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It was the sixties.
I passed hours and hours listening to the music that came from the juke box at "Bar del Mare" on the seafront of my hometown, Castellammare di Stabia.
Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Neil Sedaka: for 50 lire you could choose 1 song, 3 songs for 100 lire.
I, however, did not possess such a modest sum so I observed a gang of boys older than me.
In the centre of the gang, my brother Lino song and danced, imitating the sacred legends of american music.
Music fascinated me, watching wasn't enough for me.
I would have liked to study music but in those times I couldn't burden our precarious family balance. A friend, who strummed the guitar, taught me my first chords: harmony in D major.
Such was my passion and will to learn I convinced my mother to buy me a guitar for a a couple of thousand lire. In return I promised to apply myself to my school studies.
It didn't happen that way. I passed entire aftermoons listening to music, searching for the chords on my guitar, always ignoring my studies.
The first groups. We spent hours on the some piece, a chorus, a solo. My will to learn was great, but without a guide the learning was hard…. I the meantime we made a little daying at weddings and privare parties.
The first gig arrived.
The theatre manager Gianni Rossetti was looking for a group for some evenings at the Roof Garden in Reggio Calabria. He head us, and we passed the audition.
Salvatore Vitiello, today an affirmed prosecution lawyer, on drums; Franco Cesarano on bass; Carlo Costagliola lead guitar; Alfonso Ponticelli keyboard.
An undertaking to say the least we left Castellammare in a Fiat 1100 borrowed for the occasion.
5 Band members plus Gianni the manager. On top of that instruments and personal luggage.
An enlightening voyage: we covered 500 km (the motorway get to be built) in a rickety car on a bumby road in the heat of the August sunshine.
We arrived in Reggio albeit battered and bruised, sweating and windswept having travelled with the windows open, I had completely lost my voice.
The "great" Gianni Rossetti had an idea. He presented me to the bar owner as "heir" to Fred Buscaglione in order to justfy my hoarseness.
One day I went to see my brother Lino in Rome.
Already we was performing in clubs on the Via Veneto for some years, names going down in history of the "Dolce vita" era: il Pipistrello, il Capriccio, la Rupe Tarpea.
It happened that the bassist had to unexpectedly return to Naples.
My brother was disperate. I took advantage, offering to be substitute him.
I'd never played the bass: but it was an opportunity to get on a real stage. I passed the test.
So much so that the next day we went to Ciampi, the preferred outlet for musical instruments in the capital, to buy a Fender Precision bass guitar and Ampeg amp.
My dreams came true. My brother signed the hire purchase and that was the beginning of my career.
After some months the bassist returns and I go back to Naples. I found work in a club on via Medina.
Almost all musicians of my generation have had this hard yet usef ul rience.
There was unintemrrupted rhythm and blues and jazz from 9 pm to sunrise, at time with long jam sessions featuring american artistes on service at NATO.
I learned loads and earned a fair sum 7.000 lire a night plus stamp.
Soon after I bought a car. A new Fiat 500. I paid 500.000 lire (258 euro).
Throughout this my brother, Lino, signed with a manager the marquis Gerini who got him on the national circuit. The group was popular.
As such I went back to play with him in an official role.
Those were wonderful years. Going round the best venues in Italy: the Gallery in Milan, the Shaker, Grotte Romane and Il Sombrero in Naples, il Castello in Ischia, Number Two in Capri, then Alassio, Santa Margherita Ligure, La Versilia, La Garfagnana.
As always Il Capriccio in Rome, Florence, Palermo. Also overseas, Vienna, Casablanca, Athens where the crowds loved us.
Then my brother decided to go in America, change his life and I stayed in Italy with other orchestras: Totò Savio's.
I then worked with Mario Musella's group group Showman. After that with Emilio Campassi and others.
Intense years.
But the end of 70s saw the beginning of a crises for the orchestras.
Venue owners can no longer afford such groups.
As such the guitar returns, I dedicated myself to the rediscovery and dusting off a repertoire consisting of classical neapolitan, american, spanish and french classic and begin a new adventure as "guitar-man"in the taverns of Sorrento.
I also occupied myself also as a writer composing tens of songs whic, bit by bit, I inserted into my repertoire.
That which appeared a demotion, soon revealed itself to be a winning move.
As such I recalled my armies my friend and pianist Gennaro Vetrò, who all that time dedicated himself to teaching.
The goodness and virtue of Gennaro gave me a full charge and as such we went a bit mad together on the Sorrentine Peninsular: from the "Foreigner's Club, to "Taverna dell'800", then "Villa Pompeiana", "Poggio Li Galli".
And prestigious hotels such as "Ambasciatori", "Capodimonte", "De La Ville", "Europa Palace", "Sorrento Palace", "Royal" and "Vesuvio".
In Sorrento, in 1984, I received a recognition to which I am very attached: the " Tessera d'Argento" (Silver ticket) from the association "Salvo D'Esposito" for the best interpretation of songs composed by the maestro D'Esposito himself of which were "Anema e core" an "Padrone d''o mare".
Now my repertoire is extremely vast and as such I perform with passion and renewed enthusiasm.
For years performing at my own venue "Cheek to Cheek".
And so still and always in Sorrento.
For some years the very young Antonello Cascone has been my accompainment on piano who, along with his commitment to the "Orchestra Mediterranea".
He has played with "Antonio e Marcello" and on national TV RAI as musical director and composer of the orchestra of "I fatti vostri" programme.
With him I have found a new lifeblood.
During last winter we performed at the famous "Tartarughino" of Ivan Torrisi in Rome.
This is how the adventure contrinues….
Antonello Fabiani
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