2012
Zucchero was invited by Giorgio Panariello to the charity show, “Se Stasera Siamo Qui”; the evening was held at the CarraraFiere in Marina di Carrara and the takings were donated to the city of Aulla, devastated by recent flooding. Zucchero took everyone by surprise and went up on the stage while Irene Fornaciari was singing “Il Mondo Piange”; he sang the part originally sung by Danilo Sacco of the Nomadi. He then sang “Il suono della domenica” and “Diamante”
Guest on the television programme that celebrated the career of Ivano Fossati “La musica che gira intorno”. He sang “L’amore fa” with the Genoa singer-songwriter. For the big finale he sang “La musica che gira intorno” with Ivano Fossati and Fiorella Mannoia
The Chocabeck kicked off again heading for South America and East Europe. The band accompanying Zucchero in this part of the tour was as follows: Polo Jones (bass), Nicola Peruch (keyboards), Kat Dyson (guitar and backing vocals), Mario Schilirò (guitar), Adriano Molinari (drums), Luca Campioni (violin), Simone Rossetti Bazzaro (viola), Enrico Guerzoni (cello)
The South American tour came to an end; the surprise guests at the Buenos Aires gig: Fito Paez and Walter Giardino of Rata Blanca
The same band that accompanied Zucchero on the South American tour took the Chocabeck tour to East Europe and the Balkans
Received the “Pavarotti d’oro” prize at the Asioli Theatre in Correggio, awarded to him by the Municipality, by the Local Tourist Office and by Pavarotti’s great friend, Franco “Panocia” Casarini for the close ties between Sugar and Pavarotti. During the ceremony he sang: “Ave Maria No Morro”, “Va, Pensiero”, “You Are So Beautiful” and “Il Suono Della Domenica”
Took part in the charity concert in favour of the people struck by the earthquake in Emilia that was held at the Stadio Dall’Ara in Bologna, singing “Il suono della domenica” and “X colpa di chi?”. The band that accompanied him was as follows: Nicola Peruch (keyboards), Mario Schilirò (guitar), Adriano Molinari (drums), Roberto Gallinelli (bass), James Thompson (sax), Beppe Caruso (trombone), Massimo Greco (trumpet), Luca Campioni (violin), Simone Rossetti Bazzaro (viola), Enrico Guerzoni (cello) and Sara Grimaldi (backing vocals)
Received the Premio Lunezia nel Mondo 2012 award at the Carrara Town Hall for the Chocabeck World Tour
Took part in the Baalbek International Festival in Lebanon, the oldest and most prestigious festival in the Middle East; the band was as follows: Polo Jones (bass), Nicola Peruch (keyboards), Mario Schilirò (guitar), Adriano Molinari (drums), Luca Campioni (violin), Simone Rossetti Bazzaro (viola), Enrico Guerzoni (cello) and Irene Fornaciari (backing vocals)
Presented the book, “Il suono della domenica”, and took part in the 60th Premio Bancarella award ceremony
Received the “Premio Giovani” award during Collisioni 2012 in Barolo for his “Il suono della domenica”
Guest again this year at the International Ischia Global Festival, awarding the legendary producer Clive Davis the “Ischia Legend Award”. The following day Zucchero was awarded the “Golden Music Award – album dell’anno” from Sting and Trudie Styler
Lunisiana Soul, the football team made up of Zucchero and various friends won 6-5 against the Magistrati Italiani national team. The money raised was donated to three humanitarian associations
He took part in the “Luciano’s Friends – The talent goes on” event, the tribute concert in memory of Luciano Pavarotti organised at the Modena municipal theatre. Accompanied by the Italian Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Maestro Fabrizio Maria Carminati he sang “Miserere”, “God Bless The Child” and “Dune Mosse” with Jeff Beck on guitar
The big Italia Loves Emilia event took place at the Campovolo in Reggio Emilia: the mega-concert was organised to raise funds to donate to the people struck by the earthquakes in Emilia Romagna. He was accompanied by the following band: Nicola Peruch (keyboards), Mario Schilirò (guitar), Adriano Molinari (drums), Roberto Gallinelli (bass), James Thompson (sax), Beppe Caruso (trombone), Massimo Greco (trumpet), Luca Campioni (violin), Simone Rossetti Bazzaro (viola), Enrico Guerzoni (cello), Massimo Marcolini (guitar), Stefania Orrico and Sara Grimaldi (backing vocals). During his performance he sang: “Un Soffio Caldo”, “Baila (Sexy Thing)”, “Chocabeck”, and “Madre Dolcissima” with special guests Jeff Beck on guitar and the voices of Elisa and Fiorella Mannoia; he later sang “Non E’ Tempo Per Noi” with Ligabue and “A Muso Duro” in the grand finale with all the guests of the evening.
“LA SESION CUBANA”, the new album containing five covers, two original tracks and six rearranged hits was released in a triple version: Italian, Spanish and an international version. The album recorded in Cuba was produced by Zucchero and Don Was and was performed with a band made up of leading Cuban musicians: Zucchero, Pucho Lopez, Elmer Ferrer, Michael Fernandez, Horacio “El Negro” Hernàndez, José Luìs Quintana (Changuito), Joaquìn Nuñez Hidalgo, Peter-John Vettese, Blake Mills, Antonio Leal Rodriguez, Roberto Molote, Roberto Garcìa, Fabrizio Bosso, Carlos Manuel Millares, Jorge Reyes, Sexto Sentido (Maria Karla Vices, Yudelkis Lafuente, Arlety Valdes, Susana Hernandez Lopez, Ariel Monterecy Loynaz), Rogelio Ernesto Batell Coto (El Gato), Org De Cuerdas dir. Josè Cautoscto and Monica Betancourt, plus: Susana Hernandez Lopez, Bebe and Djavan. The tracks were written by: Zucchero, Tellez, Zarate, Garcia Jr., Robyx, La Fave, Diaz, Fernandez, Seeger, Orbon, Angulo, Brown, Moss, Warren, Panella and Martins
To promote the concert in Havana, the Cuban TV dedicated a special programme to Zucchero called “Zucchero En La Habana”; during the show he performed: “Baila (Sexy Thing)”, “Cuba Libre”, “Guantanamera (Guajira)”, “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime”, “Così Celeste” and “Nena”
Zucchero offered a preview of his concert at the Pabellon di Cuba in Havana, singing: “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime”, “Baila (Sexy Thing)”, “Senza Una Donna” and “Diamante”. After the show the Cuban Minister for Culture awarded Zucchero a diploma for his contribution to the Cuban national culture.
Zucchero was a surprise guest at Fito Paez’s concert at the Karl Marx Theatre in Havana and sang “Senza Una Donna” with the Argentinian artist
The new album, “La Sesión Cubana”, was presented to an audience of 80,000 at the mega-concert at the Higher Institute of the Arts park organised with the Ministry of Culture, the Cuban Music Institute, the University of the Arts and the Italian Embassy in Havana. The band accompanying Zucchero for the occasion was as follows: Guillermo Fragoso (orchestra conductor), Polo Jones (bass), Kat Dyson (guitar and backing vocals), Mario Schilirò (guitars), Adriano Molinari (drums), Nicola Peruch (keyboards), James Thompson (sax), Elmer Ferrer (guitars), Joaquin Nunez Hidalgo (percussion), Horatio Hernandez El Negro (drums and percussion), Maykel Leoner Perna Fernandez (piano), Josmil Monzon Diaz, Lazaro Amaury Oviedo Dilout (trumpets), Maykel Corrales Rojas (trombone), Maria Julia Valle Fernandez, Dorian Arraiza Leon, Dyalis de Tegla Machado Migueles (backing vocals), Jorgue Luis Nunez Palacio, Jose Pablo Reyes Marrero, Julio Guerra Acosta (percussion), Karel Escalona (timbales), Havana Strings Quartet (strings)
The “Italia Loves Emilia” box set, the quadruple CD and double DVD with the recording of the entire Campovolo concert, was released,
The deluxe version of the new album “LA SESION CUBANA” was released for the Christmas season. The box set, coming in a splendid wooden box recalling the ancient Cuban cigar boxes, contained: a 180 gr high quality vinyl album, the CD with the entire album, the CD with seven English and Spanish versions released only in international versions of the disc, the DVD with six original video-clips, a gigantic poster of Zucchero’s concert in Havana, four original prints and a usb key in the shape of a cigar
2013
The mega-concert recorded in Cuba was broadcast
2cellos’ “In2ition” CD was released containing a song sung by Zucchero, “Il libro dell’amore”
Zucchero was invited to Hollywood on the eve of the Oscars for two evenings dedicated to him as a part of the “Los Angeles, Italia – Film, Fashion and Art Fest”. He received the «L.A. Italia Excellence Award 2013» at the Grammy Museum during “A night at the Grammy Museum” at which other guests included Al Pacino and Quentin Tarantino. The following evening the video of the concert that had been held at Havana in December was shown at the Chinese Theatre
Guest in Bologna for the “4 marzo” tribute concert to Lucio Dalla. Zucchero created a very special moment, singing from the Sagrato of the Basilica di San Petronio an acoustic version (and with modified lyrics) of “Ave Maria No Morro” dedicating it to Lucio Dalla
Went on tour for the first time to Oceania. The band accompanying him was as follows: Polo Jones (bass), Kat Dyson (guitars and backing vocals), Adriano Molinari (drums), Nicola Peruch (keyboards)
When the tour arrived in Australia, the band was expanded with the addition of: Mario Schilirò (guitar), Luca Campioni (violin), Simone Rossetti Bazzaro (viola), Enrico Guerzoni (cello)
La Sesión Cubana World Tour 2013 kicked off in Europe with three sold-out dates at the Arena di Verona; the band accompanying him was as follows: Polo Jones (bass), Kat Dyson (guitar and backing vocals), Mario Schilirò (guitar), Adriano Molinari (drums), Nicola Peruch (keyboards), Horacio Hernandez (drums), Elmer Ferrer (tres guitar), Joaquin Nunez Hidalgo (percussion), Jorge Luis Nunez (percussion), Karel Escalona (timbales), Lazaro Amauri (trumpet), Osmil Rene’ (trumpet), Maykel Fernando (trombone), Dorian Carol (backing vocals), Dyalis De Regla (backing vocals), Liuba Calvo (backing vocals)
Fabrizio Sotti’s disc was released, which includes an original version of “Someone Else’s Tears” sung by Zucchero
The single, “Nena”, sung in Italian, was released only for Italian radio
Took part in the “Agit8” flash-mob organised by Bono in London. He sang “Love Is all Around” transformed for the occasion into “Love is still around?” and by popular demand, a second track, “Everybody’s got to learn something”
Was one of the headliners in the seventh edition of the White Nights St. Petersburg Festival, singing “I Lay Down”, “Senza Una Donna”, “Baila (Sexy Thing)”, “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime” and “Diavolo In Me”
After 60 concerts all over Europe La Sesión Cubana Tour 2013 ended at the Arena di Verona. Paul Young was a guest at the concert, singing “Senza Una Donna (Without A Woman) with Zucchero
Zucchero was invited by the Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja to Floriana for the concert he organizes every year to open the Maltese concert season. Zucchero, accompanied by the Maltese National Orchestra conducted by Steven Mercurio, sang: “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime”, “Il Volo”, “Vedo Nero”, “Baila (Sexy Thing)”, “Così Celeste” and “Miserere” with Joseph Calleja
Lunisiana Soul, the football team composed of Zucchero and various friends, played against the National Singers team with the match ending 6-7 for the national Singers. The aim of the Giornata del Cuore was to raise fund to go towards the restoration of the schools of Casola and Monzone damaged by the earthquake
The original single “Quale Senso Abbiamo Noi”, from the new album, was launched on the Italian radio
The live double live CD and DVD, “UNA ROSA BLANCA”, was released in Italian and international versions, containing the recording of the legendary concert in Cuba.