in NYC

2011-03-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

My BLOG today is dedicated to my own country Italy, a place I love with all my heart!! This coming Thursday, March 17^th it will be the 150 anniversary of the Unity of Italy and I will have the honor to perform in honor of this special Celebration in Queens at the Christ the King Theatre at an event organized by the Associazione Culturale Italiana Di New York.

So even if I’m living in NYC, Italy is still in every day life, actually even more than when I was in Italy. Living in a foreign country really made me appreciate more my own Italy and my being Italian. And I get to meet so many people that just like me embrace their Italian heritage with so much passion and devotion.

With the wonderful Gina Biancardi & Toni Elliott

Last Friday I was invited to attend the Annual Gala of the Scuola D’Italia Guglielmo Marconi in NYC. The elegant Gala attended by more than 500 people took place in the beautiful Cipriani on 42^nd Street. I was invited by the Gina Biancardi to be her guest at the table of Casa Belvedere.

Gina it’s for sure one of the most wonderful persons I met thanks to my music.

Gina is a wonderful mother of three that had the dream to do something to promote and divulgate Italian culture in America. So in November 2008, together with her husband Luciano, they purchased a beautiful mansion in Staten Island, the island across Manhattan, with the dream of restoring it to its original splendor while converting it to an arts and cultural center for the community to enjoy.

Casa Belvedere

The name of this incredible splendid place is Casa Belvedere. Well Casa Belvedere has for sure an impressive view from its location at 79 Howard Avenue in Staten Island. Casa Belvedere, is a New York City historic landmark, and sits on nearly three acres atop Grymes Hill and boasts a spectacular view of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and the New York City Harbor.

With wonderful Toni Eliott

Vito Catalano a wonderful friend and the official photographer of ALL the Italian Events in NYC!!

It is so wonderful to see how a young woman like Gina with her dedication and enthusiasm to preserve and promote an appreciation of Italian language, arts, literature, history, fashion, cuisine, has been able to create such a wonderful place like Casa Belvedere where people can attend innovative programs to lean Italian, but also see beautiful and interesting exhibits, and music and cultural events. The Casa Belvedere plans to officially open its doors to the restored mansion in September of 2011, but they are already doing so many wonderful events and offering already a variety of classes to learn Italian for toddlers, children, teens and adults. They are also had for the first time in 2010 a Summer Camp for Children of Ages 7-9. The acquisition of language skills at an early age can for sure facilitate academic success in the future and during their summer camp of Casa Belvedere really is able to engage the children in learning activities fun and stimulating. The children are learning language and culture through games, music and group activities and this is for sure the best way to go with young kids. Some of the Summer Camp activities included learning Latin roots, something I learned in Italy too and that was very useful for me in the beginning of my stay in the USA when my English was basic, but they also teach the kids to appreciate Italian foods, making Carnevale masks and some very typical Italian card games like Assoprendetutto, Sette e mezzo and Tombola.

So they really create little Italian souls at Casa Belvedere.

And as you can imagine I can’t wait to be at Casa Belvedere with my musicians to bring some Italian culture at this beautiful place.

I’m so honored to be friend of Gina a very inspiring person that follow her passion to create a unique place for the Italian lovers where people can learn the language but also learn everything Italian, like our traditions, our dishes and everything else about being Italian. And I surely love her uplifting and happy personality!! Gina has for sure my friendship and my support. She’s great!

The dancing fun!!

So it was wonderful to be guest of her table. The Gala of the Scuola d’Italia was very well attended. Almost all the important people of the Italian community where present, like the Italian Ambassador of the United Nation, Mr. Terzi and the Italian Consul in NYC Mr. Talo’.

To make the event very fun was the presence of the students of the school. They had actually a very active role: they sang the Italian, the American and the European Anthems and of course they dance like crazy when the music started to play!!

It was wonderful to see many young kids behaving greatly and still acting like teenagers. The Scoula D’Italia is doing for sure a great work. Those kids can speak perfect Italian and English.

La Scuola d'Italia “Guglielmo Marconi” was founded in 1977 by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to meet the academic needs of Italians living in the New York City area.

The students singing the Italian National Anthem

Thanks to an increasing interest on the part of the American families, La Scuola has grown into a unique bilingual and bi-curricular education institution, from the Preschool level through Liceo (grades 9-12), reflecting the best features of the Italian and American instruction systems.

La Scuola is committed to fostering international understanding and openness in order to prepare students to become citizens of the world. La Scuola d’Italia is also legally recognized by the Italian Ministry of Education and chartered by the Regents of the University of the State of New York as a private, independent, co-educational American school.

With my dear friend Contessa Francesca Baldeschi

Master of Ceremony was my dear friend and presenter of the popular TV program in “Brindiamo”, my fellow Italian Ornella Fado. Of course being in NYC for 6 years now I really got to know a lot of people in the Italian community, so it was fun to see all my friends.

With Ornella Fado MC of the night

A perfect NYC night with great friends and so much proud Italians and even more Italian lovers.

Thank you Gina for the invitation and congratulation for her wonderful Casa Belvedere!! Check it out it is a wonderful place!!

And stay tuned for my next adventures!!

Love always,

Giada Valenti

www.giadavalenti.com

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An empowering and fun International Women's Day Celebration

2011-03-09T17:09:00.000-08:00

Cari amici,

Yesterday was March 8^th, International Woman’s Day, Festa delle Donne.

If you know me a little bit by now, you know that I believe that every day should be Woman’s Day, and so everyday should be Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day!! Love should be given everyday!!

But yesterday I was invited to be part of the celebration of Women’s Day by a dear friend, Italian radio DJ Rita Monte and her organization “Italian American Women Center”, so I did go and it was a lot of fun.

International Woman's Day: (IWD) is marked on March 8 of every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women. It started as a political event but slowly the holiday blended in the culture of many countries.

Nowadays in Italy for instance, the day has lost its political flavor, and it’s simply an occasion for men to express their love to the women around them in a way somewhat similar to Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day mixed together. In other countries, however, the political and human rights theme as designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.

The IWD is also celebrated as the first spring holiday, as in the listed countries the first day of March is considered the first day of the spring season. The first IWD was observed on 28 February 1909 in the United States following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. Among other relevant historic events, it came to commemorate also the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.

The building on fire

And this event was also brought to the attention at last night dinner. This was a horrible tragedy that cost the lives of 147 workers, manly Jewish and Italian women, mainly still in their teens killed by the fire or their desperate leaps to the ground to escape the heat and flames. This year Mach 25^th 2011 will mark the one hundred anniversary of one of the most important events in the history of the U.S. labor movement. On that date, one hundred years ago, a fire broke out on the top three stories of a relatively new building just East of Washington Square Park, which housed the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, a large manufacturer of women’s clothes (a building which today houses New York University classrooms).

The tragedy

Though the building was modern and advertised as fire-proof, the cramped layout of the factory space, large piles of flammable materials, locked doors, inadequate fire escape, and the inability of New York City fire truck ladders to reach high enough to rescue the people trapped by the flames led to a staggering loss of life.

The first women's rights strikes

The idea of having an international women's day was first put forward at the turn of the 20th century amid rapid world industrialization and economic expansion that led to protests over working conditions, and events like this really gave more ground to it. By urban legend, women from clothing and textile factories staged one such protest on 8 March 1857 in New York City. The garment workers were protesting against very poor working conditions and low wages. The protesters were attacked and dispersed by police. These women established their first labor union in the same month two years later.

Yesterday night party was very inspiring and serious event but it was also a very outgoing and happy.

The menu

I went there with Maria Gallina, a dear friend of mine that picked me up. We were at the party on time even if we got lost 1 minute from the destination according to the GPS. So we had a lot of fun already in the car try to understand what was going on with the GPS, or Miss Julie as we named her. Thank God we stopped a woman on the street and she gave us the good directions, human beings still better than GPS apparently!!

The party was in a nice restaurant. They had arranged a private room for the attendees so we had some privacy. On the wall in the room they had put posters with some very the biography of some accomplished women that have with their talents and their dedications in their fields of work really changed the lives of so many women of future generations. We could walk around and read them. Very empowering and was very interesting.

With Rita Monte & Vincenza Russo

The Italian American Women’s’ Center is a non profit organization dedicated to facilitates networking within the Italian American women’s community, to promote personal and professional development of women through seminars, educational programs and cultural exchanges, they also schedule outing to concerts, study tours and cultural and social events. They promote also the study of the Italian culture and language and they help to pursuit a higher education by providing mentoring programs and financial support in the form of scholarships.

A very dedicated group of women.

I understood last night that actually it is was the effort of the President of this organization, Vincenza Russo, a wonderful woman who’s also a great supporter of my music, that actually made possible that last year during the Italian Cultural Month celebration, for the first time a woman for chosen by the Italian Heritage and Culture Month Committee of New York. The theme of last year Italian Month celebration was indeed “A Salute to Italian and Italian American Women Honoring Dr. Maria Montessori”. As Vincenza said, we just have to try to accomplish something we really believe in and things will happen.

So I really enjoyed very much the inspiring night. Of course I also got to meet many new interesting people, like famous soprano and wonderful lady Mirella Sanseviero, Rosalba Campitiello, a very talented interior designer of the rich and famous and the very nice Felicia Gazzara, yes the cousin of my wonderful friend, actor Ben Gazzara. And of course I got to see again some people I had not seen in a while, like my dear friend Rita Monte, who invited me to the event.

With my friend Maria Gallina, Interior Designer of the rich and famous Rosalba Capitiello and famous soprano Mirella Sanseviero

Rita does a very popular radio program “Profumi D’Italia” and it was fun to get to meet some her listeners that have been listening to my music for a while and that I had never met before. Always nice.

With Rita and the Mimosa Cake

The dinner was great and it ended with the very traditional Italian Woman’s day cake: Torta Mimosa.

Well yellow was the color we were asked to wear, at least a hint of it. As you can see I wore foulard!!

If you wonder why yellow, well it’s because yellow is the color of the traditional flower that we have in Italy for woman’s day: the mimosa indeed.

In Italy, to celebrate this day, men give yellow mimosas to women.

With Mirella Sanseviero, Felicia Gazzara, Ida Corvino and Rita Monte

Last night there was no mimosa though for us. Actually I have never seen a Mimosa in the USA. Unfortunately it’s not growing in the USA!!

I have so many memories of this day. As a child it was the day that daddy was brining home Mimosas for his ladies: me, mom and grandma and so did also Grandpa Ruggero.

Later it is has been a moment to celebrate with “girlfriends” only. There are a lot of parties for women’ only!! You can imagine the madness and the fun of those parties!! Men are aloud in only after midnight! And what happen at those parties before midnight: stays at those party!!

Only one thing to say: for me the fun was to see the so colled”good girls” of the village going wild and behind and fighting for the first row for the Chippendale ‘s show!! That was the Show in the show for me!!!

With wonderful Rita and Maria

And since yesterday I have also an American memory of this day, a very inspirational and fun one for sure. If women stick together they can rule the world and man are of course all the way there to rule with us!! I’m definitely not a feminist and I believe that respect among men and women is the key of harmony, peace and success!! Respect and unity one to another.

And since you may want to try the delicious Woman’s Day Cake: Torta Mimosa, here is how to make it:

Mimosa cake

Mimosa Cake, a sweet treat filled with a delicious cream and flavored with Italian lemon.

INGREDIENTS

Servings 8

For sponge cake

2 ½ oz all-purpose flour

2 ½ oz potato starch

5 oz sugar

6 eggs

For Chantilly cream

2 cups milk

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

3 ½ oz sugar

1 oz all-purpose flour

1 lemon zest

½ stick vanilla

7 oz cream

1 ¾ oz powdered sugar

For syrup

1 cup water

½ cup Kirsch (dry cherry liqueur)

3 oz sugar

PREPARATION

1 hour and 30 minutes preparation

To make sponge cake, whisk the eggs and sugar in a mixer until firm.  Then gently fold in, little by little, the flour and potato starch, sieved together, using a spatula.  Once the mixture is smooth, pour it into 2 cake tins, that have been buttered and floured; then bake at 325° F for 45 minutes.  Once cooked, allow the sponge cakes to cool.

While the sponge is in the oven, make the Chantilly cream, by mixing the whipped cream with confectioner’s custard. See below on how to make the confectioner’s custard.

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar, and then put it in the refrigerator.

Make the confectioner’s custard as follows. Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and put them in a bowl.  Using a potato peeler, take the zest off a lemon, being careful not to take any of the white part underneath. In a pot, bring the milk to the boil with the vanilla seeds and the lemon zest.  As soon as the milk starts boiling, remove from heat. In a bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks with the sugar.  Add the flour, previously sieved, and mix well.

Once the mixture is smooth, dilute it with a bit of warm milk, stirring while adding. Pour the remaining milk through a sieve to remove the lemon zest.  Put back the mixture over the heat and cook over a low heat for 5 - 10 minutes stirring continuously, allowing it to boil for 2 – 3 minutes.

Remove the custard from the heat and allow it to cool.  Once the confectioner’s custard is cold, fold it in the whipped cream.

To make the syrup, to be used to soak the sponge. Bring to boil a mixture of water and sugar so that the latter dissolves. Once dissolved, remove from the heat and add some Kirsch.

When all the ingredients are ready, assemble the cake as described below.

Step 1

Cut one sponge into horizontal layers about 0.4 inches thick.

Step 2

Line a glass bowl about 8 inches in diameter with bands of baking paper. Arrange a layer of sponge on the bottom of the bowl.

Step 3

Using a small brush soak the sponge with the Kirsch syrup.

Step 4

Spread a layer of Chantilly cream on top of the sponge and cover with another slice of sponge. Repeat the operation for 3 sponge layers. Then, put the cake in the refrigerator and allow it to rest for 30 minutes or so.

Step 5

Cut the second sponge into dices 0.2 - 0.4 inches in size.

Step 6

Turn out the cake onto a plate.

Step 7

Coat the outside of the cake with the remaining cream.

Step 8

Spread the sponge dices over the top of the cake to cover the entire cake.

So Happy Cake to you all and W the women and the men who loves us too!!

Love,

Giada

An unforgettable night in Mar A Lago!

2011-03-01T09:32:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

How are you?

March first today…we are getting closer to springtime and summer. I’m sure we are all ready for that. I don’t know you, but I have the feeling that winter was so long this year!!

Luckily I got a to feel the summer for a few days last week when I went to Palm Beach Florida for a Concert at Donald Trump’s Private Club, Mar A Lago.

Incredible to know that just 2 and half-hour flight south of NYC it’s already summer!

Actually it had snowed last weekend in NYC and it was very cold.

I took the flight with Jet Blue at 7:30 PM with my musicians and JJ. We were all wearing winter coats and winter boots. After a very relaxed flight, there we were after a bit more than two hours, landing in Palm Beach.

I quickly changed my boots with sandals and change my wool sweater with a summer top, but still I couldn’t believe it.

The drivers were waiting for us with our names on the boards.

We walked outside the airport: there were 28 degrees (in the height 80’s). Oh boy: we were all already happy by then.

But it was getting even better!!

Relaxing outside my bungalow

My bungalow

After a short drive of 15 minutes we were at the gates of Mar A Lago. It’s difficult to explain how beautiful Mar A Lago is. You need to see it. The old Spanish Style Mention is so beautiful, and the palms all around were picture perfect!!

We drove pass the gates of the Private Club and the driver drove us to bungalow where I was staying.

The living room

The bedroom

The car stopped in the front of a little white charming bungalow: we walked in to land into a very spacious living room with a open kitchen, two big bedrooms and two huge marble bathrooms, both with state of the art super size Jacuzzi, super size sauna and shower and flat screen TV’s in every room.

And mirrors everywhere...I just loved the place instantly!!

We gave a nice tip to the driver who left and my Mar A Lago adventure was ready to start.

The Donald Trump water

On the kitchen table there was a very nice welcome basket for us, with delicious chocolate, home made cookies, all kind of different candies, fruits, and Donald Trump water’s bottles!!

I opened my suitcases; put my dresses and shoes on the very nice walk in closet and relaxed in the beautiful Jacuzzi bath for a while.

Then I wore my silk summer pyjamas I had some fruit while watching the huge flat screen TV in the huge bed and before I knew it was 2Am and time to sleep. The day after was my debut in Mar A Lago!!

I slept in a second: it was quiet and the huge bed was so comfortable.

The SPA and gym club

View from my bungalow

My wakeup call was at 9:30Am to go to the gym. I had made some research and I knew that in Mar a Lago they have a very nice Gym and a SPA. So what a better way to start your day than with a visit to both of them!!

So wore my gym outfit and I walked outside the bungalow and what a view: I was in the beautiful Mar A Lago. The sun was shining and there were already 26 degrees.

The Mar A Lago Stone

I walked to the gym not too far from my bungalow. Some of the members were also training and I was welcomed by the personal trainer of the gym, who actually can help you if you need. I did my 45 minutes training and walked to the SPA for a facial and a massage. And then was time to go back to my beautiful room to get ready for brunch, since it was already noon!!

Mar A Lago Stone

I was so excited to get to perform at Mar A Lago for the club members. I can’t mention names for privacy reasons, but they are all rich and famous!!

I know it was a great honor to be performing there since they are used to have performers like, Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, Tony Bennett and the list can go on and on, and some of them are great artists themselves! Only a few days before me they had had Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, a week after me they were having Tony Bennett.

So I was honored and kind of nervous too.

The tennis court

But there I was looking around the beautiful Mar A Lago and thinking to all of this and saying to myself that I was very lucky to get to experience all of this. I was feeling very honored and privileged to be there that for sure!!

View from the restaurant

The restaurant

Lunch time in Mar A Lago

I had finally arrived at the restaurant. The place was so quiet and so beautiful. We sat and ordered some food: actually I decided to go for the very famous Turkey Burger of Mar A Lago!!

Going to the Ballroom

I was there only a few minutes when the Manager of Mar A Lago, actually the man who really loved my music and took the risk to book me in Mar A Lago, came to my table to give me his warm welcome. I thank him for this great opportunity and he was telling me that he was so looking forward to see my show since he had been a fan of mine for a while. The manager is German and he said that I reminded you of a very famous and talented Italian singer who was very famous in Germany as well, that just like my sang in many languages: Caterina Valente.

JJ and Saadi outside the Ballroom

That was such a great compliment. I do also love Caterina Valente and I’ve been asked so many times if we are related, because of the family names of course but also because we are both Italian but we both sings international repertoire.

Everybody was so welcoming and nice. After a very delicious lunch it was time to go and take a look at the Ballroom, where the Concert would have taken place.

The Ballroom almost ready for the Concert

The Concert was in the small Ballroom. They were already preparing the room. SIR, the sound company, had already put the speakers and the microphones on stage, the lights where already on and they were setting the tables for the guests. The little ballroom was just so very beautiful. I walked on stage and checked a few technical things, made arrangements where I wanted my table, my stool, while my musical director Etienne was also directing where to put the instruments. While they were taking good care of all those details I decided to go for a walk around the property for more see sight and to enjoy the incredible weather. Around 3 Pm I went back to my bungalow so to relax a bit before sound check at 4PM.

Sunset before the show

My musicians and JJ: dinner before the show

View from my bungalow

While I was walking back to my little bungalow one of the security people also informed that the bungalow I was staying is the favorite place to stay of Regus Philbin while in Mar A Lago and I find out that the bungalow had been the home Major Giuliani while campaigning the President’s candidacy a few years ago in Florida.

Another incredible view of Mar A Lago

Before I knew it was 4Pm and time to go for the sound check. Well at Mar A Lago they are used to have big artists so the sound and the light were great!! We discussed the whole show with the guys in charge of the lights and went though the whole show with the sound people as well. It was 6PM and we were ready to rock and roll. We stopped at the poolside for a delicious dinner. At 7:30Pm it was time to hit my bedroom to get ready!! Show time was at 9PM.

Strangely enough I was very relaxed, I guess it was the beauty of the place and the kindness of the people all around!!

With the musicians after the show

8:35Pm, hair and make up were done and it was time to wear my dress and my shoes.

8:55 Pm the musicians came to my bungalow too all dressed up too and ready to go!! The excitement was in the air. I could not wait! I had to perform for an audience of total strangers. People that where used to see some of my own idols on stage. But somehow I was ready for it and quiet confident about it.

Just to make you laugh, and actually I laughed also now but I didn’t much that night, I had to change my super high hills Ferragamo shoes just a few minutes before show time for a pair of less high shoes. Well I had to wait to get on stage on the patio and while walking on the grass…well I fell and injured my ankle. Fortunately not very badly and with those much more comfortable shoes I was ready to rock and roll without people even knowing about the accident!!

The door to get on Stage

The music started to play, I heard my name, the doors open and there I was taking my applause and walking on stage!! The room was beautiful and the people very elegantly dressed and happy to see me!! I started with my version of “Love Story” and when I was done a huge applause followed with some very loud “Brava Brava “….I was at ease and ready to go now for real. The hour and half of the show went so fast. The audience was incredibly nice…with a few songs even singing along softly with me, I could hear their reaction of awe for the Tribute to the Carpenters, ‘Something” of Beatles, “It’s Impossible” of Perry Como, “I needed You”, “Blue Bayou”, “Caruso” “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”. They were laughing at my stories and getting energized with my surprising sexy version of “Light My Fire” and captured with my version of “La Vie En Rose” and “More”.

I could feel their appreciation: the energy was high. It was a magic perfect night!!

After the show

I was done with the last note of “This Is My Life” it was the end of the show and they all were in standing ovation asking for more for 5 incredible minutes!!

I always say that it’s the applause and the love and appreciation that I get from my audience that give sense to all my life and to my work as a singer.

My heart was going so fast, it was overwhelming!! It was surreal!!

And it’s this feeling of gratitude, the love that I get all the time from my audience with their applause that give me the strength to keep doing my job no matter what: to see that my music can make people happy, to see that I can transfer my emotions to all of them with my voice and my shows, it’s a magic feeling. It makes me feel so well.

I know it’s a gift from GOD and I’m so grateful to have such a gift for sure!!

The Big Ballroom

To get off stage I had to get among the audience and there I was taking the incredible words of compliments of the audience, taking pictures with all of them and singing CD’s, including one for the beautiful Melania Trump. What a night!!

The manager of Mar A Lago, who had booked my show, was so happy to see the incredible response of the audience. I was already asked to come back for more shows, and this time in the big Ballroom for all the members of the club and their guests!!! The big Ballroom can hold 650 people…so it will be a great night!!

Oh well as you can imagine it was an overwhelming feeling!!

After hanging out with my musicians for drinks after the show, it was time to go for a few hours sleep, since we had catch an early flight.

I had to put ice on my swollen ankle, which I had totally forgotten because of all the excitement but that was still painful. Oh boy but I couldn’t sleep.

I was keep thinking about the great Mar A Lago adventure. So much adrenaline was still all over my body!!

Leaving sunny Florida

The skylight of NYC from the airplane

Somehow I guess I fell asleep and after only a few hours the alarm o’ clock wake me up I went for a wonderful early breakfast in the paradise picture perfect Mar A Lago restaurant and it was time to leave to come back to NYC with so many new incredible memories to cherish for the rest of my life!!

I’m looking forward to go back to Mar A Lago soon for more unforgettable memories and of course I will always share all of them with you!!

Stay tune for my next week BLOG about…surprise I guess!!

Love always,

Giada

I'm going to Mar A Lago: can't wait!!

2011-02-21T09:15:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

I’m writing you this BLOG while getting ready to go for a Concert to a very special place, Mar A Lago, in Palm Beach Florida.

I can’t wait to go there and see it with my own eyes. I’ve heard so many wonderful stories about this place, and I know that artists like Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli has performed there for the members of the Club, just like I will be doing tomorrow night. So it’s nerve racking to follow those Stars, but also so very flattering and exciting to have been chosen to perform in such a great location!!

Next week I will write the BLOG with all the details of my staying there but today I want to share what I found about this place with all of you!!

Mar-A-Lago ("mahr-ah-lahgo"), built 1924-1927, is the name of the Majorie Merriweather Post estate in Palm beach Florida. Post built the house with her (then) husband, Edward F. Hutton . The beautiful house was designed by Joseph Urban. Upon her death in 1973 Marjorie Post willed the 17-acre (69,000 m²) estate to the U.S. Government as a retreat for Presidents and visiting foreign dignatories. The mansion was not however used for this purpose, prior to being declared a National Historic Landmark in 1980.

Mar-A-Lago has frequently hosted the International Red Cross Ball, an annual white tie, tails, and tiara ball. Founded by Mrs. Post, it has a history of attracting wealthy socialites and ambassadors from across the world in support of the mission of the American Red Cross.

Now home to the Mar-A-Lago Club, the 126-room, 110,000-square-foot (10,219 m²) estate is owned by Donald Trump. Trump paid $ 10 million for the estate in 1985. After acquiring the property in 1985, Trump had the property renovated, with 58 bedrooms, 33 bathroom, a 29-foot (8.8 m)-long pietra dura marble top dining table, 12 fireplaces, and three bomb shelters. Also, the home has five clay and one grass tennis court with a waterfront pool. Further additions have been made since then, including the recent construction of a 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m²) ballroom. The name Mar-A-Lago is Spanish for "Sea to Lake".

In 1994, Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley spent their honeymoon at Mar-a-Lago.

On October 3, 2006, Trump raised a 15' × 25' flag on an 80' flagpole at Mar-a-Lago. Town zoning officials asked Trump to adhere to town zoning codes that limit flagpoles to a height of 42'. This dispute led the town council of Palm Beach to charge Trump $1,250 for every day the flag at Mar-A-Lago remained. Trump filed a lawsuit against the town.

The flag pole incident was quietly resolved. The six-month stand-off ended as town officials agreed to a settlement that will lower the banner 10 feet (3.0 m) and move it away from the ocean. All fines were dropped and Trump contributed $100,000 to various charities for Iraq War veterans, the American flag or veterans' hospitals. Trump dropped his $25 million lawsuit against the town.

So this is the story of Mar A Lago.

I’m so looking forward to go there today. I will be flying there in a few hours with my musicians and I will get to stay at the Club!! It’s going to be so much fun!! Stay tune for my next BLOG to hear all about it!!

And I can’t believe that while here in NYC it has snowed last night in a few hours I will be in the sun and hot weather of Florida!!

Love always,

Giada

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The Italian voice of radio in America: Sal Palmeri

2011-02-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

As an artist I have the privilege to travel the world and to meet many people. I get to meet my fans, a thing I really love since they are the reason why I can live my passion, my life.

But I get to meet also a lot of people that work behind the scenes in the entertainment business, like radio DJs, television crews and journalists.

Well you can’t make friends with everybody, but at times you get to meet somebody and for some reasons you feel a special connection and you end up becoming good friends.

That’s why some of my fans are also some of my greatest friends and some of the business and media people end up becoming very dear friends too.

Yesterday I was invited to do a radio interview with Sal Palmeri for a program called “Un Ponte Sull’Oceano” a collaboration between ICN Radio and Radio Amica. ICN Radio is an Italian language radio station here in the USA and Radio Amica is a radio station from Sicily, Italy.

Really a “Un Ponte Sull’Oceano”, indeed a Bridge across the ocean.

Waiting for the connection with Radio Amica

Yesterday at the radio with Sal

I want to introduce you today with this BLOG the DJ that interviewed me yesterday: Sal Palmeri.

I met Sal 7 years ago when I came to NYC for the first time.

I was in NYC for only a few months and I had just released my CD “Italian Signorina” when I was invited for a radio interview at ICN, and very popular among the Italian community.

Posters of Italian stars that Sal brought to America

With Sal, a very well known DJ of ICN, there was an instant connection and now 7 years after that day we still share a very respectful and sincere friendship.

Posters of Italian stars that Sal brought to America

Sal was born in Italy, in Sicily and moved to the USA when he was a teenager in 1958. His first passion was theatre. He studied acting and diction at the Hunter College of NYC and soon after his degree he started to work as DJ in NYC. His very distinctive voice became an instant success and in no time he was one of the most popular DJs in the Italian Community in NYC. He became the most requested presenter for events that were bringing here in the USA big stars of the Italian music like Claudio Villa, Gianni Morandi, Domenico Modugno, Albano, Mino Reitano, Don Backy, Massimo Ranieri, Antonello Venditti, I Pooh, Pupo, Little Tony and many more. They all were performing in the most prestigious Theatres in NYC like Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, Philharmonic Hall, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Manhattan Center, Town Hall etc. and Sal was presenter for all them.

He even became the producer of the Concerts for many of those Italian stars in USA.

Posters of Italian stars that Sal brought to America

Sal worked for 23 years as speaker for several radios like WHBI/fm, WBNX/am, WHOM/fm, WPOW/fm, WNWK/fm, WDAS/fm, and WIFI/fm.

And it was Sal who on December 1st 1983 founded ICN Radio (Italian Communication Network), www.icnradio.com, the voice of the Italians in America. To this day this station has never stopped their programs, on the air 24/7 with a great variety of shows, going from music to theatre, from sport and cinema but also with news, and information and so much more.

Proclamation of Sal's Day

February 10, 1990 the United States House of Representatives, in occasion of Sal’s 25th anniversary of his work for the radio has even declared the “Sal Palmeri ‘s Day” on the 9th District of NYC. How cool is that! Sal is very humble and modest about his accomplishments, but I think that he has so much to be proud of. In his radio studio all around there are so many awards he received for his work in radio.

Yesterday during the radio interview

Thanks to Sal Radio ICN is still a very important and instrumental tool to promote Italian language and culture among the Italian Americans in New York and New Jersey. ICN radio has since a few years also joined forces with one of the most important Italian newspaper in the NY and NJ area: America Oggi. A very powerful multimedia network for the Italian community, thanks to whom the Italian Americans can stay connected with Italy and where they can also find all kind of information related to the Italian community.

Sal still does every day, Monday to Friday his very popular program “Buon Giorno Italia”, a program dedicated to music, information and Italian culture. Indeed the program I was invited for an interview 7 years ago.

Memories from Sal's wall

Since 2009 Sal is also the Artistic Director of the Italian Association of New York that organizes every year a Festival of the Italian Song in NYC.

Memories from Sal's wall

Well this is my friend Sal. A quiet exceptional man that has really accomplished so much in his life so far and who has still so much energy and passion to go on with new ventures and projects. Sal loves radio but he has never forgotten his first love for acting and writing script for movies and theatre. He is currently working on a theatrical play dedicated to the tragedy and the success of the immigrant.

I’m always very proud to say that he’s my friend and to receive his compliments and to have his support is, as you can imagine, a great deal of pride for me. He is a man with passion and respect for artists and music and it’s always a joy to be guest at his programs.

With Sal at the Cipriani in NYC

Yesterday it was also a lot of fun to go his studio and talk to him and with Giulia from Radio Amica in Sicily about my music, my future projects, my experience as an Italian artist in the USA and so much more.

I’m always so proud to see people like Sal that came to the USA with nothing, just a dream and become so successful in their fields. It’s such a wonderful life lesson for me to see that if you have a vision, if you believe in your dream and you are ready to commit to make it happen, really everything is possible in life.

With Sal after the release partyt for "Italian Signorina"

One at the time I will tell you in my future blogs about more incredible people of Italian heritage I met here in America that you may have never heard of, like Sal, have made from nothing a very incredible successful and meaningful live here in the USA some of them owning private banks, chemical companies, shopping malls…really incredible people with unbelievable successful stories!!

The release party of my CD "Italian Signorina"

Music is my profession, my passion and my blessing. Music has brought into my life so much joy, friends, and priceless experiences of life, incredible personal enrichment and so many unforgettable memories!

I’m so grateful to GOD for my talent and so grateful to have the love and support always of each and everyone of my fans and friends!!

Stay tune for my next BLOG. I will be singing at Fashion Week this weekend at the magnificent Waldorf Astoria , so maybe about Fashion!!

Love always,

Giada

10 ways to celebrate LOVE at Valentine’s Day even if we do not have a lover!!

2011-02-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

We are getting even closer to Valentine’s Day.

The thought of Valentine’s Day brings in our mind for sure romantic evenings, a candlelight dinner, and long walks with your loved one. It is, without a doubt the most romantic day of the year. Popular conception and all the media promotion of it, has resulted in Valentine's Day being regarded only as a day for lovers. And yet, the occasion is not so. In its true sense, Valentine's Day celebrates LOVE. If we think clear and think hard we are sure to arrive at the conclusion that Saint Valentine stood up to defend love and not romantic partners.

The celebration of Valentine's Day is not limited to lovers but includes any and everyone loved by us, be it our parents, siblings, children, friends, relatives or dear ones.

So how could you possibly be expected to enjoy Valentine’s Day when you’re alone? Well, while it might not be all hearts and flowers, you can still spread the message of Valentine’s Day: Love.

I have for you some tips on how you can indulge in Valentine's Day festivities in your own special way, and still can celebrate the LOVE in you life and have as a result an unforgettable feeling of joy and happiness.

1. Spend Quality time with family members

With my wonderful family

The fast paced world, our jobs and the many activities with all have in our normal routine, has left us with little time, or no time, to be with our dear ones. Valentine's Day can be a wonderful opportunity for us to spend time with our family members. We can party, make a trip to the restaurant or go out for a movie together. I love my family and that’s what I did when I was a single girl: having a nice time out with my mom and dad. They were also happy since they always said: I made their love completely!! Nothing is more precious and full of love than a family!!

Treat on the doorknob

You can start the day with hearts and roses here and there in the house, you can hang treat filled cups from a bedroom doorknob or place them on the breakfast table. You can set a Valentine breakfast table that will surprise your family when they wake up (I'm not a morning person so I always prepare my special occasion "surprise tables" the night before). You can make heart’s shaped pancakes or toast breads, prepare the table in Red and Pink and have everyone favorite things to eat on the table!! A great way to start the day of love!!

2. Party with unhitched friends

Fun with girlfriends on my roof deck

Party at your place! Invite friends over for wine, appetizers, gossiping, and good times. To mix it up, make it a theme party, like suggesting that everyone wear all pink and create an iPod play list with songs like “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “Holding Out for a Hero” or “Single Lady”. Or just go out with your single friends can also be a great option to celebrate. Just because you’re single doesn’t mean you’re alone! Round up some unattached chicks and hit the bars, a restaurant, the local karaoke joint, and the bowling lanes, whatever. Revel in your ability to have an amazing time, no men needed. You can also catch a movie together, play party games or have an indoor picnic. You will be surprised at what a gala time you can have even without any romantic interest. Those parties were actually the most fun party I ever celebrate with my single girls friends!!

3. Good acts

Giving is the fastest way to feel good about yourself. So show your love on those who really need it, and there are everywhere so many people in this condition nowadays! Visit a hospital, an orphanage or old age home and meet with people who have none to care for them. Show up at a children's hospital with a load of toys, books and games.

It is best to contact the hospital authorities beforehand and prearrange your visit to avoid any embarrassment later.

It doesn’t have to be expensive, even a single hand picked flower will do. Anything coming from the heart will surely be felt and appreciated. It’s two gifts in one. One is for the recipient and even a bigger gift for you. You can bring along flowers and candy or gifts. This is will touch and bring so much joy and the warmth of love to them and also to you. You will feel as much pleasure in giving gifts to the less fortunate as they themselves will.

I did this for years with friends and family: so many wonderful memories of LOVE out of it!!

4. Send Valentine’s cards to all you friends

You can also send Valentines to all the people on your Christmas card list. Send a heartfelt Valentine Card to someone who has really inspired you and tell him or her how much they mean to you.   You can also make a homemade Valentine Card and send it to your favorite relative you haven’t seen in a while. Everyone enjoys a jolt of cheer in the middle of dreary February.

Well you can sign your name or be a secret Valentine’s to warmth the ego of all of them keeping them wondering who’s the secret admirer. Make sure that nobody of them is having a jealous partner next to them!! Or just sign your name and write to them how much they are worth to you!! Celebrate the love in your life with all the people you care about it: how wonderful is that?? Even e-cards will do.

6. Be Secret Valentine’s of someone who needs it

Think of someone you know who's been in the doldrums lately and leave a secret Valentine's Day care package on his or her doorstep. Something as simple as a bottle of wine or a bunch of flowers and some chocolate can turn someone's whole day around.

You’ll be surprise to see how much joy it will bring to you too.

And let’s not forget that the world is a better place if everyone is happier!!

7. Celebrate yourself

If you do not have a partner, seize this day with gusto! Do something incredible for yourself. Do something that is personally nourishing and nurturing. Be your own Valentine: buy yourself those shoes or dress (or suit if you are a man) or anything else you can't get out of your mind, something you really desire. Take the day off work and spend it doing whatever you like to do most - even if it's absolutely nothing.

Give yourself some credit for how amazing you are and treat yourself to something special like a mani-pedi, a new necklace, or a blowout at the salon, a facial or a day in SPA. Make a nice dinner for yourself and be happy to be the great person that you are, to have your health, your family, your job or anything else you can think of and that makes you happy!! Rent a handful of movies of your ultimate celebrity crush and treat yourself to an eye-candy marathon. Love yourself and celebrate yourself.

Nobody will love you if you don’t love yourself first!!

8. Cheer Someone Up

If you know of someone or a family going through a rough path and through a difficult time, like a divorce or a loss, or got fired, just decide to send them a Valentine’s card, some flowers of chocolate and a message that state how much you care about them and give them your best wishes for a brighter future. Or make a Valentine’s Basket and send it to them and sign it, “From Your Guardian Angel”. This will cheer them up and it will give you also the chance to admit to yourself that you are doing great since you didn’t needed to be cheered up that way!!

To cheer up a friend of a family member will give you so much joy that you’ll be happy yourself for the whole day on Valentine’s day!!

You can also decide to send flowers or candy to someone who doesn’t have a sweetheart, and sign it anonymous. It will make him or her happy and so will you for your act of give joy!!  

9. Make a little one happy

While everybody around will be celebrating their love as a couple there are some people that are always left over: the little ones. Be their Valentine’s and make their day special.

Take your little niece, nephew, or cousin out for ice cream, or a nice dinner or rent a movie and watch it with them. They will never forget this occasion and so will you.

With my niece Valentina

With my nephew Alessandro

And if you are a single parent with kids just celebrate Valentine’s Day with them: you’ll have a special day and so will they. Remember it’s about love not couples and who gives you more joy than your own kids??

So just do stuff they love and you’ll be so happy to see their happiness!! Cook a nice dinner with them, a cake, prepare the table nicely, make all kind of heart pink shape things for the house and the table and then make them dress nicely for the occasion. They will feel so special to be your Valentine’s. And if you can have the whole day with them doing special Valentine things together make sure to let them know that you are celebrating love for each other. Buy flowers for them and make them do the same for you!! You can start a few weeks in advance and make with them special cards and treats for each other. Fun can be also to prepare with them specials baskets or bags with chocolate and flowers for a hospital, an orphanage or old age home and deliver them on Valentine’s Day.

They will never forget such a day and will know that LOVE is such a precious gift to receive and to give!!

10. Organize a Secret Admirers gifting sash, à la Secret Santa

You still can have your Valentine’s card and present and get it sent to your house!! You and a group of friends can buy presents, like chocolates, flowers, and teddy bears or anything else you like, and draw names and then deliver those items to each other. That way everyone can have a Valentine...and a card and a memory for years to come!!

So if you are single find your own way to celebrate love in your life on Valentine’s Day!!

We all have so much love all around us and it’s time to celebrate it. At Valentine's Day we should say "I love US", and US is ourself and all the people we love in our life!! We don’t need to be in a relationship to celebrate love and to be happy: we should be happy to be us, all the rest will come when the time is right! For now we should just love the love we already have in our life, all around US!!

Let's keep give love and, like a boomerang it will always come back at us!!

Stay tune for my next BLOG for more celebration of LOVE!!

Love always,

Giada