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<\/p>\nFor Montreal singer-songwriter Marco Calliari, music is a way to bring people together across languages and cultures.<\/p>\n
That idea is at the heart of \u2018Mia Dolce Vita,\u2019 the album that helped shape his solo career.<\/p>\n
Twenty years after its release, Calliari is celebrating the milestone with a special concert at Th\u00e9\u00e2tre Outremont on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cA big, big feast, big explosion of emotions, a lot of emotions will be on the 23rd,\u201d Calliari said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The album cover for Montreal singer-songwriter Marco Calliari\u2019s Mia Dolce Vita. (Teresa Romano, OMNI News)<\/p>\n
An album that helped shape his career<\/p>\n
Released in 2006, the album holds a special place in Calliari\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
The album features songs such as \u201cL\u2019Italiano,\u201d \u201cBella Ciao\u201d and \u201cTu vu\u00f2 f\u00e0 l\u2019americano.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Image-7-scaled-e1792620579845-1024x768.jpg\")
The album cover for Montreal singer-songwriter Marco Calliari\u2019s Mia Dolce Vita. (Teresa Romano, OMNI News)<\/p>\n
Bringing cultures together through music<\/p>\n
For Calliari, the project was also an important step in developing his own voice as an Italian-language singer-songwriter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Mia Dolce Vita came out in 2006, I felt like Italian music didn\u2019t exist in Quebec,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Raised in Quebec under the province\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n
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Montreal singer-songwriter Marco Calliari rehearses in Montreal on Oct. 20, 2026. (Teresa Romano, OMNI News)<\/p>\n
Although he did not set out to become an ambassador for Italian music, he recognizes that role has become part of his career.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like an ambassador, it wasn\u2019t any goal, I never really have a goal, except just having fun, doing music,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
For him, the most important part is the connection his music creates with audiences from different backgrounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I play my Italian shows, it\u2019s a very Francophone public, but there\u2019s 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,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
A celebration with family and special guests<\/p>\n
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, \u00c9lyze Venne-Deshais on clarinet, saxophone and flute, Am\u00e9lie Poirier-Aubry on accordion, Tim S. Savard on multiple instruments and Demetrio Maso on drums.<\/p>\n
Special guests will also join the celebration, including musicians travelling from Italy. Calliari\u2019s father will also step on stage and sing songs from northern Italy with his son.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe show is gonna be a mix of everything, that\u2019s for sure,\u201d Calliari said.<\/p>\n
The \u2018Mia Dolce Vita\u2019 20th-anniversary concert is scheduled to run approximately two-and-a-half hours, plus an intermission.<\/p>\n
\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n
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