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Corremio Certosa
2005 Premiato
insieme a Cordiano, Simonetta
e BarillariÈ arrivato in Canada a 6 anni con una chitarra
per bambini di plastica e ora è uno dei più grandi
interpreti della musica pop e rock del Nordamerica. È
Jimi (Vincenzo) Bertucci, nato a Serra San Bruno in Calabria
nel 1951. Sabato 22 ottobre è il suo compleanno e domenica
23 gli viene assegnato il premio Certosa 2005 per il suo "eccezionale
contributo all'arte" dall'Associazione San Bruno. Insieme
a lui, per il 2005 saranno premiati presso il Renaissance Parque,
al n? 2800 della Hwy 7 W., a Concord, il ministro provinciale
per lo Sviluppo Economico, Joseph Cordiano, Michael Simonetta
e Domenico Barillari.Bertucci, nell'intervista rilasciata al
Corriere, rivive con intensa commozione il suo viaggio nel 1956
dalla Calabria verso il Canada e la sua successiva affermazione."Il
giorno prima suonavo la mia chitarra giocattolo sul balcone di
casa mia a Serra San Bruno e il giorno dopo ero sulla nave La
Roma diretto in Canada. Lassù mi sono anche perso e mia
madre dopo che io l'ho ritrovata, per la gioia mi baciava, mi
abbracciava ma mi dava anche qualche scapaccione". "Abbiamo
abitato a Grace Street - racconta - vicino la chiesa di San Francesco,
su College e lì ho affrontato il difficile inserimento
nella realtà canadese. Ho lottato a scuola per superare
le differenze che c'erano. Non parlavo inglese e vestivo con
i vestiti italiani che mia madre mi dava; finché un giorno,
per non sentirmi diverso ho chiesto ai miei di darmi i jeans
e le scarpe da ginnastica". Dal suo racconto, Bertucci fa
emergere il suo carattere forte e determinato. "Ascoltavo
la radio e ho detto: voglio anch'io "entrare in radio"".
E  Vincenzo
Bertucci ha realizzato il suo sogno grazie alla collaborazione
dei suoi genitori che lo hanno assecondato. "La svolta è
arrivata nel 1964. Vado al negozio Julio music store - continua
- vicino all'angolo dove ora c'è il Diplomatico e il proprietario
mi fa vedere una chitarra elettrica, la Hofner, come quella dei
Beatles e mi chiede se mi piaceva. Mi brillavano gli occhi e
dico di sì e quello, facendomi quasi svenire mi dice:
prendila è tua. I tuoi genitori l'hanno prenotata per
te tre mesi fa e finalmente è arrivata". "A
15 anni poi decido di non andare a scuola e dedicarmi completamente
alla musica. I miei non si oppongono alla mia decisione".A
raggiungere il successo, a insegnargli la musica e a insegnargli
a suonare il mandolino, la chitarra e la fisarmonica ci ha pensato
suo zio Salvatore.Bertucci da allora ha sempre composto la sua
musica e ha scritto i suoi testi.Nel suo ultimo cd Passion &
Innocence, fatto col suo gruppo Abraham's Children racconta i
suoi ultimi 30 anni di vita professionale e racconta soprattutto
la vita a College e Grace Street. In questo cd, c'è anche
una canzone in italiano. "Si chiama Sempre - dice Bertucci
-è una canzone d'amore e l'ho scritta e dedicata a mia
nipote che si sposava. Era il mio regalo di nozze".Ma Bertucci,
con un'altra canzone ha fatto felice anche un'altra donna: sua
madre a cui nel 1972 dedicò la prima canzone in italiano:
Bye, bye bambina occhi blu. Uno dei tanti successi come Goodbye
Farewell, Gypsy, Thank you. Data pubblicazione: 2005-10-19Indirizzo
pagina originale: http://www.corriere.com/viewstory.php?storyid=44709 |
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 LOS ANGELES CA JIMI BERTUCCI is best known as the founding member and principal
singer-songwriter for the ‘70s hit-making band ABRAHAM'S
CHILDREN. Born Vincenzo Donato Bertucci in Serra San Bruno, Calabria Italy, he
immigrated to Toronto, Canada at the young age of six. Jimi lived
in a large household of relatives in Toronto's "little Italy”,
including his Uncle Sam who could play a variety of instruments
including the accordion and mandolin. Over time, Uncle Sam's
musical influence over the young Vincenzo would become profound.
After being the lucky winner of tickets from "Sam the Record
Man", Jimi went to see the Beatles perform Live at Maple
Leaf Gardens in Toronto at the impressionable age of 13. It was
following that monumental experience that he became inspired
to envision his life as a musician. The surprise gift of a Hofner
Beatle bass by his parents sealed his fate. He soon met another
local musician Ron Bartley and Glenn Olive together they would
form their first group called "The London Tones." They
later added Bob McPherson and Brian Cotterill to the group and,
following a number of name changes including "Just Us",
the hit-making band "Abraham's Children" was born.
As the band’s principal songwriter, Jimi penned their first
national hit song called "Goodbye Farewell" while signed
to Gas Records. Other hits followed including Gypsy, Thank You
and Goddess Of Nature. The band toured heavily and extensively
to large enthusiastic crowds. Wanting to explore other avenues
with his music Jimi embarked in a different direction in 1976
leaving The Children behind. Quick to recognize his talent, United
Artists Records wasted no time in signing Jimi. Finally, having
the creative freedom he had craved, he produced a pop-influenced
band called "Space Patrol" and later "Angel",
a band more on the R&B side. While on the A&M label in the 80’s, Jimi
formed the band "The Police" which gained an enthusiastic
following but who, due to disputes with the label, soon split.
With his newly formed band  Jimi B, Robert Hoelting, Mike Cherney, Kelvin Womack
and Bongo Fury , he decided it was time to get back on the road
and did just that, appearing at some of the more popular places
in Hollywood such as The Roxy, The Whisky A Go Go, Club 369,
The Vipor Room, Rumps and others. He continued to record and
tour all over the USA. As a prolific songwriter and solo artist
he released Through
The Eyes of Vincenzo. along with numerous other singles. Most recently,
he has released some of his poetry writings which are being critically
well-received. In 2004, after many requests from fans who wanted
to see him in Canada, Jimi reformed "Abraham's Children"
and toured the great white north. Although he was the only original
member of the band they played all the hits and satisfied a crowd
that for so long were anxious to see Jimi and The Children perform.
In 2005 the band was back on the road again promoting Jimi's
most recent project, a new double cd set titled "Abraham's
Children 30", that captures the last thirty years of pop music
with his band.This year Jimi released a collection of poetry
that has been well received in the literary world. Also in the
works is his involvement as writer and producer with his daughter
Juli. His plans remain to be committed to his art, including
touring and recording, and doing what he does best, exploring
music to its fullest, writing poetry, cooking, surfing and snowboarding.
( many more pages to read about Jimi enjoy ) Marisa Lang Management
-- Upper photo by Deborah
Samuel |
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 HAMILTON, ONT.
This question
always comes up in interviews so, as a dedicated journalist,
I wanted to get the scoop for our records. My question to Canada's
Fab 4, as they were sometimes labeled, was this. "What was
the largest venue in which you ever performed and why was it
so special?" It didn't take much thought for the Canuck
rocker, Jimi Bertucci, to dive in and paint a very visual picture
for my anticipated pen and paper. "I would have to say,
Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton, Canada. It was an unforgettable
night of events that stayed with us throughout the years. "My
ears perked up as Jimi explained that, prior to that historic
concert, they had performed at Center Island in Toronto to a
crowd of about 30-thousand hungry pop fans who proudly displayed
many of the t-shirts and posters that were available for them
at the show. "The Ivor show was a trip, I recall. The dj
from the local radio station, I believe it was CKOC, came on
stage and started doing his thing, reminding the crowd to stay
back from the stage for safety reasons. Well, that was a lost
cause. After about 5 minutes of ranting about community efforts
and other related things, the show began. We were in our rented
trailer, parked at the side of the 40-foot stage. The lights
were flashing like a storm of colors from the dark skies...our
cue to get ready. I was sitting back, sipping on my Canada Dry
ginger ale, when the dj made his annoucement." "Ladies
and gentlemen, please give a welcoming round of applause to one
of the greatest bands to come out of Canada....Abraham's Children."
"The roar of the crowd was like a constant sound of white
noise hissing in the air. We were escorted on stage by three
security guards. The stage was flooded by a million watts of
lights that blinded our vision of the crowd. I plugged in and
approached my microphone. Good evening Hamilton, are you ready
to rock? The screams got louder. We opened with one of our hits,
Goodbye Farewell. As soon as the crowd heard that trademark intro
with the bass, they began rushing the stage in herds. Still blinded
by the overwhelming lights, we could see the playing field of
the stadium begin to fill up with young fans rushing towards
the stage. There must have been thousands. The security guards
jumped on stage and asked us to stop, unplug and move to the
side of stage left near our trailer. The crowd was frantic. The
dj came back on stage and announced that, if the crowd did not
move back, the concert would not continue. After about 10 minutes
of reorganizing the excited stampede of fans, the dj announced
once again, "Ok, let's try this again...Abraham's Children."
Ok, here we are again. Are you having a good time, I asked. The
crowd yelled out a big YES of approval. We began with another
one of our hit records, Gypsy. Once again, the over-enthused
fans began approaching the stage. This time, it seemed the numbers
had doubled. They pushed and shoved their way closer and closer,
crossing the fence that separated the stage and the field. Hundreds
managed to knock down the barricade and climb onto the stage.
We jumped off the stage with our instruments into the long stretch
limo waiting for us. We began driving away on the field, being
chased by teens. It was a weird experience, almost frightening.
As I looked back through the limo window, I could see people
on stage trying to take cymbals, microphones and whatever else
they could get before the guards got to them. We drove back to
the hotel where we were staying and were greeted by fans in the
lobby. After signing a bunch of autographs, we headed to our
rooms where we remained until the next day." Reporter Kant
Gettalon for iUpdate. |
ELTON JOHN SAVES
THE DAY Toronto
Canada
It was a cold day. I really
don't remember what day it was, only that the night before was
filled with all the things that make up rock n' roll and my head
was confirming that. The taxi dropped me off at "Eastern
Sound" an upper crust studio located in the heart of downtown
Toronto, Canada. It was the Rodeo district of TO as they called
it. Expensive cars, clothes and women that just walked out of
a Cosmopolitan ad. I tipped the cab driver well, only because
I didn't have a smaller bill and besides the driver thought I
was some important rock star. As I approached the gate of the
recording studio, I noticed this huge mountain of a man standing
tall and protective... or so he appeared. I walked towards him
and attempted to go around him; he quickly pushed me away and
said, "No one is to enter the building".1 tried to
explain to him that I was 2 hours late for my session, and that
the record company United Artists was not happy with me. He told
me to get lost. We started arguing and at one point I made another
attempt to go around him; once again he pushed me, except this
time I pushed him back. This annoyed the giant and he began to
get very physical with me. Web exchanged a few punches, which
I can attest he got the best of me. I was probably half his size.
A crowd was starting to gather and as I looked up I could see
my band members standing over me. They were stunned, this man
was attempting to hassle all of us. All of a sudden the door
swings open and there he was standing yelling and cursing at
the "mountain man". He came over to me and helped me
up, asking if] was hurt. I responded, explaining I was fine,
but that my butt was sore from landing on a piece of ice. We
walked into the studio, he sat down and repeatedly kept apologizing
for this man at the door, which I discovered was a security guard
hired by MCARecords. He kept asking if I was alright. Saline,
the studio manager came in the room with concern and asked if
I needed anything. I explained I was ok and that should get in
my room and start the session. As I entered the recording room
"A", the President of United Artists Records, his A&R
staff, and some other important looking characters were waiting
anxiously. They were all shocked to see who was standing next
to me. With some humor, the President asked if we could get started.
"At $250.00 an hour, we'll have to sell a lot of records,"
he said. I thanked Elton John for caring enough to come outside
and rescue me.... He asked if here was anything he could do.
1 assured him that I would live and that if I needed anything
I would be more than glad to ask him. Later that evening he introduced
me to his band members. Kenny Passerelli had this incredible
new bass that he insisted I use on my session. It was an Alembic,
the heaviest bass I had ever held, but the sound was like velvet
and rock. We met later at the posh, Yorkville Four Seasons Hotel
where Elton was still apologizing for this rude brute of a man.
The next day I sat in the studio with Elton and some of his band
members and listened' to some great tracks that would later become
"Blue Moves ". Courtesy of Ciao Magazine USA. |
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 Montreal Abraham's Children. Groupe
pop formé à Toronto à la fin des années
1960 avec Jimi Bertucci (basse), Ron Bartley (guitare), Bob McPherson
(claviers) et Brian Cotterill (batterie) et, à partir
de 1973, Shawn O'Shea (guitare). D'abord connu sous le nom de
Captain Midnight's Dirty Feet et, ensuite, d'Abraham's Children
ou tout simplement de The Children, le groupe joue dans les clubs
de Toronto avant de signer avec Gas Records en 1972 et ensuite
avec Buddha Records aux États-Unis. Le groupe devient
rapidement populaire, en grande partie grâce à son
style énergique, et joue pour des grandes foules - par
exemple à la Centre Island de Toronto et au Nathan Phillips
Square - ainsi qu'à des émissions télévisées
telles que Musical Friends et Canadian Bandstand. Ils font des
tournées importantes au Canada et aux États-Unis.
Leur son, tendant à l'origine vers le " bubble-gum
" commercial, évolue vers le rock classique. En 1968,
ils produisent leur premier 45 tours " Hot Love ",
suivi en 1972 de " Goodbye Farewell " (no10 au Canada
d'après le palmarès du RPM) et sa version italienne
" Bye Bye Bambino Occhi Blue ". En 1973, le groupe
sort son unique 33 tours, TIME (GLP 2001 Gas Records), et le
45 tours additionnel " Gypsy " (no 5 au Canada et succès
international) et, en 1974, le 45 tour " Goddess of Nature
". Bertucci (né Vincenzo Donato Bertucci à
Calabre, en Italie) et Bartley (né à Verdun, au
Manitoba) écrivent la plupart des chansons du groupe.
Bertucci commence sa carrière solo en 1975 et s'installe
en Californie et, même s'il enregistre toujours des 45
tours et se produit encore en tournée, le groupe se sépare
en 1976. Presque 30 ans plus tard, les membres d'origine de Abraham's
Children enregistrent un album de retrouvailles (intitulé
30) à Toronto. En 2004, Bertucci et les membres remplaçants
jouant sous le nom des Abraham's Children entreprennent des tournées
en Californie et au Canada. |
 The 90's in LOS ANGELES
- were a new adventure for Jimi. After
almost ten years of living in California and not performing,
his decision to play live was a revelation as he puts it. Although
he helped music companion Robert Slap on a collection of new
age cds for the VOTS record label, his hunger to get active in
rock was beginning to erupt. In 1993 he would put together once
again a line-up of well seasoned musicians that would simply
be know as JIMI B. Rehearsing in a 13,000 square foot mansion
high up on a hill in Orange County, Jimi and his band would spend
hours preparing to rock the clubs and concert halls.The first
gig would be at the famous Galaxy Theatre with no other than
The Rankin Family, a Celtic band from Canada that was well known
internationally. While backstage, John Rankin approached Jimi
and told him that one of the very first concerts he attended,
was with his band Abraham's Children in Nova Scotia Canada. The
reception was incredible as they hit the stage. Jimi would ask
"do we have any Canadians here, EH" the crowd roared
with enthusiasm. The next few years would see JIMI B playing
some of the hottest venues in Los Angeles and Hollywood. His
name was beginning to cause attention and interest by some of
the bigger promoters and record labels. When his friend Kelvin
passed away he would once again take a break In 2001 he reunited
with his old AC bandmates Ronnie, Brian and Bob in Toronto, Canada
at George Semkiw's Amber Studios to record some new tracks that
would eventually end up on the 30 CD. (read
about Jimi and the 80's) |
 hmmmm.....I'd say, Jimi's poetry reflects a certain
vulnerability, depth, and soul most men do not display, let alone
possess. Lisa - California (more) |
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 hot juicy loosey latin feel with sugar
pop overtones. This is the theme for the Italian Walk
Of Fame that Jimi wrote and was produced by hip hop and dip dudes
The Rezza Brothers with some fine...(more) |
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