From the cult album “Handful of Soul” to an international tour: the warmest voice in Italian soul returns to the stage to celebrate the song that made him a household name.
In recent years, the anniversaries of classic albums have become valuable opportunities to rediscover the history of live music. Mario Biondi is joining this trend with an ambitious project: “This Is What You Are (20th Anniversary)”, a tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of *Handful of Soul* and, in particular, the single that launched him to international fame.
It all began thanks to a playlist curated by Norman Jay, the legendary BBC Radio DJ, who propelled “This Is What You Are” into the UK charts and catapulted it into the international top ten. From that moment on, Biondi’s baritone voice became synonymous with sophisticated soul music capable of transcending borders and generations.
“The music worker”, as he described himself, won over the audience in Crema with his usual authenticity.
The tour: four stages, one heart
The demanding tour, which will run until next November, is divided into several stages:
- Theatre – May – Italian theatres host the first stage, with Crema kicking things off on 3 May with the opening night
- Europe – June – The tour moves to major European cities for the international leg.
- Summer – July/August – Open-air concerts in Italy, between late June and August
- Autumn – November – A return to Italian theatres brings the celebratory cycle to a close.
This is not the first time Crema has welcomed Biondi: the artist feels a particular affinity with this city, as much for its character as for his native Parma, with which it shares that human, intimate atmosphere that makes him feel at home.
A top-class band
On stage at the Teatro San Domenico, the audience was able to appreciate not only Biondi’s warm voice, but also the exceptional technical skill of his band, each member introduced with a personalised note: Antonio Faraò on piano, Max Greco on keyboards (multi-instrumentalist and musical director), David Florio, multi-instrumentalist (percussion, guitar and flute), Saleem Ameen on double bass and electric bass, Matteo Cutello on trumpet, Giovanni Cutello on saxophone and David Haynes on drums and electric drums.
The setlist spanned a variety of musical genres: alongside tracks from *Handful of Soul*, there were several songs from *Prova d’autore* — the latest album, released on 10 April, born from the unprecedented challenge of singing in Italian — including *Lo so* (from *Colazione romantica*), a tribute to Battisti, *Cielo stellato* and *Simili*. There was also a refined arrangement of Mogol-Battisti’s Prendila così, the famous My Favourite Things, and a few bossa nova and samba tracks that got the audience going. A special mention goes to Fool for Your Love, written in 2007 but only released in 2023 on Crooning Undercover. The acclaimed This Is What You Are brought the setlist to a close.
The audience at San Domenico gave the entire performance a warm reception, bidding farewell to the sound of “Smooth Operator”, performed as an encore — in the hope that it was merely a “see you soon”.
All the dates for the This Is What You Are (20th Anniversary) Tour
- Theatre tour (spring)3 May – Crema, Teatro San Domenico5 May – Bologna, Teatro EuropAuditorium
8 and 9 May – Milan, Teatro Arcimboldi
11 May – Turin, Teatro Colosseo
13 May – Florence, Teatro Verdi
16 May – Bari, Teatro Team
17 and 18 May – Rome, Teatro della Conciliazione
19 May – Naples, Teatro Augusteo
21 May – Catania, Teatro Metropolitan
- International tour23 May – Budapest, Margaret Island Open-Air Theatre1 June – Tirana, Opera House5 June – Paris, New Morning
7 June – London, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
9 June – Edinburgh, The Queen’s Hall
10 June – Glasgow, St Luke’s
26 June – Saarbrücken, E Werk
14 July – St. Moritz, Dracula Club
28 August – Split, Vibrez Festival Meštrović Gallery
- Outdoor dates20 June – Saint Pierre (AO), Musicastelle3 July – Taranto, Mon Reve Music Arena8 July – Giulianova (TE), Marina
12 July – Trieste, San Giusto Castle
25 July – Aidone (EN), Morgantina Archaeological Site
1 August – Sarsina (FC), Arena Plautina
4 August – Lucera (FG), Roman Amphitheatre
8 August – Porto Recanati (MC), Beniamino Gigli Arena
11 August – Neoneli (OR), Dromos Festival
18 August – Borgia (CZ), Scolacium Park
20 August – Forte dei Marmi (LU), La Versiliana
- Theatre tour (autumn)1 November – Trento, Auditorium Santa Chiara5 November – Varese, Teatro di Varese7 November – Parma, Teatro Regio
9 November – Padua, Gran Teatro Geox
11 November – Montecatini Terme, Teatro Verdi
12 November – Assisi, Teatro Lyrick
13 November – Fermo, Teatro dell’Aquila
15 November – Venice, Teatro Malibran
16 November – Verona, Teatro Filarmonico
18 November – Pescara, Teatro Massimo
21 November – Lecce, Teatro Apollo
23 November – Reggio Calabria, Teatro Cilea
24 November – Palermo, Teatro Golden
28 November – Genoa, Teatro Carlo Felice
30 November – Cagliari, Teatro Massimo
1 December – Sassari, Teatro Comunale
LINK
This Is What You Are (20th Anniversary) Tour
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