With Zucchero taking a well deserved break after the world tours of 2007 and 2008, it’s been a few slow news months. However, last week saw the release of two CDs with Zucchero related content in Italy: singer Ornella Vanoni released her album Piu Di Te, which features Vanoni performing famous Italian songs, including a beautiful version of Zucchero’s “Dune Mosse.” The string quartet Solis, meanwhile, released the album R.Evolution which features a new version of “X Colpa Di Chi?” with Zucchero. Click here for more information about Solis and Ornella Vanoni.

All of us at Un Po’ Di Zucchero wish the sugar man a wonderful 54th birthday!

The Viareggio benefit show of August 19 was a huge success: playing for over 15.000 people, Zucchero and his friends performed an excellent show. With Italian stars (including the great Pino Daniele, Irene Fornaciari and Andrea Bocelli) opening, and international superstars like Solomon Burke and Jeff Beck (who played Nessun Dorma as a tribute to Puccini) following, Zucchero was the last performer to take the stage for eight songs, many of which with guests. Diavolo in Me was performed with Solomon Burke, the Nomadi song Dio E Morto with Beppe Carletti, for Dune Mosse Zucchero was joined on stage by Jeff Beck, and Sting performed Every Breath You Take and Fragile, with Zucchero and, for the latter, with Jeff Beck.  Zucchero then closed the show with Cosi Celeste and Miserere.

Diavolo In Me with Solomon Burke

Dio E Morto with Beppe Carletti

Dunne Mosse with Jeff Beck

Fragile with Sting and Jeff Beck

According to Zucchero’s official website Sting will also perform during next week’s Viareggio concert. The list of performers now includes, amongst others, Andrea Bocelli, Jeff Beck, Pino Daniele, Solomon Burke, Irene Fornaciari, a large array of Italian singers, and Zucchero. Tickets are still available through www.ticketone.it.

According to the website of the promoters of the Viareggio benefit show, to be held next week on August 19, two more major artists have been added to the guest list: Jeff Beck and Pino Daniele are now also scheduled to perform. They join an already impressive list that included many of Zucchero’s collaborators, including Solomon Burke, Andrea Bocelli, Irene Fornaciari, Derek Wilson, Mario Schiliro, and Max Marcolini. Tickets are only 22 euro and still available at ticketone.it.

Several names have been announced for the upcoming Viareggio show, proceeds of which will go to the victims of the train disaster of June 29. Aside from Zucchero, the biggest artists to appear are Andrea Bocelli, and Solomon Burke – both of whom of course have a long history of working with Zucchero. Also present from Zucchero-land: Irene Fornaciari, Mario Schiliro and James Thompson. Tickets are already on sale at Ticketone.it.

On August 19, Zucchero will perform a beneft show at the Stadio dei Pini in Viareggio for the victims of the June 29 train derailment which cost the lives of twenty-eight people. Tickets are 22 euro and are on sale through ticket sites such as ticketone. It looks as though Zucchero will share the bill with several other artists, but no specifics are in yet.

Meanwhile, Zucchero’s last performance, at the Mandela Day concert in Radio City Music Hall in New York two weeks ago, was a huge success. Sharing the stage with stars such as Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin, Zucchero performed You Are So Beautiful.

Tomorrow Zucchero is scheduled to be one of the performers during the Mandela Day concert in Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Tickets are still available. However, the show will also be shown live on the Mandela Day website in two formats: a free broadcast, and an On-Demand broadcast (for only $5, with all proceeds going to the 46664 anti-AIDS campaign).

This week, Zucchero also made an appearance during the Ischia Global Fest with his friend Sting, performing a duet version of Sting’s Every Breath You Take, and a solo You Are So Beautiful.

Live in Italy, the 2 cd / 2 dvd live package released in Europe last year, will be released in the United States on the Verve Music label on August 4 as a 1 cd / 1 dvd set. The tracklist will be as follows:

CD

01 Dune Mosse
02 Occhi
03 Quanti Anni Ho
04 Bacco Perbacco
05 Un Kilo
06 Cuba Libre
07 L’Amore E Nell’Aria
08 Il Volo
09 Diamante
10 Cosi Celeste
11 Baila (sexy thing)
12 Overdose (d’amore)
13 Il Mare…
14 It’s All Right
15 Indaco Dagli Occhi Del Cielo
16 Nel Cosi Blu
17 Diavolo In Me

DVD
01 Dune Mosse
02 Occhi
03 Quanti Anni Ho
04 Bacco Perbacco
05 Un Kilo
06 Cuba Libre
07 L’Amore E Nell’Aria
08 Il Volo
09 Diamante
10 Cosi Celeste
11 Baila
12 Overdose (d’amore)
13 Il Mare
14 Indaco Dagli Occhi Del Cielo
15 Nel Cosi Blu
16 E Delicato
17 A Wonderful World
18 L’Urlo
19 Con Le Mani
20 Solo Una Sana
21 Diavolo In Me
22 Senza Una Donna
23 Madre Dolcissima
24 You Are So Beautiful
25 Wonderful Life
26 Miserere

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On July 18 Zucchero will join many other major recording artists, among them Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Dave Stewart and Alicia Keys, for a celebration of Nelson Mandela’s 91st birthday in Radio City Music Hall in New York. The concert is part of the 46664 campaign to raise awareness and money for the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa. Zucchero has been an active supporter of 46664 since the first concert in 2003, appearing at shows in South Africa, Spain, Norway, and most recently last years concert in Hyde Park, London. For tickets and more information about the show and how you can support the 46664 campaign visit the website above.