Zucchero, Auckland New Zealand, 2017

Zucchero

19th May 2017
Town Hall, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Bridget Herlihy. Photography by Mike Thornton.

In a career spanning nearly four decades, Italian musician Zucchero Fornaciari has carved a reputation as one of Europe’s most loved voices and songwriters. Born Adelmo Fornaciari, he adopted the moniker Zucchero, meaning ‘sugar’ in Italian, becoming renowned for his eclectic blend of funk, blues, roots, rock, r&b and pop. It is not surprising that along with his Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Zucchero has become lovingly known as the Italian godfather of blues, and at quite rightly so. At 61 years of age, Zucchero is showing no signs of slowing down.

Although Zucchero may not be widely known in New Zealand, his fan-base down under is certainly passionate. A diverse crowd gathered at the Auckland Town Hall, a mix of generations and nationalities who had come together to experience the maestro doing what he does best; playing some damn fine music. With no opening act, when the lights went down the crowd came alive, with Zucchero arriving onstage to a hero’s welcome, complete with enthusiastic greetings yelled in Italian from around the great hall. Without any introduction required, Zucchero launched straight into a blistering rendition of Black Cat, the title track of his latest album released in April 2016, and no sooner had his band begun to play the first notes, the foot stomping started. A group of woman quickly leapt to their feet and began dancing in the aisles. And why not? It is virtually impossible to sit still while Zucchero and his band play; their energy is infectious.

Zucchero’s appearance is as distinctive as his music, resembling a modern day shaman, clad in a waistcoat, long jacket and shabby-chic top hat, with his hands and arms gesturing along with the music, as if conducting his musicians while simultaneously casting a spell over the audience. And Zucchero’s performance was indeed spellbinding, for although much of the set was sung in Italian, it did not detract from the sincere and authentic nature of his unique stage presence.

The performance was divided into three parts or ‘chapters’, each covering different era of Zucchero’s back-catalogue. The first chapter was dedicated to material from Black Cat; a mix of rock and blues driven tracks and soaring ballads that were nothing short of mesmerizing. Zucchero’s influences span far and wide, from Bob Dylan to Pavarotti, The Stones to John Lee Hooker, and a plethora of artists in between. The result is an eclectic, yet complimentary, combination of genres that is delivered flawlessly.

On a number of occasions I found myself almost hypnotized by the beauty of Zucchero’s voice and his distinctive blend of blues/roots/rock and pop which is intertwined exquisitely to create a divine soundscape; one that filled the Grand Hall with ease.

It was not until the end of the first chapter that Zucchero addressed the audience, almost apologetically joking that perhaps it was best he didn’t speak in English. and was quick to state how wonderful New Zealand is, commenting that it is a “dreaming land”; a place one only dreams of, before praising the kindness of New Zealanders and praising our fair shores as the home of hobbits, where he would be well suited to live “with a couple of girls, or course”. Vertically-challenged, furry-footed creatures aside, Zucchero launched into Chapter II, a mix of favorites from his earlier albums, and encouraging the audience to “stand up and dance”. They didn’t need to be told twice, and within seconds almost everyone was dutifully out of their seats and dancing like there was no tomorrow, only pausing when Zucchero played another of his awe-inspiring ballads.

Zucchero is a wonderful example of how the power of music can transcend language, borders and cultures. Whether singing in Italian or English, the sheer passion and emotion of his work, whether Italian ballads or more rock and blues inspired tracks, is immediately evident and can move you to the core. This may have been Zucchero’s first visit to New Zealand, but I certainly hope that it will not be his last, a sentiment shared by his legion of Kiwi-based fans. Zucchero is as sweet as he is magical.

Zucchero performing live at the Auckland Town Hall, New Zealand, 2017. Image by Mike Thornton.

Were you there at the Town Hall for this beautiful Italian blues maestro? Or have you seen Zucchero live somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!