To anyone who might be reading this I already know that I am a jackass! (among other things)
I'm hoping that those who do read this will comment on a couple of questions that seem to present themselves between Gondoliers and Gondola Operators (some of which are both).
First and foremost- Most of us have come to the realization that Gondoliers in Venice don't do much singing. They are there to gracefully maneuver their Gondola through the canals of the city, which is no easy task with narrow canals having some turns bearing more than 90 degrees. Add a few different current directions and the suction of a vaporretto...and while were at it some windy days like I saw in Feb./Mar. you've got plenty to keep your focus on (this doesn't include other rowed vessels, public and safety traffic on the canals either.
1. So, why is it that singing on the Gondola has become one of the top ideas that spring to mind for the average guest?
2. Why do most people think O Sole Mio is the number one song that Gondoliers should be singing? How did this song from Southern Italy (Naples) become the hit song for people outside of Venice. Is it maybe that it is that romantic of a song and not many people know very much about opera here in the U.S.?
3. Why do most people think Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra are the leaders of the Romantic World (I'm ok with it just setting up my next question)?
4. In regards to the last question how does That's Amore have anything to do with a Gondola and or Gondolier? Is it the only romantic song that is easy to remember the chorus? Maybe Volare falls into this category too!
5. Do people that stop their boat under a bridge and start yelling at you to sing or begin singing to you and your guests annoy you more, less, or not at all compared to those who actually interupt your song to yell or sing?
6. Lastly, and nothing to do with the title...(Atleast for the moment) one of the things that probably drives me furthest up the wall...the weather broadcasters who will mention the slightest bit of rain in Southern California (which is such a vast area I'm not even going to look up the square mileage, just think instead of listening) that inturn will spark the phone lines for cancellations days in advance. I grew up here and all of us know that it may rain a little that day and even if it's raining the day of your cruise the chances are that they'll miss out on a beautiful evening (some of the most spectacular nights occur after a bit of a stormy session). Why are the poeople on TV more respected than those who actually are affected by the weather, is it the make-up? the hair? the smooth voice? maybe the cool cloud and sun graphics that move around while they speak?
I don't have answers on these things and don't necessarily expect to receive any statements that will make the music of God sound in my living room, but hearing your opinions and or feelings on these matters might help me from time to time while I'm pacing the living room and ranting about them to my dog and girlfriend (thanks Jo your a good vent).
Well with all that said here are a couple of photos taken by my friends from Elegant Photography.
2 comments:
Ciao Tyson.
Great post.
I'm surprised I'm the first jack-ass to comment.
1. I think it's a combination of things. First it's romantic and singing gondoliers have been portrayed in movies and musicals for a long time. I've been told that at the beginning of the "talkies" (those were movies with sound that followed the "silent movies"), there was a film released with singing gondoliers. Of course the whole thing was done in Hollywood on a soundstage, so the "gondolas" were about ten feet long, painted white with lots of gaudy decoration, and the songs were in Italian but not authentic.
I have read that gondoliers in Venice used to sing a long time ago, so that might have inspired all this "singing madness".
2. As the urban legend of our singing gondoliers on the soundstage continues, I'm told that only one guy in the studio was Italian, and that he was from Napoli. He's the reason that the top three songs most closely associated with gondolas in this country are from that region. The top three being:
Torna Surriento,
Santa Lucia,
and of course the number one - O Sole Mio.
3. and 4. Ya got me on that one.
I'll say this:
every time a Duffy floats by with a bunch of half-drunk people in it, they always try to sing "that's Amore" to us, whether we like it or not!
5. Boneheads! All of them.
Right up there with the guy who asks you "how much for the ride?"
Gadz! Did it occur to you that one of the two passengers in my boat paid for this cruise and wouldn't necessarily want the amount revealed?
Sorry, I appear to be on a rant here.
6. Well, everybody knows that the folks in the newsroom look for two things: controversy and panic.
They thrive on the stuff.
As to why everyone listens to them, I think it's in the names - Johnny Mountain, Dallas Rains.
Holy Toledo, he's got "rain" in his name!
In regards to 3 and 4...
Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra did sing a lot of romantic songs, plus they were both well loved by women.
As far as That's Amore, if I remember correctly, there was a movie from the 80's (?) that involved two teens and an Italian guy that had been turned into a frog, but who used to be a great singer. At the end of the movie, the teens are on a date as an Italian restaurant, where an Italian man dressed like a gondolier begins singing "That's Amore."
6. As a guy from Seattle that spent 3 years in Southern California, people there are complete wimps when it comes to rain.
Post a Comment