MARIO BIONDI

From Sicily arrives a singer who has gained significant international acclaim over the past two decades: Mario Biondi. An artist adept at navigating various styles, he has collaborated with renowned figures such as Burt Bacharach, Chaka Khan, Michael Bolton, and The Crusaders. In 2023, he released his latest album, Crooning Undercover, a tribute to the ‘crooners’ both in its choice of repertoire and in the prominence of the voice, its warm sound, and its ‘noir’ atmosphere. Predominantly featuring covers of songs from the international soul/jazz repertoire, it includes tributes to composers and performers like Burt Bacharach, Bill Withers, Julie Andrews, Antonio Carlos Jobim, King Pleasure, Freddy Cole, and Al Jarreau, along with some original tracks. Among them, we can hear his reinterpretations of ‘Alfie’ (Bacharach), ‘Dindi’ (Jobim), ‘Teach Me Tonight’ (Jarreau), and his first single, ‘My Favourite Things’, a song by Rodgers and Hammerstein popularised by Julie Andrews in the film version of The Sound of Music and shortly before by an extraordinary instrumental version by John Coltrane. Crooning Undercover also features collaborations with musicians such as Franco Luciani, Paolo Fresu, Mario Schiavone, and Rosario Giuliani, among others.

The son, grandson, and great-grandson of artists, Biondi was born in Catania. He began singing in church at the age of 12 and soon after was winning song contests. With a warm and deep voice reminiscent of icons like Isaac Hayes and Barry White, he can boast of having duetted with legends such as Burt Bacharach and of filling venues like the Royal Albert Hall in London to capacity.