SINGER PINO LEVATO PERFORMS AT CASA ITALIANA

Popular singer Pino Levato came back to Casa Italiana on May 28, 2017, over the Memorial Day weekend, to give us a chance to enjoy the popular and traditional music of Italy.

Pino is from a town near Crotone, in Calabria, but in addition to the songs of his region, he sang the beautiful songs of Sicily, Naples and Rome and other regions as well. Some audience members, which included many AMHS members, may recall that Pino was here last July and sang and played the guitar while people sang along and danced.

By the way, Pino had invited AMHS member Sergio Fresco to accompany him on the accordion, but unfortunately Sergio was away for the holiday weekend. While scenes of Italy were projected up front on the screen, the audience listened enthusiastically as Pino sang some of the songs on his CD “Viecchi Ricuordi,” including “Le canzoni del passato,” “A strine,” “Serenata R’Amuri” and “Buonanotte Cosenza.” This year, Pino was again accompanied by Sister Ada Grano, who comes from a town in Calabria about 20 minutes away from his hometown.

Sister Ada runs a nursery school in Riverdale, Maryland, and she was collecting donations for a charity that helps women and children victims of domestic violence. Their friend Maria Flieri, a new choir member who also teaches at Casa Italiana, gave an impassioned plea at the end of the Italian Mass, about the need to fight the domestic violence that unfortunately is widespread in Italy, particularly in the South, and which is only now just beginning to be talked about and dealt with openly.

If you missed the chance to buy Pino’s CD or would like to make a donation to the charity, please contact Maria Flieri on any Sunday at Casa Italiana. or Sister Ada, 4805 Queensbury Road, Riverdale, MD. 20737