Suono del Cuore Siciliano (April 2009)

Kathy Chiavola from Nashville greets the thirty-six Sicilian singers, ages 6 to 22, that were selected by an intercontinental group of Hands-On Sicily judges.

An internet-based singing contest, originally entitled “Suono Siciliano” (Sicilian Sound), was the biggest challenge that Hands-On Sicily has taken on yet—and most heart-felt. International judges from four continents picked 36 winners. A young American artist spent a month in Ragusa to design a logo with students from Comiso’s Instituto d’Arte. SurReale Studios in Agrigento spent six months recording and making custom soundtracks for the twenty-nine songs. Nashville star Kathy Chiavola performed and recorded an original song with the children. Brown University got involved, performing concerts with the kids in Ragusa and Comiso, then recording a song together for the CD. Nellie Rustick, a young American soprano, recorded the final track with Sicilian tenor Nunzio Gambini. Brancato Multimedia in Catania renamed the double CD set Cuore Siciliano (Sicilian Heart) in honor of the love that so many people have put into the project. The entire island of Sicily was involved, in what may be the first collaborative project in its three-thousand year history. “When we first said that, we felt presumptuous,” noted Sally Veillette, Hands-On Sicily founder, “But from the reaction of the locals throughout the project development, we knew it to be true. There has been a special energy around this project from the beginning.” Special, indeed. You see, Veillette had been diagnosed with a brain tumor just five short months before the project began. When she was getting the tumor (thankfully benign) removed in the States, she’d had the idea to launch an island-wide singing contest. “I was in a Denver hospital at the time, recovering from the operation,” Sally recalls, “Lots of my old friends were calling me to wish me well. They were curious as to why I’d chosen to raise my daughter in remote Sicily. The children’s voices speak for themselves… who wouldn’t want their daughter to be filled with so much emotion?” The Cuore Siciliano double-CD set will be sold to benefit Associazione Hands-On Sicily, and fund future opportunities for Sicilian youth.

Hands-On Sicily began the Suono Siciliano (“Sicilian Sound”)

The entire island of Sicily was involved, in what may be the first collaborative project in its three-thousand year history. “When we first said that, we felt presumptuous,” noted Sally Veillette, Hands-On Sicily founder, “But from the reaction of the locals throughout the project development, we knew it to be true. There has been a special energy around this project from the beginning.”

For 36 of Sicily’s youth, it’s a dream come true

Special, indeed. You see, Veillette had been diagnosed with a brain tumor just five short months before the project began. When she was getting the tumor (thankfully benign) removed in the States, she’d had the idea to launch an island-wide singing contest. “I was in a Denver hospital at the time, recovering from the operation,” Sally recalls, “Lots of my old friends were calling me to wish me well. They were curious as to why I’d chosen to raise my daughter in remote Sicily. The children’s voices speak for themselves… who wouldn’t want their daughter to be filled with so much emotion?” The Cuore Siciliano double-CD set will be sold to benefit Associazione Hands-On Sicily and fund future opportunities for Sicilian youth. Hands-On Sicily brought together sixteen judges from the United States, Canada, Argentina, Australia, and Europe to choose among the talented voices of the Sicilian youth, aged 6 to 22, for Cuore Siciliano. Young American artist Samuel Matson designed the logo for the project, together with the students from Comiso’s Istituto Statale d’Arte: Chiara Lauretta, Kristo Neziraj, Tatiana Cavallaro, Simona Balbuziente and Chiara Perna, supported by Professors Angelo Buscemi and Tano Corallo. Veteran Ragusan artists Salvatore Chessari and Giovanni Lissandrello participated. Daniele Liali assisted Sam to finish the final logo drawing. Salvatore Tartamella from Video Sicilia in Alcamo, Angela Maniglia from La Scuola di Canto Arcadia in Favara, and Santi Genovese of the Festival Astro d’Argento in Cefalu’ brought contestants from around the island. Toto’ Giordano from Studio SurReale in Ravanusa, Agrigento, headed up the musical creative team. The agriturismo Antico Feudo San Giorgio, centrally located in Polizzi Generosa, Province of Palermo, hosted Sally often as she was attending tryouts and recording sessions. Toronto-based retired advertising executives, Dick and Joanne Amedeo—also with Sicilian roots—were the creative powers behind the CD cover design, collaborating with Maurizio Nicastro Comunicazione of Ragusa, Sicily, for the final artwork. American collaborators: Guest star Kathy Chiavola appeared courtesy of My Label, www.kathychiavola.com. Sempre Insieme, a Kathy Chiavola original song translated expressly for Cuore Siciliano, was brought courtesy of Lucydog Songs, administered by Bluewater Music, with translation by Patrizia d’Amelio, Gioia Music Publishing. Erik Abi-Khattar, Brian Cross, Ten Yang, Ezra Miller, Andrew Wong, Leland Lazarus, Brad Braunstein, Malcolm Shanks and Raques McGill from Brown University’s Jabberwocks a cappella group participated. Nellie Rustick came from Claverack, New York, to record.

Meeting at Comiso’s Istituto Statale d’Arte

American artist Samuel Matson, age 18, his mother Michelle, and Seattle-area councilwoman Dianne Brudnicki met with the students and professors of Comiso’s Istituto Statale d’Arte in the initial phase of logo design for Hands-On Sicily.

It was easy to become friends

We experimented with lots of different ideas

The Chiaramonte Castle in Agrigento opens its doors for tryouts.

Young singers sing in the Sicilian style

Sept 2009 Kathy Chiavola e Suono Sicliano sul palco

Kathy Chiavola, country music singer-songwriter from Nashville, participated both as Cuore Siciliano judge and guest star. In Sicily to receive a prize in a Ragusan of the Year celebration, Kathy fit into her jam-packed schedule both a beach concert with the thirty-six Cuore Siciliano singers and a recording session with five of the youngest children (Sempre Insieme).

Cuore Siciliano benefits the Associazione Hands-On Sicily’s future youth events, like this one, where we sponsored Brown University’s Jabberwocks a cappella singers, in collaboration with Ragusa City Hall. Assessore Elisa Marino collaborated.    

The Jabberwocks sang two concerts in Sicily with Cuore Siciliano soloists and the Mariele Ventre youth choir, under the direction of Giovanna Guastella.

Mayor Nello Dipasquale greets the Brown singers in the newly-remodeled downtown park, Villa Margherita

Brown’s spirited energy filled the park

Teenage Naomi Boni’ sang Aretha Franklin’s Respect, with Brown accompanying

Bozena Nowak, secretary-treasurer of Associazione Hands-On Sicily, was delighted

Mayor Giuseppe Alfano thanks Brown University, the Mariele Ventre choir and Hands-On Sicily for the Comiso concert

Sally, a Brown University alumna, was particularly pleased to unite her worlds

Nellie and Nunzio

American soprano Nellie Rustick, age 22, and Sicilian tenor Nunzio Gambini joined forces to record the final track for the CD—a duet version of Mina’s beloved E Se Domani.CuoreSiciliano project is both a cross-cultural exchange in and of itself, and proceeds from its sale will benefit future projects to support Sicily youth.

Toto’ Giordano and Marina Mancino

Toto’ Giordano and Marina Mancino of SurReale Recording in Ravanusa, Agrigento, produced custom soundtracks for Cuore Siciliano.

Nellie and Angela

Nelie meets Angela Maniglia, founder of the Scuola di Canto Arcadia in Favara, Agrigento. Angela is a special patron of Cuore Siciliano. Her daughter, Bruna Bennardo, who loved to sing, died suddenly in a motorcycle accident at the age of fifteen. As an example to all, Angela channeled her sadness to create a singing school and annual summer singing contest. When she heard about Hands-On Sicily’s e-contest, she immediately came to our aid, organizing tryouts in Favara’s Chiaramonte Castle. We hold Bruna in our hearts.