Macao News Macao News https://macaonews.org Tue, 12 Dec 2023 00:20:29 +0000 <![CDATA[Ari Calangi: Making his return to the stage]]> Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:17:59 +0800 Gilbert Humphrey 66148 2023-09-28 12:17:59 2023-09-28 12:17:59 The Macao-born musician and Ariclan frontman’s career was interrupted for three years by the Covid-19 pandemic, but now he’s back and more ambitious than ever.]]>Before the pandemic shut down many of Macao’s live music venues in 2020, the question local music lovers asked as Friday approached was often “Where’s Ari playing this weekend?”  Ari Calangi’s star was on the rise. The Macao-born, ethnic Filipino singer-songwriter and talented instrumentalist made a big impression in the 2016 edition of Sing! China (formerly The Voice of China). He didn’t win but in the competition’s wake became a sought-after performer across Greater China, known as much for his solo act as his nine-member funk-rock band, Ariclan.  Calangi exudes an energetic and soulful stage presence, with a repertoire of original material about “good memories, good moments, good feelings and good relationships.”  According to Calangi, “There’s a strong humanity and human energy in them that makes you feel alive. All my songs are written to [channel] that energy.” [See more: Indie music in Macao: Add these talented local musicians to your playlist] The pandemic put a temporary damper on both his career and state of mind. For three years, Calangi struggled with being stuck in Macao, longing for the days he could perform and travel again. Happily, with the lifting of Covid-19 travel restrictions six months ago, he is back on track.  “Borders are open, people are calling and there’s a wave of opportunities coming with it,” he tells Macao News with excitement. Tuned in from the start Born Fabio Ari Calangi de Guzman, Calangi grew up in a family that was mad about music. His parents were both DJs in their younger years, and his aunt used to sing in cafes and bars.  Calangi’s mother, teacher and children’s author Shelley Calangi, exposed her three children to all kinds of music. She taught her son the guitar and arranged his piano lessons. She also enrolled Calangi and his older sister in their school choir (which Shelley led), and Calangi remembers performing around Macao from the age of five. By the time he was seven, he was writing “simple songs about family, peace and love in the world.” He was proud enough of his creations to immortalise one with a basic voice recorder. “You can hear my little-boy voice on the recording saying ‘Ari’s composition,’” he laughs. Calangi also became a dab hand on the drums thanks to local drummer Pedro Cuevas. “I mainly self-taught after two months of lessons from Pedro,” he says. [See more: Five concerts at the Macao International Music Festival that you won't want to miss] Church cultivated his penchant for music, too. As a teenager, Calangi occasionally played the guitar at St Augustine’s Catholic Church (near Senado Square on the western side of the Macao peninsula), where his family attended Mass. The first band he joined was called Once Teen Ones (OTO), which his mum initially set up in 2006 as a music project for students (Calangi’s sister, Jools, played bass). When the original drummer quit, Shelley recruited her son. He ended up as lead singer, too, but claims it was through necessity rather than a calling. “I just thought the band needed a voice, so I’d be that voice,” Calangi recalls. “Singing came so naturally that I didn’t think of it as a skill.” [caption id="attachment_66142" align="alignnone" width="1539"]Ari Calangi Ari Calangi sang in a studio at Berklee College of Music in the United States in 2011[/caption] American dreams Calangi started his college education at the University of Saint Joseph when it was still the Macau Inter-University Institute. He planned to major in psychology, but over the course of his freshman year, his passion for music grew too intense to ignore. Local music friends suggested Calangi apply to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts – a prestigious school whose alumni are responsible for more than 330 grammy wins. “I saw that John Mayer and these other big names went there”, Calangi says. “I got excited about it”.  Berklee, which holds auditions in several parts of the world every year, invited him to audition in Japan. He performed “Crack It Way Open” by American drummer Dennis Chambers on the drums in front of a four-member judging panel. Next, he sang an original song, “Problem Child,” while playing the guitar.   “There were like 50 other people auditioning – all of whom were Japanese except me,” recalls Calangi. “I was a bit scared but more excited than intimidated.” [See more: 10 questions for Macao music group MFM] Then came the wait. It took a few months for an email to arrive from Berklee, and Calangi says he was so anxious he shook while opening it. Thankfully, it was an acceptance letter, including a partial scholarship that would cover 50 percent of the US$45,000 per year tuition. Macao’s Cultural Affairs Bureau agreed to help cover much of the rest with a scholarship of its own. Calangi’s mum took it on herself to pay for his living costs in Boston – a sacrifice he wasn't fully aware of until later. Calangi says he arrived at Berklee “hoping to become the most professional drummer from Macao.” In his spare time, he would sing and play guitar. He was jamming with friends when it dawned on him that people were more drawn to his voice than drumming skills.  “I started taking my voice more seriously and enrolled in voice lessons in college,” he says. “Now, I consider myself more of a singer than a drummer and see the drum as a tool to enhance the music I create.” An about turn In 2012, Calangi’s American dream ended. While visiting Macao, he learned that his mum had taken out a bank loan to pay for his food, rent and other expenses in the US – a debt that would take her years to pay off.  “I put my mum in such a difficult situation, money-wise,” he says. “I knew I had to be smarter with my choices.” At first, he tried to save money by biking the 45-minute journey to and from Berklee each day, but couldn’t see any other ways to cut costs. There were music venues willing for him to perform paid gigs, but his student visa did not allow him to work.  So, at age 22, he withdrew from his studies at Berklee and returned to home to work as a musician. Calangi’s first full-time job was at the beginning of 2013, in Guangzhou, playing drums for Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong, known for his soulful hybrid of Mando-pop and R&B. Ari Calangi For the next three years, he travelled between Macao and Hong Kong for rehearsals, shows and occasional recording sessions for household names in Hong Kong’s music industry, including the likes of Cantopop singer Janice Vidal, pop rocker Kary Ng, Hong Kong-Filipino R&B singer Alex To and fellow Macao singer and actor Siu Fay. [See more: 3 Macao music studios where you can jam without a membership] Calangi’s friend and fellow musician Jonathan Wong wangled him an audition for the high-profile singing contest, Sing! China, in March 2016. “It was a whole new environment for me,” says Calangi. “Before this, I was always in the background. This competition was the first time I got an opportunity to be at the front.” The show’s producers flew him to Shanghai, where Calangi, who speaks fluent Cantonese and English, struggled to communicate with his broken Mandarin. “I kept on saying in Mandarin, ‘I’m sorry, can you say it one more time?’ like, three or four times,” he remembers. Finding a new rhythm  Calangi made it through three rounds of the show and says his TV appearances brought new musical opportunities and industry connections.   Soon afterward, Taiwan’s Elevenz Music label signed him on a two-year contract with numerous gigs across the island and mainland China. Calangi began collaborating with island artists such as A-Lin and Matzka, and formed his Macao-based band Ariclan with eight other local musicians, including bassist Ivan Pineda and singing sisters Nikki and Vanessa Gabion. He also juggled freelance gigs, writing songs for other artists, recording songs, and performing original music. “Sometimes, I would be a drummer for one tour and then a guitarist for another and then I’d have to record in Beijing,” he says. “I’d have two suitcases: one with a guitar and another with a drum set or some recording gear.” [See more: Lio Kuokman conducts post-pandemic era as the Macao Orchestra's new artistic director] Ariclan also gained momentum, performing at festivals around the region. In early 2020, Calangi and his bandmates were looking forward to touring mainland China while planning shows in Portugal and Brazil. But Covid-19 brought everything to an abrupt halt. “Everyone thought the pandemic was going to be a one-year thing,” he says. With the border restrictions in place, Calangi spent three years trying to eke out a living in Macao. He took hotel gigs and formed a cover band.  But “the musicians had to get full-time jobs,” he says. “It just became very difficult to [schedule] rehearsals.” In the end, he bowed to the inevitable, and started simply spending time with family, friends and his girlfriend. They tried to make the most of it, watching movies and strolling the city together.   New opportunities [caption id="attachment_66146" align="alignnone" width="2560"]Ari Calangi Ariclan Ari Calangi (centre) is seen in this photo taken earlier this year fronting his band Ariclan at the Hengqin Tianmu River Grassland Music Festival - Photo by Jairo Calangi[/caption] As soon as Macao’s borders opened in January, Calangi was back on the circuit. He played the Hengqin Tianmu River Grassland Music Festival the following month, alongside dozens of musicians and bands from Macao, Hong Kong and mainland China. “The audience was very receptive to our music, despite it being in English,” says Calangi. “We’re glad we were received well for our first gig of 2023.” [See more: How music therapy helps people in Macao heal and grow] The Hengqin performance led to an array of invitations that has taken Calangi to both new and familiar stages beyond Macao this year – some in Hong Kong and mainland China, others in Australia. Notably, he’ll be at the Montreux Jazz Festival China, which takes place from 27 September to 2 October at the Fairmont Yangcheng Lake Resort in Kunshan, a 30 minutes drive from Suzhou in Jiangsu province. Over 160 musicians from 20 countries and regions will perform during the six-day music event, with Ariclan scheduled on the last day. “We’ll be performing all original music. We’ve been rehearsing these past few weeks, putting together a special show for the festival,” says Calangi. “I’m super stoked about this upcoming gig. It's my band’s and my first time ever being part of the internationally recognised Montreux music festival brand.”  With luck and Calangi's determination, “Where’s Ari playing this weekend?” is going to be a question that people will start asking once again.  ]]> <![CDATA[Tomos Griffiths]]> Wed, 17 Nov 2021 16:46:36 +0800 Inara Sim 45184 2022-02-09 16:42:16 2021-11-17 16:46:36 The celebrated Australian thespian recalls his West End career and how he built one of Macao’s biggest entertainment programmes.]]>Tomos Griffiths is a household name in Macao. Singer, actor, and producer, Griffiths’ career has taken him from the iconic Sydney Opera House, to London’s West End as the Phantom in “Phantom of the Opera”, and finally to Macao. He’s called the city home for the last 14 years, during which he’s helped overhaul the entertainment offerings in some of the biggest casino resorts in town, helped run children’s performance programmes, and identified new business opportunities for global event companies. His passion for performing began during childhood. Born in Sydney in 1973, Griffiths grew up in Turramurra, a suburb in the Upper North Shore area. At the age of seven, he joined the Ku-ring-gai Boy’s Choir after seeing a sign-up sheet at the local shopping centre. It was here that his love of singing developed.  “Early on I had pitch problems; I couldn’t sing in tune alone, but in a group I was fine. Being in the choir brought me into tune, and it was a big help being able to listen to myself and getting my ear engaged.”  In Year Six, or the sixth year of primary school, when he was age 12, Griffiths enrolled at St Andrew’s Cathedral School, where he sang with the school’s cathedral choir for the next three years – an experience he describes as “quite full-on”. “We did five rehearsals a week, and five services a week,” says Griffiths. “It was great training for singing and musicality, and I just had it drummed into me. It took real dedication.”  While still with the school’s choir, he also auditioned for the Australian Opera Children’s Chorus, and landed his first professional gig in “Carmen”, the famed opera by French composer Georges Bizet, at the Sydney Opera House.  [caption id="attachment_45189" align="alignnone" width="1125"]Tomos Griffiths Griffiths enrolled at St Andrew’s Cathedral School at the age of 12, where he sang with the school’s cathedral choir for three years - Photo courtesy of Tomos Griffiths[/caption] “I was so excited and amazed that I got the job,” he says. “This was the Australian Opera, performing in the iconic Sydney Opera House, and they were going to pay me for it? I was over the moon.” After three years of intense rehearsals and a gruelling performance schedule, Griffiths felt exhausted from the hectic pace. “I’d had enough,” he recalls. “I just wanted to hang out with my friends and go throw rocks in the creek.”  He stepped down from the St Andrew’s choir and left the school entirely, enrolling instead at the local public high school. There, he continued to pursue his interest in music, albeit less intensively, in school bands and private singing lessons, often competing in local competitions and eisteddfods (competitive music and poetry festivals).  “My aim had always been to go to the Conservatory of Music in Sydney, but things changed,” he says. “I started studying music and acting at the University of Wollongong, and I just fell in love with the acting side of it.”  After graduation in 1997, Griffiths would find bit roles working in local cabaret shows [in Sydney], before making an unexpected leap into landscape gardening for a spell. “I just needed a break,” he says. “I wanted to do something completely different.” 

A lucky break

[caption id="attachment_45190" align="alignnone" width="2560"]Tomos Griffiths In 2000, Griffiths was cast as a member of “The Three Waiters” that was based on “The Three Tenors” – a popular operatic singing group from the 1990s - Photo courtesy of Tomos Griffiths[/caption] Finally, in 2000, Griffiths was cast as a member of the popular surprise singing show, “The Three Waiters”. Based on “The Three Tenors” – the popular operatic singing group from the 1990s – the cast would disguise themselves as waiters at corporate events, weddings and birthday dinners, and surprise guests with a spontaneous performance. Created in Sydney in 1988, the show gained huge momentum; Griffiths was part of the second round of singers hired. “It just kind of exploded,” he remembers. “They were getting three bookings per night just in Sydney, followed by other bookings in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Darwin, and Alice Springs.”  At one point, the show became the world’s most-booked corporate act and has since become a global brand clocking 13,000 performances in 90 countries. Griffiths himself toured in over 30 countries with the group. And it was during a “Three Waiters” gig in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, that he met his wife, Emma Seward, who was performing as a dancer at the same event.  Griffiths and Seward, who is originally from the UK but lived in Hong Kong at the time, started a long-distance relationship and, after two years, she moved to Sydney where they married. 

‘Phantom of the West End’

[caption id="attachment_45191" align="alignnone" width="2560"]Tomos Griffiths Griffiths was named the second understudy of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera - Photo courtesy of Tomos Griffiths[/caption] When the Three Waiters expanded to London, Griffiths jumped at the chance to move. It was an opportunity to try his luck on the West End, London’s illustrious theatre district, which boasts one of the highest concentrations of theatres in the English-speaking world.  Three months after arriving with Seward, Griffiths was named the second understudy of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. It was welcome, if overdue, news for the aspiring thespian. “Some friends who had been cast on the show suggested I try out, and I just got the role – it was that easy!” he laughs. “I’d been auditioning for big shows and musicals for years in Australia and never got anywhere. It was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.” As the second understudy for the titular lead, Griffiths had to learn the role inside and out, and attend the show’s eight weekly performances. “I had no regular shows scheduled, but I had to be ready to go on every night, just in case something happened to the Phantom or the first understudy,” he says. Griffiths also worked as a “swing” – meaning if someone from the cast was sick or on leave, he would fill in. “You learn so much, and each night is never the same, you’re always doing something different. I spent a lot of time learning all the parts, alongside the role of the phantom.” After 10 months of rehearsals, the hard work paid off: he finally donned the Phantom’s mask in June 2004. “The first time was an absolute blur,” he recalls. “I found out about 30 minutes before the show that I was going on and I wasn’t sure if I was going to remember everything. Of course, I was singing the role every day, so I knew it like the back of my hand, but performing it in front of a full theatre was a different thing.” Griffiths went on to play the lead role another 15 times during his contract, which ran from September 2003 to September 2004. 

Setting the stage in Macao 

[caption id="attachment_45192" align="alignnone" width="2560"]Tomos Griffiths Tomos Griffiths performed for the founder, chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp, Sheldon Adelson, in August 2007 at The Venetian Macao - Photo courtesy of Tomos Griffiths[/caption] When it came time to renew his contract, Griffiths made the surprising decision to decline.  “I wanted to move on and do something else. Doing eight shows a week really takes a toll on your body and your voice,” he explains, adding that he resumed performances with the Three Waiters, while accepting some parts in smaller shows. Meanwhile, news of the Australian Phantom had made its way to Asia; suddenly, doors were opening for the former West End star on the other side of the world. Using the connections from his earlier forays into Asia, Griffiths soon found himself landing regular jobs there.  “It was a massive market for me; I was billed as ‘The Phantom direct from the West End’. I was doing a gig [in Asia] once a month.” In 2005, Griffiths flew to Macao for the first time to perform as the Phantom at a private birthday party. He remembers feeling excited and optimistic about the city’s burgeoning potential. “Things here were really kicking off,” he says. “The Venetian was about to open and people were looking for great entertainment opportunities.”  Griffiths would soon find himself personally acquainted with The Venetian Macao, when he unexpectedly performed for the casino resort’s owner, Sheldon Adelson, on another trip to the city in August 2007, for the opening of the integrated resort.  As the founder, chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp, Adelson (who passed away earlier this year) had introduced the Phantom of the Opera as a resident show (Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular) at The Venetian in Las Vegas, as it was his personal favourite. “They flew out the cast from Vegas for the opening night [of the resort] and they performed with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra at the gala dinner,” he says.  Griffiths – who joined as a guest – attended the afterparty where he was asked to do an impromptu performance, and it was the gaming mogul himself who requested that Griffiths sing “Music of the Night” to his table. In 2007, after four years in London, Griffiths and his family, which by now included two daughters, moved to Macao to set up their own company: Showbiz International Macau.  “Things were really starting to happen in Macao,” Griffiths says of the decision. “We had fantastic connections and a great network already set up, and we wanted to be the ones booking the entertainment acts for all the casino operators.”  The city had other plans for him, however. Three months after arriving, The Venetian Macao hired Griffiths to help consolidate their entertainment operations. “At that point, the company had the Sands Lounge, gondola rides, and Streetmosphere [singers, stilt walkers and acrobats that stroll through the promenade of the Grand Canal Shoppes] all operating under different departments,” he says. “They knew they were expanding and building more properties, so they wanted to have a central entertainment department.”  As the executive creative director of Sands China, Griffiths set up the creative development department, integrating all the entertainment brands under one management umbrella, while moving-show production in-house.  Griffiths eventually revamped the entertainment offerings at all of the company’s Macao properties: Sands Macao, The Venetian Macao, Four Seasons, and Sands Cotai Central. He describes it as a “golden era” of the city – a time when “the ‘Vegas comes to China’ experiment was in full swing.”  “Our direction was to hire, hire, hire, so we were off on audition trips around the world to find people. At the height of it, we had 250 artists on contract, which was huge.” 

Life after Sands

[caption id="attachment_45193" align="alignnone" width="2560"]Tomos Griffiths Griffiths is currently the managing director of the Macau Glee Club, a performing arts club established by his wife in 2010 - Photo by Cheong Kam Ka[/caption] After 12.5 years, Griffiths left Sands in July 2020. “My job had evolved and things were changing,” he says, adding that much like after Phantom of The Opera, he felt it was time to move on.  These days, the singer and performer say he is busier than ever. Griffiths presides as managing director of the Macau Glee Club, a performing arts club established by his wife in 2010, where he oversees the acting, singing and public speaking classes, and in which all three of his children perform.  “The Glee Club is really Emma’s baby,” he says. “I’ve helped out over the years, but never very heavily as I just didn’t have the time. So it’s been great to really get into it.” He has also taken on the role of Business Development Manager for Seward’s company, CPG [Creative Production Group] Concepts, utilising the network he has built up over the past 12 years with promoters, producers, agents, and talent providers from around the world.  “I’m helping to secure contracts and events,” he says. “A lot of CPG’s work is one-off events [clients include Audi, BMW, Adidas, Huawei, Cartier, and Mandarin Oriental], so we are also looking at creating our own shows and securing longer-term contracts.” Earlier this year, he revisited the role that launched his career, starring in “A Night With The Phantom”. Griffiths performed all the classics from the West End musical in this dinner show, held at the Tromba Rija. He’s also popped up on stage during jazz performances at various events with the Tomos Griffiths Trio and the Tomos Griffiths Big Band.  “I love Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr,” he says. “Jazz has great lyrics and great melodies, and it’s such a different genre for me. Musical theatre is all about acting, while jazz is just about being cool.” And even now, after decades of time on the stage, Griffiths admits that he still gets the occasional case of nerves. “Absolutely,” he says. “The build-up, the adrenaline, worrying about whether people are going to like the show or talk through your whole performance – it still gets me even now.”  ]]> <![CDATA[Giulio Acconci]]> Mon, 23 Aug 2021 13:40:27 +0800 Kelsey Wilhelm 42358 2021-08-24 11:44:06 2021-08-23 13:40:27 Giulio "Julio" Acconci is best known as the frontman of Soler and his portrayals on the silver screen. His success as a musician has elevated him to celebrity status.]]>A household name in Macao, Giulio “Julio” Acconci is best known for his catchy riffs as the frontman of Soler and his portrayals on the silver screen. His success as a musician, in particular, has elevated him to celebrity status, alongside his twin brother and bandmate, Dino.  But the stardom is just one small part of this Macao native’s story.  Acconci, whose stage name is “Julio”, was born in Macao in 1972 to an Italian father and an ethnic Karen mother from Myanmar. His parents sparked his diverse artistic interests: his father is the late, respected architect, Oseo Acconci, who created the famed mural on Hotel Estoril, and his mother, Deanna Soler Acconci, was a former nurse who encouraged music, buying the boys harmonicas and Chinese flutes as children. Their multicultural background set the twins apart from their peers linguistically and physically. To make it easier to integrate into the community, their mother pushed them to learn Cantonese from a young age. For kindergarten and elementary school, Acconci studied at Santa Rosa de Lima, later moving to an all-boys school, Yuet Wah, at the age of nine. It was a culture shock. “From the moment the books closed, everything was in Cantonese,” he recalls. “I learned Cantonese by asking. My mom would overhear our phone conversations and, when she heard me use an English word, she would scream out: ‘Ask them what the word is in Cantonese!’” His efforts to learn the language helped him mitigate conflict and make friends – some of whom he still spends time with today. “I didn't like being the victim,” he says, noting how he doubled down on learning the language, “including all the swear words”. His fiery Cantonese retorts raised would-be bullies' eyebrows, as well as their opinion of him.

Singing in harmony

As the son of a Roman Catholic father and Baptist mother, religion played a major role in Acconci's childhood. And like many who fidget during sermons, Acconci connected most with the powerful musical element – the draw of voices in unison.
“I got into the business with my brother so I could sing with somebody – not alone. And it's still the key driver. It's always: ‘How do I sing with more people?’ or ‘How do I get a choir?”  - Giulio Acconci
He saw a choir perform with a guitarist for the first time at the St Francis Xavier church in Mong Ha, and that sparked something inside Acconci. He went home and begged his mother for the instrument and, come Christmas, both boys received a guitar. It wasn’t long before the twins wrote their first song together, a rock ballad entitled “Dying of War”, at the age of 14. But shortly after, life took a turn. Their father passed away when they were 15. The tragedy launched Acconci to focus on football and running – two sports he excelled at. He joined Macao's athletics team and flew to Portugal to compete at the age of 16, winning two gold medals in the 200- and 400-metre sprints.  While in Europe, Acconci explored his European roots, and at 17, he left Portugal to visit his father's hometown of Vicopisano Pisa, in Tuscany, about 50 kilometres west of Florence. While tracing his family’s past, the young man got more involved in a youth movement that would cultivate his artistic and musical endeavors.

On the brink of a breakdown

Before he left Macao for Europe, Acconci had joined the Focolare Movement (meaning "hearth" in Italian), an international youth group for those between 17 and 30 years old that strives for peace, cultural exchange and universal brotherhood. The group describes itself as a "movement of social and spiritual renewal" and counts over 2 million members across 182 nations.  Acconci’s father had helped the movement when the first members were looking for an apartment in Macao, so Acconci was welcomed with open arms to live with the local chapter in a nearby town when he was in Italy. By living with this diverse international community, Acconci expanded his understanding of the world. The group lived together, sharing houses, chores and activities, prayer times and practical trade skills.  Like all its Focolare members, Acconci pitched in by working in a factory on the group's commune. That’s where he learned to paint on olive wood, picking up brush skills that he would later apply to his own vivid, watercolour artwork. After nine months at the youth camp, Acconci felt weighed down by the passing of his father and had a desire to be self-sufficient. So he decided to pursue graphic design, which is understood to be a practical way to apply his developing artistic skills and make a living.  He asked his half-brother – who was helping to financially care for the twins at the time – to invest in a three-year diploma course in Florence, saying: “I swear I'll get a job after that and you won't have to worry about me.” His work ethic earned Acconci a job while studying in Florence. But his ongoing work with Focolare – he performed in a band, organised and MC’d events, and led groups – took a toll.  “I came close to having a nervous breakdown; I had no time off,” he recalls. Hoping to find a better balance, Acconci approached his twin brother, with whom he'd been writing and performing songs in Focolare, with a plan. Over pasta and a glass of Chianti, Giulio asked Dino if he had ever considered a career in music. “Yes, but only on one condition: you do it with me,” he responded.

Finding their way to the stage

That night, the twins shared visions of playing in stadiums and a successful future in music. Thanks to their musical experience in Focolare, the brothers found a producer quite easily. The twins, who shared a flat in Figline Valdarno, in Florence province, invited the producer to move in. They set up a makeshift studio in their bedroom, recording their demos while looking for a manager.  Soon enough, they hired their first manager who got EMI Records, a British label with a presence in Italy, to sign the band in 1996. But the deal backfired, wasting years of their time. “EMI just didn't want to do anything with us for so long, for two years,” Acconci laments. “I don't know why. We just kept working on our music. They probably didn't feel we were ready.” About a year after signing, the twins had honed their Italian acoustic pop rock sound and decided on a band name: Soler, their mother’s maiden name. “It was thanks to her that we were doing music,” adds Acconci. [caption id="attachment_42360" align="alignnone" width="1119"]Giulio Acconci and Dino Acconci Giulio Acconci and twin brother, Dino Acconci[/caption] What’s more, their mother's ethnic group granted the title “Soler” to those who had achieved something of importance. They later discovered the community had bestowed the honorific upon their grandfather, who was the first person in his village to earn a university degree. The twins juggled the band and their careers, with Giulio working for a graphic design studio and Dino studying literature at university.  Since little came out of their EMI contract, they moved to London, terminating their contract with EMI in 1998. Little did the twins know, but success was just around the corner.  

Back in Asia 

After returning to Macao in 2000, they signed a record deal in 2006 that would make them a household name. As the lead vocalist and bassist, Acconci was the frontman, while Dino was the lead guitarist and vocalist. Together, they wrote songs in English. “I was more of the frontman on stage, even though I would sing the harmonies and nobody realised that. We were a very good team, we were happy with our roles,” he notes. Given Macao's small market, the twins shifted into the Hong Kong scene where their music struck a chord. Their 2005 debut album, “Double Surround Sound”, which featured Cantonese and Mandarin versions of their English songs, stormed Hong Kong. “Our songs were being played on all the radio stations the moment we released our album,” notes Acconci, noting that their debut single “Tsunami” led to the tempest. But with the fame came media scrutiny, mixed reviews of their songs and themselves, and pressure from constantly being in the spotlight. “We were singing an interpretation of what [the lyricists] thought we were feeling,” he explains of his stage persona. “So I think we would see ourselves more as actors, portraying whatever that song was trying to convey. And that helped a lot, because whenever anybody criticised our songs [we would think] ‘Sure, okay, you don't like it’. It just bounces off.” Unfortunately, due to their management, the duo spent more time promoting than selling and touring. “I had to tap dance in my first TV appearance, which means everyone saw us at our worst. I mean: I can't tap dance,” reflects Acconci.  Just a year after releasing their debut album, the brothers’ relationship with their management, Hummingbird Music Ltd, deteriorated, and the band's lawyers declared an official end to the relationship in 2007. The two parties punted legal threats and rebuttals back and forth but, in the end, the court ruled in favour of Hummingbird. In 2010, the ruling forced the band to pay the management company HK$6 million in lost compensation. The lawsuit eventually forced the band to declare bankruptcy in 2012. “Would I do anything different?” he reflects. "I guess not. I see things completely differently now. I feel I'm a much more balanced person: I'm calm, I'm peaceful. Because once you've been through the crusher of life, you just come out different.” 

‘One of us’

[caption id="attachment_42361" align="alignnone" width="1600"]Giulio Acconci and Dino Acconci Solers rock duo, Giulio Acconci and Dino Acconci[/caption] When the band was at its peak in 2005 and 2006, Acconci didn’t let the stardom get to him because he was so busy. “In hindsight, it meant a lot to people in Macao. They'd say, ‘Hey, it's one of us up there,” he says. Soler was never destined to be a flash in the pan, and even as the brothers battled contract issues, they vowed to continue their journey. Hong Kong offered the possibility of further creative pursuits, from commercials to TV and even the silver screen.  For example, Acconci hosted a cooking show on Hong Kong Cable TV in 2009 as well as an English learning programme on RTHK in 2011 and 2017. The twins also played villains in Taiwanese action blockbuster “Black & White Episode I: The Dawn of Assault”. With new endeavours, they put Soler on the backburner. Dino moved to Canada with family in 2018, while Acconci and his wife Karen continue to live in Macao, making music and art.  The brothers have been writing music separately throughout the pandemic, but Acconci says that the band is still together and has future collaborations, or solo albums, on the cards. For now, Acconci hopes to inspire creative outlets in Macao, recently coming full circle by starting a singing collective. “The idea is to get everyone to sing together because it’s joyful. I want to bring joy back to singing as opposed to [aspiring singers thinking] ‘I want to be a singer, I want a career in singing,’” he says. The effort comes back to that early passion for harmony and unity. “If one of these singers decides to be a solo artist, I hope they bring this experience with them onstage,” he adds. “Even if they're alone, I hope that they know that there's a whole bunch of people backing them up.” With so much ahead and so much behind, Acconci's mark on Macao is far from over. He continues to thrive as an artist, and his family and two dogs – Knight and Spirit – keep him grounded. [caption id="attachment_42362" align="alignnone" width="1080"]Mazu Giulio Acconci's art series, "Mazu II", dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea[/caption] Aside from acting, Acconci is continuing his artistic career through graphic design, sculpture and painting. His home, the same one he grew up in, reflects his creative range, decorated with numerous watercolour-based pieces which weave together history, tradition and emotion, with a particular focus on Macao and Chinese folklore. One such series is "Mazu" – a solo collection dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea – which he exhibited in 2017.  "I like to think of my whole life as a work of art,” says Acconci. “And aren't we all just works of art in one form or another?”  ]]> <![CDATA[Guy Lesquoy]]> Mon, 17 Oct 2016 17:56:45 +0800 Leonor Sá Machado 10529 2021-02-03 10:25:26 2016-10-17 17:56:45 Guy Lesquoy is Director of Entertainment at The Parisian Macao’s Streetmosphere and has been working for Sands China Ltd. for the past decade.]]>The Crazy Paris Show came to life. After more than 15 years directing the region’s first “aesthetic nude show”, Lesquoy left STDM due to differences of opinion. “They wanted to bring it closer to the Chinese taste, and it was not what I wanted. I always like something classy.” After directing 120 acts and managing more than 150 girls on stage, the former cancan dancer freelanced until he started working for Sands, shifting from The Venetian to The Parisian. If Macao is Lesquoy’s home, The Parisian may be his playground, where his mastery comes to life. Part of his heart, Lesquoy assures us, forever remains in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire: “I lived there during the 50s and 60s, and life was much like Macao’s when I arrived here in the 80s.” However, the Frenchman says it is difficult to imagine living elsewhere now. “When you are a known person in a village-like place such as Macao, you have some constraints but also a lot of benefits.” The former dancer is a popular figure here, not only because he has represented Macao internationally but also because he is a “people person”. Integrating into the fabric of local culture and society has been of the utmost importance for the entertainer. In addition to playing first-division football for 17 years, Lesquoy is former President of the Rotary, a champion tennis player in Macao and member of the Macao bridge team. He is also Co-founder of the Alliance Francaise and Anima, a local animal shelter, where his dogs are adopted from. Lesquoy still trains every day and can do the splits with astonishing ease. “I may be the oldest cancan dancer ever,” he says playfully. Nowadays, sports play a secondary position in his life due to the energy invested in his profession, but he always tries to find time for family, friends, jet-skiing and good food and wine.  ]]>