We recently spoke with one of our favorite musicians, Michéal Castaldo, about his success story. Being an Italian-American musician with roots in the southern Italian province of Calabria, Mr. Castaldo has carved out a niche for himself in the pop-classical crossover scene. Going strong for 30 years in the music industry, this talented recording artist shows no sign of slowing down.
Mr. Castaldo’s interest in singing dates back to his church choir days, when at the tender age of nine he earned praise for his pint-sized vocal chops. In high school he found himself totally steeped in music, joining the chorus and taking up trumpet, guitar and piano. After high school, he refined his musicianship at Berklee School of Music in Boston. The next move took him to New York City to pursue a professional music career. It was here in New York that he refined his skills as a songwriter and producer. It was also here that he grew from a budding recording artist to a successful, multi-talented, music-industry entrepreneur.
Early on in his career, Mr. Castaldo found a measure of success composing music and writing lyrics in English. But after noticing an overwhelmingly positive response to his Italian lyrics, he decided to reinvent his sound, writing and performing strictly in Italian. This proved to be a wise move — it propelled him into the international music scene, opening more doors than he ever could have imagined. Earlier this year, he was invited to perform at a concert in Calabria in memory of the late Mino Reitano, a popular Italian singer and actor. This music festival was only the most recent of many events in Italy where Mr. Castaldo has been a featured performer. He has also toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada.
If there’s anything that Mr. Castaldo prides himself on, it is his live performances. He transports his audience to Calabria by means of an onstage screen that displays breathtaking vistas of that remarkable southern Italian landscape. The music sets the tone and sweeps you along with its majestic sound, creating nostalgic moments for the Italians in his audience. Even the non-Italians find themselves getting nostalgic for la bella Italia. Then his voice comes in, a flawless tenor with a rich tone and steady vibrato, harmoniously weaving his stories into his compelling melodies. It’s almost as if he’s getting you to reminisce about a time and place you’ve never even experienced.
Mr. Castaldo’s approach to creating music is an organic one, which may explain why fans are so deeply moved by it. “I believe in living in the moment and taking it all in, and I strive for authenticity. Something that brings the story home. The good, the bad, the exhilarating…the disappointments…those enthusiastic moments… You have to have your guard down to be open to what goes on around you. We turn to music for those milestone moments. It marks happy occasions, but we also use it to grieve. Music is therapy. Music is healing.” Beautiful words spoken about beautiful music.
It’s no wonder we like him so much! For more information, check out http://www.michaelcastaldo.com/