AMERITALIAN

OUR FIRST MUSICAL VIDEO, MADE LAST AUGUST ON THE WONDERFUL BEACH OF CORONA DEL MAR AND LAGUNA BEACH, IN TH O.C. MANY THANK FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEART TO MAURICIO HIRAHETA OF PROFOUND VIDEO PRODUCTION IN SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA (http://www.profoundvideopro.com) FOR BELIEVE SO MUCH IN OUR MUSIC AND FOR BEING SO MOVED BY THE STORY ABOUT FABRIZIO DE ANDRE'.
THANK TO ALL THE FRIENDS WHO ARE SUPPORTING US IS SO MANY DIFFERENT WAY IN THIS MOMENT OF OUR LIFE.... THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING THERE AND FOR GIVE US NEW ENERGY, INSPIRATION AND HAPPINESS!!! HOPE YOU'LL ENJOY THE VIDEO.... SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!
AS FOR THE FEW ONE WHO DON'T KNOW FABRIZIO DE ANDRE'... WELL IT HAS BEEN SAID HE WAS THE "ITALIAN BOB DYLAN"...BUT AS FERNANDA PIVANO SAID SOME YEARS AGO BEFORE FABRIZIO'S DEATH, SHOUD BE BETTER REMEMBER HIM IN ANOTHER WAY.... AS BOB DYLAN IS THE "AMERICAN FABRIZIO DE ANDRE'"! ANYWAY... HE IS A POET, A FREE SPIRIT, A GREAT MUSICIAN, ONE OF THE BEST TO US. SONIA GREW UP WITH HIS MUSIC SINCE SHE WAS 12TH AND WAS STARTING TO PLAY GUITAR AND MANY YEARS AFTER SHE HAVE BEEN SHARING THIS SONGS WITH GREG FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY. HE LITERALLY FELT IN LOVE WITH FABRIZIO AND HIS MUSIC AND START TO WRITE THIS SONG, "DIAMONDS AND FLOWERS LIVE ON" AAS A TRIBUTE, INSPIRED BY THE LYRICS OF A FABRIZIO'S SONG "VIA DEL CAMPO". THIS IS OUR VERY FIRST COLLABORATION IN A SONG. WE WROTE IT JANUARY 2006. SO IT IS A PLEASURE TO SEE THAT ONCE AGAIN IS THE MUSIC TO TRACE NEW LINE OF LIFE!
LOVE
Sonia and Greg
Diamonds and flowers, a tribute to Fabrizio De Andrè
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IL NOSTRO PRIMO VIDEO MUSICALE, GIRATO LO SCORSO AGOSTO SULLE INCANTEVOLI SPIAGGE DI CORONA DEL MAR E LAGUNA BEACH, IN ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. VOGLIAMO RINGRAZIARE DAL PROFONDO DEL CUORE MAURICIO HIRAHETA DELLA PROFOUND VIDEO PRODUCTION PER AVERE REALIZZATO QUESTO VIDEO E PER AVERE SEMPRE CREDUTO IN N OI E SOPRATTUTTO PER ESSERE STATO TOCCATO DALLA STORIA E DALLA VITA DI FABRIZIO DE ANDRE'. UN GRAZIE DI CUORE ANCHE A TUTTI GLI AMICI CHE IN QUESTO MOMENTO, IN MODI DIVERSI, CI SONO VICINI E CI INCORAGGIANO! GRAZIE PER ISPIRARCI NUOVA FORZA NEL NOSTRO CAMMINO. PER I POCHI CHE ANCORA NON CONOSCONO FABRIZIO DE ANDRE'... BASTA DIRE CHE DI LUI E' STATO DETTO CHE E' IL BOB DYLAN ITALIANO MA NOI PREFERIAMO QUELLO CHE HA DETTO FERNANDA PIVANO E CIOE' CHE BOB DYLAN E' IL FABRIZIO DE ANDRE' AMERICANO!!! SONIA E' CRESCIUTA CON LE CANZONI DI FABRIZIO DE ANDRE' E DOPO MOLTI ANNI NE HA CONDIVISO LA PASSIONE CON GREG, PROVENIENTE DA UN ALTRO GRANDE CONTINENTE, CHE NON CONOSCEVA AFFATTO FABRIZIO: NON E' STATO DIFFICILE PER GREG INNAMORARSI DELLA MUSICA E DELLA STORIA UMANA DI FABRIZIO. QUESTA CANZONE SCRITTA ASSIEME, IL CUI TESTO CENTRALE SI ISPIRA AI DIAMANTI ED AI FIORI DI "VIA DEL CAMPO", E' LA PRIMA VERA COLLABORAZIONE MUSICALE DEL DUO, E' UNA PROVA DI COME LA MUSICA POSSA TRACCIARE NUOVI DESTINI E NUOVI PERCORSI!
CON AMORE
Sonia e Greg
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AMERITALIAN celebrates 3 years of music together!!!
More then 60 songs written and performed...
Music is life...it's that simple!!!!
This profile was edited with MySpace Stuff Editor
Sonia Milan and Greg Patton, met just three years ago, on 25th October 2005, on line: each one of them were running their own life. Sonia in Milan, Italy and Greg in Orange County, California. They couldn't even imagine or hoping what was going on to happen to their life.
Sonia has been starting to play her classical Raspagni guitar since she was 12th years old with Maestro Abner Rossi, in Milan. She always loved to sing and play the guitar as she first heard and learned by Joan Baez and Violeta Parra... That was her real dream! Sonia started to tread the stage at 15th years old, for an important theater in Italy in 1975 (Salone Pier Lombardo, now called Teatro Franco Parenti, with the help of Monica Maimone, (a Director who has been working at the beginning of her career with the Nobel Prize Dario Fo), who heard her singing an Italian folk song by Ivan Della Mea in a tribute concert during her high school. She became very soon a professional singer, actrees and author, and after a long period of concerts and play perfomances together with her ex-husband in many different plays around the world, as well in Italy for Teatro alla Scala, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Teatro Massimo in Palermo and hundreds of other towns, she found herself starting again from the beginning, after a very difficult separation.
But she was anyway happy of what she was doing in her "second life". Monica Maimone helped her once again and invited her to work in her company which she was running together with Valerio Festi, called compagnia di Valerio Festi (www.studiofesti.com)...the best outdoor company in the whole world... I'm telling ya!. A new dawn was starting for her: she has been performing thank to Monica and Valerio, and still is, all over the world as actrees and singer, playing Mary Poppins flying 20 meters above suspended to steels cables and singing live... or acting and singing like Lina Cavalieri, the famous soubrette of the XIX century... or singing a cappella the national Hymn of Italy at the Opening Ceremony of the European Youlth Olympic Game in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy, on July 2005. But she has always have in her heart just ONE real dream ... singing... She had started to compose songs for Studio Festi's shows here and then... but she was hoping to sing what she really always have been loving since ever: folk and rock... and sing the part of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar... that is still a dream....
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Greg had been playing his guitar since he was 8th years old. He worked out by himself with a sensibility that nothing has to envy to the big name of American music as James Taylor, his teacher... His mom helped him to get his first guitar and his sister always supported him to play. He was playing in church, in wedding but the circumstances of his life run him to choice a different work, always keeping in his heart the music and the guitar.
He became a bodyguard for many Hollywood stars, never stop to play his guitar meanwhile he was doing his job in Nicholas Cage's home or in Cher's home... He was enjoying himself playing his 12 Rickenbacker or 6 Martin D28 in some Tom Petty's covers or James Taylor or Beatles covers... He wrote a song, 23 years before...Then... no more inspiration...
Music was anyway his passion, his first love and his voice reflected his sweet and truly sunny soul...
A day in October 2005, on 25th, Sonia found a revew about her Cat Stevens cover space "Lilywhite", on the message boards of Cat Stevens club fan (www.catstevens.com that doesn't exist anymore). She signed up in this site until 2001 under the nickname of Ciociosan, Madame Butterfly in Puccini melodrama. The sweetness and the sadness of this woman always amazed her.Greg had written he was loving her cover and he was waiting for new ones coming up. "Nice cover. More on the way I hope. Patton" This was the comment!Well... just after 10 days of messaging, Greg flew down to Italy, making his passport for the first time, to reach this Italian girl who was lighting up again his music and his feelings. Both of them felt as they have been founding the soul mate one another, in every sense since the first step of their writing and then their meeting.All was happening fastly, no time to think about because when one feels it is the right way, your heart will lead you right there where you've always hoped to get.They have been talking, playing, dreaming, laughing ( a lot!!!) and found out they had a lot in common: three kids they love with all their heart, an imminent divorce, same sense of humor and same passion for the movies (among them Mrs. Doubtfire, Bridges of Madison County, Full Metal Jackets, What's eating Gilbert Grape, To kill a mockingbird...) and of course, the music. They decided to spend a couple of days in Portofino, in Italy and during the trip by car to Portofino, Sonia was driving and Greg was playing her new Washburn 6 steel strings, and their harmonizing on Moonshadow, The wind, (Cat Stevens songs) came out like that... as they had been always playing and singing together... They seemed to be old two high school friends meeting again after a long period of being apart...It was amazing for both! So they enjoyed the sun of Portofino: although was November the sun was shining for them on a wonderful landscape and Sonia sang a song to Greg she was written a couple of years before...and then put it into a drawer...'cause no one cared of...She needed someone coming from so far to appreciate her music as much as him... The title was FOREVER. Greg found this song really amazing and told her "This will be the first song we'll tape when you come to California"...This seemed impossible to her but... the motto for both of them started to be NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE and just 20 days after Sonia flew to Los Angeles and as Greg had promised her, she taped her song, together with another one which Greg had been written once he came back to USA after his first flyght to Italy.Meanwhile the no ending calls, Sonia had been talking to him about Sara, a friend of her with a broken heart...Sonia usually had been watching her crying and crying meanwhile she was so happy... And then, Greg was inspired by this and after 23 years he came back to write again songs..."Sara why are you sad? Don't you know that heart can beat so bad..." These the first line of the song which has been called ALWAYS: FOREVER AND ALWAYS... this is the new happy destiny for both of them... like their songs.They both discovered a new world: Sonia found out new singers and new songs like Tom Petty, who she never heard about before and in a few time she found herself composing a song (she dedicated to her beloved son Matteo, FROM YOUR WINDOW OPENED) on the 12 Rickenbaker, the black one you see in the video, Greg gave her as a gift! Then...Johnny Cash and June Carter who became to her a rare example of pure love and devotion. And Greg too started to know new artists like Vasco Rossi, Adriano Celentano, Mina and... Fabrizio De Andrè. When Sonia told him about his kidnapping and how he didn't want to check out his kidnappers because he considered them as the real victims, Greg appreciated very much this free spirit, this Italian poet and wrote a so sweet song dedicated to him...DIAMONDS AND FLOWERS LIVE ON.Many songs born so easy...more then 70 in almost 3 years, not yet 3 years!Here we go, now! After trips, performances everywhere in Europe and in California... Life has been so generous to us and we really thank her! We really do! Distance never scared us, this isn't certain a reason that can stop us for what we consider a blessing from the heaven...as always our dear friend Alene tells us!!! "Your meeting is a match born in heaven!!!"This, is that life most of people talks about, and it comes just one time and you have to taste it, enjoy, share, dream of, and living NOW, not tomorrow.Someone told us... some agents really not so in love anymore with the real values and maybe too much involved in the business, had some doubt cause to our age.. Well I am (Sonia's writing) 48 years old and Greg is 52 years old and we both have never been so young, happy, full of passion and energy...and... good looking too hahaha!!!! Take a look to many young people who spend their time wondering where they can spend a saturday night or wondering what they can do... It really happens. That's not our style! And the result is that everywhere we performed they really liked and enjoyed the music and the feelings she is able to share. So... who cares???? The guitar player of the Police has 64 years old and he is G R E A T!!! So... we have plenty of time! And it will belong to us! And songs keep on born and playing in our mind, arms and heart!We are looking for an agent who will fall in love with our music and could help us with a serious management! Any ideas???!!! We are ready: we have done all we could do to start... now we just have to go better and better and...we will! So...take a listen to our music... What you can feel is the way we are! She will be able to talk to anyone of you and you will find us and our feelings. If you like it...you can also download some of our songs on Snocap store above and support our hard work!...Work? This is heaven!Sonia Milan e Greg Patton, si sono incontrati solo 2 anni fa: il 25 ottobre 2005, on line! Ognuno conduceva la propria vita. Sonia in Italia, a Milano e Greg in Orange County California. Non sapevano e non potevano neanche sperare o immaginare cosa stesse loro per accadere... Sonia aveva cominciato a calcare le scene nel 1975 a 15 anni, cantando una canzone in dialetto milanese di Ivan Della Mea in un'affollatissimo Salone Pier Lombardo a Milano (ora Teatro Franco Parenti). Monica Maimone, una importante regista che aveva cominciato la sua carriera con il premio Nobel Dario Fo, l'aveva sentita e l'aveva cercata per proporle una tournè. Sonia diventa così giovanissima una cantante, un'attrice e un'autrice di mestiere, e col passare degli anni esercita la sua professione nelle maggiori città italiane in compagnia dell'ex marito, con performances anche alla Scala di Milano, alla Fenice di Venezia e per molti anni al Teatro Massimo di Palermo. Nel 2001, dopo una difficile separazione, si trova a dovere ricominciare tutto daccapo e ancora una volta Monica l'aiuta e le offre di cantare e recitare per la sua compagnia che insieme a Valerio festi, dirigeva già da diversi anni (www.studiofesti.com). Ma era comunque felice di quanto faceva nella sua "seconda vita". Nella compagnia di Valerio festi aveva trovato una dimensione di artista a 360 gradi potendo mettere in scena quello che per anni aveva sempre desiderato, come concerti divertenti ispirati a Cathy Berberian o addirittura volare interpretando Mary Poppins, imbragata a 20 mt da terra e cantando dal vivo... o interpretare Lina Cavalieri, soubrette del XIC secolo, cantando con la sua voce da mezzosoprano arie di Offenbach o le antiche canzoni delle sciantose con regolare mossa! O ancora, cantare a cappella l'inno nazionale italiano in occasione della cerimonia di aperura dei Giochi Olimpici Europei della Gioventù a Lignano Sabbiadoro nel luglio 2005, sempre grazie a Studio Festi. Una nuova aurora era cominciata per lei. Aveva anche scritto qualche canzone per uno spettacolo della stessa compagnia, IL PICCOLO PRINCIPE. Ma lei aveva sempre il suo sogno nel cassetto: cantare quello che davvero aveva sempre amato: folk e rock... e la parte di Maria Maddalena in Jesus Christ Superstar...che rimane un sogno...
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Greg, suonava la chitarra da quando aveva 8 anni. Aveva ottenuto la sua prima chitarra grazie alla mamma ed era molto supportato dalla sorella maggiore. Suonava in chiesa, per i matrimoni, per gli amici. Ostinato autodidatta e perfezionista, la sua sensibilità che non ha nulla da invidiare a grandi come James Taylor, suo maestro e ispiratore, lo aveva aiutato a imparare tutte la più belle canzoni dei grandi della musica americana dei quali è un profondo conoscitore oltre naturalmente ad avere una speciale passione per i Beatles di cui conosce vita morte e miracoli!Ma le circostanze della vita, che spesso non ti scegli ma che in qualche modo ti piombano addosso, lo avevano voluto bodyguard per i divi di Hollywood e così, tra una sosta a casa di Nicolas Cage o Cher... suonava la sua Martin D28 o la sua twelve strings Rickenbaker, accompagnando le canzoni di James Taylor o di Cat Stevens o di Tom Petty... La musica, la musica era da sempre la sua vera passione. La sua voce, delicata e sussurrata, riflette la sua gentile e solare anima.Un giorno di ottobre 2005, come sempre, Sonia apre il suo computer sui private messages del sito www.catstevens.com, che frequentava sin dal 2001. Trova un messaggio di un certo Greg Patton su una canzone, una cover di Cat Stevens che lei aveva mandato on line. Era "Liliwhite". Greg apprezza molto la sua voce e sperava di ascoltare altre cover...Dopo soli 10 giorni di fitti messaggi e telefonate, Greg fa il passaporto ed espatria per la prima volta dalla California, per venire a Portofino ad incontrare la sua anima gemella: Sonia. Tutto succedeva all'improvviso, senza il tempo di rifletterci, perchè quando senti che è la strada giusta, il cuore ti porta proprio là dove hai sempre sperato di arrivare.Parlano, suonano, sognano, ridono e scoprono di avere molto in comune: tre figli, un divorzio imminente, lo stesso senso di umorismo, gli stessi gusti per i film, (Mrs. Doubtfire, Bridges of Madison County, Full Metal Jackets, What's eating Gilbert Grape, To kill a mockingbird... fra gli altri...) e la musica.Sonia canta a Greg una canzone che lei aveva scritto solo due anni prima e poi riposta in un cassetto, "Forever". Greg la trova bellissima e le dice "Questa .. la prima che registriamo quando verrai in California"...A lei sembrava impossibile ma... il motto per entrambi diventa "nothing is impossible" e solo dopo 20 gg dal loro primo incontro Sonia vola a Los Angeles a come Greg le aveva promesso, registra la sua canzone, insieme ad un 'altra che nel frattempo Greg aveva scritto appena tornato a casa dall'Italia. Sonia gli aveva parlato di Sara, una sua carissima amica che stava soffrendo molto per un amore finito male...e Sonia la vedeva piangere spesso, mentre lei era così.. felice... Ne parla a Greg nelle interminabili telefonate che intercorrono e così, dopo 23 anni di inattività dove si era solo limitato a suonare e interpretare, Greg scrive "Always". Forever and Always.... questo .. il destino di Greg e Sonia! Il loro incontro li ha diretti verso nuove conoscenze, nuova musica e nuovi artisti: Sonia scopre Tom Petty di cui non aveva mai sentito nessun brano e si ritrova a suonare le sue canzoni sulla Rickenbaker 12 corde che Greg le regala! Viene poi anche la volta di Johnny Cash e di June Carter che agli occhi di Sonia sono un raro esempio di amore e devozione oltre che naturlmente di fantastici musicisti. Ed anche Greg scopre nuovi nomi come Vasco Rossi, Adriano Celentano, Mina e... Fabrizio De Andrè. Quando Sonia gli racconta del suo rapimento e di come avesse reagito lui una volta che gli avevano chiesto se in un confronto all'americana avesso potuto riconoscere i suoi rapitori, dicendo cioè che non avrebbe riconosciuto nessuno perchè erano loro le vere vittime, Greg si innamora di questo poeta e della sua musica e scrive una bellissima canzone per Fabrizio intitolata "DIAMONDS AND FLOWERS LIVE ON", i diamanti e i fiori di Via dal campo diventano per lui un simbolo. Greg torna a scrivere canzoni dopo 23 anni di silenzio e ne nascono tante e insieme con Sonia ne scrivono più di 50 in poco più di un anno e mezzo! Eccoci qua adesso. Dopo tanti viaggi e concerti un pò dappertutto, sia in Europa che in California. La vita è stata generosa con noi! Le siamo tanto grati! La distanza? Non ci fa paura, non è certo questo che ci si può fermare di fronte a ciò che entrambi consideriamo una benedizione dal cielo. Questa .. quella vita di cui si parla, che viene una sola volta e che devi assaporare, gustare, gioire, condividere, sognare e vivere adesso, non domani. Qualcuno, qualche agente troppo preso dal business e incurante dei valori veri, ha obiettatop che siamo solo un pò fuori tempo per l'età...????? Bene, Sonia ha 47 anni e Greg ne ha 51... Guardatevi un pò in giro... quanti giovani ci sono che spendono la vita ad annoiarsi e a non sapere come passare una serata? Beh... non è il ns caso! Il chitarrista dei Police ha 64 anni ed è una carica di energia e di esperienza! Non ci siamo mai sentiti così leggeri, giovani, fiduciosi, creativi e la prova è la musica che continua a nascere tra le nostre mani e nel nostro cuore. Abbiamo tempo! E sarà il nostro! Ora stiamo cercando un agente che ci possa aiutare col management. Qualche idea??? Ascoltate la nostra musica... in tranquillità: nelle nostre canzoni c'è la nostra essenza, la nostra vita e i nostri sogni. La musica vi parlerà e vi ci ritroverete. E se vi piace potete anche scaricare la nostra musica sullo store di Snocap...aprendo la ns homapage dalla pagina internazionale...p://s210.photobucket.com/albums/bb40/glitte rfy_com-2/graphics/42/usa.gif" border="0"
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we like this picture... symbol of a new age and conscience, freedom, peace and civil rights
Ameritalian performing in a tv show in Malta, April 2006
Sonia in Malta, April 2006
Greg in Malta, April 2006
Ameritalian performing in Metzingen, Germany
Fred Bongusto and Greg in Senigallia (Italy), Rotonda sul Mare July 2006
Sonia in Studio Festi's show in Guanajuato, Festival Cervantino (Mexico) October 2006
Ameritalian in Brea (OC, California) September 2006
Greg and Sonia at Legnano palio, Italy April2007
Sonia, Greg and Federica...our sweet pianist on Maggiore Lake performing, May 2007
On tour in Zacatecas, Mexico, October 2006
With SuzieQ, Bill, Matteo (Sonia's son), Sonia, Greg and a little guest in London, January 2007
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TV show in Malta... never endin waiting to get on screen!!! April 2006
A very young Sonia! and her first Suzuki classic guitar! Italy, 1977
A very young Greg with ...his baby!!! The guitar!
Greg and Craig...2 cool!!!