"A precious piece of advice, which I have followed, even if I miss my country and for this reason I try to bring Italian music to the world".
Even in America, the news of the disappearance of Maurizio Costanzo, which took place on February 24, arrived leaving everyone incredulous. There are many Italian artists who live on the New Continent today, but few have had the privilege of being invited to the broadcasts of this "television giant". Among these, the Italian-American pop tenor Jonathan Cilia Faro who currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee but whose ancestry is Sicilian. An artist who, today, continues to bring Italian music all over the world and who boasts collaborations with international artists of the caliber of Alan Parsons, Donny Most, Marc Martel, just to mention a few examples.
When does your acquaintance with Maurizio Costanzo date back?
To 2006. I had returned to Italy from Canada on the occasion of the birth of my son. At that time Maurizio Costanzo was making a program entitled "Buon Pomeriggio" in which he addressed very delicate issues, including that of violence against children.
I was contacted by the editorial staff because, some time before, I had written them a letter in which I sent them my testimony on the matter.
What do you particularly remember about that meeting?
The thing that struck me was that he let me into his dressing room about ten minutes before going on stage, as he wanted to get to know me better. He always called me her. She looked at me with her piercing and curious eyes. She asked me a lot of questions about my origins and the fact that I had left Italy. I expressed to him all my love for my country and my will to have a career. With a somewhat resigned air he said to me: “Know Jonathan, that there is no meritocracy in Italy”.
Did he ask or was he given any advice by Maurizio Costanzo on that occasion?
In front of his answer, I took the liberty of saying to him: “But she has helped so many people!”. And he very modestly and in a faint voice said: “Yes but the only thing I can do is allow her to tell her story on my show, everything else is destiny”.
Is it true that it was she who gave him a turtle on that occasion?
Yes, having learned that he loved turtles, albeit a little shyly, I gave him one that I had expressly brought from Canada. He accepted it with pleasure but also with a little amazement he asked me why. I told him frankly that I had learned of this passion of his and that, giving importance to human relationships, it seemed nice to pay homage to him in this way. Then I pointed out to him that at 14 I had met Maria De Filippi and that it was she who pushed me to return to Canada, since my family lived there.
How did this meeting end?
With a final provocation. The interview between me and Maurizio actually lasted more than 10 minutes, several times his assistant came to urge him that time was up. I remember that on that occasion he was very attentive to every detail, he wanted to know many aspects of my private life. He was amazed that at such a young age I had decided to sing the lyrical genre and religiously inspired music. I had intuition that this man had not only a lot of experience, but the ability to "go beyond", he had a much clearer vision than many of his colleagues of what he could interest the public. I think there I understood that journalism, but also the relationship with the public, was a real mission for him. And once again I provoked him by asking: “But why do you bring the sacred and the profane on TV, on the same stage?” and he replied that this was the portrait of the company and that it was therefore important to give both these aspects the same opportunity to express themselves. He then added that in reality, the audience would choose between "good" and "evil." In short, it was an encounter that I carry in my heart and which I have treasured.
