Italian singer and songwriter Amedeo Minghi yesterday paid a whirlwind visit to Malta to announce an unplugged concert at the Mediterranean Conference Centre on May 15 as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations.
Even though he has already performed on the islands twice - in 2006 and in Gozo last year - his concert will by no means be "traditional". It will include innovative touches in line with the broadening of his musical horizons.
In fact, his popular repertoire will be mixed with his new musical direction, which includes turning 19th century French poet Charles Baudelaire's works into songs.
The singer, who enjoys immense popularity locally and received lots of feedback, believes the local audience will respond to this variety, which is what, after all, gives a musician depth.
The musical version of Baudelaire's poems was recently performed in a one-off concert in Normandy's evocative monastery, Mont Saint Michel, and will be sung live for the first time since at the Malta event, giving birth to "another form of song" the singer plans to delve into.
Moreover, Amedeo Minghi, a practising Catholic, plans to be accompanied by a Jew and a Palestinian, who will be singing in their own language and performing Gerusalemme, commissioned by the Vatican in 2000.
This was last performed in a Catholic church in Bethlehem, the singer said, adding that his next mission was to take it to Jerusalem itself. The idea is in line with the singer's belief that music is strong enough to unite and create peace - a line he plans to pursue.
Mostly renowned for his love songs, Amedeo Minghi has also written many that are actually dedicated to peace. "I want to show that peace is not only a possibility but also a duty," he said.
In Malta for a couple of hours, the singer, who is also celebrating a 40-year career, expressed his happiness to be returning, deeming it an honour to be performing in the intimate environment of the auditorium, accompanied by a nine-piece band.
Amedeo Minghi enjoys performing in theatres and his concert at Rome's Auditorium della Con-ciliazione, which was recently televised on RaiUno, has been turned into a triple CD, with DVD, L'Ascolteranno gli Americani, launched last month.
Tickets, which cost €30 and €50, are on sale from the booking office today, and the concert, which MCC chairman Peter Fenech promised to be full of surprises, including video projections, starts at 8 p.m.