A slick and impressive show
British Theatre Guide
From the first moment Antonio walks on stage to rapturous applause, a humble smile on his face, guitar in hand, you know you are in the presence of a true artist and are in for an evening with a touch of magic. And as the first deep, warm, intense notes float through the auditorium, you can hear a pin drop and feel the sonic spell of his guitar weaving through the room. As one critic put it “Imagine an Italian hybrid of Michael Hedges, John McLaughlin and Django Rheinhardt ... ferocious, rampaging, controlled power, meticulous precision and clarity of expression ... astonishing musical personality”
Antonio’s impressive 20 albums and extensive international tours in festivals and theatres - both as a solo artist, in duo and with his acoustic quartet – have brought high critical acclaim from as far as Australia and Hong Kong to the Caribbean, Russia and all over Europe. He has the ‘hands of a tarantula and the heart of a lion, as another critic so expressively phrased it!
Antonio’s numerous awards line the shelf above the piano in his west London home, a far cry from his humble beginnings in a small village in southern Italy from where he worked his way through art school, eventually performing on the streets of London to win the Covent Garden Street Entertainer of the Year Award. This led straight to a BBC TV appearance and a European tour. He hasn’t looked back since, nor has he ever forgotten his roots. If you listen closely to his compositions you can feel the nostalgia for the village, the olive groves, the dusty streets and the first loves of a young boy.
Having completed his well-received album ‘Sketches of Africa’ he is now focusing on Cuba where he is collaborating with artists such as Pancho Amat, Alejandro Martinez and Jorge Luis Chicoy for his next album. This also includes his involvement in a music-documentary film which he’s currently working on.
Late 2016 he released “Compared to What” which was an incredible collaboration with Sarah Jane Morris. They have been described as an acoustic Jimi Hendrix and a politicised Janis Joplin. Audiences have been attracted to the strength and artistry of a unique pairing. They have been touring all over Europe and cover a broad spectrum of music from Acoustic Soul to African Blues, from Motown to Township. This formidable pairing is unique and can bring laughter and tears.
Previous albums include collaborations with fellow performers such as Charlie Haden, Trilok Gurtu, Kay Eckhardt, Sabina Sciubba, Claudio Roditi, Rossana Casale..
Artistic, intense and formidably inventive, Antonio is a performer of genuine distinction. Ever unpredictable, his is a celebration of the unexpected elements in life, a music of rare delicacy, humour and, not least, passion.
