Gaetano – A rising R&B star born and raised in the Bronx, New York is a singer/songwriter/producer/
Gaetano is a self taught musician, who plays electric/acoustic guitar, piano, bass, and drums. He recorded his first song in the studio when he was just 6 years old; “Torna A Surriento”, an Italian classic.
Throughout his teenage years, Gaetano developed a deep love for soul music by studying some of the greats: Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Babyface, D’Angelo, R Kelly, Lauren Hill, Bob Marley, to name a few.
Besides an artist, Gaetano is also a songwriter-producer, and has been working with some very notable artists in the industry, and has also landed placements on movie soundtracks and commercial jingles.
Gaetano released his debut EP, “Fade Away” in fall 2013. The project features production from Grammy Award Winning producer/songwriter Kaleb “K Quick” Rollins, as well as self-produced/written tracks from Gaetano. He is currently working on his sophomore project, hoping to release it by end of 2015.
Holly Dayz: What took you to Italy?
Gaetano: Relax, eat amazing food, drink delicious wine, and visit my Uncle Mario and cousins (many of them!)
Gaetano:My family is from Salerno. A city in southern Italy, region of Campania.
Gaetano: Milan is a central commercial city, with lots of clubs (discoteca), name brand shopping, markets, street vendors. There is also Malpensa Airport, a subway system, and a major train hub, Porta Garibaldi. Torino is famous for it’s beautiful Piazza’a (village squares), and proximity to the Italian Alps. Liguria is a region of Italy located on the north-western coast by the sea.
Gaetano: In Milan – The Duomo, in Torino – View from Monte Di Cappucini, and in Liguria – Beautiful view of the ocean and coast.
Gaetano: Milan – Definitely the Teatro Alla Scala. It’s one of the most famous opera houses in the world. It’s a bit off from the shopping centers and the Duomo, but it’s worth checking out. Torino, Piazza San Carlo.
Holly Dayz:How did you get from one city to another?
Gaetano:Italy has a wonderfully advanced train system, which travels everywhere in Italy. It’s comparable to the Amtrak here in the States. It is called, ITALO. A super fast train that travels at 175 mph! I used this train to get from city to city.
Gaetano:The mountains! I had a jam session with my cousin Emanuel, who loves music and is learning how to play guitar.
Gaetano:Little to none unfortunately. However, There are a number of street musicians, one who I met actually was quite brilliant. He was like the Italian version of Ed Sheeran. A guitar player and singer, named SOLTANTO. He was dope! I’m actually hoping to work with him when he comes to the U.S.
Holly Dayz: Have you ever performed in Italy?
Gaetano:Sadly, no. There aren’t many platforms for musicians and singers there, if any at all. Makes you realize how lucky we are to be in New York, we have so much here that we take for granted :/
Gaetano: Yes, so many, too many to name. Carlos Santana, Timbaland, D’Angelo, Tank… to name a few. If I could work with any Italian artists, it would be Andrea Bocelli & Eros Ramazzoti.
Gaetano: Oh my…. where to begin! Milan’s Piazza Del Duomo has some of the best Italian restaurants in the world. Torino’s Piazza Vittoria and Piazza San Carlo has dozens of great places too. In Liguria, you’ll find a lot of seafood joints because it’s right by the sea where fresh fish is caught daily!
Gaetano:Believe it or not… it was a Cappuccino, with a Nutella filled croissant! At an amazing cafe and pastry shop in Torino called DeGusto’s. And of course I had pizza at a bunch of places while I was in Italy, every single time was ridiculous! And you have to eat it with a fork and knife!
Gaetano: Fashion in Milan is slick and trendy, comparable to 5th ave in New York or Paris. There’s a lot of wealthy Russian and German tourists, you can tell because they dress flashier than usual. But fashion in Italy is generally important. It is common to dress nicely even to make a trip to the local cafe, or even for a family dinner.
Gaetano: Hmm good question. It has an international vibe, a lot of Swiss, French, German tourists. It has a downtown New York feel. The streets are cobblestone and rustic, with a lot of cool scenery and architecture. And it has it’s own subway system too. It is not a main tourist destination like Roma, but it is definitely worth checking out. You need to see it for yourself!
Gaetano: Main advice would be to learn some Italian before going, there aren’t as many English speakers as you would think. The Italians will appreciate when you attempt to “conversate” with them! Just make sure to work on your Italian Pronunciation too! Also beware of Gypsies, they are vagabonds wandering from city to city, and are notoriously known for petty thefts like robbery and pick pocketing. The gypsies will take advantage of easy targets like confused and lost tourists.