Minghi hopes concert will promote Malta

Italian singer Amedeo Minghi hopes that his concert in Malta tonight will help promote the island to his fellow countrymen.

Despite Malta being so close to Italy, quite a few Italians never visit it, although, he said, it deserves to be one of the places that Italians do go to.

Mro Minghi, who started his career as a musician, singer and song-writer four decades ago, arrived in Malta yesterday afternoon for a concert at Pinto Hall at the Valletta Waterfront and is sure to impress fans with his distinctive voice.

This is his first visit to Malta after a concert organised 12 years ago had to be cancelled due to a port strike.

Although he has never been to Malta, he said he would have to come back in a couple of years' time to pay a visit to an olive tree that he planted in Sliema yesterday.

During a press conference at the Dragonara Casino, Mro Minghi launched his autobiography L'Ascolteranno Gli Americani and a 48-song platinum album. The book is Mro Minghi's first. Its title stems from a line from his song 1950, which he described as his most representative song.

1950 is one of the 22 songs that Mro Minghi will sing during this evening's concert which, according to Massimo Ellul, the president and chief executive of organiser M&E Management Group, is sold out.

The concert is part of the Italian singer's tour which started in Italy at the beginning of May. A number of concerts are planned for the coming months and he will also take the tour to the theatre later on this year in a show also entitled L'Ascolteranno Gli Americani.