For Montreal singer-songwriter Marco Calliari, music is a way to bring people together across languages and cultures.
That idea is at the heart of ‘Mia Dolce Vita,’ the album that helped shape his solo career.
Twenty years after its release, Calliari is celebrating the milestone with a special concert at Théâtre Outremont on Friday.
“A big, big feast, big explosion of emotions, a lot of emotions will be on the 23rd,” Calliari said.
The album cover for Montreal singer-songwriter Marco Calliari’s Mia Dolce Vita. (Teresa Romano, OMNI News)
An album that helped shape his career
Released in 2006, the album holds a special place in Calliari’s musical journey. It brings together interpretations of Italian songs with different eras and styles, from traditional Neapolitan music and opera to anti-fascist songs and contemporary rock.
The album features songs such as “L’Italiano,” “Bella Ciao” and “Tu vuò fà l’americano.”
The album cover for Montreal singer-songwriter Marco Calliari’s Mia Dolce Vita. (Teresa Romano, OMNI News)
Bringing cultures together through music
For Calliari, the project was also an important step in developing his own voice as an Italian-language singer-songwriter.
“When Mia Dolce Vita came out in 2006, I felt like Italian music didn’t exist in Quebec,” he said.
Raised in Quebec under the province’s French-language education system, Calliari describes himself as a product of two linguistic worlds: his life is in French, while his musical work is in Italian.
Montreal singer-songwriter Marco Calliari rehearses in Montreal on Oct. 20, 2026. (Teresa Romano, OMNI News)
Although he did not set out to become an ambassador for Italian music, he recognizes that role has become part of his career.
“I feel like an ambassador, it wasn’t any goal, I never really have a goal, except just having fun, doing music,” he said.
For him, the most important part is the connection his music creates with audiences from different backgrounds.
“When I play my Italian shows, it’s a very Francophone public, but there’s nothing against Anglophone or Italians, we want Italians and we want Anglophones, we want Chinese and Germans and Albanese, we want everybody, because music is for that,” he said.
A celebration with family and special guests
The anniversary concert will feature Calliari alongside six other musicians, forming a seven-piece ensemble. The lineup includes Julie Houle on tuba, Marie-Anne Arsenault on bass, Élyze Venne-Deshais on clarinet, saxophone and flute, Amélie Poirier-Aubry on accordion, Tim S. Savard on multiple instruments and Demetrio Maso on drums.
Special guests will also join the celebration, including musicians travelling from Italy. Calliari’s father will also step on stage and sing songs from northern Italy with his son.
“The show is gonna be a mix of everything, that’s for sure,” Calliari said.
The ‘Mia Dolce Vita’ 20th-anniversary concert is scheduled to run approximately two-and-a-half hours, plus an intermission.
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