ABOUT SALVATORE ADAMO


Today I want to continue to tell about Belgian artists. I have earlier written about Adolphe Sax, Toots Thielemans and Jacques Brel.
Today I want to tell you about the song and music writer – and not least singer SALVATORE ADAMO.  He was born in Sicily in 1943 and moved with his parents to Belgium in 1947.  About 50.000 Italians did so in that period.  The Belgians invited them to come and work in the mines.  That was also what Salvatore’s dad did.  They lived and worked not far from Waterloo – and us.  Some of their houses still exist, though the last mine closed in 1982.  Among their houses is the Cantines des Italiens ( the Cantine of the Italians ).  It has been restored and is now also a restaurant.  It is on UNESCO’s List of World Heritage.   See more:  https://g.co/kgs/UG5RTB  
Salvatore was early very interested in music and songs, and he started himself to write both songs and music – and to perform with them.   He is still very active all over Europe.  We saw him a couple of years ago in an impressive non-stop three hours show !  He has his own website:  http://adamosalvatore.fr/    
Among his best known song are:  TOMBE LA NEIGE.  ( the snow is falling ) Listen to it here:  https://youtu.be/qsQXYsM8jGM

Another one is:  INCH ALLAH ( If God Will..) -  a somewhat controversial song at the time:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIkrsBOymAY    

And last, but not least I want to present one of his songs he has been singing all his life:

VOUS PERMETTEZ, MONSIEUR !  ( You allow, Sir ! ) :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jECVTHcP00   

and in a later version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1SbOWzwJ5s   

PS: Be aware, that YouTube often starts the small video with a short promotional video which has nothing to do with the song.  Just click it away – and the song starts.

As I already mentioned the Adamo family wasn’t the only Italians coming to Belgium. Most of them stayed and became integrated Belgians. There are more than 350.000 Italians in Belgium today.   One of the other very well-known immigrants is Belgium’s former socialist prime minister ELIO DI RUPO.  He is now prime minister in our region, Wallonia. See photo. And a third with Italian background is PIERRE MARCOLINI, the famous chocolatier in Belgium.  His grandparents came from Verona in the north of Italy.  See about his famous chocolate: https://eu.marcolini.com/en/  
And finally a small personal advice, if you want to have really nice Italian food and atmosphere in Brussels:  Go to the restaurant LA BRACE near Rond Pont Schuman.  Excellent.  See more: https://g.co/kgs/dn8qxM     
Buon appetito ! with songs, music and food  😊


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